NoCo Nine: State-bound softball teams, soccer standouts lead week's best in Fort Collins sports

It's officially postseason time in Colorado.

Teams are state-bound, regionals are ramping up and our local teams are gearing up for postseason runs.

Let's get right to it: Here are the best things we saw in Fort Collins-area high school sports action over the past week.

Note: If you have nominations for future weeks, please send them via email to ChrisAbshire@coloradoan.com for consideration.

State-bound: Fossil Ridge, Windsor softball

It was regional weekend for softball and two local teams are moving on to state!

No. 3 Windsor blasted through its Class 4A home regional, beating Widefield in five innings and then beating Discovery Canyon, 6-1, on Saturday. The Wizards (20-5) will be among the 4A title favorites, sporting a 2-1 record against Holy Family and Lutheran, the two teams seeded higher than them.

In a rare occurrence, Fossil Ridge had to go on the road to make state. The No. 12 SaberCats split games against No. 21 Arapahoe and host Erie (No. 5) before beating the Warriors again in a dramatic walk-off win to keep their season alive.

Softball state tournament action is this Friday and Saturday at Aurora Sports Park, with a single-elimination, 16-team bracket determining the champs.

3rd place the charm: Fossil Ridge boys tennis

Speaking of state, the boys tennis state championships were held this past weekend, with a pair of Fossil Ridge doubles teams bringing home third place in Class 5A.

No. 2 Fossil Ridge doubles duo Alex Van Thuyne and Jack Houldsworth beat Regis Jesuit 6-4, 6-4 Saturday to win the playback bracket after falling in the semifinals.

The SaberCats' No. 4 doubles team of Zane Webb and Gavin Payne bounced back from an opening-set loss to also beat Regis Jesuit 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 after a semifinal defeat.

Full results:Two Fossil Ridge doubles teams finish 3rd at 5A boys tennis state championships

Hat trick (plus one): Rocky Mountain's Miles Monnier, Liberty Common's Brady Poore

We're approaching playoff time on the pitch, but the latter part of the regular season is providing some fireworks.

Rocky Mountain's Miles Monnier scored four goals on Senior Night against Prairie View in Tuesday's 5-0 win. But he wasn't alone this week.

Liberty Common's Brady Poore also tallied four goals in the Eagles' dominant 9-0 win at Berthoud a night later.

The Lobos have won three straight and still have a shot to host a 5A first-round game, while the Eagles (10-1-1) are red-hot with seven straight wins by a combined 51-1 and sit at No. 2 in the 3A seeding index.

Runners rule: Heritage Christian cross country sweep

The Eagles swept the top individual spots and the boys and girls team titles at the Mile High & Foothills League championship last week in Johnstown.

Jack Nauman took him first in the boys meet with a 16:44 time in the 5,000 meters, and teammate Ryan O'Loughlin was right behind him, taking second with a time of 17:16.

It's the fourth top-5 finish of the season for O'Loughlin, and Nauman remains a 2A title contender after a fourth-place finish (and HCA boys team title) at state last year.

In the girls event, freshman Mikaela Kennedy took home first with a run of 20:10.60, Teammates Juliana Lundy and Faith Lee placed second and third, respectively, as Heritage Christian also won the girls league title.

Great debut: Wellington softball makes postseason

The Wellington softball team made regionals this season. And while the Eagles didn't win a game, falling to 3A No. 6 seed and host Fort Lupton 8-0, they've got plenty to be proud of.

This season was always going to be an uphill battle, with new schools Wellington and Timnath fielding varsity sports teams with only freshmen and sophomores. But Wellington indeed battled, winning eight games (two in 4A/3A league play) and reached the postseason in year one.

The future is bright for the program up north.

City thriller: Fossil soccer holds off Fort Collins

This was the city showdown we've been waiting for all season, and it decided the new Front Range League North title.

Fossil Ridge (9-3-1, 7-0 league) won a tense 1-0 game to claim the league and city crown, as Manuel Scelfo scored the lone goal and goalkeepers Tate Marshall and Charlie Lewis combined to keep 16 Fort Collins shots out of the net.

Both teams are in strong postseason shape, sitting at No. 8 and No. 9 in CHSAA's seeding index, meaning both will host at least first-round matches. And who knows? They could face off in the second round if those seeds hold.

Championship central:Tracking Fort Collins-area fall high school sports in the postseason

Aced the test: Fossil Ridge volleyball

The soccer match wasn't the only Collins-Fossil showdown on campus Thursday night.

The SaberCats girls volleyball team swept through Fort Collins in three sets (25-16, 25-21, 25-19) at home, handling their rivals with 10 aces and staying in the thick of the league title race at 8-1 (11-4 overall).

A win this Thursday against Rocky Mountain would give Fossil Ridge the unofficial city title for the season.

Full story:No. 10 Fossil Ridge girls volleyball aces test against crosstown rival Fort Collins

Player of the Week: Jaden Thomas, Windsor football

This isn't the first time we've seen the Windsor running back in this space this season.

Thomas didn't run for 370 yards this time (like he did against Fort Collins), but he did score four touchdowns and rush for more than 100 yards in Windsor's 53-0 win at Greeley West on Friday.

It's his second four-TD game this season as the Wizards have won three straight games to open league play.

Football game of the week: Fossil Ridge at Fairview

We'll be out at local rivalry Poudre vs. Fort Collins here in town Friday night, but there's no denying this is the biggest game of the week, with huge league title and playoff seeding implications.

Both teams are 7-1, 3-0 in league play and poised to host first-round playoff action. Fossil won the league last season despite a 2-point home loss to the Knights, who also survived Poudre by two points a few weeks ago.

If the SaberCats win, it could set up a massive Oct. 28 matchup between Fossil and Poudre for the league title.

No QB controversy here:Fossil Ridge football blends styles to beat Rocky Mountain, reach 7-1

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: NoCo Nine: Softball, soccer standouts lead week's best in HS sports