NoCo Nine: Allori's win, city softball games, golf ace lead week's best in high school sports

Now we're cooking.

Labor Day is behind us and the fall season is in full swing everywhere you look.

This week alone, we had a major cross-country meet, city softball rivalries, dramatic football finishes, big volleyball wins and another ace.

Here's a look at the best in Fort Collins-area high school sports moments over the past week:

Note: If you have nominations for future NoCo Nine editions, please send them via email to ChrisAbshire@coloradoan.com for consideration.

Allori sets new career best

The Liberty Common senior keeps breaking new barriers.

After an unbeaten state-title season last year, Allori is delivering one heck of an encore already this fall.

The latest highlight came Saturday at the prestigious Liberty Bell Invitational, a de facto state meet preview featuring most of Colorado's top teams and runners across all classes. All Allori did was win the girls sweepstakes race with a new career-best 5K time of 16 minutes, 55 seconds.

She's got two wins in two races this season and likely many more to come at her current pace.

Windsor football wins another close one

These Wizards sure know how to close out these close games. Windsor is now 3-0 by a total of six points, the latest win coming in a dramatic finish to a local rivalry matchup vs. Fort Collins.

Birthday boy Tripp Thomas put Windsor in control with two touchdowns until the Lambkins waged a furious final-minute comeback that featured a touchdown, recovered onside kick and a 41-yard field goal attempt for the win.

It sailed wide left at the buzzer, keeping the Wizards' magic alive with a 26-24 win and setting up another big local game vs. Fossil Ridge on Thursday.

Fossil, Rocky roll in crosstown softball

City softball rivalry season began in earnest last week with a couple crosstown matchups.

Rocky Mountain (8-3-1, 3-1 league) started the fun on Thursday, scoring six runs in the final two at-bats to take down Poudre 8-3 behind two Emma Meyer home runs.

Fossil Ridge continues to bounce back from a slow start, winning its fourth straight game with an 8-2 win at Fort Collins. Anna Javernick led the way with a 2-3 day that included a double and 3 RBIs.

Timnath volleyball stays unbeaten

The Cubs look like a volleyball big dog in their sophomore season.

Timnath (9-0, 1-0 league) more than doubled its win total with a 5-0 week that included wins over local rivals Severance and Wellington while winning all six sets.

The Cubs then swept their home invitational, dropping just one set in three wins. Timnath is the real deal right now, sitting at No. 1 in CHSAA's Class 3A seeding index.

Another ace for Fossil golfer

The defending 5A boys golf champions are some golf aces. And the SaberCats keep scoring them, too.

For the second time this season, a Fossil Ridge golfer made a hole-in-one. This one came from junior Cole Rogers last Wednesday on the 183-yard, par-3 12th hole at Broadlands Golf Course. Rogers ultimately shot 3-over-par 75 to tie for seventh in the Front Range League match, helping Fossil finish third as a team.

Kaden Davenport made the SaberCats' other hole-in-one on No. 8 at Collindale back in August.

Wellington football stomps Sterling

There aren't many 3-0 teams left in Northern Colorado, but one of them is soaring up north.

Wellington stayed unbeaten with a 36-14 road stomping at Sterling in the Tigers' Homecoming game. The Eagles got three rushing touchdowns from QB Tanner Gray and two more from Cash Altschwager.

Combined with Timnath's 49-7 at Prospect Ridge, it sets up a highly anticipated Boxelder Cup rivalry game next weekend that doubles as Wellington's home opener this season.

Rocky, Fossil tennis teams keep scorching

Our top two local tennis squads remain on fire this season.

Fossil Ridge (6-0, 3-0 league) swept Loveland on all seven lines Thursday, with their four doubles squads completely blanking the Red Wolves in all eight combined sets. The SaberCats have dropped just two lines in six matches, going 40-2.

Meanwhile, Rocky Mountain (5-1, 3-1 league) has only lost to Fossil so far, but the Lobos are rolling since. That included a pair of wins over Timnath and Broomfield this week by a combined score of 11-3.

Windsor volleyball gets revenge

The Wizards went 25-3 against everybody else last season, and 0-2 against Thompson Valley.

That second defeat was the one they remembered, coming in the 4A state championship match. It's a new season now, but Windsor got a small measure of revenge, taking down No. 3 Thompson Valley on Thursday in five tight sets (20-25, 27-25, 25-22, 27-29, 15-11).

Even though Windsor (9-1) suffered its first loss of the year Saturday, the Wizards still went 4-1 last week and are No. 3 in CHSAA's seeding index, looking like serious title contenders yet again.

Fort Collins-area Games of the Week

• Front Range League golf championships (Tuesday, 8 a.m.): The Fort Collins city teams start postseason play this week at Coal Creek Golf Course in Louisville, and Fossil Ridge will be the very likely favorites to win it as the sprint begins to state in early October.

• Erie at Fossil Ridge softball (Tuesday, 4 p.m.): This is a big litmus test for the suddenly-scorching SaberCats, who have won four straight. They'll host 5A No. 3 Erie, who is 10-2 and ended Fossil's season at the state tournament last year.

• Fossil Ridge at Windsor girls volleyball (Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.): It's always a premier matchup when these two teams meet. Both made the Final Four in their respective classifications last season, though Windsor beat Fossil 3-0 on the road and get the SaberCats at home this time around.

• Windsor at Fossil Ridge football (Thursday, 7 p.m.): Windsor (3-0) keeps winning close games, but Fossil Ridge is going to be hungry here in a Week 4 home opener. The SaberCats also have a bad taste in their mouth after a 32-28 loss at Brighton continued an 0-3 start.

• Timnath at Wellington football (Friday, 7 p.m.): The Boxelder Cup is already a big deal in its second year. This annual rivalry between these two new schools will be huge, with the teams a combined 5-1 and Wellington also hosting its first home game this season.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado high school sports: Best Fort Collins performances for Sept. 4-9