Heat check: Five strong starts to the fall season

Aug. 14—The first day of the high school year for the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley school districts are still a few days away.

In wake of it, the fall sports season has already accounted for a number of strong local performances, including the above par, 'we like to go under par' Monarch boys golf team, and year-in, year-out state softball contender, Holy Family.

While our 10&10 series will resume next week — highlighting 10 teams and 10 athletes that had exceptional performances from the previous week (please email us your nominees) — today, we'll dive into five hot starts from teams and players across the first couple weeks of the fall season.

Of note, contests in boys golf, tennis and softball are already underway. Cross country, girls volleyball, boys soccer and gymnastics begin this week. The opening week of football starts Aug. 24.

Holy Family softball: Junior ace Isabella Arroyo allowed just one unearned run in eight innings Saturday, helping lift the Tigers over 5A Valor Christian and 4A defending champ Lutheran.

She struck out 10 across those two games and walked two. She added four hits and three RBIs.

Last year, Holy Family went a combined 0-3 against the Eagles and Lions — including a 3-0 loss to Lutheran in the 4A title game.

Jayson Mitts, Longmont boys golf: The Trojans freshman has had high finishes at his first few high school tournaments. He finished fifth at the first Northern Colorado Athletics Conference gathering two weeks ago and was runner-up at the second and third league invites last week.

Thursday, he was the highest local finisher at Coyotes Creek Golf Course, carding 3-under 68.

Monarch boys golf: The Coyotes treaded rare ground last week, finishing below par as a team in their win at the Eaton Invitational.

Reigning Front Range League champ Talan Gover won at the Eaton Country Club Thursday, scoring 4-under-par 67. Cameron Nicholson was also under par (69), Jackson Harberts was right at it (71), and a day after Monarch won the Loveland Invitational, it dominated in Eaton with a team score of 6-under 207.

On Monday, Gover won the opening FRL tournament at Flatirons Golf Course at 1-under 69 as the Coyotes finished second to Fossil Ridge.

"We have high expectations for this season and we're hoping Eaton will serve as a great foundation for future success," Monarch coach Geoff Findley said over the weekend. "I'm most excited about the confidence it will inspire in our players. We have a lot more golf to play but knowing you can get it done as a team is everything for us right now."

Peak to Peak boys golf: Junior Om Mathur went under par at the Mile High Invitational Thursday, scoring 1-under 69 at the Flatirons Golf Course. The Pumas, who finished sixth in 3A last year, also won the invite as a team.

Then on Monday, Jack Brayman tied for first at the Lutheran Invitational at Murphy Creek Golf Course, finishing 2-under 70, and Peak to Peak was fourth. Last Tuesday, the Pumas were third at the Metro League tourney at Foothills Golf Course, ahead of, among others, Colorado Academy, which placed third in 3A last season.

Sophia Pereira, Boulder softball: The junior homered twice in her first game of the season for the Panthers, who went 1-2 at the Dina Brown Memorial Tournament last weekend. She hit three more in a loss to Fort Lupton Monday.

Ellie Jones leads the team with eight hits and also has five RBIs.