Five of the teams in this year’s bracket are making a return, including the defending state champs from last season. De Beque is back, looking to add another state title to its trophy case, but the Dragons will have to do so as the fourth seed. The top seed in the bracket belongs to Kit Carson, a team that lost its first game of the season and has reeled off 21 straight wins since. After Thursday, the schedule could see a number of changes, depending on the results of Mile High Academy, who is not allowed to play from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday because of religious restrictions. All games prior to the championships will be held at UNC-Greeley, with the title game moving to the Loveland Events Center on Saturday.
Individual statistics quoted below are courtesy of MaxPreps. Teams are listed in bracket order.
#1 KIT CARSON WILDCATS (21-1)
COACH: Damon Dechant
STATE TITLES: 2007, 2004
LEAGUE: Won High Plains title (5-0), won District 2 title
REGIONALS: Beat South Baca 63-43
STREAK: Won 21 straight
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 1-1
Wins: Walsh
Losses: Limon
TEAM NOTES: Second straight appearance, fourth in last five years – third place in 2017 – Head coach was player on last title winning team – 4-0 in games decided by single digits – won seven games by at least 20 points – beat Walsh 57-52 for Lamar Holiday Tournament title – outscored opponents 1242-874
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Sullivan Farmer | 13.3 | 4.4 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 49 |
| Jayden McCombs-Farmer | 12.8 | 6.5 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 19 |
| Brayden Bogenhagen | 6.6 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 42 |
| Joe Bryan | 6.0 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 3 |
| Cordell Farmer | 5.6 | 4.1 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 2 |
| Peter Hornung | 5.0 | 3.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | |
| Brock Weiand | 3.4 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 4 |
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#8 OURAY TROJANS (14-6)
COACH: Adam Trujillo
STATE TITLES: None
LEAGUE: Third in San Juan Basin, top 1A team (5-4), 2nd in District 1
REGIONALS: Beat Sangre de Cristo 61-52
STREAK: Won 1, 4 of last 5
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 0-3
Wins: None
Losses: Ignacio, Aspen, De Beque
TEAM NOTES: First appearance since 2017 – fourth place in 2016, 2010 – 6-2 in games decided by single digits – lost to De Beque 65-64 in district final – outscored opponents 1262-1137
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Jackson Leo | 18.9 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 48 |
| Channing Green | 18.2 | 7.3 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 29 |
| Liam Miller | 12.1 | 6.0 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 5 |
| Stuart Owens | 7.7 | 5.2 | 1.3 | 0.8 | |
| Hayden Hart | 3.3 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 3 |
| Judah Preston | 2.9 | 4.8 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1 |
| Kaden Nelson | 1.4 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 3 |
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#4 DE BEQUE DRAGONS (20-2)
COACH: Jake Higuera
STATE TITLES: 2019, 1998
LEAGUE: Won Western Slope (10-2), won District 1 title
REGIONALS: Beat Primero 58-57 at the buzzer
STREAK: Won 5 straight
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 2-0
Wins: Briggsdale, Ouray
Losses: None
TEAM NOTES: Had 40-game winning streak snapped during season – beat first round opponent (Briggsdale) 82-74 in OT on 12/7 – 8-2 in games decided by single digits – two losses by combined three points – 1-1 in OT games – outscored opponents 1303-1029 – Wes Ryan over 500 points on the season, more than 1300 in career, 11 double-doubles
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Wes Ryan | 23.4 | 10.1 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 42 |
| Jaden Jordan | 12.7 | 7.5 | 4.9 | 2.9 | 21 |
| John Chapman | 10.7 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 42 |
| Logan Wingfield | 9.9 | 7.5 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 17 |
| Chase Dooley | 2.0 | 5.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
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#5 BRIGGSDALE FALCONS (19-4)
COACH: Clint Fiscus
STATE TITLES: None
