CLASS 5A

1. Highlands Ranch (19-4)
2. Regis (19-4)
3. Monarch (18-5)
4. Legacy (19-4)
5. Doherty (21-2)
6. Palmer (19-3)
7. Arapahoe (18-5)
8. Ralston Valley (19-4)
9. Grandview (18-5)
10. Fort Collins (16-7)

NEW: Heritage

DROPPED OUT: ThunderRidge

TEAMS TO WATCH: Heritage (17-6), Arvada West (18-5), Horizon (16-7), Rangeview (21-2), Rock Canyon (18-5), Grand Junction (19-4)

NOTES:  Monarch recorded the most important win of the week as they downed Legacy last Friday to claim the Front Range championship.  It was their second win of the season over the league rivals and allowed the Coyotes move back into the top three while Legacy dropped just one spot to fourth.  Doherty, Palmer and Arapahoe all moved up two spots as they went through the week without a loss; something that Ralston Valley and Grandview could not do.  Ralston Valley still won the Jeffco crown despite a season closing loss to Arvada West.  They led the Wildcats by two games in the league race going into the contest.  Fort Collins opened the final week with a non-conference win over ThunderRidge so the Lambkins replace the Grizzlies at number ten this week.  They edged out Heritage for the final spot who lost to ThunderRidge earlier in the season.

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CLASS 4A

1. Air Academy (21-2)
2. Pueblo South (23-0)
3. D’Evelyn (19-3)
4. Centaurus (19-3)
5. Pueblo West (20-3)
6. Broomfield (18-4)
7. Roosevelt (18-5)
8. Windsor (18-4)
9. Palmer Ridge (20-3)
10. Silver Creek (18-5)

NEW: Palmer Ridge, Silver Creek

DROPPED OUT: Valor Christian, Glenwood Springs

TEAMS TO WATCH: Elizabeth (17-5), Cheyenne Mountain (15-8), Delta (18-4), Moffat County (17-6), Sand Creek (17-6)

NOTES: Eight of the ten teams in the poll are either new to the rankings or in a different spot from last week.  The exceptions are top ranked Air Academy and #2 Pueblo South who easily held onto the top billing with more dominating performances.  D’Evelyn finished off a perfect run through the Jeffco in both the regular and post-season as they beat Elizabeth to win the league tournament last Saturday.  That effort bumped the Jags to number three this week.  The Cardinals had a great tournament as well beating Valor Christian in the semi-finals before falling to the Jags in the tournament finals.  That loss barely kept them out of the top ten.  Centaurus and Pueblo West also moved up one spot this week because of a loss by Broomfield.  Centaurus beat the Eagles for the second time last week to capture the Northern title while Pueblo West finished a solid second to Pueblo South in the South Central.  The Cyclones have lost to only Pueblo South (twice) and Air Academy this year.  Broomfield slipped to sixth while Roosevelt and Windsor improved by two spots to seventh and eighth.  They each won twice during the past week and took advantage of losses by Valor Christian and Glenwood Springs to move up.  Valor as mentioned dropped a semi-final game to Elizabeth but also lost to Evergreen in the third place game.  Glenwood Springs came up short against Moffat County with that result creating a three way tie for the Western Slope title for the second straight year.  Palmer Ridge and Silver Creek are back in the rankings this week.  Palmer Ridge finished second to Air Academy in the CS Metro while Silver Creek ended up just one game back of Centaurus and Broomfield in the Northern.

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CLASS 3A

1. Machebeuf (19-0)
2. Holy Family (18-1)
3. Eaton (18-1)
4. Trinidad (19-0)
5. Brush (17-2)
6. Denver Science (19-1)
7. Olathe (17-2)
8. Bayfield (16-3)
9. Manitou Springs (17-2)
10. Faith Christian (14-5)

NEW: Faith Christian

DROPPED OUT: Rifle

TEAMS TO WATCH: Centauri (15-4), St Mary’s (14-5), Florence (12-7), Roaring Fork (12-7), Pagosa Springs (14-5), Clear Creek (17-4), Pinnacle (15-5), Middle Park (15-5)

NOTES: Once again the top four teams in the rankings remain solid in their positions.   Machebeuf won the Metro league title and handed Holy Family their only loss of the season.  Eaton is the Patriot champ and suffered their lone loss to Holy Family right after Christmas.  Trinidad, which did not play last week, is the only 3A team other than Machebeuf to make it through the regular season without a loss and will enter the Tri Peaks tournament as the team to beat.  Brush, Denver Science, Olathe and Bayfield all moved up one spot this week because of a loss by Manitou Springs.  The Mustangs suffered their only league loss of the season last week falling to Florence in a game that didn’t matter in the league championship picture.  Still the late season cost the Mustangs four spots in the poll.  Faith Christian makes their first appearance of the season in the 10^th spot.  The Eagles have played extremely well since the first two weeks of the season losing to only Machebeuf and Holy Family in league play.  They replace Rifle which was upset by Roaring Fork (39-32) on the final day of the season.

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CLASS 2A

1. Paonia (18-1)
2. Sanford (17-2)
3. Akron (18-1)
4. Burlington (16-3)
5. Evangelical Christian 17-2)
6. Vanguard (16-3)
7. Las Animas (16-3)
8. Lutheran (14-5)
9. Resurrection Christian (17-2)
10. Meeker (14-4)

NEW: Lutheran, Resurrection Christian

DROPPED OUT: Sangre De Cristo, Denver Christian, Peyton

TEAMS TO WATCH: Swink (14-5), Rye (13-6), Calhan (15-4), Ridgway (15-4), Sedgwick County (14-5), Sargent (12-7), Del Norte (14-5)

NOTES: For the first time this season there’s a new number one in the division.  Akron had held the top spot but dropped to number three this week following a loss to Merino.  That loss cost the Rams the Lower Platte League championship as well but it also gets the unbeaten “monkey” off their back going into the post-season which may help them in their quest to reach the championship game for a second time in three years.  Paonia, which is unbeaten against 2A teams this year, takes over the top spot while defending state champion Sanford also moves up to second.  The Indians had a great week with a league title clinching win over Sangre De Cristo last Friday followed up by a win over 3A Pagosa Springs on Saturday.  That win avenged one of their two losses on the season.  Evangelical Christian also had a great week.  They beat Peyton, Vanguard and Limon to capture the number one seed in District Eight.  The Eagles appear primed and ready to make another run at a state championship after losing to Sanford in the finals last March.  Three newcomers are in the rankings as Lutheran, Resurrection Christian and Meeker replace the trio of Sangre De Cristo, Denver Christian and Peyton.  Sangre as mentioned lost to Sanford but was also surprised by Crested Butte the next day.  Denver Christian was upended by Resurrection Christian while Peyton was beaten twice.  In addition to the Monday loss to ECA, they also dropped a 43-36 decision to 3A Lamar on Tuesday.

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CLASS 1A

1. Simla (18-0)
2. Eads (17-1)
3. Merino (17-2)
4. Wiley (17-2)
5. Norwood (18-1)
6. Deer Trail (16-2)
7. Caliche (16-3)
8. Pawnee (17-1)
9. Flagler (12-6)
10. Kim (13-5)

NEW: Kim

DROPPED OUT: Belleview Christian

TEAMS TO WATCH: Otis (13-6), Briggsdale (14-4), Springfield (11-8), Kit Carson (12-7), McClave (12-6), Gilpin County (16-2), Elbert (14-3), Sierra Grande (14-5)

NOTES: Caliche’s win over Pawnee caused a major ripple in the rankings this week.  The Buffs handed Pawnee their first loss of the season last Saturday and because of the recent head-to-head win, we moved them ahead of the Coyotes in this week’s poll.  As a result, Pawnee dropped tumbled six spots to number eight while Caliche moved up three spots and also moved past Flagler into the seventh spot.  The Caliche win may also cause potential regional seeding to look much different than they did late last week.  With Pawnee’s loss, Eads, Merino, Wiley, Norwood and Deer Trail all moved up one spot.  Eads picked up the number one seed in their district when McClave upended Kit Carson and the Eagles won the spot on a tiebreaker.  Wiley is the top seed in their district while Norwood is heavily favored to win the Western district and regional to earn a repeat visit to the state tournament.  Flagler stayed put at number ten and hopes to challenge Simla in the district finals later this week.  Kim is the only newcomer to the rankings this week.  They edged Belleview Christian (38-35) and replaced the Bruins in the poll.  Kim’s only loss in their last ten games came against Wiley so the Mustangs are among the hottest teams in the division.

CLASS 5A

1. Highlands Ranch (17-4)
2. Regis (17-4)
3. Legacy (17-3)
4. Monarch (16-5)
5. Ralston Valley (18-3)
6. Grandview (16-4)
7. Doherty (19-2)
8. Palmer (16-3)
9. Arapahoe (15-5)
10. ThunderRidge (13-7)

NEW: Arapahoe

DROPPED OUT: Horizon

TEAMS TO WATCH: Grand Junction (18-3), Denver East (14-7), Heritage (15-6), Rock Canyon (17-4), Arvada West (17-4), Rangeview (18-2)

NOTES: After a few weeks of major movement, the big school poll settles down quite a bit this week with the top eight teams remaining in the same order as last week.  The only changes occur in the 9^th and 10^th spots where Arapahoe moves into the rankings to replace Horizon which lost twice last week.  ThunderRidge dropped one spot to 10^th following a loss to top ranked Highlands Ranch.  Key games on tap this week include a Friday date between Legacy and Monarch and a Centennial title deciding Monday matchup between Grandview and Arapahoe.

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CLASS 4A

1. Air Academy (19-2)
2. Pueblo South (21-0)
3. Broomfield (18-3)
4. D’Evelyn (16-3)
5. Centaurus (17-3)
6. Pueblo West (18-3)
7. Roosevelt (16-5)
8. Valor Christian (17-2)
9. Glenwood Springs (18-3)
10. Windsor (16-4)

NEW: Glenwood Springs

DROPPED OUT:  Silver Creek

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Sand Creek (16-5), Palmer Ridge (17-3), Elizabeth (15-4), Delta (17-4), Moffat County (15-6), Evergreen (12-7)

NOTES: Pueblo South had the best week as they blew past Pueblo West (50-33) and Valor Christian (69-44) in impressive fashion.  Those wins pushed the Colts right to the top of the list of teams with a great chance to win the state championship.  They’ve clinched the South Central title and the win over Valor should give them a top four seed.  D’Evelyn also topped Valor Christian (56-54) to capture the Jeffco crown and that win pushed them up three spots to fourth.  Broomfield also bumped up three positions after scoring wins over Mountain View, Longmont and Silver Creek.  With Centaurus losing twice last week, the Eagles are now alone in first in the Northern conference ahead of their meeting on Tuesday.  Centaurus dropped just one spot to fifth while West also lost one position due to the loss to Pueblo South.  Glenwood Springs moves back into the rankings as they’ve taken over sole possession of first in the Western Slope.  They can clinch the championship on Tuesday by beating Moffat County.

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CLASS 3A

1. Machebeuf (18-0)
2. Holy Family (17-1)
3. Eaton (17-1)
4. Trinidad (19-0)
5. Manitou Springs (16-1)
6. Brush (16-2)
7. Denver Science (16-1)
8. Olathe (15-2)
9. Bayfield (14-3)
10. Rifle (15-2)

NEW: Rifle

DROPPED OUT:  St Mary’s

TEAMS TO WATCH: Faith Christian (12-6), Peak to Peak (13-5), Valley (14-4), Centauri (14-4), Pinnacle (13-5)

NOTES: Only minor movement in the rankings this week as a few teams shuffle spots based on results from last week.  Manitou Springs and Brush exchanged the fifth and sixth spots as the Beetdiggers lost to Eaton last Monday (60-51).  Despite the loss, Brush remains second in the Patriot and hopes to get a rematch with the Reds in next week’s district tournament.  Bayfield also bumped up one spot to ninth and Rifle enters the poll in tenth because of a loss by St Mary’s.  The Pirates lost at Trinidad (46-36) to miss a chance at sharing the Tri Peaks East championship.  St Mary’s has lost five games to teams that have combined for just two losses overall so they should be a factor in the post-season because of that difficult schedule.  Rifle trails Olathe by one game in the Western Slope chase but has won eight in a row following a three point loss to the Pirates.  They must still beat Roaring Fork on Saturday to wrap up second place.  The top four is unchanged.  Machebeuf, Holy Family, Eaton and Trinidad all went through the week without a loss with Trinidad closing up the regular season unbeaten at 19-0.  Machebeuf will try to match that mark when they go to Manual on Thursday.

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CLASS 2A

1. Akron (17-0)
2. Paonia (16-1)
3. Sanford (15-2)
4. Vanguard (16-2)
5. Burlington (15-3)
6. Las Animas (15-2)
7. Evangelical Christian (14-2)
8. Sangre De Cristo (13-4)
9. Denver Christian (15-3)
10. Peyton (12-4)

NEW: Sangre De Cristo, Denver Christian, Peyton

DROPPED OUT: Swink, Meeker, Calhan

TEAMS TO WATCH: Rangely (11-5), Limon (11-5), Del Norte (14-4), Lutheran (12-5), Resurrection Christian (15-3), Rye (11-6), Sedgwick County (12-5)

NOTES: As has been the norm all season, there are several new teams in the rankings.  Sangre De Cristo, Denver Christian and Peyton are in this week while Swink, Meeker and Calhan all fall out.  Swink lost a key game to Las Animas in the Santa Fe, Meeker lost to 2^nd ranked Paonia in the Western Slope and Calhan was beaten by Vanguard in the Black Forest.  Sangre De Cristo moves in as they remain unbeaten in the Southern Peaks conference and has won eight in a row.  Denver Christian has rolled to a 15-3 record but their lackluster schedule has kept them from the rankings until this week and Peyton has won nine of ten with their only loss in that stretch coming against Vanguard.  Since they beat Calhan and the Bulldogs also lost to Vanguard, we moved the Panthers back into the rankings.  Closer to the top, Burlington dropped two spots to fifth because of a three point loss to Limon and Evangelical Christian jumped up two spots to seventh as they keep winning while others around them suffered losses.

