Four league championships, new facilities, and a renewed approach to athletics have given Skyline High School plenty to celebrate this fall.
Skyline High School has a few new championship banners to hang.
The Falcons finished the fall season with four Colorado League titles, including a boys golf championship that had been 25 years in the making, a pair of cross country titles, and a girls volleyball championship that ended a 16-year drought.
For Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Alan Culpepper, who joined Skyline this year, the results have been exciting. But what’s been even more encouraging is watching students and coaches begin to recognize what their programs are capable of accomplishing.
“It’s not just one thing to be competitive, but to actually win games and win matches and win races. It takes a different mindset,” Culpepper said.
That shift has come during a year of significant change for Skyline athletics. A move to the Colorado League for most sports, a new stadium, a renovated gymnasium, and new leadership have brought fresh opportunities for students and coaches alike.
A Fall Worth Celebrating
The boys golf team started things off with Skyline’s first league championship in 25 years. The Falcons dominated the league tournament, sweeping the top five individual positions. Zack Lacrosse also qualified for the state tournament, continuing his success among Colorado’s top high school golfers.
Cross country followed with two more championships, although those titles came down to much closer finishes.
Both the boys and girls teams won their respective league championships by narrow margins. On the girls side, runners who had competed at the junior varsity level during parts of the season stepped into varsity roles for the championship meet, helping secure the team title.
The races were so close that every position mattered.
For Culpepper, the experience was particularly rewarding. The school doesn’t even have an existing cross country championship banner to update. They’ll need to order a new one.
Girls volleyball added another highlight to the season, winning its first league championship in approximately 16 years and earning a trip to regionals.
The team was young, with as many as three freshmen starting at times, but continued to improve throughout the season. Head coach Kevin Ratzlaff was named the league’s Co-Coach of the Year, and freshman Naomi Victor earned Player of the Year honors.
At regionals, Skyline faced some of the state’s strongest competition, including top-ranked Lewis-Palmer. The Falcons battled through difficult matches and showed they could compete against high-level programs.
Boys soccer also made significant strides. The Falcons finished just one spot outside the state playoff field, ranking 33rd when 32 teams qualified. Although the team narrowly missed the postseason, several players earned All-League recognition after a season filled with competitive matches.
Football also showed growth this fall while competing in a challenging league. Under the leadership of head coach Justin Vogt and his staff, the Falcons continued to build their program, increasing student participation and emphasizing hard work, accountability, and teamwork. Culpepper praised the coaching staff for keeping students engaged and focused on improvement throughout the season, reinforcing that success isn’t measured by wins and losses alone.
More Than Winning
Culpepper knows a thing or two about competition.
Before moving into education and athletic leadership, he represented the United States in two Olympic Games, competed on four World Championships teams, won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, and finished fourth in the Boston Marathon.
Looking back, he doesn’t focus much on the individual results. What stands out is the work it took to get there.
“It really boiled down to that pursuit of excellence more than anything else,” Culpepper said. “I was always pushing to get the most out of myself.”
It’s an approach he has carried into his work at Skyline.
When meeting with coaches, Culpepper frequently talks about building what he calls a “championship model.” That doesn’t necessarily mean winning a championship every season. It means establishing the habits, expectations, and relationships that give students the best chance to succeed.
“You don’t have to win championships to build a championship program. It’s about creating the right environment, setting high expectations, and giving students the opportunity to succeed,” he said.
For Skyline, that includes clear communication with families, high expectations for student-athletes, and encouraging students to participate in more than one sport.
Culpepper wants students to remain connected to their school throughout the year rather than participating in a single season and stepping away until the following fall. He sees athletics as an important part of student engagement, both inside and outside the classroom.
He’s also placing a greater emphasis on connecting with Skyline’s feeder schools so younger students and families can see the opportunities waiting for them in high school.
While winning a league title is something to celebrate, Culpepper believes the lessons students learn along the way are far more important.
“You’re trying to teach these young adults what it means to maximize their potential and to seek excellence,” he said.
A New Place to Call Home
There’s also a different feeling around Skyline’s athletic facilities this year.
The opening of the school’s new stadium has given the Falcons a home venue to host competitions and bring their community together. The gymnasium has also received extensive renovations, including a new sound system and other improvements.
For Culpepper, the facilities have been a welcome addition. The improvements give Skyline an opportunity to show students, families, and the broader community what the school has to offer.
Culpepper credits the district’s investment in the facilities and the support of Principal Anthony Barela and the school’s leadership team for helping create an environment where students are encouraged to get involved and try new things.
“Athletics is kind of the arena, but I see it in everything that’s happening at Skyline,” Culpepper said. “We’re really trying to maximize what we offer for these students.”
Looking Ahead
With fall athletics wrapped up, Skyline is already preparing for the winter season.
Boys and girls basketball, wrestling, and girls swimming and diving are getting underway, and Culpepper is eager to see how those programs perform in the Colorado League.
The school will also host its annual Falcon Challenge basketball tournament in December, a longstanding Skyline tradition that brings together teams from several classifications.
After the success of the fall season, there’s plenty of excitement about what comes next.
For Culpepper, though, the goal remains the same regardless of how many championships Skyline wins.
“I care if you put forth your best effort and that you have that pursuit of excellence in yourself and then that bleeds into all that you’re doing.” He said.
The new banners will be a nice addition to Skyline’s gym. What Culpepper hopes students take away from the season is something that will stay with them long after they graduate.