Boys basketball teams in Classes 4A and 5A are the stage of the season where they can start clinching league championships and guaranteeing their place in the state tournament bracket. We recap results from last week and set up scenarios for the final two weeks in our league breakdown.
CLASS 4A
CS METRO NORTH: Falcon (5-0) continues to lead the division by one game over Classical Academy (4-1) and by two over Elizabeth (3-2). The race could be settled early this week as Flacon goes to Classical Academy on Monday night. A win by Falcon basically clinches the league championship while TCA can force a tie for the lead and keep Elizabeth alive. Falcon beat TCA 75-66 in the first meeting.
CS METRO SOUTH: Palmer was upset by Harrison last week and that dropped the Terrors back into a first-place tie with Mesa Ridge. Palmer won the first meeting with the Grizzlies so they currently have the tiebreaker. The rematch is set for February 15th.
JEFFCO: Green Mountain (9-1) avenged their conference loss by beating Golden last week so the Rams remain alone in first. They lead D’Evelyn (10-2) by one game and since all others have at least four league losses, it’s a two-team chase. D’Evelyn goes to Green Mountain on Friday; a Jags win leaves them tied while a Rams win locks up their championship.
LONGS PEAK: Frederick (9-0) has won the regular season crown and Monday’s winner between Severance and Thompson Valley will finish second. All ten conference members will take part in a league tournament that opens on Wednesday.
WESTERN SLOPE: Palisade started the weekend alone in first but is now in second following back-to-back losses to Steamboat Springs and Eagle Valley. The Bulldogs are now tied with Eagle Valley in second and both are one back of Steamboat Springs. The only remaining head-to-head meeting between the three leaders is on the 17th when Steamboat Springs takes on Eagle Valley. Should Eagle Valley win that game and avenge an earlier loss to the Sailors, the three could end up sharing the title.
COLORADO: Quite a bit up in the air entering the final two weeks of the season as Skyview, Eagle Ridge Academy and Fort Lupton share first place at 4-1 with Englewood and Aurora Central tied for fifth but still in the discussion at 3-2. Some sorting out could take place this week as there are four games involving the top five clubs. Two are on Monday as Aurora Central goes to Skyview and Eagle Ridge visits Fort Lupton. Two more top games will be played on Thursday as Skyview meets Eagle Ridge and Aurora Central heads over to Fort Lupton.
NORTHERN: Mead and Windsor (both 7-1) are atop the standings but the Mavericks have the edge since they beat the Wizards head-to-head. Longmont and Holy Family (both 6-2) share third but they collide on Friday in Broomfield. The league will also conduct a conference tournament starting next week.
SOUTH CENTRAL: Pueblo South (6-0) and Pueblo Central (5-1) continue to sit one-two and their rematch on the 15th will finalize the top two spots.
PIKES PEAK: Lewis Palmer (8-0) has a two game edge on Doherty and Air Academy (both 6-2) and the Rangers can clinch the title by beating Fountain Fort Carson on Tuesday. If they stumble, then they will need a win at Air Academy on Friday to win the crown outright. Doherty has the edge for second as they beat Air Academy in earlier meeting. The Kadets suffered a major hit to their championship hopes when they left a 26-0 advantage slip away in a one-point loss to Vista Ridge on Saturday.
NON-LEAGUE: One game on the schedule this week caught our eye as long-time rivals Aurora Central and Rangeview renew the series in Aurora.
CLASS 5A
CENTENNIAL: Eaglecrest (8-1) is in alone in first and in good shape as they lead Overland (7-2) by one game and both Cherry Creek and Smoky Hill (6-3) by two games. The Raptors have split two games with Smoky Hill and also beat Overland in what could be their only league matchup. They were schedule for another round last week but it was postponed due to weather and games in the Metro are not being made up. Cherry Creek is involved in the two most important games as they visit Smoky Hill on Thursday and then host Overland on Saturday. Wins in both games should get them to second place.
EAST METRO: Vista Peak and Rangeview (both 4-0) continue to share the conference lead with Prairie View and Brighton (both 3-1) within range. Vista Peak and Rangeview play on February 19th and that late game could determine the title. Rangeview beat the Bison 73-50 in non-league play so they remain the conference favorite. This week, Vista Peak goes to Prairie View.
FRONT RANGE: Fossil Ridge (6-0) and Horizon (7-0) have been the top two teams the entire season and this is the week they meet in conference play. That game is set for Tuesday night at Horizon and the winner will be alone in first but cannot clinch. The game starts a crucial stretch for the 2nd ranked Lambkins as they also face Rocky Mountain on Thursday and Legacy on Saturday. The Lobos and Lightning share third place with one league loss. Should Fossil Ridge sweep the week they can fell very good about their title chances.
JEFFCO: Five teams are within one game of the league lead as Ralston Valley (3-0) and Chatfield (4-0) are tied for first with one-loss clubs Arvada West, Dakota Ridge and Columbine sharing third. Four games split evenly between Wednesday and Friday will help sort out the mess. The main one is the Friday date between Ralston Valley and Chatfield as it could eventually decide the championship. Arvada West also goes to Columbine that day. Two days earlier. Ralston Valley hosts Pomona and Dakota Ridge heads to A-West.
CONTINENTAL: ThunderRidge (6-0) is alone in first but they have just a one-game edge on both Chaparral and Mountain Vista. The Grizzlies face Chaparral in a very key game on Tuesday and then face another critical contest with Mountain Vista on Friday. Wins in both should lock up the title for the Grizzlies. Another fun game that will factor into the league chase and top eight seeds of the state tournament also comes up Friday as Rock Canyon meets Chaparral.
SOUTHWESTERN: 4A Montrose is another team that can clinch a league title this week as they do so with a win over Grand Junction on Friday. The Indians host the game and will enter with a one-game edge on the Tigers after scoring a 65-42 win in the first matchup.
DENVER PREP: George Washington (6-0) and Denver East (6-0) share the conference lead with Thomas Jefferson a game back in third (4-1). East has a win over TJ so they have an easier finishing stretch. George Washington meets Thomas Jefferson on the 15th and then meets Denver East on the 19th.