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CLASS 1A

1. Simla (17-0)
2. Pawnee (16-0)
3. Eads (15-1)
4. Merino (15-2)
5. Wiley (15-2)
6. Norwood (15-1)
7. Deer Trail (13-2)
8. Belleview Christian (16-1)
9. Flagler (11-6)
10. Caliche (14-3)

NEW: Belleview Christian, Flagler

DROPPED OUT: Briggsdale, Otis

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Kim (11-5), Kit Carson (11-6), Hi Plains (9-5), Elbert (13-3), McClave (11-5)

NOTES: While the top six remain unchanged from a week ago, there was plenty of movement and new faces in the bottom four.  Belleview Christian makes their first appearance in the rankings this while Flagler makes a return visit.  They replace Briggsdale and Otis who were beaten by Pawnee and Fleming respectively.  Belleview is in the rankings more because of a narrow eight point loss to Deer Trail in the previous week more than any win they’ve posted this year.  They get another nice test at Kim this week. Flagler has again played a very difficult schedule but has righted the shift after struggling at mid-season.  They collected a nice win over McClave and because of a win over Deer Trail in the previous week should get the number one seed from the Union Pacific conference in the district tournament.  They close at Genoa Hugo this Friday.  Wiley had a great week with wins over Springfield and Kim.  Their win over Springfield locked up the Ark Valley title and the victory against Kim moved them to the top of the district tournament seeds.  They host McClave and Las Animas this weekend as they close out with a rugged final week.

CLASS 5A

1. Highlands Ranch (15-4)
2. Regis (15-4)
3. Legacy (15-3)
4. Monarch (13-5)
5. Ralston Valley (15-3)
6. Grandview (14-4)
7. Doherty (16-2)
8. Palmer (13-3)
9. ThunderRidge (12-6)
10. Horizon (13-5)

NEW: ThunderRidge, Horizon

DROPPED OUT:  Arvada West, Chaparral

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Heritage (14-5), Rock Canyon (14-4), Grand Junction (15-3), Dakota Ridge (12-7), Arapahoe (13-5), Denver East (11-7), Rangeview (15-2)

NOTES:  The feature attraction in Class 5A matched the pre-game hype as Highlands Ranch rallied from early double digit deficit to beat Regis and take over the top spot in the Continental League.  With the win, the Falcons became the official favorite in the state championship run with Regis a very close second.  Despite the loss, we kept the Raiders #2 as it seems they and the Falcons remain the top two teams in the state.  Legacy stayed put in the third spot while Monarch moved up two spots because of losses by Palmer and Doherty.  Palmer tumbled four spots to eighth as we dropped them behind Doherty.  The rivals split two regular season contests and as has been the case throughout our history, we typically put the team that won the most recent game slightly above the other.  ThunderRidge and Horizon joined the rankings this week.  The Grizzlies are tied for third with Heritage in the Continental but since they beat the Eagles head-to-head, they earned the top ten berth. Horizon, with eight straight wins, is among the hottest teams in the state but face a week of games with Monarch (Tuesday) and Legacy (Thursday).  Ralston Valley is in the top five for the first time this season.  They’re unbeaten in league play and have a two game edge on Arvada West in the Jeffco.  Grandview and Doherty both improved by three positions because of losses by teams ahead of them.  Chaparral was the biggest victim falling from fifth to outside the rankings.  They’ve lost three of their last five games.

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CLASS 4A

1. Air Academy (17-2)
2. Pueblo South (18-0)
3. Valor Christian (16-0)
4. Centaurus (16-1)
5. Pueblo West (17-2)
6. Broomfield (14-3)
7. D’Evelyn (14-3)
8. Roosevelt (13-5)
9. Windsor (14-3)
10. Silver Creek (14-4)

NEW:  Silver Creek

DROPPED OUT:  Delta

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Palmer Ridge (16-2), Elizabeth (14-4), Glenwood Springs (17-3), Moffat County (13-6), Sand Creek (11-5)

NOTES:  We expected a major shuffle in the rankings this week based on results from important matchups last weekend but all of the top games were wiped out with the heavy snowfall.  Pueblo South and Valor Christian did not play and neither did Roosevelt and Windsor so the poll is almost in the same order as a week ago.  The only change involves Delta which lost a key home game to Glenwood Springs on Saturday.  That left the two teams tied for the Western Slope lead and the loss cost the Panthers their spot in the rankings.  It snapped their 15-game winning streak and normally such a loss wouldn’t drop a team three spots but we needed to make room for a red hot Silver Creek club that has won seven straight.  The Raptors are in the rankings for the first time and will have to work to stay there.  They face both Centaurus (Monday) and Broomfield (Friday) this week and they’re chasing both teams in the Northern League standings.  If the Raptors drop either game, then Delta has a chance to climb right back into the rankings if they get by Moffat County this weekend.  The top seven teams are in the same order again this week.  Roosevelt and Windsor both jumped one spot with the Delta loss.  Valor Christian and D’Evelyn collide on Tuesday to determine the regular season Jeffco crown while Windsor and Roosevelt make up their key Tri Valley contest on Wednesday.  Another big battle is in the South Central is set for Tuesday as Pueblo South and Pueblo West tangle for a second time.  Game one went to South by one point in double overtime.

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CLASS 3A

1. Machebeuf (17-0)
2. Holy Family (15-1)
3. Eaton (14-1)
4. Trinidad (17-0)
5. Brush (13-1)
6. Manitou Springs (14-1)
7. Denver Science (13-1)
8. Olathe (13-2)
9. St Mary’s (12-4)
10. Bayfield (12-3)

NEW:  None

DROPPED OUT:  None

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Rifle (14-2), Centauri (13-3), Middle Park (11-4), Faith Christian 911-5), Peak to Peak (11-5), University (12-4), Valley (11-3), Pagosa Springs (12-4)

NOTES:  Again it was business as usual for teams in the top ten with the exception of Bayfield.  The Wolverines came up short against Centauri on Saturday but despite the loss, stayed in the rankings because they still sit atop the Intermountain League.  The win for Centauri finished off a great week for the Falcons who also beat Pagosa Springs to move into second place a game back of Bayfield in the league race.  Because nine of the ten teams in the rankings went undefeated last week, there was no room for the Falcons or Rifle in the rankings this week.  Rifle continues to win.  They’ve captured five straight games following a three point loss to Olathe.  Atop the poll, Machebeuf clinched the Metro title by beating Faith Christian and will go into the district tournament as the #1 seed.  Brush and Eaton were scheduled to play last Friday to help determine the Patriot championship but that game was postponed until Monday night.  Another important game is set for Friday when Trinidad entertains St Mary’s.  The Miners beat the Pirates by two points on a last second three-pointer in the first matchup.  Denver Science also tries to wrap up the Frontier title when they go to Middle Park on Saturday.

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CLASS 2A

1. Akron (14-0)
2. Paonia (13-1)
3. Burlington (14-2)
4. Sanford (14-2)
5. Vanguard (13-2)
6. Las Animas (13-2)
7. Swink (10-5)
8. Calhan (10-3)
9. Evangelical Christian (12-2)
10. Meeker (11-3)

NEW:  Meeker

DROPPED OUT:  Peyton

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Rye (10-5), Lutheran (9-5), Sangre De Cristo (10-4), Del Norte (12-4), Denver Christian (13-3), Hayden (10-5), Rangely (9-5), Resurrection Christian (12-2), Sedgwick County (10-4), Ridgway (12-4), Telluride (11-3)

NOTES:  In such a deep division, one loss can be very costly to a member of the top ten.  That’s what happened to Peyton.  Shooting into the eighth position last week, the Panthers dropped out of the rankings this week because of a 13 point loss to Vanguard.  It ended their six game winning streak.  Replacing Peyton in the rankings is Meeker.  The Cowgirls have won five in a row and nine of ten with their lone loss in that stretch coming to Paonia.  They face the Eagles again on Friday in a battle of Western Slope league unbeatens.  Las Animas also took a loss to Rye on Thursday night and it dropped the Trojans three spots to number six.  The Trojans also lost talented point guard Haley Martinez to a knee injury against Rye and her long term prognosis is not known at this time.  Tests will be done early this week to see how long she will be out of the lineup.  With the Las Animas loss, Burlington, Sanford and Vanguard all moved closer to the top spot.   Several teams outside the rankings continue to push for a spot in the poll.  Rye has won four in a row and continues to contend with Las Animas and Swink in the Santa Fe race.  Lutheran has lost three of four but is playing a 3A dominated schedule in the Metro.  Sangre De Cristo scored a key overtime win over Del Norte last week to stay tied with Sanford atop the Southern Peaks race.  Those three teams are next in line along with Peyton when a spot opens up.

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CLASS 1A

1. Simla (15-0)
2. Pawnee 913-0)
3. Eads (14-1)
4. Merino (12-2)
5. Wiley (13-2)
6. Norwood (13-1)
7. Caliche (13-1)
8. Deer Trail (11-2)
9. Briggsdale (12-2)
10. Otis (9-5)

NEW:  Otis

DROPPED OUT:  Kit Carson

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Elbert (12-2), Hi Plains (8-4), Belleview Christian (14-1), Springfield (8-6), Kim (8-4), McClave (9-4), Gilpin County (11-2), Jim Elliot (13-2), Sierra Grande (11-4)

NOTES:  Merino’s 22 point win over Caliche and the Flagler upset of Deer Trail the same night caused major changes in the division this week.  Only Simla and Pawnee are in the same spot from a week ago as they stayed unbeaten by simply not playing.  Both teams lost games because of the weather but that will make for a busy final two weeks for both teams.  Pawnee in fact has three games on the schedule including an important game with Briggsdale on Thursday.  Simla has a huge date with Elbert on Saturday.  Eads and Merino both moved up two spots this week.  Eads held off Holly by just one point but it was enough to stretch their winning streak to eight.  Merino as mentioned played very well in blowing past previously unbeaten Caliche to remain tied with 2A power Akron atop the Lower Platte standings.  Caliche dropped four spots because of the margin of victory which allowed Wiley and Norwood to crack the top six this week.  Wiley’s two losses are by a combined three points to Eads while Norwood is unbeaten against 1A opponents with their lone loss by two points to 3A ranked Olathe.  Wiley also registered an impressive win over Kit Carson ending the Wildcats eight game winning streak.  The Wildcats fell out of the rankings with that loss.  Deer Trail dropped four spots with the loss to Flagler while Briggsdale also bumped up one spot to ninth.  Finding a team to fill the vacancy created by Kit Carson proved difficult.  Flagler and Elbert were first on the list with Elbert gaining the nod since they beat the Panthers head-to-head in the previous week.  Elbert was hurt by their 24 point loss to Vanguard last week as we rarely move a team into the rankings with a loss in the past seven days.  Springfield and Kim were also considered but we went with Otis based on their five game winning streak overall.  Springfield has split their last four and Kim has won four straight but their last loss came against Springfield.

CLASS 5A

1. Highlands Ranch (13-4)
2. Regis (14-3)
3. Legacy (14-3)
4. Palmer (12-2)
5. Chaparral (12-4)
6. Monarch (12-5)
7. Ralston Valley (13-3)
8. Arvada West (14-2)
9. Grandview (13-4)
10. Doherty (14-2)

NEW:  Grandview, Doherty

DROPPED OUT:  Rock Canyon, Fort Collins

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Arapahoe (12-5), Heritage (12-5), ThunderRidge (10-6), Horizon (12-5), Fairview (11-5), Grand Junction (15-3), Rangeview (15-2)

NOTES:  After a second straight week of having several ranked teams suffer losses, it’s almost time to start over in the rankings this week as several rules we live by will be tossed out the window.  For example, we have Legacy ranked three spots ahead of Monarch even though the Coyotes scored a win over the Lightning in mid-January.  But since that game, Legacy has not lost while Monarch has dropped two of their last four.  As a result, Legacy seems to be the hotter team right now and is back into the third spot.  Rock Canyon and Fort Collins both fell from the top ten.  The Jaguars were beaten by Highlands Ranch and normally a loss to a top ranked team won’t drop a team too far but the margin of victory (56 points) cost them their spot in the polls.  Fort Collins had just moved into the top ten last week after beating Monarch but then lost two of three last week and they too were removed from the polls.  Replacing them are Grandview and Doherty.  The Wolves lead Arapahoe by one game in the Centennial while Doherty is hoping to avenge an earlier loss to Palmer this week and force a tie atop the Colorado Springs Metro.  The only consistent in the rankings throughout the season has been the play of Highlands Ranch and Regis.  They remain ranked two ahead of their big showdown later this week.

