The Class 2A boys’ state basketball bracket is already down to 16 teams and those clubs square off Thursday night to determine the state quarterfinals. The top eight seeds received first round byes from Tuesday and will host the Sweet 16 matchups on Thursday.
Games below are previewed 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 OT Sportschek.
#1 Wray vs #16 Monte Vista
The Eagles may have been the most dominant team in the regular season as they outscored opponents 951-520 and enter the playoffs averaging 79 points per game. They also played a very tough schedule with seven of their 12 wins coming against teams that qualified for either the 1A or 2A state tournament. The Eagles last played on February 27th in a 72-66 win at Limon. They did not get to face Yuma in league play due to COVID in the Indians camp but still earned the league championship based on data points overall. Junior Arambula had 28 points against Limon and he’s the key to both the offense and defense. He runs the show and has plenty of talent around him that can shoot, score and defend. One of them is Bryant Schoenthal who collected 20 points and 13 rebounds against Limon. Monte Vista needs a win to reach the Great 8 for the first time since 2000. They’re 8-5 overall with four of their five losses coming against teams in the 2A or 3A playoffs. They posted quality wins over league champions Del Norte and Sangre De Cristo (1A) and also topped Custer County. The Pirates toppled Lyons 59-52 in the first round Tuesday behind 16 points from Tyrese Otero and 12 from Nick Torrez. They shot 58 percent from the field overall.
#8 Sedgwick County vs #9 Mancos
After a tough mid-season stretch, Sedgwick County won their last four games to earn a top eight seed and first round bye. Like many in the Lower Platte, they have several quality losses on their resume including state championship contenders Merino (1A), Wray and Yuma. Depending on the roster spot, Mancos will either be very tired or well rested for this one. They dressed just six kids on Tuesday and then went double overtime before beating Custer County 74-68. That group will be tired but the others not on the court should be ready to go and excited to be in the playoffs. On the season, Connor Showalter, with 18 points and 12 rebounds, has been the most consistent player. He gets plenty of help from Evan Sehnert (13) and Edgar Hernandez (10) who combine for 23 points a game.
#5 Holly vs #12 Wiggins
The Wildcats are a very good five seed that in a normal year might be in the top two. They knocked off Fowler three times this year and beat 1A Primero. The lone loss was the expense of Sanford at a neutral site tournament game. Holly is led by the trio of Brigden Parker, Josue Avalos and Dakota Eaton. Parker averages 15 points and 9 rebounds; Avalos 14 points and nearly three assists and Eaton 12 points with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Three others chip in six or seven points a game for a program that has been in the state championship mix almost every year of the past decade. Wiggins is one of six teams from the Lower Platte still battling for either the 1A/2A state title. They’re coming off a 59-48 win over Vail Christian in the opening round on Tuesday. It was their third straight win and a fourth sends them to the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2012.
#4 Yuma vs #13 Fowler
These two programs are very familiar with one another in a playoff setting. Yuma beat the Grizzlies 56-47 in the 2019 semifinals and then won a second straight state title the next night. Last year, they met in the quarterfinals with Yuma scoring a narrow 55-51 win in the last game of the season for both clubs. Fowler played on Tuesday and used a three-pointer at the buzzer from Val Leone to stun Vail Mountain 37-34. It was no surprise that Leone took the final shot; the three-year starter leads the team with 17.8 points per game and also second with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Gabe Proctor is another important senior. He averages 12.8 points and over 4 rebounds and assists per game. Defensively, he chips in three steals. But the key for Fowler may be freshman post Scott Mobbley. He provides 10 points and a team-best 7.2 rebounds. A good share of Yuma’s roster is different from the last two meetings with Fowler but one key returnee is Clay Robinson. He played a major role in both victories and is back to lead the Indians this year. The junior sits at 16.9 points and 8 rebounds per game. They also get a nice boost from Javier Gamboa (10.5 points) and a deep roster that includes six others scoring between five and eight points a game.