LEAGUE: Won North Central title (7-1), third in District 4
REGIONALS: Beat Denver Jewish Day 57-50
STREAK: Won 2 straight, 4 of last 5
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 0-1
Wins: None
Losses: De Beque
TEAM NOTES: First appearance in school history – made seven tournaments as part of Crow Valley co-op (with Pawnee) – three runner-up finishes as Crow Valley (2001, 2000, 1993) – one win from matching total of previous five seasons combined – 6-2 in games decided by single digits – outscored opponents 1419-1079 – Wyatt Patton went over 1000 career points during the season, needs two assists and 16 steals for 100 of each this year
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Wyatt Patton | 17.6 | 5.5 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 28 |
| Braden Krise | 11.0 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 45 |
| Malik Carlson | 8.8 | 3.7 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 24 |
| Ty Dill | 7.9 | 6.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | |
| Luke Lambertson | 7.4 | 7.8 | 2.2 | 2.1 | |
| Michael Bittinger | 3.9 | 3.4 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 3 |
| Kaleb Brown | 3.8 | 2.9 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 2 |
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#2 MILE HIGH ACADEMY MUSTANGS (20-3)
COACH: Todd Essex
STATE TITLES: None
LEAGUE: Tied for 2nd in 5280 (6-2), won District 8 title
REGIONALS: Beat Longmont Christian 67-51
STREAK: Won 4 straight, 8 of last 9
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 0-0
Wins: None
Losses: None
TEAM NOTES: First appearance in program history – only second season as CHSAA member – face playing restriction on the Sabbath – 4-2 in games decided by single digits – outscored opponents 1429-1034
Full team statistics not entered on MaxPreps.
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#7 EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN EAGLES (19-3)
COACH: Bob Wingett
STATE TITLES: 2005 (2A), 2004 (2A)
LEAGUE: Second in Black Forest (5-1), Won District 7 title
REGIONALS: Beat Kim/Branson 56-49
STREAK: Won 5 straight, 11 of last 12
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 0-1
Wins: None
Losses: Peyton
TEAM NOTES: Second straight appearance – beat Kit Carson for consolation championship last year – 4th place in Class 2A (2007) – 2-3 in games decided by single digits – outscored opponents 1334-777 – Jason Holt went over 1000 career points during the season
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Jason Holt | 20.0 | 5.2 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 57 |
| Sam Mote | 12.6 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 29 |
| Judah Alexander | 5.9 | 6.7 | 0.5 | 1.1 | |
| Jonah Aragon | 5.8 | 7.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 3 |
| Landon Bunker | 5.4 | 3.4 | 5.7 | 2.5 | 18 |
| Michael Kim | 5.0 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 27 |
| RJ Wagner | 4.4 | 4.1 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 8 |
| Andrew DeRuiter | 2.1 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 2 |
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#3 WALSH EAGLES (20-2)
COACH: Josh Wittler
STATE TITLES: 1972, 1971. 1968
LEAGUE: Won Ark Valley title (4-0), Won District 3 title
REGIONALS: Beat Cheraw 58-51
STREAK: Won 16 straight
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 0-1
Wins: None
Losses: Kit Carson
TEAM NOTES: Second straight appearance – went 0-2 last year – lost opening game to Merino 45-42 – third place in 2012 – most wins in a season since 2012 (23) – won 3rd place in 2011 – 8-1 in games decided by single digits – 4-0 in games decided by two points or fewer – outscored opponents 1386-1094
Full team statistics not entered on MaxPreps.
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#6 MERINO RAMS (16-8)
COACH: Chase Debus
STATE TITLES: 1980, 1979, 1978, 1977, 1976, 1970, 1969
LEAGUE: 8th in Lower Platte (1-4), won District 4
REGIONALS: Beat Stratton/Liberty 59-46, Denver Waldorf 57-52
STREAK: Won 7 straight, 8 of last 10
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 1-3
Wins: Briggsdale
Losses: Wray, Yuma, Limon
TEAM NOTES: Second straight appearance – tied for sixth-most state championships (7) – finished fourth last season – finished second in 1999 – took third in 2003 (2A) – 1-4 in games decided by single digits – outscored opponents 1326-1058
Full team statistics not entered on MaxPreps.