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CLASS 4A

1. Air Academy (15-2)
2. Pueblo South (17-0)
3. Valor Christian (16-0)
4. Centaurus (15-1)
5. Pueblo West (16-2)
6. Broomfield (12-3)
7. D’Evelyn (15-3)
8. Delta (16-2)
9. Roosevelt (12-5)
10. Windsor (13-3)

NEW:  Windsor

DROPPED OUT:  Palmer Ridge

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Sand Creek (10-4), Cheyenne Mountain (10-5), Elizabeth (13-4), Silver Creek (11-4), Glenwood Springs (15-3)

NOTES:  Another consistent week was put in the books for the top teams in the division.  Only Broomfield and Palmer Ridge suffered losses and both could be considered quality losses.  The five-time defending state champions were beaten by Holy Family (60-39) but it cost them only one spot in the rankings.  Two reasons why.  They lost to the four-time defending 3A state champions and with all the tradition of the Broomfield program, we kept them in the top six.  Palmer Ridge fell to top ranked Air Academy but since the Bears were ranked 10^th last week, the setback dropped them from the poll.  They were replaced by a red hot Windsor team that’s won five straight since a nine point loss to Roosevelt.  They host the Roughriders in the rematch this Friday in a game that will likely determine the Tri Valley championship.  Another important game this week involves a huge non-conference battle between Pueblo South and Valor Christian (Saturday).  Even though the game will not impact league standings, the winner is likely assured of a top four seed in the state tournament bracket.

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CLASS 3A

1. Machebeuf (14-0)
2. Holy Family (14-1)
3. Eaton (13-1)
4. Trinidad (15-0)
5. Brush (12-1)
6. Manitou Springs (13-1)
7. Denver Science (12-1)
8. Bayfield (11-2)
9. Olathe (12-2)
10. St Mary’s (11-4)

NEW:  St Mary’s

DROPPED OUT:  Pagosa Springs

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Faith Christian (10-4), Centauri (11-3), University (11-3), Valley (11-3), Rifle (12-2)

NOTES:  For the first time in three years, Holy Family is not the number one ranked team in the Colorado Preps poll.  They are down to second this week following a ten point loss to Machebeuf last Tuesday.  The Tigers have suffered regular season losses in the past but like last year against Broomfield, most of those losses are against bigger schools also ranked highly in their division.  Since this contest was against a fellow 3A club, it cost the Tigers their top billing.  Machebeuf had a great week overall as Holy Family was only one of two unbeaten teams the Buffs defeated.  They also knocked off Manitou Springs on Saturday and now are the solid choice at number one plus they could have a chance to end the four year dominance of Holy Family atop the division.  Manitou Springs also fell one spot after suffering the first loss.  They’re sixth this week with Brush moving up one spot to fifth.  St Mary’s represents a third change in the rankings as the Pirates return to the rankings by replacing another set of Pirates (Pagosa Springs).  Pagosa lost to Bayfield for a second time and is now two games back of the Wolverines in the Intermountain league chase.  St Mary’s is one game back of Trinidad and their three other losses are against Machebeuf, Holy Family and Manitou Springs.

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CLASS 2A

1. Akron (13-0)
2. Paonia (11-1)
3. Las Animas (12-1)
4. Burlington (13-2)
5. Sanford (11-2)
6. Vanguard (11-2)
7. Swink (9-5)
8. Peyton (9-3)
9. Calhan (10-3)
10. Evangelical Christian (11-2)

NEW:  Peyton, Calhan

DROPPED OUT:  Sedgwick County, Lutheran

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Del Norte (10-3), Sangre De Cristo (9-4), Ridgway (10-3), Meeker (9-3), Rye (8-5), Resurrection Christian (11-2)

NOTES:  Peyton and Calhan made the biggest splash of the week as they both moved into the top ten for the first time all season.  Calhan used a win over Evangelical Christian (53-42) last Saturday for their fourth win in the past five games.  That lone loss came against Peyton and since the Panthers have won six straight overall, they jump to eighth ahead of Calhan who is ranked ninth this week.  Peyton has two huge district games with fellow top ten members Evangelical Christian and Vanguard this weekend.  Evangelical Christian dropped three spots to tenth because of the loss to Calhan.  Calhan and Peyton replace Sedgwick County and Lutheran in this week’s rankings.  The Cougars lost twice last week including a 35 point loss to top ranked Akron while Lutheran fell to another 3A team (Faith Christian) as they continue their work in the rugged Metro.  Burlington and Sanford exchanged the fourth and fifth positions this week.  Burlington has won nine in a row since a 17 point loss to Akron while Sanford dropped a five point road decision at Pagosa Springs.  Swink is another team on the rise.  The Lions are up two spots and continue to trail Las Animas by one game in the Santa Fe chase.  Those two teams meet up again a week from Thursday.

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CLASS 1A

1. Simla (14-0)
2. Pawnee (13-0)
3. Caliche (13-0)
4. Deer Trail (10-1)
5. Eads (13-1)
6. Merino (11-2)
7. Wiley (11-2)
8. Norwood (12-1)
9. Kit Carson (10-4)
10. Briggsdale (11-2)

NEW:  None

DROPPED OUT:  None

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Otis (9-5), Sierra Grande (11-3), McClave (8-4), Kim (7-4), Dove Creek (9-4), Flagler (8-6)

NOTES:  We got our first-hand look at Simla this past week as they knocked off a solid Limon club last Thursday and based on that performance it appears the Cubs are in good position to win a second consecutive state championship.  They have a very talented seven to eight girl rotation and features quality depth that not many 1A opponents can match.  With a 40-game winning streak, they remain the easy choice at number one again this week.  The only change in the poll this week involves Wiley.  The Eagles were edged by Eads (45-44 in overtime) last week so they drop one spot to seventh with Merino moving up one to sixth.  Wiley has just two losses this season and both are against Eads by a total of three points.  Don’t be surprised if those two meet up a third time somewhere in the post-season.  Otis continues to make a push for a spot in the rankings.  The Bulldogs scored an impressive come-from-behind win at Hi Plains last Friday for their fifth straight twin.  Losses for Otis this year have come against Deer Trail, Pawnee, Burlington and an earlier meeting with Hi Plains.  A spot almost opened this week but Briggsdale survived for a one point win over Fleming (40-39) over the weekend.  That win kept the Falcons one game back of Pawnee in the North Central.

CLASS 5A

1. Highlands Ranch (11-4)
2. Regis (11-3)
3. Chaparral (11-3)
4. Monarch (10-4)
5. Legacy (11-3)
6. Rock Canyon (12-2)
7. Palmer (10-2)
8. Ralston Valley (12-3)
9. Fort Collins (10-3)
10. Arvada West (12-2)

DROPPED OUT: ThunderRidge, Doherty

NEW: Ralston Valley, Fort Collins

TEAMS TO WATCH: Grandview (11-3), Rangeview (13-2), Grand Junction (13-3), Heritage (10-5), Horizon (9-5)

NOTES:  After a week in which every team ranked third through eighth suffered at least one loss, the rankings have undergone a major overhaul.  The biggest mover is Chaparral as the Wolverines shot up six spots to number three and now the powerful Continental league owns the top three spots in the poll.  Highlands Ranch, Regis and Chaparral are all tied for the conference lead as well.  Monarch suffered a difficult loss to Fort Collins on Saturday but fell just one spot since almost every team behind was also beaten.  That includes Legacy which the Coyotes knocked off last Tuesday.  Fort Collins, on the strength of the double digit win over Monarch, makes their first appearance in the rankings at number nine and is joined as a newcomer by Ralston Valley who edged Arvada West to take the top spot in the Jeffco from the Wildcats.  Palmer also moved up three spots to number seven because of their 18 point win over Doherty as the Terrors moved into the top spot in the Colorado Springs Metro.

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CLASS 4A

1. Air Academy (11-2)
2. Pueblo South (15-0)
3. Valor Christian (13-0)
4. Centaurus (13-1)
5. Broomfield (10-2)
6. Pueblo West (14-2)
7. D’Evelyn (11-3)
8. Delta (14-2)
9. Roosevelt (9-5)
10. Palmer Ridge (13-1)

DROPPED OUT:  None

NEW: None

TEAMS TO WATCH: Windsor (11-3), Golden (10-4), Elizabeth (11-4), Silver Creek (9-4), Cheyenne Mountain (7-4), Sand Creek (8-4), Glenwood Springs (14-3)

NOTES:  The wild double overtime win by Centaurus over Broomfield caused some movement in the 4A poll this week.  Broomfield slid to fifth with the road conference loss and now sits one spot behind Centaurus in the top five.  The Northern league rematch between the Warriors and Eagles is set for February 4^th and should be another dandy contest.  Pueblo South and Valor Christian also bumped up a spot with the Centaurus and now sit second and third in the state.  Ironically the two unbeaten teams met for a non-conference game on the same day that Broomfield and Centaurus hook-up for the second time.  The second five remains intact as four of the teams in those spots went unbeaten on the week.  The lone loss went to Palmer Ridge who fell to Blue Valley North in the finals of the Colby Kansas Tournament.  Blue Valley North is a much bigger school from the Kansas City region who the Bears fell to and as we mention all the time, an out-of-state loss does not affect a team very much in our Colorado polls.   Palmer Ridge has a huge challenge at home against top ranked Air Academy on Thursday and the result could decide the conference crown.

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CLASS 3A

1. Holy Family (12-0)
2. Machebeuf (11-0)
3. Eaton (10-1)
4. Trinidad (13-0)
5. Manitou Springs (12-0)
6. Brush (10-1)
7. Denver Science (10-1)
8. Bayfield (8-2)
9. Olathe (10-2)
10. Pagosa Springs (10-2)

DROPPED OUT: Rifle, Valley

NEW: Olathe, Pagosa Springs

TEAMS TO WATCH: Pinnacle (8-4), Faith Christian (9-4), Centauri (10-3), St Mary’s (9-4), Florence (9-3)

NOTES:  Valley and Rifle were the only two teams from the rankings that suffered losses last week and even though both teams suffered quality losses, they were dropped from the rankings because of the large number of very good teams in the division.  Rifle lost by three points to league rival Olathe and was replaced by the Pirates in the poll while Valley came up short by 12 points to 3^rd ranked Eaton and fell out of the top spot in the Patriot.  Pagosa Springs, which moved past Alamosa and Monte Vista, is back in the rankings after a week away but they face a tough week with games against Sanford and Bayfield.  The top five went unchanged as those squads all continue to play very good basketball.  Changes could come this week as Holy Family meets Machebeuf on Tuesday and Manitou Springs faces a very good Florence club for the first place in the Tri Peaks West on the same night.  Brush (up one spot) and Denver Science (up two) continue to make their push to a top five spot.  Brush is tied with Eaton atop the Patriot while Denver Science could be alone in first in the Frontier if they beat Pinnacle on Tuesday.

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CLASS 2A

1. Akron (11-0)
2. Paonia (9-1)
3. Las Animas (10-1)
4. Sanford (10-1)
5. Burlington (11-2)
6. Vanguard (8-2)
7. Evangelical Christian (10-1)
8. Sedgwick County (9-2)
9. Swink (8-5)
10. Lutheran (8-3)

DROPPED OUT: Rye, Limon

NEW: Sedgwick County, Swink

TEAMS TO WATCH: Ridgway (8-2), Denver Christian (10-2), Hayden (8-3), Peyton (6-3), Meeker (6-3), Calhan (8-3)

NOTES:  No changes can be found in the top seven this week as Akron, Paonia, Las Animas, Sanford, Burlington, Vanguard and Evangelical Christian all posted a pair of wins in the past seven days.  Vanguard picked up the best win as they outlasted Limon (ranked 9^th last week) 35-27 last Friday but a close second was Burlington’s 56-53 win over pesky Wray on Saturday.  Sedgwick County and Swink are the two new teams included in the top ten.  The Cougars picked up 43 points from Laura Beckman and 21 from Ashley Campbell as they beat Wray 74-69 last Friday.  It was their only game of the week.  Now the Cougars prep for a huge Saturday clash at home against Akron.  Swink toppled Rye and replace the Thunderbolts in the rankings this week but more importantly take over second place behind Las Animas in the Santa Fe chase.  The Lions, who battled injuries early in the season, opened 0-3 but have won eight of their last ten.  They narrowly edged Peyton for the tenth spot which scored a very important win over Calhan over the weekend.  It will give the Panthers a leg up on their neighbors in district seeding.  Lutheran stays in the tenth spot despite a loss to a Nebraska opponent on Saturday.  As we indicated with Palmer Ridge in 4A, an out of state loss does not affect a team’s standing that much in our polls.

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CLASS 1A

1. Simla (12-0)
2. Pawnee (11-0)
3. Caliche (10-0)
4. Deer Trail (10-1)
5. Eads (11-1)
6. Wiley (10-1)
7. Merino (9-2)
8. Norwood (10-1)
9. Kit Carson (8-4)
10. Briggsdale (9-2)

DROPPED OUT: McClave

NEW: Briggsdale

TEAMS TO WATCH: Sierra Grande (9-3), Hi Plains (7-3), Flagler (8-4), Elbert (10-1), Belleview Christian (11-0), Springfield (5-4), Kim (5-4)

NOTES:  It was a very steady week for ranked teams in the small school division as nine of the ten teams in last week’s poll went through the week unbeaten.  In fact, the top eight teams remain in the same order as a week ago.  McClave was ranked 9^th a week ago but actually lost twice (Eads and Springfield) to fall from the rankings.  They were replaced by Briggsdale which is 0-2 against 2^nd ranked Pawnee and 9-0 against all other teams.  It’s the first appearance in the top ten this year for the Falcons who have a tough date with Fleming on Saturday.  The Eads win over McClave was probably the best win for any team in the rankings last week although Deer Trail also picked up a very good win over 2A Limon.  With McClave’s loss, Kit Carson bumped up one spot to ninth.  They will be favored at home against Stratton on Thursday but face a vastly improved Springfield team on Saturday.  The Longhorns changed coaches over the break and have won four of five since including victories against Kim and McClave last week.

