Sanford and Highland are the only two returnees from the 2017 field so the Class 2A boys’ state tournament is filled with teams new to the experience.  The clubs though are used to winning as all eight won both their district and regional tournament to advance.
Quarterfinals are set for Thursday with the championship games set for Saturday.  All contests will take place at the Events Center in Loveland and can be seen through a live video stream at nfhsnetwork.com.
Colorado Preps of course will provide scoring updates and updated brackets/schedules throughout the weekend.
 

#1 CROWLEY COUNTY CHARGERS (23-0)

COACH:  Brett Rusler
STATE TITLES:  1968
LEAGUE:  Won Santa Fe crown (14-0)
DISTRICTS:  Beat Fowler 61-37 for championship
REGIONALS:  Beat Center 67-32 & Fowler 48-34
STREAK:  Won 23
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS:  1-0 / beat Ellicott 46-33
RPI:  #1
NOTES:  Chargers are the only unbeaten team left in Class 2A bracket and are making their first trip to the state tournament since 1994.  Only three games decided by single digits the entire season in wins over Limon (9), Vanguard (2) and Fowler (1).  Outscored opponents by 564 points on the season for an average margin of victory of 24.5.

NAME PTS REBS ASSTS STEALS 3-POINT
Bradley Carnes Clabey 16.3 10.4 2.2 2.1 1
Hayden Carter 9.4 5.2 1.3 1.3 22
Luke Walter 8.8 6.9 0.4 0.7
Ti’Quan Williams 6.0 1.5 1.5 1.6 17
Chris Meyer 5.4 4.2 2.9 2.9 12
Raymundo Suarez 5.2 3.8 2.3 2.7 10
Canaan Geringer 2.6 1.7 1.5 0.7 3
Tyler Edenburn 2.6 2.3 0.5 0.5 3

 

#8 SANFORD INDIANS (19-5)

COACH:  Rhett Larsen
STATE TITLES: (8) 2016, 2015, 2014, 2003, 1995, 1977, 1950, 1949
LEAGUE:  2nd in Southern Peaks
DISTRICTS:  Beat Del Norte 52-42
REGIONALS:  Beat Mancos 46-37 & Sedgwick County 42-39
STREAK:  Won 11 straight since loss to Del Norte on January 27th
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS:  0-0
RPI:  #16
NOTES:  Indians are in the state tournament for a seventh consecutive year and won three straight titles from 2014-16.  Went 0-2 at state a year ago with losses to Sedgwick County and Akron.  Lost three straight games during regular season in December but dropped only two since.  Only losses since December to Pagosa Springs and Del Norte.  Avenged loss to Del Norte later in season and in district finals.
NO STATS PROVIDED TO MAXPREPS
 

#4 HIGHLAND HUSKIES (20-3)

COACH:  Pete Freeman
STATE TITLES:  2000
LEAGUE:  Won Mile High (12-0)
DISTRICTS:  Beat Clear Creek 76-69 for championship
REGIONALS:  Beat Front Range Christian 77-46 and Del Norte 81-76 (OT)
STREAK:  Won 18 straight since loss to Platte Valley on December 12th
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS:  0-1 / lost to Yuma 59-56
RPI:  #5
NOTES:  Tate Bessire hit a 35-foot bank shot at the end of regulation to send the district finals into overtime and then the Huskies finished off the rally by stunning Del Norte.  This is their second consecutive state tournament appearance.  They finished 3rd a year ago beating Paonia 60-53 in their final game.  Over the last two seasons, the Huskies are 45-4.

NAME PTS REBS ASSTS STEALS 3-POINT
Tate Bessire 17.0 4.1 3.8 3.4 45
Koby Anderson 14.9 8.8 1.3 1.3
Trey Allmon 12.4 3.0 2.5 3.2 24
Jase Bessire 5.9 1.8 0.8 2.2 20
Logan Stewart 4.6 2.6 1.5 1.4 22
Tucker Marsh 3.6 2.0 0.6 0.4
Holden Morgan 3.4 2.8 0.6 0.9 2
Zeke Marsh 3.2 3.3 0.5 0.4

 

#5 MEEKER COWBOYS (20-4)

COACH:  Klark Kindler
STATE TITLES:  None
LEAGUE:  Finished 2nd in Western Slope (11-1)
DISTRICTS:  Beat Hotchkiss 60-55 for championship
REGIONALS:  Beat Telluride 73-42 and Simla 56-46
STREAK:  Won 10 straight overall and last 14 vs Colorado opponents
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS:  0-0
RPI:  #8
NOTES:  Cowboys have just one loss since January 11th and that came against Little Snake River WY on February 1st.  Their last in-state loss came against Rangely in an early conference game that ended up deciding the league championship as both teams closed the league schedule at 11-1.  The remaining two losses are against 3A rivals Grand Valley and Coal Ridge who both reached regional finals in their division.  This is their first state tournament appearance since 2015.

