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Honoring our High Plains Seniors: Tier II - Part 2

05/27/2020, 12:30pm MDT
By Scott Cattelino

We finish honoring our High Plains Tier II Seniors with part two of our tribute to the 2020 Tier II graduates.


Parker/Legand goaltender Joseph Holguin will graduate from Legend High School this spring and was a big part of Chaparral's trip to the Frozen Four.

     The 2020 High Plains hockey season is one that we will never forget, unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.  Although we didn't get the chance to take the ice and enjoy the comradery of our friends, teammates, and coaches, we would like to take a moment to recognize and honor our High Plains Hockey League Seniors for their accomplishments and the culmination of their amazing high school careers.

     We at High Plains would like to extend our apologies for the heartbreak that you all have had to endure during your final days of high school.  We know it was not the ending that you had hoped for, but we are also here to applaud your courage and resiliency during these harsh and uncertain times.

     I wish there were some words of wisdom or enlightenment that I could bestow upon you Seniors to ease the frustration as you close this chapter of your lives in such an ominous manner, but the truth is none of us have been here before.  

     The class of 2020 has overcome something that we have never been through during our lifetimes, and that will only make you stronger.  The perseverance and determination to overcome that you all have displayed is inspiring and we have taken notice, so thank you.  Thank you for your strength.  Thank you for your resolve.  Thank you for showing us all the same conviction and persistence that we saw from you on the ice during your careers.  And thank you for making High Plains the fun and amazing league that it is because of all of you.

     Our focus today shifts toward honoring the second part of our Tier II High Plains Seniors.  We have 49 graduates representing ten different teams in our Tier II division this spring.  Thank you all for your inspiring us and we look forward to watching your growth.

High Plains Tier II Graduating Seniors - Part 2

Braeden Ng - Monarch

High School: Monarch

Position: Forward

Favorite hockey player and team? Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

What’s your favorite thing about hockey? Playing with my friends.

Why do you like playing High Plains hockey? Playing with friends and playing for fun, not for score.

What are your future plans? Going to CSU for engineering.

Jason Walter - Monarch

High School: Monarch

Position: Forward

Favorite hockey player and team? Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

What’s your favorite thing about hockey? It’s a fun sport to play! It’s fast and you have to give it your every time you’re on the ice.

Why do you like playing High Plains hockey? It’s fun! Not as much pressure as regular season.

What are your future plans? To attend MSU Denver, major in Aviation & Aerospace Science, become a professional pilot.

Owen Ells - Mountain Ice

High School: Home schooled

Position: Right wing

Favorite hockey player and team? Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche

What do you like best about playing hockey? The relationships with teammates are always priceless.

Why do you like playing High Plains Hockey? It's relaxed and easy, just a good time.

What are your future plans? Majoring in health and exercise science at CSU, going into a career as an athletic trainer.

Joseph Holguin - Parker/Legend

High School: Legend High School

Position: Goalie and Forward

Favorite hockey player and team?  Evander Kane and San Jose Sharks

What do you like best about playing hockey? By far the best thing about playing hockey is the comradery.  Spending time with my friends and playing the game we all enjoy is what I loved the most!

Why do you like playing High Plains Hockey? I enjoyed playing with the kids from my school and the fact that is was less stress. It was fun to go and play hockey just to play hockey!

What are your future plans?  I hope to play Junior Hockey for a year or two before attending college to study marketing or engineering.

Jackson 'JT' Waufle - Parker/Legend

High School: Legend

Position: Defense

Favorite hockey player and team? Favorite player: Patrick Kane favorite team: Avalanche

What do you like best about playing hockey? The atmosphere around the boys and when you step on the ice, and the hardships you have to overcome. 

Why do you like playing High Plains Hockey? I like playing High Plains because it is a fun league to be in after the end of a long CHSAA season. 

What are your future plans? My future plan is to study construction management at Colorado State University. 

Todd 'TJ' Branish - Rock Canyon

High School: Rock Canyon High School

Position: Defense

Favorite hockey player and team? Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche.

What do you like best about playing hockey?  I like the competitiveness and intensity of the games. During my most recent Thunderbirds season we had a lot of success and found ourselves in a lot of close games. And that’s what I love. I love battling with my best friends to win a hockey game, doing whatever it takes. Taking a hit, blocking a shot, is all worth it for a win. Hockey is the greatest game on the planet and I’ve met my best friends through hockey. 