CLASS 5A

#2 Regis vs #7 ThunderRidge (Tues)

#3 Monarch at #4 Legacy (Tues)

#5 Rock Canyon at #9 Chaparral (Tues)

Poudre at Fort Collins (Tues)

Dakota Ridge at Ralston Valley (Thurs)

#1 Highlands Ranch vs Heritage (Fri)

#5 Rock Canyon vs #7 ThunderRidge (Fri)

#6 Arvada West at Ralston Valley (Fri)

#8 Doherty vs #10 Palmer (Fri)

Grandview at Cherry Creek (Fri)

NOTES:  With five of the top ten teams in the poll from the Continental, great matchups will take place in the league almost every week from here on out.  This week Rock Canyon shot up to fifth in the rankings and we’ll get a chance to see if the Jaguars are for real as they play both Chaparral and ThunderRidge.  Two wins there should let them finish no worse than third in the state’s best big school conference.  ThunderRidge also tangles with Regis on Tuesday so the Grizzlies are the same boat with Rock Canyon as two wins will put them in the championship picture.  Highlands Ranch also has a tough test at home against a very good Heritage club that played ThunderRidge to within 15 points last week.  Elsewhere, first place battles can be found.  Poudre and Fort Collins are tied with Loveland for first in the Front Range North so there game on Tuesday will knock one of them out of the top spot.  In the Southern division, Monarch has the lead but of course will be tested by fourth ranked Legacy in an always anticipated regular season contest.  Arvada West and Ralston Valley share the Jeffco lead as both are unbeaten in league action.  It’s the first of two meetings between the Wildcats and Mustangs.  Ralston Valley also faces third place Dakota Ridge so it’s a very important week for them.  Doherty and Palmer also play the first of two battles that should determine the CS Metro crown.  Grandview and Cherry Creek have each won their first four games in the Centennial so Fridays winner will be alone in first.

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CLASS 4A

#6 Pueblo West at Pueblo East (Tues)

#2 Broomfield vs Silver Creek (Thurs)

#2 Broomfield at #5 Centaurus (Thurs)

#8 Delta at Moffat County (Fri)

#9 Roosevelt vs Skyline (Fri)

Mountain View at Silver Creek (Fri)

NOTES:  The top four teams in the Northern conference square off this week so it’s likely some separation will take place.  Broomfield and Centaurus currently lead the division by one game over Silver Creek and Mountain View.  The outcome between Broomfield and Centaurus of course will decide the league leader while the winner between Mountain View and Silver Creek has a great shot to finish no worse than third.  Silver Creek also meets Broomfield on Thursday which is a rematch of the state championship game from 2008.  Pueblo West is coming off a difficult one point double overtime loss at home to Pueblo South in a great game last Friday.  Now the Cyclones must regroup quickly for another tough contest at Pueblo East.  East is also unbeaten in league play so another loss by West drops them two games out of first.  Delta has already a road win at Glenwood Springs and now they shoot for the same type of win at Moffat County on Friday.  Those three teams shared the conference crown a year ago but a win by Delta gives them a leg up this year.  Roosevelt took over sole possession of first place in the Tri Valley with a win over Windsor last week.  Skyline can make the race tighter by upsetting the Roughriders.  Skyline is 2-2 and part of a three way for third one game back of second place Windsor.

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CLASS 3A

#1 Holy Family at Faith Christian (Tues)

Peak to Peak at #10 Lutheran (2A) (Tues)

#8 Rifle vs Olathe (Thurs)

#3 Eaton vs #6 Valley (Fri)

#5 Manitou Springs at Buena Vista (Fri)

#7 Brush vs Berthoud (Fri)

#9 Denver Science at Clear Creek (Fri)

#10 Bayfield vs Centauri (Fri)

Faith Christian at Peak to Peak (Fri)

NOTES:  The Metro conference is filled with very good basketball teams but of course all are looking up at four time defending state champion Holy Family.  The Tigers disposed of one challenger last week (Peak to Peak)  and now turn their attention to long-time rival Faith Christian.  It’s the first two important games for the Eagles who also visit Peak to Peak on Friday.  Peak to Peak meets Lutheran as well on Tuesday and probably must split two games to stay in the title discussion because of last week’s loss to Holy Family.  Rifle and Olathe are considered the top two teams in the Western Slope and they had three great matchups last year including a district tournament game.  They  meet for the first time this year on Thursday.  Eaton, Valley, Brush and Berthoud could finish one through four in the Patriot conference by years end and their games this week will start the determination of that possible order.  Manitou Springs and Buena Vista are among five teams with legitimate hopes of winning the Tri Peaks West.  Buena Vista wants to protect the home court while Manitou Springs can gain an advantage over several other teams with the road win.  Bayfield scored a very impressive win over two time defending league champion Pagosa Springs on Saturday.  Now they hope to follow it up with another against Centauri.  Those three teams along with improving Alamosa should make for an interesting conference race which features a schedule where teams play each other twice.  Denver Science and Clear Creek are two of the four teams still unbeaten in the Frontier.

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CLASS 2A

#6 Vanguard vs #9 Limon (Fri)

#8 Rye vs Swink (Fri)

#4 Sanford at Custer County (Sat)

#5 Burlington vs Wray (Sat)

#9 Limon at #4 Deer Trail (1A) (Sat)

Meeker at Rangely (Sat)

Calhan at Peyton (Sat)

NOTES:  Vanguard and Limon are two new members to the rankings this week so it’s ironic they square off on Friday for a key District Eight battle.  Both are coming off impressive wins.  Vanguard scored a huge win over Evangelical Christian that will boost the Courser’s district tournament seeding.  They can move closer to the top of that list by upending a Badgers team that downed previously ranked Flagler last Friday.  Limon is just a one point loss to Merino away from a perfect season to date.  They also visit a very good Deer Trail club on Friday in a Union Pacific clash.  Rye and Swink both lost to Las Animas last weekend so they’re playing for second place through the first half of the Santa Fe schedule.  Both get another crack at the third ranked Trojans later this season.  Sanford and Custer each scored a hard fought single digit win over Del Norte last week so the matchup should be a good one.  The winner could also end up as the Southern Peaks champ plus earn the top district seed.  Wray (4-6) is below five hundred for the season but not many teams can match their rugged schedule and they’ve played some of the top teams in 2A and 1A very close.  They hope to end their frustration by upsetting Burlington which moved to fifth in the rankings this week.  Calhan and Peyton is a great rivalry and this year the game carries plenty of importance to the district seeding.  The two are battling the likes of Vanguard, Limon and Evangelical Christian for a top four seed and a first round game at home.  Rangely and Meeker play an important game for positioning in the Western Slope.  All teams appear to be chasing second ranked Paonia for that league crown.  Not listed is Yuma but they may have the most difficult week of all with games against Holyoke, Merino and Akron.

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CLASS 1A

#2 Pawnee at Briggsdale (Tues)

#5 Eads vs #9 McClave (Fri)

#1 Simla vs Flagler (Sat)

#3 Caliche at Fleming (Sat)

#10 Kit Carson vs Holly (Sat)

Gilpin County at Belleview Christian (Sat)

NOTES:  Briggsdale has won eight straight since a loss to open that season.  That loss happened against arch-rival Pawnee and now the Falcons hope to avenge that setback.  Pawnee won the first game 50-29.  Eads and McClave are also meeting for the second time.  The Eagles picked up a semi-final victory (41-23) at the Lamar Tournament before Christmas.  They then beat Wiley the next night for the title.  Simla beat Elbert by 28 points on Saturday but in some ways they survived a scare after trailing by three at halftime on the road.  Flagler was ranked seventh before losing twice last week but a win over the defending champs should return them to the rankings.  Caliche looks to stay unbeaten on the road against Fleming.  The Wildcats finished second to Simla at state a year ago but with almost a completely different lineup, are battling some consistency issues.  They’re coming off a last second loss at Peetz last Friday while Caliche edged Wray the same night.  Holly is the last team to beat Kit Carson.  The Wildcats have captured four straight victories since a two point loss in the Lamar Tournament.  Holly has played just twice since splitting games with McClave (lost 45-23) and Manzanola (45-31 win).  Gilpin County and Belleview Christian are both unbeaten but neither has played a difficult schedule.  One will fall from the unbeaten ranks on Saturday plus the winner gets a leg up in district tournament seeding.  Belleview Christian is a returning state tournament team.

CLASS 5A

1. Highlands Ranch (9-4)
2. Regis (9-3)
3. Monarch (8-3)
4. Legacy (9-2)
5. Rock Canyon (11-1)
6. Arvada West (11-1)
7. ThunderRidge (7-4)
8. Doherty (11-1)
9. Chaparral (9-3)
10. Palmer (8-2)

DROPPED OUT:  None

NEW:  None

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Grandview (9-3),  Cherry Creek (6-6), Heritage (9-4), Rangeview (10-2), Ralston Valley (9-3), Dakota Ridge (8-4), Grand Junction (11-3)

NOTES:  Since none of the top ten teams from last week suffered a loss, the poll remains in exactly the same order this week but changes are in the future as the ranked schools will begin to square off starting Tuesday with the big battle between Regis and ThunderRidge.  The Grizzlies opened what will be a rugged trip to the Continental by beating a good Heritage club (45-30) last week.  Legacy also collected a nice win over Horizon (69-60) and Monarch bested Boulder (50-44) in two key games inside the Front Range.  Arvada West and Doherty did survive upset bids.  The Wildcats held off Chatfield (53-49) while Doherty edged Denver East (59-57). Those narrow wins kept the teams ranked sixth and ninth respectively.  Outside the rankings, Cherry Creek went just 2-6 in non-league play including three losses to out of state teams but has won their first four in the Centennial to share the lead with Grandview.  Neither team though was able to move into the rankings this week because the top ten went undefeated as a whole.

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CLASS 4A

1. Air Academy (9-2)
2. Broomfield (9-1)
3. Pueblo South (13-0)
4. Valor Christian (11-0)
5. Centaurus (11-1)
6. Pueblo West (12-2)
7. D’Evelyn (9-3)
8. Delta (11-2)
9. Roosevelt (7-5)
10. Palmer Ridge (10-0)

DROPPED OUT:  Glenwood Springs, Windsor

NEW:  Roosevelt, Palmer Ridge

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Moffat County (9-5), Sierra (8-3), Cheyenne Mountain (6-4), Golden (9-3), Elizabeth (10-3), Silver Creek (8-3), Pueblo East (7-5)

NOTES:  By far the best game of the week was the South Central clash between Pueblo South and Pueblo West.  In a game that reached the level of pre-game anticipation, Pueblo South held on for a wild 42-41 double overtime win.  The victory solidified the Colts hold on the third spot as they continue to push Broomfield for second in the Colorado Preps poll.  West slid just one spot with the one point loss as they will obviously look forward to the rematch on February 7^th and we won’t be surprised if both teams win all their games leading up to that contest.  Delta also picked up an important win in the Western Slope as they beat Glenwood Springs on the road.  That win put the Panthers alone in first place and they can basically secure the first half lead by beating Moffat County on the road.  The win also moved Delta up one spot to eighth.  For Glenwood, the Saturday loss was the second of the week as they were also beaten by Rifle Tuesday night and they were dropped out of the rankings.  Windsor was 10^th last week but was replaced by Roosevelt this week after the Roughriders beat the Wizards on Tuesday to gain sole possession of first in the Tri Valley.  A second new team is Palmer Ridge.  The Bears are 10-0 overall and should make it 11 straight wins against Woodland Park on Tuesday but then they get tested a very good tournament in Colby Kansas Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  When they return home, they get a date with top ranked Air Academy.

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CLASS 3A

1. Holy Family (9-0)
2. Machebeuf (9-0)
3. Eaton (8-1)
4. Trinidad (11-0)
5. Manitou Springs (10-0)
6. Valley (9-1)
7. Brush (8-1)
8. Rifle (8-1)
9. Denver Science (8-1)
10. Bayfield (5-2)

DROPPED OUT:  Pagosa Springs, Peak to Peak, Centauri, St Mary’s

NEW:  Brush, Rifle, Denver Science, Bayfield

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Olathe (8-2), Florence (7-3, Faith Christian (8-3), Clear Creek (7-1), University (8-2)

NOTES:  Pagosa Springs, Peak to Peak, Centauri and St Mary’s all suffered losses during the past week and all lost their spot in the rankings.  Even with the losses, we considered keeping the teams in the rankings because each was suffered against a quality opponent, but with several teams outside the poll having solid years, we had to make room.  Pagosa Springs scored a good win over Centauri last Friday but then fell to Bayfield the next day.  Peak to Peak was handled by Holy Family to snap an eight game winning streak and St Mary’s fell at home by two points to Trinidad.  It was the Pirates fourth loss of the season but each has been against an unbeaten team currently ranked in the top five.  Replacing those four are Brush, Rifle, Denver Science and Bayfield.  Combined the teams have a record of 29-5 and they have not appeared in the rankings because their schedules have been a bit light compared to others.  They’ve kept on winning however and are finally in the rankings.  Rifle had a good week with a win over 6^th ranked Glenwood Springs (54-52) last Tuesday.  They’ve won eight in a row as has Brush following an opening loss to Holy Family.  Denver Science has recorded eight wins over struggling programs but their best effort may have been in the 13 point loss to now 2^nd ranked Machebeuf early in the season.  Bayfield moves into the top ten on the strength of their win over Pagosa Springs.