NAME PTS REBS ASSTS STEALS 3-POINT
Zach Dinwiddie 12.4 6.9 0.5 1.1 28
Logan Hughes 11.7 8.3 5.1 2.5 21
Eli Newman 11.1 7.5 0.1 0.5
Doak Mantle 9.8 3.3 2.7 2.2 20
Valentine Rosas 5.7 2.3 1.4 0.8 15
Stephen Walsh 2.5 1.6 1.5 0.8 12
Brennan Jensen 2.0 2.5 0.3 0.3
Ryan Phelan 1.0 1.7 0.2 0.4
Trapper Merrifield 1.9 1.7 0.8 0.4

 

#3 BYERS BULLDOGS (19-4)

COACH:  Jeremy Kerns
STATE TITLES:  None
LEAGUE:  Won Union Pacific (6-0)
DISTRICTS:  Beat Limon 68-59 for championship
REGIONALS:  Beat Union Colony Prep 85-68 & Vail Christian 69-59
STREAK:  Won 5 straight and 8 of last 10
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS:  1-1 / beat Genoa Hugo (1A) and lost to Strasburg (3A)
RPI:  #4
NOTES:  Bulldogs have dropped just one game to a 2A opponent and that came in overtime to Evangelical Christian on January 6th.  The remaining three losses are against 3A teams; Strasburg, Frontier Academy and Vanguard.  The offense scores 67 points per game and has topped 70 points in 11 games.  Their season high is 89 against Stratton/Liberty and they nearly matched that in the first round of regionals in an 85-68 win over Union Colony Prep.  The Bulldogs are in the state tournament for the first time since 1983.

NAME PTS REBS ASSTS STEALS 3-POINT
Austin Davis 17.9 4.9 1.7 2.0 6
Brady Shelley 12.6 3.2 2.9 1.7 29
Hayden McCuen 11.1 6.4 0.6 0.4
Rhett Tristan-Davis 5.9 4.0 3.2 3.1 1
James Linnenbur 5.2 3.7 1.8 1.7 5
Zaine Mikita 4.6 3.9 1.1 0.4 4
Nate Becker 2.9 2.9 0.4 0.4
Daniel Green 2.7 3.6 0.5 0.9

 

#6 IGNACIO BOBCATS (19-4)

COACH:  Chris Valdez
STATE TITLES:  1988
LEAGUE:  Won San Juan (11-1)
DISTRICTS:  Beat Mancos 45-30 for championship
REGIONALS:  Beat Denver Christian 65-42 & Limon 59-39
STREAK:  Won 7 straight and 15 of 16
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS:  0-1 / lost to Bayfield (3A)
RPI:  #9
NOTES:  Bobcats have won the district tournament each of the last 11 seasons and are 52-2 in league play since the start of the 2013-14 season.  They did not make the state tournament a year ago but this is their fifth visit in the past six years.  A late setback to Ridgway is their only loss against a 2A rival this year with additional losses coming to Grand County UT, Montezuma Cortez and Bayfield.  They have limited opponents to 40 points or less in nine games.  Stats posted below are through 13 games.

NAME PTS REBS ASSTS STEALS 3-POINT
Johnny Valdez 15.7 5.3 5.0 5.3 36
Kai Roubideaux 14.8 8.0 3.1 3.0 12
Lawrence Ruffin-Valdez 12.8 0.9 3.5 3.0 17
Cruz Pardo 0.8 2.5 6.8 5.0 8
Ocean Hunter 8.7 6.9 1.5 1.2
Cole McCaw 5.8 1.5 3.4 3.2 14
Dylan Labarth 3.0 2.9 0.2 1.3
Daniel Weaver 2.8 1.1 1.1 0.5 8
Bryce Finn 2.6 2.4 0.5 0.3

 

#2 YUMA INDIANS (22-2)

COACH:  Dave Sheffield
STATE TITLES: (3) 1981, 1963, 1958
LEAGUE:  Won Lower Platte (8-0)
DISTRICTS:  Beat Sedgwick County 44-39 for championship
REGIONALS:  Beat Swallows Charter 67-33 and Evangelical Christian 59-31
STREAK:  Won 18 straight
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS:  1-0 / beat Highland 59-56
RPI:  #2
NOTES:  Indians are 20-0 against Colorado opponents this season with losses coming in December against Goodland KS and Chase County NE.  Have been involved in five games decided by single digits and the Indians are 4-1 in those contests.  Two of the wins were against Sedgwick County and a third against Highland.  The lone loss came against Chase County NE in overtime (58-53).  Indians have outscored opponents by 512 points or an average of 21 per game.  Program won just 12 games over the previous two seasons and the Indians are in the state tournament for the first time since 2013.

NAME PTS REBS ASSTS STEALS 3-POINT
Jake Chrisman 12.7 9.0 1.1 1.8 3
Victor Mendoza 11.9 4.2 2.8 2.3 8
Diego Covarrubias 8.3 4.9 2.7 2.1 14
Connor Hixon 7.0 2.7 1.9 1.7 26
Jesus Vasquez 6.1 2.7 1.6 1.6 16
Steven Wells 4.1 1.5 0.4 0.8 23
Rolando Caraveo 2.8 0.9 0.8 1.2 10
Chase McCreath 2.6 2.6 0.3 0.6 1
Bryan Mendez 1.8 2.1 1.2 1.3 4

 

#7 ELLICOTT THUNDERHAWKS (15-9)

COACH:  Jeffrey Zick
STATE TITLES: None
LEAGUE:  Finished 4th in Black Forest
DISTRICTS:  Beat Evangelical Christian 54-41 for championship
REGIONALS:  Beat Sargent 56-29 & Calhan 55-49 (OT)
STREAK:  Won 6 straight and 9 of last 11
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS:  0-1 / lost to Crowley County 46-33
RPI:  #15
NOTES:  Thunderhawks are the only team in the field that did not finish among the top two in their conference as they ended up fourth in the Black Forest.  They opened the season 0-3 with losses to Thomas McLaren, James Irwin and Crowley County and following loss to Evangelical Christian on January 13th were just 3-6.  Since then, the Thunderhawks are 12-3.  This is their second state appearance in the past three years and they went 0-2 in the 2016 bracket losing to eventual state champion Sanford in the quarterfinals.
NO STATS PROVIDED TO MAXPREPS