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Column: Busy homecoming week missing one crucial element

Dale Strode
The Aspen Times
Dale Strode

Eat up.

This week’s sporting schedule offers a feast, a veritable homecoming smorgasbord of compelling options — with one key ingredient missing.

Start today — the first day of homecoming week at Aspen High School — when the Aspen High boys golf team begins a two-day, two-round quest for a state championship.



The Skiers will tee off at Eagle Ranch Golf Club just outside Eagle for the Class 3A State Golf Championships.

One round today, weather permitting.




Second round Tuesday, weather permitting.

Coach Mary Woulfe and the Skiers will field two seniors and two freshmen at the state meet ­— the same foursome who won the regional championship at Haymaker Golf Club in Steamboat Springs two weeks ago.

Senior Will Hazen, a veteran of the Colorado state prep championships, will lead the Skiers.

He’ll be joined by fellow senior Burke Daily. His state experience includes winning the state lacrosse title with his Aspen teammates last spring.

Freshmen Jack Hughes and Dom Lanese will play in their first state golf championships for the Skiers.

Basalt’s prep golfers likewise will play at the state meet in Eagle today and Tuesday.

Basalt was second at regionals behind Aspen with a team of Drew Broadhurst, Linc Kleager, Holden Kleager and Tanner Korn.

Aspen’s other fall prep teams also will line up for their respective homecoming-week games and events, including the boys soccer team that will host Roaring Fork on Thursday and the volleyball team that will host Gunnison on Saturday.

Torch up the traditional bonfire Thursday night.

And get geared up for the annual cross country races Saturday — prep divisions and an open division.

The annual Chuck Severy Memorial 5K will kick off Saturday’s racing on the cross country ski course adjacent to Aspen High School and the Aspen Valley Ski Club clubhouse. The open citizens 5K will go at 8 a.m.

Middle school and high school races for boys and girls will follow in the annual Chris Severy Invitational, hosted by Aspen High School and one of the most popular regional cross country meets of the season. It’s also a double tribute to Aspen’s first family of running — the Severys.

The annual homecoming football game — Coal Ridge at Aspen — will be under the Friday night lights at Aspen School District Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The Aspen football players will be there; the dance team will be there; the band will be there; even the water boys will be there.

Students, officials and fans all will be there.

The Aspen High School head football coach will not be there.

Coach Ryan Triece will miss the Skiers’ homecoming game Friday night — suspended this week after he was ejected in the fourth quarter of last week’s 51-24 home loss to Roaring Fork.

dstrode@aspentimes.com