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CLASS 2A

1. Akron (9-0)
2. Paonia (7-1)
3. Las Animas (8-1)
4. Sanford (8-1)
5. Burlington (9-2)
6. Vanguard (6-2)
7. Evangelical Christian (8-1)
8. Rye (5-3)
9. Limon (9-1)
10. Lutheran (7-2)

DROPPED OUT:  Sedgwick County, Meeker

NEW:  Vanguard, Limon

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Denver Christian (9-1), Hayden (7-3), Rangely (5-3), Ridgway (6-2), Yuma (5-3), Wray (4-6), Holyoke (5-4), Swink (6-5), Heritage Christian (6-3), Calhan (7-2)

NOTES:  While the top four teams in the rankings remain unchanged from last week, there are several changes in spots six through ten.  That’s because Evangelical Christian, Rye, Sedgwick County and Lutheran all suffered losses last week.  Evangelical Christian came up short against Vanguard losing for just the second time in the past 24 games.  Their only previous loss in the stretch was to Sanford in the state finals ten months ago.  With the win, Vanguard shoots into the rankings at number six.  The Coursers were expected to contend for the Black Forest and District Eight titles this year and they haven’t disappointed winning six straight following a 1-2 start.  A second newcomer is Limon.  The Badgers have collected four consecutive wins since a hard fought one point loss to 1A power in overtime.  They picked up a quality win over Flagler last Friday and face road trips to Vanguard and Deer Trail this weekend so staying in the top ten will be a difficult chore.  Those two replace Sedgwick County and Meeker.  The Cougars were upset at home by Yuma while Meeker fell to 2^nd ranked Paonia.  Rye and Lutheran were able to stay in the rankings despite a loss since they came against 3^rd ranked Las Animas and top ranked Holy Family (3A) respectively.  Lutheran actually gained more respect statewide since they stayed within 13 points of the four-time defending 3A state champion Tigers. 

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CLASS 1A

1. Simla (9-0)
2. Pawnee (9-0)
3. Caliche (8-0)
4. Deer Trail (8-1)
5. Eads (9-1)
6. Wiley (8-1)
7. Merino (8-2)
8. Norwood (8-1)
9. McClave (8-2)
10. Kit Carson (6-4)

DROPPED OUT:  Flagler, Sierra Grande

NEW:  Kit Carson, McClave

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Briggsdale (8-1), Elbert (8-1), Hi Plains (5-3), Kim (4-3), Belleview Christian (9-0), Gilpin County (8-0)

NOTES:  Deer Trail’s hard fought loss to Burlington caused movement in the top five for the first time all season.  The Eagles matched up well with a physical Cougars squad but in the end fell short (47-44) for their first loss of the season.  They dropped to fourth in the rankings and now sit behind three unbeatens atop the rankings.  Simla actually trailed Elbert by three points at halftime before storming to a 73-45 decision.  It was Elbert’s first loss of the season.  Pawnee picked up three wins to reach nine straight wins to open the season while Caliche held off Wray (56-53) on Friday for an eighth straight victory.  Kit Carson and McClave are the two newcomers to the rankings.  The Wildcats continued their recent run of beating top ten opponents as they downed Flagler last week.  It was one of two losses for Flagler that cost the Panthers their spot in the poll.  McClave rejoined the rankings by beating Cheyenne Wells for their fourth straight win.  They’re ahead of Kit Carson in the poll based on a win over the Wildcats very early in the season.  McClave replaced Sierra Grande who fell to Kim by 29 points last Thursday.  Merino and Norwood each jumped a spot to seventh and eighth with the loss by Flagler.  Merino actually moved up despite a loss to top ranked Akron but they played the Rams to within five points in a very good ballgame.  Norwood handed 2A Ridgway just their second loss in a 51-35 win on Saturday.  The Mavericks (8-1) actually have a very good chance to run the table through the rest of the regular season.  Outside the rankings, Briggsdale (8-1), Belleview Christian (8-0) and Gilpin County (8-0) continue to push for top ten billing.  The Falcons have won eight in a row since an opening loss to Pawnee.  That rematch is Tuesday.  Belleview Christian and Gilpin County square off Friday so one will fall from the unbeaten ranks.

CLASS 5A

#1 Highlands Ranch beat Littleton 97-23

#2 Regis beat Castle View 64-38

#3 Monarch beat Boulder 50-44

#4 Legacy vs Mountain Range

#5 Rock Canyon beat Mountain Vista

#6 Arvada West beat Bear Creek 61-31

#8 Doherty beat Denver East 59-57

#9 Chaparral vs Legend

#10 Palmer (Did Not Play)

CLASS 4A

#1 Air Academy (Did Not Play)

#2 Broomfield beat Longmont 67-18

#3 Pueblo South beat #5 Pueblo West 42-41 (2 OT)

#4 Valor Christian beat Elizabeth 47-37

#6 Glenwood Springs (Did Not Play)

#7 Centaurus beat Greeley Central 65-40

#8 D’Evelyn beat Summit 66-4

#9 Delta (Did Not Play)

#10 Windsor beat Skyline 66-52

CLASS 3A

#1 Holy Family beat #9 Lutheran (2A) 48-35

#2 Machebeuf beat Jefferson Academy 59-26

#3 Eaton beat Estes Park 57-36

#4 Trinidad beat Lamar 40-20

#5 Manitou Springs beat Salida 52-17

#6 Pagosa Springs beat #8 Centauri 42-27

#7 Peak to Peak (Did Not Play)

#9 Valley beat Mead 65-48

#10 St Mary’s beat La Junta 43-18

CLASS 2A

#1 Akron beat Wiggins 56-25

#2 Paonia (Did Not Play)

#3 Las Animas beat #6 Rye 54-39

#4 Sanford beat Del Norte 43-36

#5 Evangelical Christian beat Colorado Springs 51-32

#7 Burlington beat Stratton 67-22

Yuma beat #8 Sedgwick County 58-51

#10 Meeker vs Plateau Valley

CLASS 1A

#1 Simla (Did Not Play)

#2 Deer Trail beat Otis 62-54

#3 Pawnee beat Pine Bluffs WY 63-39

#4 Caliche beat Wray 56-53

#5 Eads beat Kim 48-35

#6 Wiley (Did Not Play)

Limon beat #7 Flagler 53-45

#8 Merino beat Holyoke 44-38

#9 Norwood beat Ignacio 70-32

#10 Sierra Grande (Did Not Play)

CLASS 5A

1. Highlands Ranch (8-4)
2. Regis (8-3)
3. Monarch (6-3)
4. Legacy (7-2)
5. Rock Canyon (9-1)
6. Arvada West (9-1)
7. ThunderRidge (6-4)
8. Doherty (9-1)
9. Chaparral (7-3)
10. Palmer (8-2)

NEW:  Doherty, Palmer

DROPPED OUT:  Horizon, Rocky Mountain

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Grandview (7-3), Ralston Valley (6-3), Arapahoe (7-4), Heritage (7-3), Poudre (7-1), Fairview (6-2), Grand Junction (9-3)

NOTES:  Legacy picked up two solid wins over Boulder and Broomfield but a Tuesday night upset loss to Fairview cost the Lightning their hold on the top spot.  The Lightning dropped three spots to fourth allowing Highlands Ranch, Regis and Monarch to each bump a position.  All three teams could lay claim to the top spot but we kept them in the same order as a week ago.  Highlands Ranch routed Denver East in their only game of the week while Regis won three games to capture the title at their own tournament including a come-from-behind win over Air Academy in the finals.  Monarch went 3-0 in league play and now remains unbeaten against Colorado opponents (5-0).  The second six features two new teams from the Colorado Springs Metro.  Doherty blew past Chaparral (65-50) and jumped ahead of the Wolverines into the eighth spot.  The Spartans are 9-1 and have won eight in a row since an eight point loss to Pueblo South.  Palmer moved past Gateway and Denver East last week.  Rock Canyon and Arvada West continue their move to the top.  Neither has much basketball tradition of late but each is trying to make their mark this year.  A-West scored a very important win over Dakota Ridge that kept them tied with Ralston Valley for the Jeffco lead.  Rock Canyon has a very rugged conference schedule with games against Highlands Ranch, Regis, ThunderRidge, Arapahoe and Heritage among others but is currently unbeaten against in-state schools.

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CLASS 4A

1. Air Academy (8-2)
2. Broomfield (7-1)
3. Pueblo South (11-0)
4. Valor Christian (9-0)
5. Pueblo West (11-1)
6. Glenwood Springs (11-0)
7. Centaurus (8-1)
8. D’Evelyn (7-3)
9. Delta (9-2)
10. Windsor (8-2)

NEW:  Delta, Windsor

DROPPED OUT:  Golden, Moffat County

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Palmer Ridge (7-0), Silver Creek (6-2), Pueblo County (9-3)

NOTES:  It’s a rare situation when the top two teams from last week suffered losses but did not lose any ground in the newest rankings.  Both Air Academy and Broomfield were beaten by 5A powerhouses.  The Kadets lost a late lead to Regis in the finals of the Regis Holiday tournament and Broomfield lost for the second straight year to Legacy.  Even with the loss to Regis, Air Academy has done more than enough to keep top billing while Broomfield’s tradition also puts them near the top.  Pueblo South, Valor Christian, Pueblo West, Glenwood Springs and Centaurus maintained their hold on spots three through seven as well.  Valor Christian collected league wins over Evergreen and Wheat Ridge while Pueblo West did the same over Centennial and Central.  Pueblo West battles Pueblo West on Friday in the first of two clashes that should determine the South Central championship although Pueblo County is also playing well.  Glenwood Springs stayed unbeaten with a nice home win over Moffat County but the Demons must tangle with Delta on Saturday.  The Panthers captured the Four Corners tournament championship over the weekend and moved in the rankings this week.  They replaced league rival Moffat County in the poll.  Windsor has won three in a row and earns their first top ten ranking of the season.  They take the place of Golden who lost a one point game to Elizabeth.  The Cardinals then lost by 41 points two nights later to D’Evelyn.

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CLASS 3A

1. Holy Family (7-0)
2. Machebeuf (7-0)
3. Eaton (6-1)
4. Trinidad (8-0)
5. Manitou Springs (8-0)
6. Pagosa Springs (7-1)
7. Peak to Peak (8-1)
8. Centauri (9-1)
9. Valley (7-1)
10. St Mary’s (5-3)

NEW:  None

DROPPED OUT:  None

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Olathe (6-2), Rifle (5-1), Denver Science (4-1), Faith Christian (6-3), Brush (6-1), Florence (5-3), Buena Vista (5-3)

NOTES:  The same teams make up the top ten this week but they’re in different order because of quality losses by Eaton and St Mary’s.  The Reds fell short in their upset bid of Holy Family (50-36) but fell just one spot in the rankings to third.  Machebeuf took over the second spot.  They’ve won seven straight including a 15 point win over St Mary’s on Saturday.  The Pirates loss was their second of the week as they were also knocked off by Manitou Springs.  Despite those losses, the Pirates stay in the rankings at number ten (lost 5 spots).  They’re just 5-3, but all three setbacks are against unbeaten opponents (Manitou Springs, Machebeuf and Holy Family).  Manitou Springs used the win over St Mary’s to leapfrog past Pagosa Springs into the top five.  We kept the Mustangs behind Pagosa Springs because they had to yet to post a quality but that changed last Thursday.  Peak to Peak, Centauri and Valley all bumped up one spot.  Peak to Peak meets Holy Family on Tuesday while Pagosa Springs and Centauri also square for the first of two league meetings on Friday.  Olathe, Rifle, Denver Science, Faith Christian and Brush all continue to play good basketball.  Olathe has won four in a row; Rifle five straight, Brush six in a row and Faith Christian three in a row.  Denver Science has collected three straight victories since a 13 point loss to Machebeuf.  They have four games on the schedule this week.

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CLASS 2A

1. Akron (7-0)
2. Paonia (5-1)
3. Las Animas (6-1)
4. Sanford (5-1)
5. Evangelical Christian (7-0)
6. Rye (4-2)
7. Burlington (7-2)
8. Sedgwick County (7-1)
9. Lutheran (5-1)
10. Meeker (4-2)

NEW:  Lutheran, Meeker

DROPPED OUT:  Sangre De Cristo, Hayden

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Limon (7-1), Calhan (6-1), Swink (5-4), Peyton (3-2), Ridgway (4-1), Telluride (5-0), Rangely (4-2), Vanguard (4-2)

NOTES:  Sangre De Cristo was ranked 9^th last week but the T-Birds had a very difficult week with three straight losses but all came against quality opponents.  They lost to Centauri, Kim and Sierra Grande but the overall effect was the loss of their spot in the rankings.  Hayden was 6^th in the poll a week ago but also dropped out because of a loss to Meeker (62-59).  Even though it was only a three point road loss, we replaced the Tigers with Meeker.  Record wise the two teams are even so we went with Meeker because of the head-to-head win.  Replacing Sangre De Cristo was Lutheran.  The Lions are getting healthier each week and scored a 27 point win over 3A Platte Valley during the week.  With three games on tap this week, they’ll be much busier but will be focusing on their Friday challenge against Holy Family.  Sedgwick County was also beaten last week by Merino and dropped two spots to seventh.  They recovered by beating Fleming the next day.  Evangelical Christian and Rye both made the biggest moves in the poll this week each bumping two spots.  ECA continues to roll through opponents and has not allowed more than 28 points in their last five games.  They get better tests against Colorado Springs and Vanguard this week.  Rye also has a big week as they can take early control of the Santa Fe chase by beating Las Animas and Rocky Ford.  They’re tied with both for the league lead.

