Here's who won every Fort Collins high school city title in 2023-24 school year

With the regular season done for every high school sport in Colorado, it's time to crown the champions of Fort Collins.

While city titles are not official championships (outside of specific meets in swimming as well as track and field), they matter a lot to local athletes.

It's typically one of the first preseason goals for any of the four Fort Collins big-school teams (Fort Collins, Fossil Ridge, Poudre and Rocky Mountain).

And city title acknowledgments are often found on team shirts, printed on school banners and in bragging rights among crosstown rivals.

While Fossil Ridge won the majority of city championships this year, all four city schools are represented.

Here's who won each Fort Collins city title, by sport, in the 2023-24 school year:

Baseball: Fossil Ridge (3-0)

The SaberCats won their first-ever city baseball championship with a Fort Collins sweep, beating all three crosstown rivals.

It's all part of a special season in head coach Marc Wagner's first year at Fossil Ridge, which is 20-1, Front Range League champ and rated No. 1 in CHSAA's Class 5A seeding index as the postseason approaches.

City games:

• April 16: vs. Fort Collins (W, 5-1)
• May 4: at Poudre (W, 8-6)
• May 7: at Rocky Mountain (W, 7-4)

Boys basketball: Rocky Mountain (3-0)

The Lobos didn't drop a game against city competition, part of an 11-4 FRL campaign and Rocky's first city title in boys hoops since 2019.

Avantae Hood's game-winning shot to beat Fossil Ridge in the final seconds was a major highlight, along with a pair of Rocky blowouts over Fort Collins and Poudre.

City games:

• Jan. 30: vs. Poudre (W, 64-45)
• Feb. 9: vs. Fossil Ridge (W, 47-45)
• Feb. 15: at Fort Collins (W, 62-40)

Girls basketball: Rocky Mountain (2-1)

The Lobos won in a tight season finale showdown to claim the city title and earn the tiebreaker over Fort Collins, which also went 2-1 in city play.

Sara Chicco scored 25 points (on five 3-pointers) to edge out the Lambkins, who also went 2-1 in city play, and claim Rocky's first girls hoops city crown since 2009.

City games:

• Jan. 30: vs. Poudre (W, 55-38)
• Feb. 9: vs. Fossil Ridge (L, 51-47)
• Feb. 15: at Fort Collins (W, 52-49)

Football: Fossil Ridge (2-1)

The SaberCats won a second straight city title, blowing out Rocky Mountain and Poudre to offset a stunning loss to Fort Collins in the Canvas Classic.

Fossil Ridge has now made the playoffs in three straight seasons and is 7-2 against crosstown rivals during that run.

City games:

• Oct. 6: vs. Fort Collins (L, 34-31) (at Canvas Stadium)
• Oct. 13: at Rocky Mountain (W, 24-7)
• Oct. 27: vs. Poudre (W, 42-16)

Boys soccer: Fossil Ridge (3-0)

The SaberCats swept their way to the city championship, but it didn't come easy. Fossil Ridge needed a trio of one-goal wins over city rivals en route to a No. 10 seed in the Class 5A playoffs.

Fossil has now won two straight boys soccer city titles, going 6-0 in that span.

City matches:

• Sept. 21: vs. Poudre (W, 1-0)
• Oct. 3: at Rocky Mountain (W, 2-1)
• Oct. 12: at Fort Collins (W, 1-0)

Girls soccer: Fossil Ridge (3-0)

The SaberCats dominated Fort Collins foes this year, outscoring their crosstown rivals 13-3 during a third-straight city title campaign en route to a No. 2 seed in the 5A playoffs.

Fossil Ridge is now 10-0 against city competition dating back to May 2021.

City matches:

• April 4: vs. Poudre (W, 6-0)
• April 16: at Rocky Mountain (W, 3-2)
• April 25: at Fort Collins (W, 4-1)

Softball: Fossil Ridge (3-0)

The SaberCats run the city on the softball diamond and that continued last fall, outscoring their three local opponents 27-4 in a city sweep.

Fossil Ridge (which made the 5A semifinals for the sixth time in 10 years) hasn't lost to a Fort Collins team since Sept. 2016, going 23-0-1 in that stretch.

