Andrew O'Connor and five other 2020 Tier I High Plains, Chaparral Seniors are celebrating as they graduate this spring. Andrew is hoping to play Junior hockey with the Janesville Jets next season.
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.
We conclude our tributes to our 2020 High Plains Seniors with a look at all of our Tier I players. This spring we graduate 41 Seniors from five different Tier I teams. Thank you to all the players for the memories and we wish you the best of luck as you move forward.
Andrew O'Connor - Chaparral
High School: Chaparral
Position: Right Wing
Favorite hockey player and team? My Favorite Hockey player right now is Cale Makar from the Colorado Avalanche due to his quick feet and vision up the ice he’s a great play maker which makes him so unique to watch.
What’s your favorite thing about hockey? I love playing hockey ever since I touched the ice for the first time. The brotherhood and bondes made on and off the ice will definitely stick with me. There is such a great hockey community that makes playing feel more special than just a game.
Why do you like playing High Plains hockey? High plains was such a great season to end off the year. It was always fun playing with kids that only go to your school and that may not play as competitive or kids that are on a travel team during most of the school year. It was hard to not play in the Parker Cup this year because we have won it the past 3 years so it would have been nice to have won the Parker Cup all 4 years.
What are your future plans? I’m planning to try out for the Janesville jets in mid June and see where junior hockey can hopefully take me.
Henry Spencer - Chaparral
High School: Chaparral
Position: Forward
Favorite hockey player and team? Calgary Flames
What’s your favorite thing about hockey? Fighting.
Why do you like playing High Plains hockey? Fighting.
What are your future plans? Go to college--first to Metro State Denver, and then probably somewhere out of state.
Jackson Whitmore - Chaparral
High School: Chaparral
Position: Forward
Favorite hockey player and team? MacKinnon/AVs
What’s your favorite thing about hockey? Scoring.
Why do you like playing High Plains hockey? Love playing hockey.
What are your future plans? Playing Juniors for the Drumheller Dragons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League while also taking college courses.
Nick Fall - Cherry Creek
High School: Cherry Creek
Position: Center
Favorite hockey player and team? Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
What’s your favorite thing about hockey? Winning.
Why do you like playing High Plains hockey? Playing with my longtime friends.
What are your future plans? I will be playing for the Elite Hockey Academy in the 2020/2021 season.
McKay Pond - Cherry Creek
High School: Cherry Creek
Position: Center
Favorite hockey player and team? Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
What’s your favorite thing about hockey? The compete level.
Why do you like playing High Plains hockey? It’s a chance to play infront of all my friends and classmates.
What are your future plans? Playing hockey at the University of Utah.
Kyle Venya - Cherry Creek
High School: Cherry Creek
Position: Center
Favorite hockey player and team? Auston Matthews and Colorado Avalanche
What’s your favorite thing about hockey? Playing with my friends and brothers.
Why do you like playing High Plains hockey? Because it’s less competitive and allows me to have fun.
What are your future plans? Play Juniors.
Pine Creek's Trevor Porter is one of 12 Seniors graduating from our 2020 High Plains Front Range Rangers Tier I team, the most of any team in any division.
Nicholas Boss - Front Range Rangers
High School: Lewis Palmer
Position: Center
Favorite hockey player and team? Josh Cronk, Lewis Palmer hockey
What’s your favorite thing about hockey? Meeting new people.
Why do you like playing High Plains hockey? It's basically a second chance at high school hockey, but more fun.
What are your future plans? Retirement.
Trevor Porter - Front Range Rangers
High School: Colorado Connections Academy/Pine Creek HS
Position: Center
Favorite hockey player and team? Nathan MacKinnon - Colorado Avalanche
What’s your favorite thing about hockey? Setting up teammates to score, team play, playing with life-long friends, and continuing to play a sport I love.
Why do you like playing High Plains hockey? Get to play with other high school players, who I have played with since a Mite and getting a chance to reconnect each year through HPHL.
What are your future plans? Going to attend CU Boulder to pursue Engineering and to play ACHA hockey there.
Andrew Santos - Front Range Rangers
High School: The Classical Academy
Position: Forward
Favorite hockey player and team? Nathan MacKinnon and Avalanche
What’s your favorite thing about hockey? Continuous high speed flow of the game.
Why do you like playing High Plains hockey? All teams are at a high level and fun opponents.
What are your future plans? I am playing Juniors next year for the New England Wolves.
Austin Sawyer - Front Range Rangers
High School: Pine Creek
Position: Forward
Favorite hockey player and team? Alex Ovechkin, Avalanche
What’s your favorite thing about hockey? My teammates.
Why do you like playing High Plains hockey? It is fun to play with all my friends from different high schools.
What are your future plans? Playing Juniors on Walpole Express.
Jax Bayer - Mountain Militia
High School: Durango High School
Position:Defence
Favorite hockey player and team? Dion Phaneuf, and the Philadelphia Flyers
What do you like best about playing hockey? I just enjoy the boys. Growing up playing hockey, there was always one thing you can always look forward to, and that was hanging out with your team. Nothing better. Without hockey boys the word ferda May never have been invented.
Why do you like playing high plains? High plains gives the athletes an opportunity to play competitive hockey when the regular seasons are over. Growing up in the mountains, as soon as spring hits hockey’s over. With HPHL, it gives the kids without ice a chance to skate when they originally never had that opportunity.
What are your future plan? I am playing junior hockey for the Walpole Express.
Hunter Hadsock - Mountain Militia
High School: Glenwood Springs High School
Position: Goalie
Favorite hockey player and team? Patrick Roy/Avs
What do you like best about playing hockey? I feel home when I am on the ice.
Why do you like playing High Plains? High level, intense hockey with great coaches and teammates.
What are your future plans? Playing junior hockey for the NA3HL.
Mountain Militia's goalie Hunter Hadsock will graduate from Glenwood Springs in 2020 and will be playing junior hockey in the NA3HL.
Name Team School
Simon Herz Chaparral Chaparral
Alex Karch Chaparral Chaparral
Braeden Piper Chaparral Chaparral
Blake Barnes Cherry Creek Cherry Creek
Blake Benson Cherry Creek Cherry Creek
Gavin Berkey Cherry Creek Cherry Creek
Cole Berlin Cherry Creek Cherry Creek
Hunter Katz Cherry Creek Cherry Creek
Charles Krause Cherry Creek Grandview
Anthony Capra Denver East Denver East
Wyatt Cirbo Denver East Denver East
Jack 'John' Dee Denver East Denver East
Jack Kresl Denver East Denver East
John Larchenko Denver East Denver South
Matthew MacDonald Denver East Denver East
Iain Riordon Denver East Denver East
Ian Costa Front Range Discovery Canyon
Luke Doyle Front Range Pine Creek
Jarid Humphries Front Range Pine Creek
Garrett Jansky Front Range Palmer Ridge
Mathew Johnson Front Range Palmer Ridge
Anthony Lupo III Front Range Pine Creek
Mitchell Willis Front Range Air Academy
Blake Davis Mountain Militia Summit
Issac Eland Mountain Militia Summit
Luke Gosnell Mountain Militia Springs Studio
Jake Mallory Mountain Militia Summit
Timothy Miller Mountain Militia Southwest Colorado eSchool
Chris Myers Mountain Militia Crested Butte Community School
Cherry Creek's Blake Benson is one of nine Seniors that the Bruins will graduate in 2020.
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