The high school boys basketball season in Class 3A-1A is ready to kick things into gear. The Christmas break and holidays are in the rearview mirror and now the focus is on league play and ultimately reaching the top of the state championship mountain by March. With that in mind, here’s a handful of games to keep an eye on this week.

Class 3A

Banning Lewis Academy (5-2) at Buena Vista (5-1), 7 p.m. Friday: Both these teams are squarely in the 3A Selection and Seeding Index top 10 right now. BLC finished strong prior to Xmas break winning four games in a row over St. Mary’s, Peyton, Colorado Springs School, and James Irwin. Senior Joseph Bjegovich is leading BLC in scoring – with at least three games played – at 10.7 ppg. BLC is averaging 51.3 ppg. Buena Vista, which is scoring 53.8 ppg, counters with Hudson Wingo. The sophomore is averaging 12 ppg and nearly 5 rebounds. BV’s Kaden Schell (11.2 ppg) and Julian Lopez-Olsen (11 ppg) are also a force for the Demons.

Class 2A

Holly (6-1) at Fowler (5-2), 12 p.m. Saturday: Holly is a Top 10 team in the state and the Wildcats rebounded before the break with a 49-10 trouncing of Kit Carson on Dec. 16. The Wildcats began the season with a 5-0 record before losing to McClave 53-39, Dec. 15. Holly’s offense is powered by Truman King (17.9 ppg), Devin Eaton (14.1 ppg) and Andre Salgado (11.4 ppg). Fowler must get by Walsenburg (2-2) at 4 p.m., Friday to set up the clash with Holly. Fowler has posted a 1-2 record in its last three outings but defeated Jefferson (49-41) in its most recent game on Dec. 23. The Grizzlies are paced by Gage Gottbehuet. The 6-foot-3 senior is scoring 14.4 ppg and grabbing 7.6 rebounds ppg.

Class 1A

McClave (5-2) at Cheyenne Wells (3-2), 6 p.m. Thursday: McClave is considered one of the top teams in 1A. The Cardinals suffered back-to-back losses to Stanton County (47-40, Dec. 8) and Syracuse (53-41, Dec. 9), then got rolling again with victories over Springfield (60-49), Holly (53-39) and Eads (55-45) before the winter break. Tuff Kelley (14.7 ppg) and Conner Forgue (11.9 ppg) are the Cardinals’ top scorers. Cheyenne Wells finished the break on a two-game winning streak and this week will be a great barometer for CW. After its clash with perennial power McClave, Cheyenne Wells travels to face another ranked squad in Springfield at 2 p.m. Saturday. Corey Hill (15 ppg) and Carson Noe (12.6 ppg) are the CW’s double-figure scorers.