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CLASS 1A

1. Simla (8-0)
2. Deer Trail (7-0)
3. Pawnee (6-0)
4. Caliche (6-0)
5. Eads (7-1)
6. Wiley (7-1)
7. Flagler (7-1)
8. Merino (6-1)
9. Norwood (6-1)
10. Sierra Grande (6-2)

NEW:  Sierra Grande

DROPPED OUT:  Hi Plains

TEAMS TO WATCH:  McClave (6-2), Kim (3-2), Elbert (7-0), Briggsdale (6-1), Belleview Christian (7-0), Mountain Valley (5-2), Gilpin County (7-0)

NOTES:  Not much movement can be found in the small school ranks as only two teams suffered losses last week and both teams were beaten by Kit Carson.  The Wildcats edged Hi Plains on Tuesday and then handed Eads their first loss of the season on Friday.  Those losses cost both Eads and Hi Plains one spot in the rankings and for the Patriots; it meant dropping out of the rankings.  They were replaced by Sierra Grande who scored a very strong win over Sangre De Cristo (2A) to stay unbeaten.  The Panthers edged the likes of McClave, Kim, Elbert and Briggsdale for the lone available slot.  Eads dropped just one spot as we kept them ahead of Wiley since they beat the Panthers in the Lamar tournament title game.  The rematch is set for January 26^th.  Simla had an impressive but strange week.  They easily blew past Hanover and Edison by 70 points apiece but strangely the score of 89-19 was the end result of each contest.  We’re still trying to figure out the odds of that happening.  Deer Trail also had a good win as they moved past a physical 3A Middle Park on Friday and faces a very good Burlington squad (2A) on Saturday.  Merino was equally impressive in moving past Sedgwick County by 21 points on Friday.  The Rams also scored 34 of the first 35 points of the game against Peetz the next night.  The weekend served as good prep for their date with top ranked Akron (2A) on Saturday.

CLASS 5A

1. Legacy (5-1)
2. Highlands Ranch (7-4)
3. Regis (5-3)
4. Monarch (3-3)
5. Chaparral (7-2)
6. ThunderRidge (5-3)
7. Horizon (5-2)
8. Rock Canyon (8-1)
9. Arvada West (7-1)
10. Rocky Mountain (7-0)

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Doherty (6-1), Ralston Valley (5-3), Denver East (5-3), Grand Junction (8-3), Lakewood (5-2), Heritage (7-3), Dakota Ridge (5-3)

NOTES:  With most of the top teams spending much of December against out-of-state opponents, it’s difficult to compare the teams as they have very few common opponents.  We also put little stock into results against out-of-state teams since those programs are not battling for the Colorado state title.  Legacy is the number one team based on their impressive win over Highlands Ranch but the Lightning also dropped a game to 4A power Air Academy so their hold on the top spot is a bit tenuous.  Regis is the most difficult big school team to rank as they’ve played only one game against in-state opposition and they blasted Mullen (88-30) in that single contest.  Based on tradition, we’ve put them in the third spot.  Monarch is unbeaten against Colorado teams including a nice ten point win over Chaparral.  Chaparral won seven games in December with a second loss against previously mentioned Air Academy.  ThunderRidge and Horizon are two other teams with great tradition that spent much of the month outside the borders.  Rock Canyon, Arvada West and Rocky Mountain are big school teams trying to build tradition.  Rock Canyon had a good showing at the Nike Tournament of Champions (3-1) and also posted solid wins over Golden and D’Evelyn (both ranked in 4A).  Arvada West played well in a six point loss to five time defending 4A champion Broomfield and has good wins over Cherry Creek and Denver East.  Rocky Mountain scored quality wins over Palmer and Heritage and faces a tough league opener against Loveland (4-1) on Tuesday.

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CLASS 4A

1. Air Academy (6-1)
2. Broomfield (6-0)
3. Pueblo South (9-0)
4. Valor Christian (6-0)
5. Pueblo West (9-1)
6. Glenwood Springs (9-0)
7. Centaurus (6-1)
8. Golden (7-2)
9. Moffat County (6-3)
10. D’Evelyn (5-3)

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Roosevelt (4-5), Silver Creek (4-2), Thompson Valley (5-2), Pueblo County (7-4), Windsor (6-2), Sierra (6-2), Palmer Ridge (5-0), Elizabeth (7-1)

NOTES:  With five consecutive state championships, Broomfield has been the Queen of this division for quite some times.  In most years, the Eagles were the overwhelming favorite to land the title and were not challenged in grabbing the top trophy.  This year shapes up to be different as the Eagles are not as dominant as years past and several teams have stepped up as major challenges.  The leading candidate is Air Academy.  Despite a 21 point loss to 5A power Highlands Ranch, we have listed Air Academy as the number one team to begin 2012 because of the rugged schedule they’ve played.  They have posted wins over 5A programs Chaparral, Grandview, Heritage and Legacy which topped Highlands Ranch.  The Kadets will also compete in the Regis Tournament this week where they will meet ThunderRidge among others.  Broomfield, which has beaten the likes of Roosevelt, Ralston Valley, Arvada West, Thompson Valley and Evergreen, gets a shot at Legacy on Saturday.  Pueblo South and Valor Christian both rolled through December without much of a challenge and both have strong state championship hopes.  Pueblo West dropped an 11-point decision to Air Academy near the end of December for their only loss.  Glenwood Springs played several smaller schools in racking up nine straight victories but also beat Faith Christian (3A) and Grand Junction).  They have a huge game with Moffat County on Saturday.  It’s the first of two meetings between the Western Slope powers and those two games normally decide the conference championship.  Moffat County also beat Grand Junction but has played a stronger schedule than the Demons.  Their best win came against D’Evelyn (62-61) in the Steamboat tournament.  Centaurus, Golden and D’Evelyn should provide for a great Jeffco race.  The only loss to Centaurus came against Legacy (53-49); Golden is unbeaten against 4A opponents and D’Evelyn has two wins against 5A teams (Smoky Hill & Arapahoe).

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CLASS 3A

1. Holy Family (6-0)
2. Eaton (6-0)
3. Machebeuf (5-0)
4. Trinidad (7-0)
5. St Mary’s (5-1)
6. Pagosa Springs (5-1)
7. Manitou Springs (6-0)
8. Peak to Peak (6-1)
9. Centauri (7-1)
10. Valley (4-1)

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Brush (4-1), Grand Valley (3-1), Rifle (3-1), Classical Academy (4-2), University (5-0), Clear Creek (6-0), Denver Science (2-1), Bayfield (2-1), Olathe (4-2), Florence (5-3), Buena Vista (3-3)

NOTES:  Holy Family and Eaton met in the state finals a year ago and since the Tigers came away with a fourth consecutive state championship, the two teams begin the rankings in the same place they finished a year ago.  The Tigers visit Eaton on Tuesday in what should be a great game to begin the New Year with the winner stepping forward as the team to beat.  Machebeuf has been mentioned by almost every coach as a team to watch this year and they’ve opened with five straight wins.  Trinidad and St Mary’s will again battle for the Tri Peaks East title and they begin the second half ranked fourth and fifth.  St Mary’s suffered their lone loss to top ranked Holy Family in the finals of the Tiger Invitational in the second week of the season.  The Pirates get tested right away in January against Manitou Springs on Thursday and at Machebeuf on Saturday.  Manitou Springs is unbeaten but not ranked higher because of the schedule they’ve played.  Fans will have a better idea of how good they are once they play St Mary’s this week.  Pagosa Springs is very young but has won five in a row since a disappointing loss to Gunnison in their opener.  The Pirates will get challenged in defense of their league title by Centauri and Bayfield.  The Falcons had a very strong month except for the 26 point loss to Trinidad.  They face a tough second half opener against Sangre De Cristo (2A) on Thursday.  Peak to Peak is much like Pagosa Springs.  They’re very young but have not lost since an opening loss to Northridge (4A).  They challenge Holy Family on the 10^th.  Valley is a third team with several freshman and sophomores playing big minutes.  They hope to challenge Eaton for the Patriot championship.  Brush, which just missed the rankings this week, should also be a factor and possibly University.  The Bulldogs are off to a 5-0 start after winning just eight games a year ago.

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CLASS 2A

1. Akron (6-0)
2. Paonia (5-1)
3. Las Animas (4-1)
4. Sanford (5-1)
5. Sedgwick County (6-0)
6. Hayden (5-1)
7. Evangelical Christian (5-0)
8. Rye (2-2)
9. Sangre De Cristo (5-1)
10. Burlington (5-2)

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Limon (5-1), Lutheran (4-1), Resurrection Christian (5-1), Denver Christian (5-1), Rangely (5-2), Yuma (3-2), Wray (3-3)

NOTES:  2011-12 shapes up to be a very good season for 2A girls basketball as there are several quality teams across the state.  The depth made it difficult to pare the list to our top ten teams as Limon, Lutheran, Resurrection Christian and Rangely among others have done enough to earn top ten billing but were left out this week because of the number of good teams in the state.  With three potential first team all-state players in their starting lineup, Akron is our choice as the number one team.  The Rams narrowest margin of victory in December was 16 points so they’ve been very dominant.  They’ll get a solid test at Wray on Saturday to begin the second half.  Paonia has won four games against 3A opponents with their lone loss against Delta (4A).  That schedule will help in the Western Slope chase where they will be challenged by another good Hayden club.  The Tigers are unbeaten against Colorado teams with their lone loss at the hands of Little Snake River Wyoming.  Las Animas and Sanford are separated only by their head-to-head matchup in the opening round of the La Junta Holiday Shootout.  Las Animas won that game so they’re ranked ahead of the defending state champs who have the talent to make another run.  Sedgwick County (6-0) is unbeaten despite missing MacKenzie Ault to graduation.  They’ll battle Akron, Merino, Caliche, Wray and Yuma in what should be an exciting Lower Platte chase.  Not much separates Evangelical Christian, Rye, Sangre De Cristo and Burlington.  ECA is the defending runner-up and is unbeaten but their schedule has not been that difficult.  Rye’s losses are against 3A top ten teams (Manitou Springs and Centauri) while Sangre De Cristo has won four in a row including a win over Monte Vista which avenged their only loss of the season.  Burlington has wins over Lamar, Yuma, Idalia and two out-of-state opponents.  Their only in-state loss is against top ranked Akron (54-37).

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CLASS 1A

1. Simla (6-0)
2. Deer Trail (6-0)
3. Pawnee (5-0)
4. Eads (6-0)
5. Caliche (5-0)
6. Wiley (5-1)
7. Flagler (5-1)
8. Merino (4-1)
9. Norwood (5-1)
10. Hi Plains (3-1)

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Elbert (6-0), Sierra Grande (5-2), Fleming (3-2), Dove Creek (3-2), McClave (5-2), Centennial (3-0), Briggsdale (5-1)

NOTES:  Defending state champion Simla has given indication they have serious thoughts of winning two titles in a row.  The Cubs have rolled through their first six opponents including a 31 point win over a good Kit Carson club.  They still have future tests against Elbert, Hi Plains, Limon and Flagler but they stand a good chance of getting to the post-season unbeaten.  But the 1A field is very deep overall this year and several teams have legitimate hopes of earning the Gold Ball down the road.  Deer Trail features high scoring Bay’lee Purdy and she will make them a tough out in any game this season.  They rolled past a very good Flagler team one day after the Panthers knocked off then unbeaten Merino.  The losses by Flagler and Merino dropped them to seventh and eighth but both are very good squads.  Pawnee has a quality win over Briggsdale but has not played a very strong schedule.  Their tradition though puts them in the top five in our first poll of the season.  They host Fleming in the first of two meetings that could decide the North Central title again.  Eads stunned Wiley in the finals of the Lamar Holiday tournament (39-37) so those two are very even and separated by little in the rankings.  Caliche is out of the gate unbeaten and could be 9-0 when they face Wray a week from Friday.  Going unbeaten may be difficult for the Buffs as they will face Merino, Akron, Sedgwick County, Wray, Yuma and Holyoke in league play but that schedule will have them battle tested.  They’re still a very young squad with freshmen and sophomores getting quality minutes.  Norwood suffered their only loss to 3A Olathe (54-52) and they’re seeking a second straight visit to state.  They host Dove Creek in a crucial league game on Saturday.  Hi Plains edged Elbert for the tenth spot.  Hi Plains gained the edge since they pushed Flagler in a three point loss in their season opener.  Elbert is unbeaten but has yet to knock off a team with a winning record.

