Despite having just one top 10 match on the boys’ basketball schedule Tuesday night, the slate is still very attractive and important to many conference races across the divisions. As part of our new coverage this year, Colorado Preps provides a daily preview of the best matchups in and out of the rankings.
Final scores can be reported by text to 970.380.7737 or by email to [email protected].
Feature photo provided by Steve Abeyta.
CLASS 1A
FINAL: #2 Belleview Christian beat Front Range Baptist 70-23
FINAL: #4 Merino beat Fleming 63-32
FINAL: #5 Primero beat Manzanola 59-33
FINAL: Eads beat #8 Granada 63-55
FINAL: #9 Briggsdale beat Lone Star 66-28
FINAL: Simla beat Kit Carson 37-29
NOTES: Probably the best game inside in the rankings is the 1A High Plains battle between #8 Granada and Eads. That league also features Cheraw, Cheyenne Wells, Kit Carson and McClave there’s a good bet that at least four and possibly five teams make the 24-team state playoff bracket. Both teams are unbeaten on the season but since Granada (4-0) has not faced a team with a current winning record, this will be a good test for them. They’re coming off a 70-34 win over Walsh last week as Dominic Coleman went for 30 points and hit 12 of 15 field goal attempts. Both he and Brandon Gonzales (13 points) also knocked in three treys. Eads topped Wiley 60-49 on Saturday. Seniors Brandon Lening (17), Hatch Nelson (16) and Damien Barnes (13) combined for 46 points with Lening hitting five threes. Barnes also pulled down 10 rebounds. Kit Carson (2-3) has dropped three straight including back-to-back losses to Cheraw and Hi Plains over the weekend. They totaled just 56 points in those two games so will look for more consistency on the offensive end against Simla. The Cubs (3-1) have won their last two and averaged nearly 72 points in wins over Miami Yoder and Pikes Peak Christian. Coletin Mazerall (19.8) and Brayden Glover (15.3) pace the offense. They’ve also combined for nearly 16 rebounds a game.
CLASS 2A
FINAL: #1 Limon beat Flagler 76-21
FINAL: #2 Wray beat Wiggins 84-61
FINAL: #4 Fowler beat Las Animas 82-32
FINAL: #7 Sanford beat Sangre De Cristo 52-42
FINAL: #9 Holly beat Swink (Final N/A)
FINAL: Rye beat Swallows Charter 43-42
Vail Christian at Vail Mountain
FINAL: Soroco beat West Grand 45-37
FINAL: Ignacio beat Dolores 50-39
NOTES: Limon and Fowler should post easy wins on the night but #2 Wray and #7 Sanford see quality opponents. Wiggins (4-0) is coming off a league win over Akron (51-43) last week and has a tough slate this week; facing Briggsdale and Holyoke after the challenge against Wray. The Eagles (4-0) have outscored opponents 333-140 this year with every win coming by at least 43 points (Haxtun 89-46). They also host Sedgwick County on Thursday so a couple of wins this week move them closer to a top two Lower Platte league finish. Sangre De Cristo (3-0) knocked off Cotopaxi and Centennial last week but somehow was dropped from the Class 1A top 10. Kevin Enriquez, with 15.5 points and 12.5 rebounds, averages a double-double for the T-Birds. He also leads the club with four steals defensively. He will be the focus of a Sanford defense that’s held opponents to 48 points or less in all three wins. They did however give up 62 in their lone loss at Mancos in week one. Swallows Charter needs a win over Rye to stay tied with Fowler and Holly (all three are 2-0) atop the Santa Fe. Colby Roberts (17.0) is their top scorer with freshman Amari Williams adding 14.7 points and a team high 8.7 rebounds. Soroco and West Grand are both 3-0 and for the Rams this game begins an important week as they also tangle with Vail Christian and Meeker during the weekend. The Rams toppled North Park (59-49) on Saturday getting 37 of their 59 points in the first and fourth quarters. West Grand met North Park in week one and scored a much wider victory (74-43). They also meet Vail Mountain on Friday. The Gore Rangers first tangle with local rival Vail Christian with both teams seeking an early conference win. Vincent Nowicki scored 11 points and Leo Rothenberg 10 in the Saints league win over Hayden last week (53-34). Vail Mountain has played just once; beating Hayden 52-21 in non-league play behind 19 points from Devin Yarde.
