With the regular season winding down, it’s time to take a look inside the leagues to check out the important match-ups still on the slate. Some leagues are nearly locked up, while others are still very much up for grabs.
 
5280
Belleview Christian and Denver Waldorf are tied for the top spot in this league and they will meet on Friday. A victory by Belleview Christian likely gives the Bruins the crown on their home court, as they have already defeated Front Range Baptist, who is alone in third. Denver Waldorf still has a trip to Fort Collins next Tuesday to face the Falcons, so a win on Friday by the Spartans keeps Front Range Baptist in the mix.
The Bruins are just 4-10 in the last 14 meetings with Denver Waldorf, but they won both contests last season. It was a four-set victory during the regular season and then Belleview Christian took a wild five-set win in the postseason. That match saw the Bruins edge the Spartans 111 points to 108.
 
ARK VALLEY
Walsh (#6) has a win over Wiley, giving the Eagles the leg up for the Ark Valley crown. However, they still must face Springfield (#9) next Tuesday. A win over the Longhorns gives Walsh the league title, but a victory by Springfield creates a three-way tie, as Wiley won its match-up against the Longhorns in five sets two weeks ago. Springfield has won seven straight against Walsh and 20 of the last 23.
 
BLACK FOREST
Elbert has all but wrapped up the Black Forest, owning wins over the closest challengers and only the regular season finale against Kiowa still on the league schedule. Pikes Peak Christian holds a slight edge over Evangelical Christian for second place, and those two programs will meet in two weeks. ECA hosts fourth place Hanover on Friday. The Eagles need to win to keep pace with Pikes Peak Christian.
 
HIGH PLAINS
Kit Carson (#1) saw its 39 match winning streak snapped last week in a five-set loss against 2A #1 Yuma. The Wildcats have already locked up the High Plains title, having defeated second place McClave (#10) early in the season. Kit Carson only has a match with last place Granada remaining in league play. McClave looks to be in good shape to finish second, as the Cards own wins over Cheraw and Cheyenne Wells.
 
NORTH CENTRAL
Weldon Valley (#3) holds the edge in the league race, having picked up wins over every other team in the first round of league play. That included a four-set victory over #5 Briggsdale, who sits alone in second place. Those two meet for the second time next Thursday. Despite losing to both Weldon Valley and Briggsdale the first time around, Fleming remains in the mix. The Wildcats visit Weldon Valley on Thursday and also face Briggsdale next week.
Briggsdale has the toughest finishing stretch of the contenders, with matches against #2 Otis on Friday, and then 2A #3 Wiggins, Weldon Valley, and Fleming all next week. While not in the running for a league title, Prairie will play a key role in the race. The Mustangs host Weldon Valley on Friday and visit Fleming next Thursday. They pushed Briggsdale to four sets last week and dropped a five-setter to Fleming in their first meeting.
 
SAN JUAN
Dove Creek holds a slim one-game lead over 2A Dolores in the mixed San Juan league. The Bulldogs have already defeated the Bears and third place Mancos, but they still have tough clashes with Nucla, Ouray, and Telluride on tap. The first of two meetings with Nucla comes next Tuesday and then they will meet again in the regular season finale.
 
SOUTHERN PEAKS
The Southern Peaks will come down to the final Friday of the regular season, when #4 La Veta visits Sangre de Cristo. Both teams are unbeaten in league play, and every other team in the Southern Peaks has at least two league losses. The Redskins have won the last eight meetings with Sangre, seven in sweeps. Overall, the series is much closer, with La Veta owning a 13-10 record.
 
UNION PACIFIC
Stratton/Liberty had been tied with 2A Limon for first place in the Union Pacific, but a loss to the Badgers on Tuesday dropped the Knighted Eagles to second. If the Knighted Eagles can win their remaining league games, and Limon drops their last two, Stratton/Liberty wins the division. Flagler/Hi-Plains is also still in the mix, but the Thunder needs wins over Genoa-Hugo on Thursday and Stratton/Liberty in two weeks. Early season losses to the Knighted Eagles and Limon likely have Genoa-Hugo relegated to playing the spoiler role.
 
WESTERN SLOPE
De Beque (#7) is the top 1A team in the mixed Western Slope, but the Dragons have their sights set on something bigger. They are tied with 2A #2 Meeker for the top overall spot in the league and those two will slug it out on Oct. 16th in Meeker. The Dragons have a tough road to travel before reaching that contest, beginning Thursday against 3A #10 Cedaredge. That’s followed by a Friday trip to 2A #9 Vail Mountain. Next week includes a trip to 2A Rangely.
 
YWKC
Otis controls its destiny in the YWKC, finishing the season with three straight league contests. The Bulldogs have only played one league opponent, Lone Star, and they earned a sweep. Every other team in the league has at least two losses, so the Bulldogs can claim the league crown with wins in two of those three matches down the stretch. Before reaching that important part of the schedule, Otis will be tested with non-league tilts against Briggsdale on Friday and Haxtun next Tuesday.