1.       Highlands Ranch (17-3)

2.       Legacy (18-2)

3.       Monarch (17-3)

4.       Cherry Creek (17-4)

5.       ThunderRidge (17-4)

6.       Regis (14-7)

7.       Palmer (19-2)

8.       Doherty (14-6)

9.       Denver East (16-6)

10.   Grandview (16-5)

NEW:  Denver East, Grandview

DROPPED OUT:  Arapahoe, Fairview

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Rangeview (18-3), Fort Collins (14-6), Chaparral (12-8), Heritage (12-9), Ralston Valley (14-7), Dakota Ridge (16-5), Standley Lake (16-5), Prairie View (16-4)

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CLASS 4A

1.       Broomfield (18-3)

2.       Longmont (20-1)

3.       Air Academy (17-4)

4.       Conifer (16-3)

5.       Pueblo South (17-4)

6.       Mesa Ridge (19-2)

7.       Harrison (19-2)

8.       Roosevelt (17-4)

9.       Pueblo West (18-3)

10.   Glenwood Springs (17-3)

NEW:  None

DROPPED OUT:  None

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Sand Creek (16-5), Cheyenne Mountain (15-6), Golden (16-4), D’Evelyn (13-7), Pueblo East (17-4), Erie (16-5), Delta (16-5), Moffat County (14-7), Thompson Valley (16-5)

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CLASS 3A

1.       Holy Family (18-1)

2.       Pagosa Springs (18-0)

3.       Rifle (16-0)

4.       Olathe (14-3)

5.       Eaton (15-2)

6.       Machebeuf (13-4)

7.       Classical Academy (15-1)

8.       Estes Park (12-6)

9.       Trinidad (18-1)

10.   Jefferson Academy (13-5)

NEW:  Trinidad, Jefferson Academy

DROPPED OUT:  St Mary’s, Peak to Peak

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Valley (12-6), Denver Science (15-3), Faith Christian (12-6), Manitou Springs (13-4), Gunnison (13-5), Clear Creek (13-5), Monte Vista (13-5), Centauri (12-5), Berthoud (12-6), Brush (12-6)

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CLASS 2A

1.       Burlington (16-2)

2.       Sedgwick County (15-2)

3.       Paonia (14-3)

4.       Akron (14-3)

5.       Front Range Christian (17-1)

6.       Rye (14-3)

7.       Las Animas (15-2)

8.       Evangelical Christian (15-2)

9.       Hayden (15-3)

10.   Lutheran-Parker (16-2)

NEW:  Lutheran-Parker

DROPPED OUT:  Sanford

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Peyton (13-4), Sargent (11-6), Del Norte (12-6), La Veta (11-6), Wray (11-7), Vanguard (13-5), Lyons (9-9), Resurrection Christian (13-4)

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CLASS 1A

1.       Merino (17-0)

2.       Simla (17-0)

3.       Kim (16-1)

4.       Kit Carson (14-3)

5.       Fleming (15-2)

6.       Norwood (17-1)

7.       Pawnee (14-2)

8.       McClave (14-3)

9.       Wiley (13-4)

10.   Eads (11-5)

NEW:  None

DROPPED OUT:  None

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Centennial (12-1), Sierra Grande (10-7), Elbert (12-4), Deer Trail (11-6), Flagler (10-7), Otis (10-6), Belleview Christian (15-2), Woodlin (11-6), Hi Plains (9-6)

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CLASS 5A

The teams remain the same but the order has changed a bit this week.  Narrow losses by Regis, Doherty and Fairview against top five opponents caused some movement in the second five.  Regis, which dropped a Continental contest with top ranked Highlands Ranch, dropped just one spot to seventh.  Doherty, who suffered a second loss in two weeks to 5^th ranked Palmer, fell back two spots to tenth.  The Spartans remained in the poll ahead of conference rival Pine Creek since they beat the Eagles head-to-head earlier this season.  Fairview also dropped one position to ninth following a 12 point loss to Legacy in the Front Range.  They handed the Lightning their only league loss in the first meeting so the teams have now split their two conference matchups.  The top five is consistent with last week but that may change next week because all get tested in the coming days.  #1 Highlands Ranch faces #2 ThunderRidge on Friday.  That will decide the Continental crown.  #3 Legacy also gets a strong challenge from Fort Collins on Saturday while #4 Monarch has a trip to Fairview on Friday.  5^th ranked Palmer also faces a difficult test as they visit Pine Creek on Saturday.  Both have just one league loss in the Colorado Springs Metro.  The Centennial title may also go to Friday’s winner between Cherry Creek and Arapahoe.  The Warriors bumped up three spots this week because of the losses by Regis, Doherty and Fairview.

KEY GAMES THIS WEEK

THURSDAY: Standley Lake at Arvada West

FRIDAY: ThunderRidge at Highlands Ranch, Monarch at Fairview, Cherry Creek at Arapahoe, Regis at Chaparral

SATURDAY: Fort Collins at Legacy, Palmer at Pine Creek

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CLASS 4A

With the top seven teams all rolling through the week without a loss, no major changes can be found this time around.  Golden’s loss to D’Evelyn was the only blemish for top ten teams.  Because of that result, the Demons dropped out of the rankings and were replaced by Glenwood Springs.  The Demons kept a share of first place (with Moffat County) in the Western Slope by beating Delta on Saturday.  That win avenged their only league loss of the season.  Glenwood will battle Moffat County for the league title next Tuesday (15^th).  Delta remains in the race.  If they beat Moffat County on Friday and then Moffat knocks off Glenwood Springs, then all three teams will share the top spot.  Look for many changes in the poll next week as huge matchups can be found all throughout the week.  On Tuesday, Longmont and Broomfield battle for the Northern conference crown while the top teams in the South Central, Pueblo South and Pueblo West also collide.  If South wins that game, then they have control of the league chase but a West win will create a two way tie for the lead.  Third place Pueblo East is also in the mix.  They meet Pueblo West this Friday and then tangle with South again next week.  In the Colorado Springs Metro, Air Academy and Mesa Ridge share the Colorado Springs Metro lead at 11-0 but they collide on Friday.  All in all, it’s a great week for 4A girls basketball and the results will give us a great indication of how the post-season may play out.

KEY GAMES THIS WEEK

TUESDAY: Broomfield at Longmont, Falcon at Air Academy, Pueblo South at Pueblo West

FRIDAY: Air Academy at Mesa Ridge, Harrison at Sand Creek, Roosevelt at Sterling, Harrison at Sand Creek, Pueblo West at Pueblo East

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CLASS 3A

Don’t be fooled by Holy Family’s loss to Longmont last week.  Yes the game ended the Tigers 38-game winning streak but it doesn’t change the fact they’re still the overwhelming favorite to win a fourth consecutive state championship.  So it should be no surprise that Holy Family remains the number one team in the division.  They’ve already clinched the league championship and will now simply finish out the season hoping to stay away from a key injury that might affect their state title chase.  Another surprise in the rankings could be the re-appearance of Estes Park.  The Bobcats are only 9-6 overall but with the return of Kimmy Hansen and Kyra Stark in the lineup, the Bobcats are finally healthy and when healthy, they’re easily among the ten best teams in 3A.  They displayed their talents in a 37-point blowout of Berthoud (9^th last week) over the weekend.  Even without Hansen, they played Eaton to within eight points, Weld Central by four and Jefferson Academy by seven.  With her in the lineup, they may have swept those three games.  That’s why they’re back in the top ten despite their less than stellar overall record.  Other than Holy Family and Estes Park, the only news involves St Mary’s and Machebeuf.  We swapped those two teams in the sixth and seventh spots; moving Machebeuf ahead of the Pirates since they won the head-to-head matchup in January.  That fact slipped by us last week or we would have kept the Buffs ahead of the Pirates.  Coming up this week is a huge week for the Patriot conference.  Weld Central trails Eaton by one game in the first place chase while four teams have two league losses and are tied for third.  With the regular season down to just two weeks, several of those teams go head-to-head including Weld Central at Berthoud and Brush at Valley on Tuesday; Valley at Berthoud on Thursday and Estes Park at Brush on Saturday.  Second place is also on the line in the Intermountain when Monte Vista and Centauri face off Tuesday and Jefferson Academy battles Peak to Peak on Thursday.  Friday marks a huge matchup between St Mary’s and Trinidad.  They’re 1-2 in the Tri Peaks East.

KEY GAMES THIS WEEK

TUESDAY: Rifle at Coal Ridge, Weld Central at Berthoud, Classical Academy at Manitou Springs, Centauri at Monte Vista, Brush at Valley

THURSDAY: Jefferson Academy at Peak to Peak, Valley at Berthoud

FRIDAY: Pagosa Springs at Monte Vista, Trinidad at St Mary’s

SATURDAY: Estes Park at Brush

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CLASS 2A

Here is where we see our first major changes in the rankings.  Top five members from last week, Las Animas and Hayden, both suffered double digit home losses to visiting ranked opponents and those setbacks cost both teams five spots in the rankings.  In the case of Las Animas, the five position loss may be a bit harsh but when teams have split regular season matchups and the margin of victory is the same, then we usually give the nod to the team that won the most recent game.  In the Trojans case, they beat Rye on the road by 14 points in January but then lost to the Thunderbolts by 14 points at home last Saturday so we moved Rye up two spots to number six and put Las Animas a spot behind at number seven.  To keep things even, we also dropped Hayden five spots to number ten because of a double digit loss to Paonia.  The defending state champion Eagles moved up two spots to fourth this week.  The lone newcomer is Evangelical Christian.  Pushing for a top ten berth for several weeks, the Eagles finally cracked the rankings with a blowout of Peyton (9^th last week).  That win coupled with an equally nice victory over Lutheran-Parker the next night gave Evangelical Christian more than enough to break into the poll at number nine.  With the loss by Las Animas, Front Range Christian bumped up one more spot to second.  Each move up the ladder gives them a new best for rankings by Colorado Preps.  They have a rematch with Lutheran-Parker on Tuesday.  It’s their last hurdle separating them from an unbeaten regular season.

KEY GAMES THIS WEEK

TUESDAY: Lutheran-Parker at Front Range Christian

THURSDAY: Las Animas at Swink, Rocky Ford at Rye, Lutheran at Jefferson Academy

FRIDAY: Burlington at Limon, Meeker at Paonia, Swink at Rye

SATURDAY: Sanford at La Veta, Dolores at Norwood

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CLASS 1A

Finding a team to finish out the rankings in the tenth spot proved to be the most difficult this week.  Eads was in the position a week ago and despite a 10 point loss to Kim, we kept the Eagles there.  Part of the reason is the way they played against the defending state champions but the other part involved the fact that no other team outside the poll made a strong case to get in.  Elbert was considered after beating Hanover but was hurt by a loss to Flagler the previous week.  Flagler was also considered but they lost by 30 points to Deer Trail.  Deer Trail also received some interest but they dropped a two point decision to Belleview Christian during the week.  Belleview Christian garnered some interest but their schedule is very weak plus they have a loss to Community Christian who lost to Wiley by 20 points and to unranked Genoa Hugo by 9 points earlier in the season.  Dove Creek was also a possibility but they lost twice over the weekend.  Centennial was hurt by a loss to the same Moffat/Mountain Valley team that lost big to Kim over the weekend.  Otis was also considered but even with a record of 10-5, they haven’t posted what we could call a quality win.  They’ve also lost to Deer Trail so they would fall behind the Eagles in the pecking order.  With all this in mind, we stayed with Eads based on their strength of schedule.  The top five teams remained in the same positions this week.  Of the five, Kit Carson may have had the most impressive stretch beating both Springfield and Wiley.  It was their second win over the Panthers this season.  For Wiley, the game was one of two losses.  They also fell to Holly but played that game without two key starters who were back in the lineup against Kit Carson.  Because of those absences, we kept the Panthers in the top ten but they dropped three spots to ninth.  Norwood and Pawnee both bumped up one.  Norwood picked up a huge win over Dolores on Friday.  They’ve now won 12 straight and the victory should give them the San Juan conference title.  Coming up this week are several interesting battles; none more attractive than the Tuesday showdown between Merino and Fleming.  Those two are included with Pawnee in District Four so it could be a preview of a district semi-final or championship game later this month.  Simla may also get a much needed test at Elbert.  They beat the Bulldogs 50-39 last month and the 11 point win is the second closest game for the Cubs all season.  They topped Peyton 32-27 very early in the season.  Everything else is by at least 11 points.

KEY GAMES THIS WEEK

TUESDAY: Merino at Fleming

FRIDAY: Dove Creek at Norwood, Centennial at Moffat/Mountain Valley

SATURDAY: Simla at Elbert, Wiley at Kim, Dolores at Norwood, McClave at Flagler

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CLASS 5A

1.       Highlands Ranch (15-3)

2.       ThunderRidge (15-3)

3.       Legacy (16-2)

4.       Monarch (15-3)

5.       Palmer (17-1)

6.       Cherry Creek (14-4)

7.       Arapahoe (12-6)

8.       Regis (11-7)

9.       Fairview (13-6)

10.   Doherty (11-6)

NEW: None

DROPPED OUT: None

TEAMS TO WATCH: Pine Creek (15-4), Grandview (13-5), Denver East (14-6), Rangeview (15-3), Fort Collins (12-6), Standley Lake (14-4)

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CLASS 4A

1.       Longmont (18-0)

2.       Broomfield (15-3)

3.       Mesa Ridge (18-1)

4.       Pueblo West (18-1)

5.       Harrison (18-1)

6.       Air Academy (15-4)

7.       Conifer (13-3)

8.       Pueblo South (15-4)

9.       Roosevelt (15-4)

10.   Glenwood Springs (16-3)

NEW: Glenwood Springs

DROPPED OUT: Golden

TEAMS TO WATCH: Cheyenne Mountain (12-6), Sand Creek (13-5), Pueblo East (14-4), Moffat County (13-6), Delta (14-5), D’Evelyn (11-7), Erie (14-5), Skyview (16-3)

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CLASS 3A

1.       Holy Family (16-1)

2.       Pagosa Springs (17-0)

3.       Rifle (15-0)

4.       Olathe (12-3)

5.       Eaton (13-2)

6.       Machebeuf (12-4)

7.       St Mary’s (12-4)

8.       Peak to Peak (14-2)

9.       Classical Academy (14-1)

10.   Estes Park (9-6)

NEW: Estes Park

DROPPED OUT: Berthoud

TEAMS TO WATCH: Jefferson Academy (11-5), Centauri (12-3), Weld Central (11-3), Valley (10-6), Brush (11-4), Trinidad (16-1), Manitou Springs (11-4), Denver Science (11-3)