CLASS 3A
FINAL: #1 Lutheran beat Prospect Ridge 79-32
FINAL: #2 St Mary’s beat Banning Lewis 102-45
FINAL: #3 Manitou Springs beat Salida 53-52
FINAL: Manual beat #4 Faith Christian 90-72
FINAL: #5 Centauri beat Montezuma Cortez 76-49
#8 Colorado Academy vs #9 Kent Denver (Cancelled by CA – will not be made up)
FINAL: DSST-Montview beat Middle Park 48-45
FINAL: Englewood beat Eagle Ridge Academy 77-67
NOTES: Tonight begins a fun and important week of separation inside the Metro conference. Five teams open the night tied for first with Lutheran, Peak to Peak, Colorado Academy, Manual and Kent Denver all still unbeaten. At least one team falls of the pace as CA and Kent get together. Manual also gets in a tough test with Faith Christian. The Eagles are tied for sixth with Machebeuf (1-1) but beat the Buffs head-to-head last week. They’re trying to stay perfect through the rest of the conference schedule to stay within range of Lutheran as they lost to the Lions in the league opener. Geo Velarde and Caleb Clark each scored 22 for the Eagles in the win over Machebeuf. Manual is coming off a tough 54-52 loss to Sterling where they were held under 65 points for the first time this season. Jordan Reed still managed 24 points and kept his average at that number for the season. Colorado Academy also plays Manual on Thursday so it’s a key three day stretch for the Mustangs. Kent Denver has won four in a row; scoring at least 86 points in each one. Pace is their formula as they attempted 97 shots against Skyview and 92 against Prospect Ridge. Five players average at least 10 points; led by Jay Royal (20.0). Manitou Springs and Salida are both unbeaten as they collide inside the Tri Peaks. The Mustangs were expected to contend for the league title while the Spartans want to prove they belong in the conversation. Five players score at least nine points a game and five others are at five or six so there’s balance and depth to the lineup. Both clubs have a win over Vanguard from last week with the Mustangs grabbing an 11-point win and the Spartans by 16. St Mary’s and Banning Lewis are also unbeaten in conference play but the Pirates are heavily favored against a team playing their first year of varsity basketball. The Pirates are 14 points away from averaging 100 per game for the season and twice have moved past the century mark. Banning Lewis has not been over 60.
CLASS 4A
FINAL: #8 Pueblo South beat Pueblo West 72-53
FINAL: #10 Montrose beat Grand Junction 62-45
FINAL: Frederick beat Thompson Valley 62-60
FINAL: Severance beat Mountain View 58-57
FINAL: Steamboat Springs beat Eagle Valley 66-54
NOTES: Pueblo South is favored to gain a conference win this evening as they face winless Pueblo West but it’s a rivalry game so anything can happen. Pueblo South opened league play with wins over Centennial (90-31) and County (63-44) but must avoid looking past the Cyclones to Friday’s meeting with Central. Both clubs start the week 2-0 in conference. South scored a non-league win over Sierra on Saturday with Tarrance Austin scoring 18. As Southwestern league play gets underway, Montrose (4-0) is the only conference teams with more than two wins. All four of their wins though are against 3A clubs so this is their first 4A foe. Grand Junction (2-2) is 1-1 against 3A teams including a loss to Aspen. They’re also 1-1 against 4A teams; beating Battle Mountain but falling to Palisade (44-41). Steamboat Springs (2-0) needs a win to keep pace with Summit (3-0) atop the Western Slope. The Sailors came out quarantine to post wins over Rifle (39-25) and Palisade (42-39) last week. Eric Pollert leads the team in scoring (11.5) and rebounding (8.5). Some early separation will occur in the Longs Peak conference as Thompson Valley, Frederick, Mountain View and Severance all won league openers last week. They’re tied with Roosevelt at 1-0. Mountain View’s Alex Hurr (26.3) leads the conference in scoring while Jaromy Morgan of Thompson Valley also gets his share of points (20.5). Ty Adam (18.3) leads Severance and Ilan Marinoff (14.0) paces Frederick.
CLASS 5A
FINAL: #3 Mountain Vista beat Heritage 58-54
FINAL: #4 Regis beat Highlands Ranch 73-40
#5 George Washington at Kennedy
FINAL: #7 Chaparral beat Eaglecrest 66-47
FINAL: #10 Doherty beat Air Academy 61-51
FINAL: Rampart beat Fountain Fort Carson 90-75
FINAL: Denver East beat Thomas Jefferson 75-52
NOTES: Mountain Vista and Regis look for wins to stay perfect inside the Continental. They begin the week sharing the top spot with Chaparral and Rock Canyon. The Wolverines are not involved in league play but may face the toughest test as they line up against Eaglecrest. The Raptors are 1-1 and coming off a high scoring loss to Fossil Ridge (81-75) last Friday. In that game, Ty Robinson poured in 28 points and was 4-8 from beyond the arc. He also handed out four assists. Joel Speckman, with 15 points and 10 rebounds, averages a double-double for Chaparral and Ben Boley is also close with 10 points and nine rebounds. Luke Williams tops the scoresheet with 16 per game. The list of five teams that share the top spot in the Pikes Peak will be reduced by at least one when Fountain Fort Carson goes to Rampart. Neither team has lost a league game and are tied with Doherty, Pine Creek and Liberty in first place. Rampart is red hot; scoring 190 points in league wins over Air Academy and Cheyenne Mountain. Tyler Edwards (23) and Cole Bowen (20) combined for 43 against the Kadets while Edwards (19) and Colby Shepherd (16) paced five in double figures against the Indians. Doherty, which plays Rampart on Saturday, has the important league win over Lewis Palmer where they hit 13 of 25 three-point attempts. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Denver East are used to being atop the DPL standings and that’s where they are to start the week. TJ and GW also meet on Thursday so it’s an important stretch for the conference.
