Two weeks remain in the regular season and many conference races in Classes 1A and 2A are starting to take shape. A few teams have clinched titles but most remain up in the air with games on tap this week playing a major role in which club lands the title. We look at each league chase and list the most important games left.
Photo is provided by Billie Carlson.
CLASS 1A
Ark Valley: The championship race is down to two teams as Kim/Branson and Walsh remain unbeaten with a two-game edge on all others. Kim/Branson’s win over South Baca last Saturday set up the championship battle with Walsh that will take place this Saturday.
5280: Denver Waldorf (5-0) stands alone in first as they lead Denver Jewish Day and Mile High Academy by one game. Waldorf has beaten Denver Jewish Day and won’t face Mile High Academy until the final game of the regular season (19th). The key game this week as Denver Jewish Day hosts Flatirons Academy as that game will help determine the top four seeds for the district. It’s set for Thursday.
Black Forest: Pikes Peak Christian and Edison remain unbeaten and tied for the conference lead. They were slated to play last Friday but the game was postponed until February 22nd so the league winner may not be determined until then. Another key game remaining is set for the 20th when Pikes Peak Christian heads to Evangelical Christian. The Eagles are in third and just one game off the pace.
High Plains: Kit Carson (4-0) clinched the league title and top district seed with their win over Cheraw last Friday. Cheyenne Wells and Eads share second place (2-1) but both have their league loss to Kit Carson. The Tigers and Eagles don’t meet until February 21st.
North Central: Briggsdale (6-1) enters the week with a one game edge on Prairie (5-2) and Fleming (4-2). Prairie and Fleming collide on Friday in New Raymer and that winner most likely will end up second. Prairie also has a game remaining with Briggsdale on February 21st but a loss to Fleming this week could render that game meaningless to the league championship race.
Southern Peaks: Sangre De Cristo (6-0) remains alone in first as they lead Primero (5-1) by one game. They also have a 53-34 win over Primero so the T-Birds are in complete control. Sangre goes to Sierra Grande on Friday and then Manzanola on Saturday. Manzanola and Cotopaxi share third place and both have losses to Primero so moving higher than third could prove difficult. The Bobcats and Pirates collide on February 20th.
YWKC: Idalia and Lone Star share the conference lead at 2-1 with the Wolves earning the tiebreaker based on their win over the Longhorns 55-20. Idalia this week hosts Otis and Kit Carson on Friday and Saturday. Lone Star meets Weldon Valley on Thursday and then goes to Bethune the next night.
CLASS 2A
Black Forest: Peyton (3-0) and Dolores Huerta (5-0) continue to share the lead and their edge over all remaining league games has grown to two games. The two leaders meet on Friday so the league championship and top district seed should be decided that night. Peyton also has a tough non-league date at Evangelical Christian on Saturday. The Scorpions fell to DSST-Byers 79-43 last week and look to recover against Pueblo Centennial (Monday) and Banning Lewis Academy (Thursday) before challenging Peyton.
Lower Platte: Yuma (5-0) is alone in first and Sedgwick County (4-1) took over second place with a last second win over Wray last Saturday. Tate Dille hit the game winning shot in the final five seconds to give the Cougars the 44-42 decision. The Cougars close the conference slate at home against Akron on Friday but they’ve already locked up second. Yuma has three league games remaining and must win two to officially clinch another title. They go to Caliche on Thursday this Thursday and then close at home against Holyoke and Haxtun in the final week. Despite the loss, Wray is alone in third. They meet Wiggins on Thursday and Merino on Friday.
Mile High: Denver Christian and Highland (both 8-0) still sit atop the division and each has a one game lead on second place Dayspring Christian. The Thunder and Huskies face off in Highland on Friday. Dayspring Christian dropped to third because of last Wednesday’s loss to Highland. They were also slated to face Denver Christian last Friday but the game was postponed to February 19th due to travel conditions. Dawson and Union Colony (two league losses) hold down fourth but they will break the tie in Tuesday’s matchup.
Santa Fe: Fowler (10-0) has a one game edge and a win over second place Holly (10-1) so the Grizzlies control their own championship hopes. Fowler needs two more wins to officially clinch the crown and they host Hoehne this Thursday and then visit Crowley County on Friday. They close with Swallows Charter next week (18th). Crowley County (9-2) sits third and may not be able to climb higher as they’ve lost twice to Holly. Rocky Ford (6-3) did not win a non-conference game this year but the Meloneers sit in fourth. Those two positions could be flipped as the Chargers and Meloneers get together on Monday night. They were scheduled to play last Friday but the game was pushed back to this week.
Southern Peaks: It was a huge win for Crested Butte last Saturday as their home win over Sanford (47-38) put them alone atop the league standings. The Titans have two more conference games remaining as they host Custer County this Friday and then Sargent on the 22nd. Sanford hosts Center this Friday and that game could determine second and third if Crested Butte wins out.
San Juan: No change in the standings last week as both Ignacio (8-0) and Mancos (6-1) made it through without a loss. Ouray was upset by Dove Creek but remains in third place (4-3). It was the first league win for Dove Creek. Ignacio and Mancos meet for a second time on February 18th and that’s the most important conference game left on the slate.
Union Pacific: Limon won the battle of league unbeatens over Burlington 59-53 on Saturday so the Badgers are alone in first. They have not clinched the title as they still have a game left with Byers this Friday. The Bulldogs share second place with Burlington with both teams one game back. Burlington, which owns a win over Byers, returns to league play on Tuesday at home against Stratton/Liberty.
Western Slope: DeBeque ended their long 40-game winning streak with a loss to Plateau Valley but the loss didn’t affect the Dragons league standing that much. They slid back into a first-place tie with Vail Christian but DeBeque has a win over the Saints so if they win their remaining games, they are back-to-back champions. This week they go to West Grand and Hayden on Friday-Saturday and then close at Rangely on the 21st. Vail Christian goes to Hayden on Tuesday and then meets Paonia and North Park on the weekend. Meeker has the inside track to third place as they have a win over Plateau Valley. Those two clubs share third with three losses apiece.
