The regular season is down to its final three weeks and much is left to be decided. Many leagues will have first place on the line this weekend, and several others will have key clashes for second place.
Two divisional titles are available on Friday inside the Santa Fe. Fourth-ranked Swink (12-1, 7th RPI) hosts Holly (10-5, 12th RPI) with the league’s Eastern division crown on the line for the hosts, while #9 Rye (14-1, 15th RPI) can win the Western division title with a win at Fowler (6-8, 29th RPI).
Swink’s winning streak now stands at 12 ahead of the game with the Wildcats, and that includes a 59-26 victory over Holly on Dec. 21st. That first meeting was knotted at 10 after the first quarter, but the Lions slowly pulled away over the next three quarters to grab the big victory. Brianna Denton had 22 points and seven steals for Swink in the win, and Rylee Platt set a career-high with nine steals and matched her career-best of 10 points. Holly has gone 5-3 since the calendar flipped to 2019, with all three losses coming to ranked opponents (Rye, Wiley, Kit Carson).
Rye has won five straight since a Jan. 10th loss to Swink and the Thunderbolts scored at least 50 points in four of those five games. They have only been held to fewer than 40 points three times, including a season-low 28 in the loss to Swink. The Thunderbolts have owned the series against Fowler, winning 14 of 16, but the in last two meetings, each team has won once. The most recent match-up came on Dec. 21st, with Rye overcoming a slow start to claim a 46-28 victory. Jolee Ortiz led Rye with 11 points and Chloe Richardson chipped in 10. The Grizzlies ride a two-game winning streak into the contest, and they’ve won four of their last six. Both losses in that stretch were by nine points (Rocky Ford, Calhan).
While fifth-ranked Heritage Christian (14-0, 3rd RPI) enjoys a one-game lead over its closest challengers in the Mile High, the two teams leading the chase behind them square off on Friday. Highland (10-3, 16th RPI) hosts Dawson School (11-3, 18th RPI) with each riding winning streaks since their losses to Heritage Christian. For the Huskies, they’ve won three straight, while Dawson has put two consecutive wins on the books.
Highland has two players averaging double figures in scoring with another very close. Laramie Woods is tops at just over 14 points a game, while Olivia Himmel contributes a double-double of 10 points and 10 boards. Lauren Frink gives the squad an additional nine points a night. Kaitlyn Day handles a good chunk of the scoring for the Mustangs, pumping in better than 16 points a game, but she is coming off her second lowest scoring games of the season. The junior was held to nine points in a 38-19 win over Lyons on Tuesday. Maddy Timms, who averages 10 points a game, was also held below her season average in that win with eight points. Highland has won all six meetings with Dawson, dating back to 2008. The winner remains one game back of Heritage Christian, alone in second place.
A similar scenario will take place in the Western Slope, where #10 Soroco (12-2, 10th RPI) and Hotchkiss (11-2, 17th RPI) chase #8 Meeker (12-1, 6th RPI). The Cowboys are the lone unbeaten team in the league, with the Rams and Bulldogs each having one league loss. Soroco hosts Hotchkiss on Friday and the winner will stay just one game behind the Cowboys. A big difference from the situation in the Mile High is that both challengers still get to face the league leader. Soroco will host Meeker next Friday and the Bulldogs hit the road the following night to square off with the Cowboys.
Soroco has won three straight since an 11-point loss to 1A #8 De Beque three weeks ago. Chloe Veilleux, who is second in the class in scoring at 19.9 points per game, was held to 14 in last week’s 46-31 win over Rangely. That was still good enough to claim game-high honors. Carson Collins paces Hotchkiss at nearly 17 points a game. She is coming off a season-high 26 point performance against Rangely. It was just three points off her career-high of 29, set two years ago as a sophomore. The teams have only met five times dating back to 2013. The Bulldogs won the first three match-ups, but Soroco has won the last two.
First place, and a probable league title, are on the line when #7 Simla (10-1, 8th RPI) visits Peyton (9-2, 9th RPI) on Friday. The teams are tied atop the Black Forest, with each holding a two-game lead over the next closest team in the standings. After the contest, Simla only has one-win Miami-Yoder left in league, while the Panthers still have Dolores Huerta, Miami-Yoder, and Calhan.
Peyton rode a five-game winning streak into Thursday’s game with Swallows Charter, so the Panthers are likely to see that swell to six before welcoming the Cubs to town. Kayleigh Mannering leads the way at just over 11 points a game, while Shelby Miller (10.5 ppg) and Skylar Botos (8.5 ppg) combine for 19 a night. Simla also has a five-game winning streak working and the Cubs have score 50 points or more in four of the five. Kaitlyn Rector tops the squad with 14 points and nearly eight rebounds. She’s scored double figures in four straight games. Kegan Hammacher is a close second, pitching in 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. The senior also averages right around four steals and four assists. The series between the two programs has been hotly contested, with Simla owning a 7-6 edge. The Cubs won three before the Panthers responded with six straight wins. Simla owns wins in the last four meetings.