Why do you like playing High Plains Hockey?  I like playing High Plains because it allows me to play with friends from school and continue to play hockey after my club season is over. High Plains offers me an opportunity to play sports with my school logo on, an opportunity I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for High Plains.

What are your future plans?  I plan on playing junior hockey and from there hopefully earning a college commitment and achieving my life long dream of playing college hockey.

Braden Cloutier - Rock Canyon

High School: Rock Canyon

Position: Wing

Favorite hockey player and team? TJ Oshie, Colorado Avalanche

What do you like best about playing hockey? It's fun and it's a good workout. 

Why do you like playing High Plains Hockey? It's layed back fun, but still competitive.

What are your future plans? I want to work on movies. 

Luke Lamkin - Rock Canyon

High School: Rock Canyon

Position: Center

Favorite hockey player and team? Colorado Avalanche/Joe Sakic

What’s your favorite thing about hockey? All of it!

Why do you like playing High Plains hockey? HP is more relaxed & not as serious which leads to more fun.

What are your future plans? Going to MSU and hoping to get back on the ice soon!

Levi McKinney - WLTV Wranglers

High School: Resurrection Christian 

Position: Forward

Favorite hockey player and team? Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche 

What do you like best about playing hockey?  Hanging out with teammates and funny moments that happen when people blow a tire. 

Why do you like playing High Plains Hockey?  I love the coaches and how much fun it is to play with some of your friends. 

What are your future plans?  I am attending Michigan State University and I have already been accepted into the business school. I am also going to be participating in the Army ROTC program there.

Ryler Schelle - WLTV Wranglers

High School: Berthoud High School

Position: Forward

Favorite hockey player and team? Team: Detroit Red Wings Player: Dylan Larkin

What’s your favorite thing about hockey? Making goalies look silly when I deke them out of their pads or snipe them bardownski.

Why do you like playing High Plains hockey? Enjoyed ditching the high school season teams to come together as a different unified team.

What are your future plans? Follow hockey in the USHL or NAHL, then to college hopefully with hockey then aim for becoming a eye doctor if pro hockey doesn't pan out.


Luke Lamkin (right) will graduate from Rock Canyon this spring and is heading to Metro State this fall. He is one of four graduates from this year's Rock Canyon High Plains team.

Honoring our remaining Tier II Seniors

Name                        Team                   School

Michael Anton           Arapahoe               Heritage

Samuel Denlinger      Arapahoe             Regis Jesuit

Tanner Hickman        Arapahoe             Regis Jesuit

Nathan Johnson         Arapahoe          Highlands Ranch

Connor Lindhal          Arapahoe               Heritage

Jaylen Allen            Cherokee Trail        Cherokee Trail

Hunter Fieweger     Cherokee Trail        Cherokee Trail

Luke Flay                Cherokee Trail        Cherokee Trail

Chris Smallwood     Cherokee Trail        Cherokee Trail

Makai Mitchell           Fossil Ridge            Fossil Ridge 

Joshua Pettine           Fossil Ridge            Fossil Ridge

James Beckstein             HTB                      Horizon

Brennan Hill                   HTB              Connexus Academy

Chris Miller                    HTB                      Horizon

Anthony Ojala                HTB                      Horizon

Jadon Delufo              Longmont              Silver Creek

Denis Dougherty        Longmont              Silver Creek

Devin McClure            Longmont                Fredrick

Kyle Sewczak              Longmont                  Mead

Kooper Koinzan           Monarch                 Monarch

Dillon Collings          Mountain Ice             Evergreen

Nicholas Cox            Mountain Ice           Dakota Ridge

Joshua Ebeling          Mountain Ice           Dakota Ridge

Peter Magen              Mountain Ice         Valor Christian

Scott Kennedy          Parker/Legend             EDCSD            

Parker Fromin            Rock Canyon          Rock Canyon

Samuel Hay                     WLTV                   Windsor

Eric Tyrrell                       WLTV                   Windsor

Andrew Visocky               WLTV               Mountain View


Hunter Fieweger is one of six Tier II High Plains players that will graduate from Cherokee Trail this spring.

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