Sweet 16 matchups are set for Thursday in Class 1A boys as teams continue to work their way through a very quick post-season bracket. We look at each contest on tap. Winners advance to the Great 8 that is set for Saturday with some games possibly pushed back to Monday based on weather expected through the state this weekend.
Higher seeds host each matchup. Games below are listed in bracket order. Colorado Preps will track all results on the Boys Basketball Scoreboard. Scores and updates can be sent to us by text at 970.380.7737.
Photo by Vibrant Valley Photography.
#1 Belleview Christian vs #16 Eads
Coming off their nice 53-42 win over Denver Waldorf on Tuesday, this is a tall order for Eads. The Eagles challenged an unbeaten Belleview Christian team that has outscored opponents 911-451 on the season. They also feature 6-10 sophomore Assane Diop who averages 16 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 blocks per game. He’s a matchup nightmare for every 1A club but the Bruins are far from a one-man team as brothers Logan (19) and Nate Owen (16) combine for 35 points a game. Freshman Porter Spady led Eads on Tuesday with 15 points; Brandon Lening added 13 and Damien Barnes 10. That trio will need another big night for the Eagles to advance.
#8 Denver Jewish Day vs #24 Rocky Mountain Lutheran
Rocky Mountain Lutheran scored the biggest upset in round one. As the last team in the bracket and seeded 24th, the Lions moved past #9 Briggsdale 65-64. The win pushes them into a rematch of another tight game as they fell to Denver Jewish Day 52-50 inside the 5280 conference. That win helped Denver Jewish Day finish third in the conference standings with RM Lutheran a game back in fourth. In that game, Lutheran shot 51 percent from the field compared to just 37 percent for Denver Jewish Day, but the Lions were outscored 18-6 from the three-point line. Jon Kochavi knocked in three treys for DJD and finished with 13 points and 9 rebounds.
#5 Cheraw vs #12 Sangre De Cristo
Despite the seven-point difference in seeding, this has the makings of a very good game. Sangre De Cristo won the Southern Peaks title this year and is unbeaten against 1A opponents. Losses are against Del Norte, Sanford and Monte Vista who are all part of the Sweet Sixteen bracket in Class 2A. They also have momentum from a dominating win over Pikes Peak Christian on Tuesday. Kevin Enriquez and Luke Christensen each average 15 points and together pull down 13 rebounds a game. Leighton Curtis adds nearly 10 points and 6 rebounds a game. Cheraw, meantime, hasn’t played since a frustrating 46-31 loss to Granada last Friday. That loss ended the Wolverines’ perfect season and cost them a league championship and likely top two playoff seed. Had they won that game, the Wolverines are likely the #2 seed and opposite Belleview Christian in the bracket. A win in this one though could set up a rematch with Granada in the Great 8.
#4 Granada vs #13 Evangelical Christian
Another good pairing in round two between a Granada program that has great tradition but a current group making their first serious run to the state championship. Evangelical Christian gets into the Great 8 for a third straight year if they score the victory here. The Eagles survived Hi Plains 43-40 on Tuesday as Jared Guest put together a strong effort. He had 19 of the teams’ 43 points and drilled five of the Eagles’ eight three-pointers. Granada is paced by Dominic Coleman who went over 1,000 points for his career last week. The junior knocks in 21 points a game to go along with 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Brandon Gonzales has a team best 38 treys and chips in nearly 10 per game. The inside is controlled by Jon Hainer with 12 points and 8 rebounds. He will be a tough matchup for the Eagles.
#2 Merino vs #18 Cheyenne Wells
Maybe some questions on why Merino, with four losses, is the two seed but a quick glance at their schedule tells the story. Those four losses are against Wray, Yuma, Sedgwick County and Holyoke. The first three all received first round byes as top eight seeds in Class 2A with Holyoke also a playoff club. Against 1A teams, the Rams are unbeaten and they carry a five-game win streak into the postseason. Kole Armstrong is the top scorer (14 pts) with four others scoring at least six per game including Derrick Alber at 9.7 points and 9.3 rebounds. Armstrong also has 26 three-pointers. Cheyenne Wells won a very tight battle over Kim/Branson 45-43 on Tuesday as each quarter was decided by two points or less. All four of their in-state losses are against teams that qualified for the 1A playoffs (Hi Plains, Granada, Genoa Hugo and Cheraw).
#7 Mile High Academy vs #10 Caprock Academy
One of the more pleasant surprises in Colorado basketball this year is Caprock Academy. They bumped all the way to 12 wins this year and now the Eagles are one-win away from their first-every appearance in the Great 8. They outscored Fleming 71-62 on Tuesday to advance. Caprock started with a 25-point first quarter and may need a similar opening eight minutes against a team that is coming off a state semifinal appearance last Spring. They also feature the brother tandem of Blake and Braden Essex. Blake is the top scorer (22 pts) and rebounder (16 rebs) while Braden also averages a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Mile High is 8-2 this year with losses to top ranked Belleview Christian and 2A Dayspring Christian.
#3 DeBeque vs #19 Longmont Christian
Longmont Christian sits at just 7-6 this season but after some COVID delays, the Warriors appear to be hitting stride at the right moment. They upset Genoa Hugo 62-49 on the road Tuesday night; limiting the Pirates to just 30 percent shooting from the field (18-60). Overall, Bo Lafferty leads Longmont Christian with 17 points a game but Chris Gunlikson, Daniel Vrooman and Kyle Saunders all chip in over seven points per game. Against DeBeque, the defensive focus will be on slowing down senior Wes Ryan. He has over 1,500 points for his career and went for 37 on just 16 attempts in a wild 85-76 win over Meeker in overtime last Saturday. He was four of seven from the arc and buried eight of nine free throw attempts. That win gave the Dragons the overall 1A/2A Western Slope championship and momentum into another playoff run. They won the state title in 2019 but were bounced in the quarterfinals a year ago.
#6 Primero vs #11 Haxtun
A very good matchup to close up the Sweet 16 as the two sets of Bulldogs look for a spot in the state quarterfinals. Primero has just one loss this season but that setback to 2A Holly likely earned them more respect statewide than any of their 11 wins. Only two of those wins came against teams in the playoff bracket as they downed Custer County (68-56) and Kim/Branson (66-54) during the regular season. Regardless, this is a good basketball team led in scoring by Antonio Cordova at 18 points per game. He’s also second in rebounds with 8.2. Three others average double figures; Michael Damelio (13.4), Kelly Rael (11.3) and Lance Peters (10.7). A win pushes them to the Great 8 for the first time since 1999. Haxtun rolled past Simla 56-34 in the first round. They’ve been tested through the season with a whopping eight games against teams that made the playoffs. Losses are to Yuma, Wray, Sedgwick County, Wiggins and Merino with quality wins coming over Holyoke, Briggsdale and Fleming.
