Entering the final week of the regular season, many conference championships have been decided but a few still remain up in the air. Our list of top games for the final week focuses on those matchups and a few others that will help determine the pecking order for the upper division. We’ll go in-depth with the importance of each game during our weekly previews on each class which are published Tuesday through Thursday.
CLASS 1A
Denver Jewish Day at Shining Mountain (TUES)
Elbert at Pikes Peak Christian (FRI)
Cheyenne Wells at Kit Carson (FRI)
Sangre De Cristo at Sierra Grande (FRI)
South Baca at Primero (SAT)
Notes: The games between Cheyenne Wells-Kit Carson and Sangre De Cristo-Sierra Grande are head-to-head matchups for league titles in the High Plains and Southern Peaks conferences. Elbert needs a win over Pikes Peak Christian to secure the Black Forest crown while the winner between Denver Jewish Day and Shining Mountain could end up second behind Front Range Baptist in the 5280. South Baca and Primero is the best non-league matchup of the week.
CLASS 2A
Fowler at Rocky Ford (TUES)
Holyoke at Yuma (TUES)
Calhan at Simla (WED)
Sedgwick County at Haxtun (THURS)
Ignacio at Mancos (THURS)
Mancos at Dolores (FRI)
Del Norte at Sanford (FRI)
Rangely at Paonia (FRI)
Vail Christian at Hotchkiss (FRI)
Simla at Ellicott (SAT)
NOTES: Fowler and Rocky Ford square off to determine second place behind Crowley County in the Santa Fe. Yuma must beat Holyoke to win the Lower Platte league title outright and if that happens, then Sedgwick County is second regardless of how they fare against Haxtun. Calhan and Simla are the last two unbeatens in the Black Forest so that winner is the league champion. Mancos could use at least one more win to help wrap up the #2 seed in the San Juan division. Del Norte looks to finish off a perfect run against all conference opponents as they visit Sanford. Rangely is the Western Slope champ if they beat Paonia on Friday. A loss could give the championship to Meeker. The winner between Vail Christian and Hotchkiss could end up fourth which means a home game in the district quarterfinals.
CLASS 3A
Manual at Faith Christian (TUES)
Strasburg at Estes Park (TUES)
Clear Creek at Academy (TUES)
Ridgeview Academy at DSST-Green Valley (WED)
Bayfield at Alamosa (THURS)
Lutheran at Sterling (THURS)
Delta at Grand Valley (SAT)
NOTES: Most of the games on the list are for positioning for a top four district tournament seed with exceptions involving Bayfield-Alamosa and DSST Green Valley – Ridgeview Academy. Alamosa is the outright IML champion with a win while Bayfield gets a share of the crown if they avenge an earlier loss. DSST-Green Valley grabs the Confluence crown if they beat second place Ridgeview Academy. Grand Valley needs a win over Delta to hang onto third place in the Western Slope while Academy looks for the same finish in the Frontier by beating Clear Creek. Manual ends up third in the Metro if they down Faith Christian while the winner between Strasburg-Estes Park could nab the fourth seed in the Patriot district tournament.
CLASS 4A
Greeley Central at Thompson Valley (MON)
Classical Academy at Widefield (TUES)
Valor Christian at Evergreen (TUES)
Pueblo East at Pueblo West (TUES)
Holy Family at Mead (TUES)
Golden at Evergreen (THURS)
Denver South at Thomas Jefferson (FRI)
NOTES: Denver South and Thomas Jefferson collide for the 4A title within the Denver Cit League. Evergreen is third behind co-leaders Golden and Valor Christian in the Jeffco but the Cougars are still very much alive as they face both opponents this week. Holy Family and Mead battle for second behind Windsor in the Tri Valley while Pueblo East and Pueblo West do the same in the South Central. Greeley Central is the third place team in the Northern by beating Thompson Valley while Widefield must beat third place Classical Academy to hang on to the outright lead in the Colorado Springs Metro.
CLASS 5A
Mountain Range at Fossil Ridge (TUES)
Rocky Mountain at Monarch (TUES)
Smoky Hill at Eaglecrest (WED)
Regis at Chaparral (WED)
Broomfield at Boulder (THURS)
Chatfield at Columbine (FRI)
Rock Canyon at ThunderRidge (FRI)
George Washington at Denver East (SAT)
NOTES: It’s a huge week inside the Continental as the top four teams meet. ThunderRidge opens the week with a one-game edge on Rock Canyon and Chaparral with Regis in fourth another game off the pace. As expected, the much anticipated battle between GW and Denver East is for all the marbles in the City League. Smoky Hill can secure third in the rugged Centennial by beating Eaglecrest. Columbine can use a win over Chatfield to help their chances at a runner-up finish in the Jeffco. And the three games listed for the Front Range league will help out sort out the second and third spots behind Fairview. Â
