(Note: To see the complete list of schools and how they are ranked, pick up the March issue of Mile High Sports. High School Rankings is based on performances in the calendar year 2023.)
The countdown continues.
On Monday, we started counting down the top 50 high schools in terms of athletic success in 2023. Spots 50-41 featured teams from the Denver Metro area, Southern Colorado and the Western Slope who captured state championships.
Tuesday’s crop of 40-31, had see some Jeffco powerhouses, a trio of Colorado Springs-area programs and small-school football champions from the Eastern Plains and Four Corners.
Wednesday saw a crop of small schools dominate spots 30-21. Among them were 2023 Class 1A boys basketball champion Denver Jewish Day and 2A boys soccer champion Crested Butte.
As we break into the 20-11, a notable name comes in at No. 13. In fact, it’s safe to say when it comes to high school sports, No. 13 is Championship City, Colorado.
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High School Rankings
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The Formula
What exactly is “High School Rankings XXI”? Well, it’s the 21st year it’s happened, so, to begin, it’s a tradition.
But beyond that, it’s our own highly patented (a loose term at best) formula that was crafted to fairly evaluate which Colorado schools are the best. We don’t care how big or small the school is, or whether it’s metropolitan or so country that its address could very well be “BFE,” we want to know what school does this whole sports thing best. As such, here’s the magic formula that helps us determine that:
…
(Number of Team State Qualifiers / Total Sports Participated In) x 25
+
(Number of Team State Runner-Up Finishes / Total Sports Participated In) x 75
+
(Number of Team State Champions / Total Sports Participated In) x 200
+
(Number of Individual State Champs / Total Sports Participated In) x 20
+
(Number of First-Team All-State Athletes / Total Sports Participated In) x 20
=
TOTAL SCORE
…
The List
20
Rock Canyon Jaguars
Class: 5A
Score: 44.78
Last Year: 60 (+40)
18T
Resurrection Christian Cougars
Class: 3A
Score: 45.00
Last Year: 79 (+61)
18T
Wiggins Tigers
Class: 2A
Score: 45.00
Last Year: 39 (+21)
17
Denver Christian Thunder
Class: 2A
Score: 46.43
Last Year: 73 (+56)
16
Cheraw Wolverines
Class: 1A
Score: 48.33
Last Year: 47 (+31)
15
Haxtun Fightin’ Bulldogs
Class: 1A
Score: 49.38
Last Year: 47 (+32)
14
Niwot Cougars
Class: 4A
Score: 49.76
Last Year: 17 (+3)
13
Limon Badgers
Class: 2A
Score: 57.31
Last Year: 8 (-5)
12
The Classical Academy Titans
Class: 4A
Score: 58.13
Last Year: 19 (+7)
11
Sedgwick County Cougars
Class: 2A
Score: 60.00
Last Year: 29 (+18)