(Note: To see the complete list of schools and how they are ranked, pick up the March issue of Mile High Sports. High School Rankings is based on performances in the calendar year 2023.)

Go kids, go!

Whether they’re playing for their school or representing it as a pro, Colorado’s Preps represent!

Russ ‘n’ Sean. KSE ‘n’ Comcast. The Rockies versus, well, everyone – including television right about now.

Who needs it?

You like sports, you say? We’ve got you covered. Go watch a high school game. In person. For a cool five bucks. Where the coaches coach hard, the kids play harder and the fans cheer hardest. Where the popcorn costs $3, tops.

This issue is for da kids.

As much as we all cheer for Super Bowls and Stanley Cups, that kind of hardware isn’t always in the cards. But high school sports never disappoint. Every year, Mile High Sports salutes the schools, coaches, kids and alumni in our annual preps issue.

The Formula

What exactly is “High School Rankings XXI”? Well, it’s the 21st year it’s happened, so, to begin, it’s a tradition.

But beyond that, it’s our own highly patented (a loose term at best) formula that was crafted to fairly evaluate which Colorado schools are the best. We don’t care how big or small the school is, or whether it’s metropolitan or so country that its address could very well be “BFE,” we want to know what school does this whole sports thing best. As such, here’s the magic formula that helps us determine that

…

(Number of Team State Qualifiers / Total Sports Participated In) x 25
+
(Number of Team State Runner-Up Finishes / Total Sports Participated In) x 75
+
(Number of Team State Champions / Total Sports Participated In) x 200
+
(Number of Individual State Champs / Total Sports Participated In) x 20
+
(Number of First-Team All-State Athletes / Total Sports Participated In) x 20
=
TOTAL SCORE

…

The List

Unlike the magazine where we count from No. 1 and move up, throughout the week we will be counting down the top 50 as they fell in our 2023 rankings.

50

Mead Mavericks
Class: 4A
Score: 26.50
Last Year: 83 (+33)

49

Windsor Wizards
Class: 4A
Score: 27.61
Last Year: 37 (-12)

48

Mountain Vista Golden Eagles
Class: 5A
Score: 28.13
Last Year: 70 (+22)

47

Mesa Ridge Grizzlies
Class: 4A
Score: 28.42
Last Year: 192 (+145)

46

Peyton Panthers
Class: 2A
Score: 28.64
Last Year: 102 (+56)

45

Delta Panthers
Class: 3A
Score: 30.63
Last Year: 101 (+56)

44

Jefferson Academy Jaguars
Class: 3A
Score: 32.14
Last Year: 55 (+11)

43

Sanford Mustangs
Class: 2A
Score: 32.22
Last Year: 7 (-36)

42

Peak to Peak Pumas
Class: 3A
Score: 32.81
Last Year: 71 (+29)

41

University Bulldogs
Class: 3A
Score: 33.33
Last Year: 16 (-25)