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CLASS 2A

1.       Burlington (15-2)

2.       Front Range Christian (15-0)

3.       Sedgwick County (13-2)

4.       Paonia (11-3)

5.       Akron (12-3)

6.       Rye (12-3)

7.       Las Animas (13-2)

8.       Sanford (13-3)

9.       Evangelical Christian (13-2)

10.   Hayden (13-3)

NEW: Evangelical Christian

DROPPED OUT: Peyton

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Meeker (11-3), Dolores (12-4), Rangely (10-4), Sargent (9-6), Wray (10-7), Lutheran-Parker (15-2), Rocky Ford (10-4), Swink (10-5), Calhan (10-5), Del Norte (10-6)

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CLASS 1A

1.       Merino (15-0)

2.       Simla (15-0)

3.       Kim (14-1)

4.       Fleming (14-1)

5.       Kit Carson (13-3)

6.       Norwood (15-1)

7.       Pawnee (12-2)

8.       McClave (12-3)

9.       Wiley (12-3)

10.   Eads (10-5)

NEW: None

DROPPED OUT: None

TEAMS TO WATCH: Centennial (10-1), Elbert (11-3), Dove Creek (10-5), Deer Trail (8-6), Flagler (9-6), Sierra Grande (9-7), Holly (9-6), Belleview Christian (13-2), Community Christian (9-5)

Little change occurred in the division as Palmer was the only ranked team to suffer a loss.  The Terrors were beaten by Pine Creek in their first loss of the season.  It knocked them from second to fifth in this week’s poll while ThunderRidge, Legacy and Monarch all bumped up one notch.  Despite the win over Palmer, Pine Creek (14-4) was unable to crack the poll because no other team suffered a loss.  They are one of the many teams looking for open space in the rankings.   The best win may have been earned by Fairview.  The Knights scored with two seconds left to beat Fort Collins 39-38 and the last second basket gave them their only lead of the contest.  It kept Fairview tied with Legacy and Monarch atop the Front Range Southern division.  The Knights play both teams for a second time and that run begins this Friday at home against Legacy.  Two other key games will take place on Saturday when Palmer meets Doherty and Highlands Ranch faces Regis.  Palmer outlasted Doherty in double overtime in their first meeting while Highlands Ranch and Regis have been state title contenders and battling one another for many years.  Regis has already lost to ThunderRidge so they need a win to keep their Continental title hopes alive.

KEY GAMES THIS WEEK

TUESDAY: Fort Collins at Legacy, Gateway at Rangeview

FRIDAY: ThunderRidge at Chaparral, Legacy at Fairview, Grandview at Arapahoe, Grand Junction at Fruita

SATURDAY: Highlands Ranch at Regis, Ralston Valley at Standley Lake

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CLASS 4A

There is a tough decision in the division this week and we again went back and forth on what to do with Broomfield.  The four-time defending state champions suffered a loss to three-time 3A champion Holy Family on the road last Saturday.  The question centered then on whether the loss should cost Broomfield any spots in the new poll.  In the end, we kept them in the same spot because of the respect they’ve built up over the past four years winning four consecutive state championships.  They also lost on the road to a three-time defending state champion that is among the best programs in the state in any class.  So even with the loss by Broomfield, Mesa Ridge, Pueblo West and Harrison were unable to move up even though those three are a combined 48-3 on the season.  Air Academy, which is tied with Mesa Ridge for the Colorado Springs Metro lead, also stayed put at number six.  Our first change takes place in the 7^th and 8^th positions where Conifer and Pueblo South both jumped up two spots.  They moved ahead of both Pueblo East and Falcon who fell from the rankings because of double-digit losses during the week.  Golden and Roosevelt replace them.  The Demons are 14-2 but trail Conifer by one game in the Jeffco.  Roosevelt has cruised through the Tri Valley conference and can basically clinch the title by beating Erie a second time this season.  The Riders haven’t lost since December.  Longmont remains number one again this week.  They’re the only unbeaten team remaining in the division. They also challenge Holy Family in a great one versus one battle on Thursday.  The Trojans also face a rematch with Broomfield next Tuesday.

KEY GAMES THIS WEEK

TUESDAY: Roosevelt at Erie

THURSDAY: Holy Family at Longmont, Falcon at Harrison

FRIDAY: Golden at D’Evelyn

SATURDAY: Mesa Ridge at Falcon, Delta at Glenwood Springs

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CLASS 3A

The top five of the division is very easy this week but the second five is a jumbled mess and putting those teams in the proper order this time around is almost impossible.  Let’s start with the top five where Holy Family scored the best win for any team in any class as they knocked off Broomfield last Saturday.  That was a battle of two teams who had won a combined seven state titles in four years.  The win pushed the Tigers winning streak to 38 games.  They’ll put that streak on the line against unbeaten and top ranked Longmont (4A) this week in another game to get the Tigers prepped for the post-season.  They’ve virtually wrapped up the Metro title.  Pagosa Springs won three games including a tougher than expected battle from 2A Sanford but they are still unbeaten as is Rifle.  The Bears continue to lead the Western Slope by a game over Olathe who topped Coal Ridge to gain sole possession of second place.  Eaton won twice to keep their one game edge in the Patriot.  But now to the second five where four of the teams in those spots last week suffered losses.  As a result, St Mary’s jumps all the way from tenth to sixth.  That spot may be too high for the Pirates at this stage of the season.  St Mary’s keeps winning while other teams have suffered losses but their conference schedule has not been as difficult.  Still the Pirates have tradition so we moved them up to sixth.  After that it’s a toss-up.  Machebeuf actually moved up a spot to seventh despite a 23 point loss to Holy Family.  We moved them up because they recovered from the loss to edge Peak to Peak on Friday.  That win moved them ahead of Peak to Peak which dropped two spots to eighth.  Berthoud fell from seventh to ninth because of a loss to Niwot.  It was their third loss to a 4A opponent this season.  Jefferson Academy is actually the hard luck team this week.  They’re second in a very good Metro conference but fell out of the rankings because of a 17 point loss to unranked Colorado Springs Christian.  Replacing them is Classical Academy who finally cracks the poll with a 13-game winning streak.

KEY GAMES THIS WEEK

TUESDAY:  Middle Park at Clear Creek, Estes Park at Brush

THURSDAY: Holy Family at Longmont

FRIDAY: Gunnison at Rifle, Brush at Eaton, Berthoud at Estes Park

SATURDAY: Holy Family at Jefferson Academy, Faith Christian at Machebeuf, Classical Academy at Florence

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CLASS 2A

Fowler was involved in the two games that created the most movement in the rankings this week.  The Grizzlies upset top ranked Las Animas on Friday and knocked the Trojans from the unbeaten ranks.  Then on Saturday, Fowler came up short against Rye and that win pushed the Thunderbolts into the top ten for the first time this season.  Las Animas dropped one spot to second this week while Rye entered the poll at number eight. Replacing Las Animas in the top spot is Burlington.  The Cougars were number one earlier this season but lost the position with an upset loss to Yuma.  They face a good test on Friday against an improving Holyoke squad.  Sedgwick County also picked up a nice win as they beat Akron on the road Saturday.  That moved the Cougars up one spot to fourth and dropped the Rams three spots to seventh.  Jumping up one position because of that loss were Hayden and Paonia.  One of those two could fall next week as they collide on Saturday.  That outcome could determine the Western Slope championship.  Peyton and Sanford remain in the rankings despite a loss over the past seven days.  Peyton fell by three points to Rye while Sanford played very well in a quality loss to 3A #2 Pagosa Springs.  Pushing for spots in the top ten are Dolores and Lutheran-Parker.  Dolores challenges Norwood in the first of two meetings this Friday.  Those two games should determine the San Juan conference crown.  Lutheran-Parker has a good stretch of games as they challenge Evangelical Christian and Peyton this weekend before facing Front Range Christian again next Tuesday.  The tougher slate will enhance their chances of getting into the rankings.  Evangelical Christian (Florence) and Resurrection Christian (Yuma) both suffered losses last week and those results prevented them from moving into the top ten as well.

KEY GAMES THIS WEEK

TUESDAY: Fowler at Swink

FRIDAY: Holyoke at Burlington, Akron at Wray, Evangelical Christian at Peyton, Rocky Ford at Fowler, Resurrection Christian at Lutheran-Parker

SATURDAY: Rye at Las Animas, Paonia at Hayden, Sanford at Sargent, Lutheran-Parker at Evangelical Christian

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CLASS 1A

Fleming and Elbert were the only two ranked teams to suffer losses since the last poll as the top teams in the division continued to show their dominance.  Fleming fell from the unbeaten ranks with a 24 point loss at Pawnee.  The two league rivals have now split their two regular season games and will likely end up sharing the North Central crown.  They must also focus on dealing with top ranked Merino in district play as only two of the three will advance to regionals.  Fleming and Merino meet up a week from Saturday in a highly anticipated matchup.  With the loss by Fleming, Kim moved up one spot third and Fleming dropped just one position to fourth.  Normally we would drop them behind Pawnee but since the two teams split the regular season battles and Fleming has the better overall record, we kept them ahead of Pawnee.  Elbert fell to Flagler (49-41) on Saturday.  That dropped them from the rankings.  The Bulldogs were replaced by Eads who moved back into the ranking despite an eight point loss to Wiley.  The Eagles have lost to both McClave and Wiley this season and they move ahead of Elbert because of a more difficult schedule.  Eads has another good weekend lined up with games at Kim on Friday and then home to Holly.  Looking down the road a bit, almost every top ten has at least one strong challenge left on the schedule.  As we said, Merino faces Fleming next week and also meets Akron in the final week.  Kim has a date with Eads on Friday.  Kit Carson has a rematch with Wiley on Saturday and that’s just one of many strong tests for the Panthers who also face Kim, McClave and Las Animas before the end of the regular season.  Norwood needs a tough opponent and they’ll get on Friday against Dolores.  They also face the Bears again and Dove Creek next week.  McClave closes with Flagler, Wiley and Kit Carson.

KEY GAMES THIS WEEK

THURSDAY: Dove Creek at Telluride

FRIDAY: Eads at Kim, Holly at Wiley, Norwood at Dolores, Prairie at Pawnee, Flagler at Deer Trail

SATURDAY: Kit Carson at Wiley

1.       Highlands Ranch (14-3)

2.       ThunderRidge (14-3)

3.       Legacy (15-2)

4.       Monarch (13-3)

5.       Palmer (15-1)

6.       Cherry Creek (13-4)

7.       Regis (11-6)

8.       Fairview (12-5)

9.       Doherty (11-5)

10.   Arapahoe (10-6)

NEW: None

DROPPED OUT:  None

TEAMS TO WATCH: Chaparral (10-6), Pine Creek (14-4), Denver East (12-6), Rangeview (14-3), Prairie View (12-4), Ralston Valley (10-6), Standley Lake (12-4), Dakota Ridge (12-5), Grand Junction (12-6), Fort Collins (11-6)

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CLASS 4A

1.       Longmont (16-0)

2.       Broomfield (13-3)

3.       Mesa Ridge (16-1)

4.       Pueblo West (16-1)

5.       Harrison (16-1)

6.       Air Academy (13-4)

7.       Conifer (11-3)

8.       Pueblo South (14-4)

9.       Golden (14-2)

10.   Roosevelt (13-4)

NEW: Golden, Roosevelt

DROPPED OUT: Pueblo East, Falcon

TEAMS TO WATCH: Delta (14-4), Glenwood Springs (14-3), Erie (13-4), Sand Creek (11-5), Skyview (16-3), Cheyenne Mountain (10-6), Moffat County (12-6)

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CLASS 3A

1.       Holy Family (15-0)

2.       Pagosa Springs (15-0)

3.       Rifle (13-0)

4.       Olathe (11-3)

5.       Eaton (12-2)

6.       St Mary’s (11-4)

7.       Machebeuf (10-4)

8.       Peak to Peak (12-2)

9.       Berthoud (10-4)

10.   Classical Academy (13-1)

NEW: Classical Academy

DROPPED OUT: Jefferson Academy

TEAMS TO WATCH: Trinidad (14-1), Centauri (11-3), Brush (11-3), Monte Vista (10-3), Coal Ridge (10-4), Denver Science (10-3), Gunnison (10-4), Middle Park (9-3), Weld Central (10-3)

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CLASS 2A

1.       Burlington (13-2)

2.       Las Animas (12-1)

3.       Front Range Christian (14-0)

4.       Sedgwick County (11-2)

5.       Hayden (12-2)

6.       Paonia (9-3)

7.       Akron (10-3)

8.       Rye (10-3)

9.       Peyton (10-3)

10.   Sanford (11-3)

NEW: Rye

DROPPED OUT: Rangely

TEAMS TO WATCH: Dolores (11-3), Lutheran-Parker (14-1), Evangelical Christian (11-2), Sargent (8-5), Wray (8-6), Fowler (7-6), Rocky Ford (8-5), Swink (8-5), Resurrection Christian (12-2), Limon (8-5)

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CLASS 1A

1.       Merino (13-0)

2.       Simla (13-0)

3.       Kim (11-1)

4.       Fleming (12-1)

5.       Kit Carson (11-3)

6.       Wiley (12-1)

7.       Norwood (13-1)

8.       Pawnee (10-2)

9.       McClave (10-3)

10.   Eads (9-4)

NEW: Eads

DROPPED OUT: Elbert

TEAMS TO WATCH: Dove Creek (10-3), Centennial (9-1), Flagler (9-5), Moffat/Mountain Valley (8-4), Sierra Grande (8-6), Community Christian (7-4)