The Class 3A state tournament field has been trimmed to just eight clubs and those teams converge on DU this Thursday for the state quarterfinals. A new state champion is assured as defending champion Bayfield was eliminated in the regional round. The opening round features a pair of regular season matchups as Lutheran meets DSST-Stapleton and Vanguard battles Delta. We look at those four clubs and the remaining qualifiers with our team capsules.
Individual statistics quoted below are courtesy of MaxPreps. Teams are listed in bracket order.
#1 LUTHERAN LIONS (19-5)
COACH:Â Bill Brandsma
STATE TITLES:Â 2011, 1986, 1985
LEAGUE:Â 3rd in Metro (8-2)
REGIONALS: Â Beat DSST-Green Valley 53-39 and Roaring Fork 64-46
STREAK:Â Won 6 and 13 of 14
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 4-1
- Wins: DSST-Stapleton, Resurrection Christian, Sterling, Manual
- Losses: Manual
TEAM NOTES:Â Beat DSST-Stapleton 68-36 in season opener — also split with Manual including win over T-Bolts in District finals — reached finals last year before falling to Bayfield — record of 3-3 in games decided by single digits — outscored opponents by 364 points
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Matt Thompson | 13.2 | 6.9 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 3 |
| Hayes Faulkenberry | 11.2 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 13 |
| Aidan Potter | 10.2 | 4.9 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 17 |
| Jeet Pathak | 8.5 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 7 |
| Kyle Budnack | 7.0 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 0.5 | |
| Josh Greiving | 6.8 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 7 |
| Tommy Apodoca | 4.9 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 0.8 | 12 |
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#8 DSST-STAPLETON KNIGHTS (19-4)
COACH:Â Jose Sandoval
STATE TITLES:Â None
LEAGUE:Â Won Frontier Title (10-0)
REGIONALS:Â Beat Pagosa Springs 44-32 and Kent Denver 58-52
STREAK:Â Won 15 (last loss on Dec 19th to Faith Christian)
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 0-2
- Losses: Lutheran, Manual
TEAM NOTES: 4th state tournament appearance (all since 2014) — head coach is 21 years old and played for the team just four years ago — record of 3-2 in games decided by single digits — only one league game decided by less than 10 points — beat Academy 50-44 in district finals
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Andray Thomas JR | 17.0 | 10.4 | 3.7 | 3.2 | |
| Sherwin Askenazi | 13.0 | 3.8 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 43 |
| Michael Brooks | 7.1 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 2.5 | |
| Justin Kahn | 6.4 | 4.1 | 0.9 | 0.8 | |
| Qahhar Burns | 6.1 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 25 |
| Gerron Miller | 3.4 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 | |
| Vance Donnellon | 2.9 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 7 |
| Eduardo Torres | 2.2 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 5 |
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#4 VANGUARD COURSERS (22-2)
COACH:Â Joe Wetters
STATE TITLES:Â None
LEAGUE:Â Won Tri Peaks Title (12-0)
REGIONALS:Â Beat Strasburg 67-60 and Gunnison 73-46
STREAK:Â Won 19 (last loss vs Dunbar FL on Dec 21st)
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 1-0
- Wins: Delta
TEAM NOTES:Â First ever appearance in state tournament — unbeaten vs Colorado teams — Beat Delta 82-62 in season opener – Seth Fuqua went over 2,000 points in his career and Dominique Clifford over 1,000 this season — outscored opponents by 590 points — record of 4-2 in games decided by single digits including two wins in the last four (CSCS & Strasburg) — team has 183 three-pointers
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Seth Fuqua | 25.2 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 3.0 | 69 |
| Dominique Clifford | 18.7 | 11.5 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 36 |
| Joseph Padilla | 14.3 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2.1 | 41 |
| Carter Milroy | 6.6 | 7.0 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 15 |
| Sterling Lee | 5.3 | 5.9 | 0.1 | 0.9 | |
| Logan Arrasmith | 3.1 | 3.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | |
| Dylan Steggerda | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 15 |
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#5 DELTA PANTHERS (20-4)
COACH:Â Robert Ames
STATE TITLES:Â 1945 (Beat Las Animas 30-29)
LEAGUE:Â Won Western Slope title (9-0)
REGIONALS: Â Beat Bayfield (defending state champs) 67-63 and Faith Christian 43-38
STREAK:Â Won 12 (last loss on Jan 22 to Palisade)
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 0-1
- Losses: Vanguard
TEAM NOTES:Â First state tournament appearance since 1984 (Went 1-2) — beat Centauri in consolation that year and lost to Florence & Ftn Fort Carson in Class 2A — 2nd appearance since 1961 — record of 6-2 in games decided by single digits — regional games decided by total of 9 points.
