As the calendar advances to late January, the focus tends to shift towards key conference match-ups. While that is the case this week, there are also some very important non-league contests on the slate and the classification could see a bit of movement in both the rankings and RPI standings as a result.
The top-ranked team in the class will be busy with league play this weekend, as De Beque (10-0, 1st RPI) will host Meeker on Friday and then visit Caprock Academy on Saturday. The Dragons, who have not tasted defeat since March 3, 2018 enter play this weekend with a 35-game winning streak. Only three games this season have been decided by single digits, including an 82-74 victory over #5 Briggsdale (8-1, 5th RPI) in the second outing of the season.
Four players have shared the scoring load for De Beque, led by 2018-19 Player of the Year, Wes Ryan, who scores at a clip of 27 points a game. John Chapman (14.2), Jaden Jordan (10.7), and Logan Wingfield (10.2) round out the group. Ryan also adds close to 12 boards a game.
Meeker is off to a slow start at 3-7, after posting a rare losing mark (11-12) last season. The Cowboys had a two-game winning streak snapped by Vail Christian last Saturday, but they 2-3 in January after going 1-4 in December. Cole Rogers leads them at more than 18 points a game, and the senior had a career-high 32 points in a win over North Park two weeks ago. Spud White adds 12.4 points and close to nine rebounds a game.
Caprock is in the bottom third of the Western Slope standings and the Eagles head into the weekend at 3-6 overall, losers of their last two. Much of their production on the season has come from sophomore Andrew Jordan (12.9 points) and junior Daniel Spinu (10.6 points, 8.9 rebounds).
Third-ranked Sangre de Cristo (8-0, 7th RPI) joins De Beque as the only two unbeatens left in Class 1A and the Dragons were the last team to defeat Sangre. That happened in the title game a year ago. The Thunderbirds host the top challenger to them in the Southern Peaks race, Cotopaxi (7-2, 14th RPI) on Friday.
That game will feature Cole Christensen who is averaging career highs in points (24.6) and assists (6.4), while also grabbing better than five rebounds a night for Sangre de Cristo. On the other side of the court will be a double-double machine, Chance Gulliford. The senior is scoring close to 20 points a night, and grabbing more than 12 boards. His six double-doubles this season give him 33 in his career.
Flatirons Academy (10-2, 3rd RPI), formerly known as Cornerstone Christian, has ascended to #2 in the rankings and the Bison share the early lead in the 5280 with Denver Waldorf (6-3, 39th RPI) and Denver Jewish Day (8-2, 11th RPI). The Bison already picked up an important league win this week, defeating Rocky Mountain Lutheran (4-4, 28th RPI) 51-26 on Tuesday. That gives Flatirons a five-game winning streak entering Thursday’s game with Beth Eden (1-5, 47th RPI).
Denver Waldorf and Denver Jewish Day will square off next Monday, with the winner staying in a tie for the league lead. Mile High Academy (4-1, 6th RPI) could also still factor into the chase, but the Mustangs have a blemish on their record at the hands of Denver Jewish Day.
After suffering a loss to 2A #4 Limon in the season-opener, fourth-ranked Kit Carson has quietly been flying under the radar. The Wildcats bring an eight-game winning streak into play this weekend, and they’re on the verge of clinching a High Plains League title. A win over Cheyenne Wells (5-3, 20th RPI) on Friday would leave a road game at Cheraw (8-2, 16th RPI) as the only realistic hurdle remaining between them and a league championship.
Balance and depth are keys for the Wildcats, as seven players contribute at least four points a game, and the team lead is shared by Sullivan Farmer and Jayden McCombs-Farmer, who both score over 12 a night. As a team, the Wildcats average more than six made three-pointers a game.
Cheyenne Wells got out of the gates fast, winning its first four games. However, the story has been decidedly different over the last four games for the Tigers. They are just 1-3 and have been held below 30 points in two of those losses. This will be the league opener for the Tigers.
It will just be the beginning of a big weekend for Kit Carson, who will also host 2A Holly, a team essentially ranked 11th this week. They roll into the weekend with a 10-2 mark, winners of their last three games. Holly is 7-1 since suffering a 54-44 loss to Kit Carson in the semifinals of the Lamar Holiday Tournament. McCombs-Farmer had 18 points for Kit Carson in that win, and Brayden Bogenhagen added 13.
Briggsdale looks to improve its lead in the North Central on Friday when the Falcons host rival Prairie (5-5, 19th RPI). The Falcons lead both Prairie and Fleming by a game in the NCL as the first leg of the double round robin nears its completion. They haven’t lost since that OT thriller against De Beque in the season’s first weekend, but they did have a close call last Friday. Four players scored double figures in a 58-55 win over Union Colony Prep, led by Braden Krise with 15. That was only the fourth game decided by single digits this season. Briggsdale is 3-1 in those games, including a 50-43 victory over Prairie in non-league play in December.
Consistency has been difficult to find for Prairie on the season, and last week was a prime example. The Mustangs put together a complete effort last Tuesday to beat Caliche (8-3, 21st RPI) 75-64. Caliche was ranked ninth at the time. Just a few nights later, the Mustangs were drubbed at home by unranked Merino (6-2, 17th RPI) 74-37. If they can put it all together on Friday, they would gain a share of the league lead.
Both sides also have important contests on Saturday, as Briggsdale steps out of league play to face Caliche, while Prairie plays host to Fleming in a league contest. With Caliche joining the NCL teams for district play, the Buffs’ game with Briggsdale will help determine seeding for the event. The loss to Prairie snapped a five-game winning streak for Caliche, but the Buffs responded with wins over Akron and Otis last week, and they host Haxtun (3-7, 33rd RPI), over whom they already own a 78-54 victory this season.
Fleming (7-3, 12th RPI) could potentially take a three-game winning streak into Saturday’s clash with Prairie. The Wildcats earned wins over Peetz (6-5, 26th RPI) and Stratton/Liberty (4-4, 30th RPI) last week, and host Idalia (6-4, 15th RPI) on Friday. Idalia is seeking its second win over a top 20 RPI team, as the Wolves defeated Cheyenne Wells in December. It would be the first win for Fleming over an opponent currently in the top 20 of the RPI.
A huge non-league clash is on tap Friday night in Cheraw as the Wolverines host #7 Kim/Branson (9-1, 8th RPI). The Mustangs take a seven-game winning streak into the contest, and it’s one of the last opportunities for them to make a big RPI statement before closing the season with games against #8 Walsh (7-2, 4th RPI) and Sangre de Cristo. Cheraw finds itself in a similar boat, but its top RPI opportunities come in the next two weeks.