#2 Limon vs #15 Lake County
The Badgers need a win in this one to make a third straight appearance in the Great 8. Two years ago, they grabbed the consolation crown and last year were set to meet Yuma in a highly anticipated state semifinal when the entire season was shutdown due to COVID. They have just one loss this season; falling to Wray 76-68. The Badgers played well in that game but struggled with shooting down the stretch. Alec Carr returned from foul trouble in the first half to pour in 19 second half points in the loss. He averages 15 and 7 on the season. Camden Smithburg tops Limon in scoring (15.7) and three-pointers (23). They may also get a boost with the return of Brady Rockwell (8.0). The third-leading scorer has been limited to four games due to injury. Lake County is a very good story. They compiled a very quiet 10-3 mark and finished third in the 3A Frontier conference. The Panthers opened 1-3 but have won nine straight including a narrow 53-52 win over Atlas Prep in the first round. Adrian Medina (14.8) is the top scorer but plenty of balance is provided by Dylan Windorski (12 pts / 11 rebs) and Anthony Martinez (10 pts / 6 rebs). A road upset gets the Panthers to the Great 8 for the first time in 51 years (1970).
#7 Sanford vs #10 Ignacio
This is a rematch of a late January game won by the Indians 53-48. It was the season opener for the Bobcats while Sanford already had two games under their belt. Momentum for each club is a bit different right now. That loss was part of a 1-2 start for Ignacio but the Bobcats have since strung together 12 straight wins including Tuesday’s 54-51 win over Crested Butte. They held on for that win. Leading 38-26 after three, Ignacio was outscored 25-14 in the fourth. Sanford earned a first-round bye but dropped two of their final three games; including a 54-39 loss to Del Norte to close. That cost the Indians the league championship and maybe 2-3 spots in the seeding ladder. The other loss came against 3A power and neighboring rival Centauri. The Indians do have the advantage of playing at home where few opponents find wins. Ignacio counters with four double digit scorers in Bryce Finn (14.6), Brady McCaw (11.8), Dylan Labarthe (11.4) and Gabe Tucson (10.6).
#6 Denver Christian vs #11 Del Norte
Both clubs have been very solid throughout the season but again the momentum levels may be a bit different on each bench. Del Norte finished up a 11-3 campaign with a league championship clinching 54-39 win over Sanford and then rolled past Dayspring Christian 45-25 in the opening round of the playoffs on Tuesday. Denver Christian dropped their regular season finale to 3A Highland (58-45) which cost them the Mile-High league championship. Both teams are led by tremendous scoring duos. Del Norte gets about 15 points apiece from Ben Parra and Logan Cestone. They combined for 36 points in the win over Sanford and then added 29 together in beating Dayspring Christian. Ben Buhler (17.9) and Henry Vandenberg (16.4) lead Denver Christian offensively. They managed 25 combined points against Highland but hit just 11 of 27 field goal attempts.
#3 Peyton vs #14 Meeker
Peyton brings an 11-game winning streak into the state tournament. They’ve not lost since dropping their opener to 3A Manitou Springs (51-26). Their best stretch came against Fowler and Sanford as they beat both on back-to-back days at the Fowler Tournament. The Panthers allowed just 63 total points in those two wins but they were the only two games on the season decided by single digits. Meeker meantime has had six games decided by single digits including the last three. They needed wins in at least two and got them. They beat Rangely 44-43 to capture the North division crown; then fell to DeBeque 85-78 in overtime in the Western Slope championship game but then edged Holyoke 58-51 to advance in the 2A state playoffs. The Cowboys are paced by seniors Spud White (14.8) and Ryan Phelan (12.4) who combine for 27 points and 19 rebounds a game. Liam Denning adds 11 points and 4 rebounds. Junior Gibson Gellerman (14.6) tops Peyton in scoring with Gavin Miller (11.6) also averaging double figures. AJ Lashley (9.7) and Brennen Meyers (9.4) are also effective on the offensive end.