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Kyle Mock | 9.6 | 6.4 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 14 |
| Andrew Baier | 8.5 | 6.5 | 0.5 | 1.3 | |
| Jonathan Robinson | 8.3 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 7 |
| John Ames | 7.4 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 39 |
| Alexis Fausto | 6.3 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 2.0 | |
| Hunter Hughes | 5.4 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 10 |
| Joe Bules | 5.1 | 3.6 | 0.0 | 0.5 | |
| Felipe Bedoy | 4.5 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 11 |
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#2 STERLING TIGERS (23-1)
COACH:Â Mike Holloway
STATE TITLES:Â 2017, 2011, 1984
LEAGUE:Â Won Patriot title (10-0)
REGIONALS:Â Beat Academy 63-33 and Alamosa 47-32
STREAK:Â Won 6 (only loss to Lutheran 54-40)
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 3-1
- Wins: Manual, Resurrection Christian (2),
- Losses: Lutheran
TEAM NOTES:Â Won state title two years ago — lost to Lutheran in semifinals last year — won at least 20 games in 4 of the last 5 years — won 22 straight league games (last loss to Rez Christian) — team has 170 three-pointers on the season — outscored opponents by 671 points (24 games)
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Carter Keil | 9.8 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 32 |
| Jayson Frank | 9.5 | 6.0 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 26 |
| Jace Pittman | 9.5 | 3.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 2 |
| Axel Henry | 9.4 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 22 |
| Isaac Harris | 8.0 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 36 |
| Colton Shalla | 6.9 | 5.7 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 14 |
| Jackson Keil | 6.9 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 7 |
| Brock Shalla | 4.9 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 14 |
| Dylan Anderson | 3.6 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 14 |
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#7 MONTEZUMA CORTEZ PANTHERS (19-5)
COACH:Â Mike Hall
STATE TITLES:Â 2002 (beat Broomfield), 1962 (Beat Lamar)
LEAGUE:Â Tied for 3rd with Pagosa Springs in IML (5-5) — won district title
REGIONALS:Â Beat La Junta 70-62 and Centauri 66-62
STREAK:Â Won 6
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 1-0
- Wins: Mancos (2A)
TEAM NOTES:Â Only one state tournament win since last title in 2002 — beat Pueblo East 58-52 the next season (2003) — last appearance in 2005 — lost to Harrison 51-25 — all-time state record is 11-14
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Teagan Whiteskunk | 17.5 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 2.3 | 46 |
| Cordell Baer | 12.0 | 11.2 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 2 |
| Titus Jackson | 11.5 | 5.1 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 9 |
| Michael Diaz | 9.6 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 28 |
| Adrian Mark | 6.7 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 15 |
| Jens Jorgensen | 6.7 | 6.1 | 1.5 | 0.4 | |
| Blake Keetch | 2.0 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 4 |
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#3 MANUAL THUNDERBOLTS (21-3)
COACH:Â Omar Henry
STATE TITLES:Â 11 (91, 90, 88, 76, 72, 66, 55, 50, 49, 48, 39)
LEAGUE:Â Won Metro title (10-0)
REGIONALS:Â Beat Frontier Academy 85-68 and Colorado Academy 85-67
STREAK:Â Won 2 (Lost to Lutheran in district finals) and 18 of 19
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 2-2
- Wins: DSST-Stapleton, Lutheran
- Losses: Sterling, Lutheran
TEAM NOTES: Â 2nd straight appearance and fourth since 1997 — lost to Faith Christian 65-57 in quarterfinals last year — last win came against Colorado Academy in 2016 — outscored opponents by 587 points — record of 2-2 in games decided by single points — scored at least 80 points in 11 games — averaged 76 per game — team has 161 three pointers
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Jaedon Bowles | 27.8 | 8.0 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 68 |
| Jaden Stoffell | 16.3 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 76 |
| Adonte Thompson | 12.7 | 9.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 4 |
| Davion Davis | 10.8 | 3.3 | 5.8 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Mekhi McGee | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 0.7 | |
| Terrence Tolliver | 3.1 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 0.6 |
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#11 RESURRECTION CHRISTIAN (19-5)
COACH:Â Bruce Dick
STATE TITLES:Â None
LEAGUE:Â 2nd in Patriot (9-1)
REGIONALS:Â Beat Grand Valley 78-56 and Coal Ridge 77-53
STREAK:Â Won 2 (lost to Sterling in district finals) and 11 of 12
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 0-3
- Losses: Lutheran, Sterling (2)
TEAM NOTES: Led Coal Ridge 53-17 at halftime in regional final — outscored opponents by 553 points — record of 5-4 in games decided by single digits — first ever appearance in 3A state tournament (Great 8) — reached back to back state finals in 2A in 2015 and 16 — lost to Sanford in both years — last state win in 2016 as they beat Sedgwick County in semifinals (74-46) — team has 141 three-pointers.
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Reece Johnson | 19.0 | 5.5 | 3.1 | 1.5 | 31 |
| Jackson Romero | 13.5 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 2.1 | 33 |
| Jude Howell | 11.1 | 4.3 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 18 |
| Sparky Morris | 6.9 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 26 |
| Zach Cook | 6.8 | 5.2 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 8 |
| Ethan Wheeler | 5.2 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 15 |
| Reade Lindgren | 3.9 | 5.7 | 1.0 | 0.9 | |
| Ethan Reeser | 3.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