City games:

• Sept. 9: at Fort Collins (W, 8-2)
• Sept. 23: at Rocky Mountain (W, 6-2)
• Sept. 26: at Poudre (W, 13-0)

Boys swimming: Fossil Ridge (584 points)

The SaberCats continued their championship run in the pool, claiming a 15th straight boys city title in April's City Meet.

Fossil Ridge, winners of the FRL league title as well, outpaced runner-up Fort Collins by 186 points and won nine of 11 races:

• Jake Barela (50 free, 100 free)
• Brennen O'Neil (100 back, 200 IM)
• Pierce Bickerton (200 free, 500 free)
• Ryan Stahl (100 fly)
• Relay teams (200 medley and 400 free)

Girls swimming: Fossil Ridge (599.5 points)

The SaberCats bounced back from a rare City Meet defeat in 2023 with a commanding city crown to open 2024.

Fossil won seven of the 11 races to win by nearly 200 points over runner-up Rocky Mountain, getting title swims from:

• Ella Gaca-Thiele (50 free, 100 free)
• Elsa Fullerton (200 IM, 500 free)
• Gracie Thornton (100 fly)
• Relay teams (200 and 400 free)

Boys tennis: Fossil Ridge (3-0)

Fossil was king on the courts again last fall, sweeping city opponents while winning 19 of 21 lines.

The SaberCats (who also won regional and league championships) have now won four straight boys tennis city titles and are 13-0 against in-town teams during that run.

City matches:

• Aug. 24: at Rocky Mountain (W, 6-1)
• Aug. 28: vs. Fort Collins (W, 6-1)
• Sept. 12: at Poudre (W, 7-0)

Girls tennis: Rocky Mountain (3-0)

For the first time since 2019, there was a new girls tennis city champion.

The Lobos won their first city title in over 20 years, beating Fossil Ridge for the first time ever and sweeping city opponents while winning 17 of 21 lines.

It was a special season for Rocky, which made the 5A team semifinals, won a regional and qualified all seven lines for the individual state tournament.

City matches:

• March 20: vs. Fossil Ridge (W, 5-2)
• March 28: at Fort Collins (W, 6-1)
• April 4: vs. Poudre (W, 6-1)

Boys track and field: Fort Collins (229 points)

The Lambkins reclaimed the boys track and field city crown after losing it in 2023 for the first time since 2010.

Fort Collins narrowly beat out Fossil Ridge by just five points, thanks to city title performances at the annual Randy Yaussi Championships from:

• Cadel Ruthven (800 and 1,600 meter runs)
• DJ Ruff (100 and 200 dash)
• Charlie Nosler (110 hurdles)

Girls track and field: Fossil Ridge (302.5 points)

The SaberCats earned a second-straight city girls track and field crown in a dominant performance, finishing nearly 200 points ahead of runner-up Fort Collins.

Fossil Ridge (which also won the girls FRL title) got championship performances at the Yaussi from:

• Tatum Berg (800 and 1,600)
• Maggie Hoyer (long/triple jumps)
• Lily Wale (400 dash)
• Che Bertrand (pole vault)
• Erin Herrmann (shot put)
• Relay teams (4x100, 4x200, 4x400, 4x800)

Girls volleyball: Fossil Ridge (3-0)

The SaberCats' remarkable run to the 5A state championship match began with a sweep of city opponents.

Fossil Ridge not only won all three matches, it didn't drop a set against city competition, part of a ridiculous 21 sweeps last season.

Fossil has now earned the last five volleyball city titles, winning 16 straight matches against in-town rivals.

City matches:

• Oct. 2: at Poudre (W, 3-0)
• Oct. 12: at Fort Collins (W, 3-0)
• Oct. 19: at Rocky Mountain (W, 3-0)

Wrestling: Poudre (3-0)

The Impalas had a special season on the mat, including a city sweep by an average score of 58-15.

Poudre ultimately rolled to city, league and regional team titles before a fourth-place Class 5A finish that included state titles for Billy Greenwood and Banks Norby.

City matches:

• Dec. 20: vs. Fossil Ridge (W, 63-12)
• Jan. 18: vs. Fort Collins (W, 55-17)
• Jan. 25: at Rocky Mountain (W, 57-16)

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Here's who won every Fort Collins high school city title in 2023-24 school year