Comment on Picks of the week: Season-defining weekend for the Pac-12 (and several games are a long way from home)

LAKEWOOD — The Bruins wrote Marc Johnson a Disney ending. Cherry Creek won its ninth title under the retiring all-time CHSAA wins leader, beating Regis Jesuit twice on Saturday to claim the Class 5A championship. The Bruins mercy-ruled the Raiders, 11-1, in Game 1 at All-Star Park, then edged Regis Jesuit 5-2 in Game 2 to clinch the crown. Cherry Creek’s Ryan Falke pitches during the second game of their double elimination 5A title game at All-Star Park in Lakewood on June 1, 2024.

Cal Quantrill needed a difference-maker. “I was having good results, but it was becoming more difficult to strike out batters,” the Rockies right-hander explained. “There were too many times in a game when I needed a pitch to balance things out. My cutter was too hard as a secondary pitch. And my fastball and cutter could get a little bit jumpy at times.” Quantrill, a cerebral pitcher, studied his dilemma and found a solution — not a simple solution, mind you, but one that works for him. He decided to try the split-finger fastball, which is difficult to master and rarely used by major leaguers.

AIR FORCE ACADEMY — The glory of a state baseball championship may reach its acme in the moments immediately following the final out, but it’s the small decisions that make or break a team under pressure. Holy Family’s sprint toward its fourth state crown — and second in Class 4A — on Saturday on Erdle Field culminated by way of a Hail Mary a week earlier, a hitting inferno from senior first baseman Jayden Watts throughout the entire postseason, and a baffling decision from the opposing coach in the early innings of Saturday’s matinee. The Tigers rode a hefty third inning to a 13-6 victory over Pueblo County following an early, disastrous pitching change for the Hornets.

Justin Simmons the football player remains in a state of limbo. Simmons the person looked right at home Saturday morning in Montbello. The 31-year-old, released by the Broncos after eight seasons back in March, has seen his free agency now inch toward the three-month mark. You wouldn’t have known it at the Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club for the annual March for Peace on this sun-splashed morning. “God is so good.

This could be a very uncertain summer for the Colorado Avalanche, but securing a little long-term certainty might be the best move the club can make. Mikko Rantanen is not one of Colorado’s nine free agents, but he’s eligible for a new contract starting July 1. Signing him to another long-term deal in July would help the Avs ensure their window as a Stanley Cup contender goes beyond 2024-25 and provide general manager Chris MacFarland with a clearer picture of what can be done this offseason and beyond to supplement a championship-level core. Rantanen, who will turn 28 in late October, is entering the final season of a six-year contract that he signed in late September 2019.

The Broncos’ 2024 draft class is all signed and ready to roll. Denver agreed to terms with fourth-round wide receiver Troy Franklin on his four-year rookie contract and Franklin signed it Saturday, the team announced. Franklin, drafted No. 102 overall with the second pick of the fourth round, is the last of Denver’s seven draft picks to sign his rookie contract. The slot value according to OvertheCap data: Four years and $4.875 million with a signing bonus of $854,836. Franklin will count $1.009 million against Denver’s 2024 salary cap. Related Articles Denver Broncos | Former Broncos safety Justin Simmons might be in football limbo, but he was right at home Saturday and enjoying his offseason Denver Broncos | Renck & File: Broncos running back Javonte Williams looks ready to run with angry intentions Denver Broncos | Broncos OTA observations: WR Marvin Mims Jr.