A busy and important day of girls basketball on Saturday and we’ll track results on our scoreboard and district pairings. Colorado Preps will also add a third service with a blog throughout the day updating results and what they mean to the regional and state tournament pairings set to come out tomorrow in Classes 1A-2A-3A. Classes 4A-5A have already started their state tournament and will play the bracket out as laid out from start to finish.
We invite you to check back with this story throughout the day as we’ll provide updates as results are turned in.
8:39pm: Genoa Hugo grabs the final championship in Class 1A as their win over Kiowa gives them the District 7 crown. The Pirates advance to the Southeast regional where they will likely be seeded #2 behind South Baca and ahead of McClave. Each team won a district title and is rewarded with a first round bye. Second place teams are seeded 4-6 so that order could be Springfield, Kiowa and then Eads. Those two teams though could be shuffled around to avoid having two teams from the same district in the same three-team pod. Once that’s sorted out, then the third place teams are placed in a pod to avoid the same district conflict. Third place teams are Kit Carson, Kim/Branson and Elbert.
8:16pm: Based on RPI updated at 5:15pm Saturday afternoon the seed order for the Class 2A regionals looks like this – please note that a few tournament championship games have not been factored in so the order could easily change.
- Holyoke
- Limon
- Meeker
- Heritage Christian
- Rye
- Simla
- Del Norte
- Ignacio
8:15pm: Del Norte’s win over Sanford in the District 1 title game concludes the district round for all class 2A teams. The Tigers join seven other district champions that will host four-team regionals next week. Winners of each tournament advance to the state bracket in Loveland the following weekend.
8:11pm: St Mary’s rolls past Manitou Springs to land another 3A Tri Peaks championship. There should be no question the two-time defending state champions should be the #1 seed for the state tournament. Pairings are released tomorrow. Manitou Springs is 10th and probably won’t get a home court in the first two rounds but likely will be seeded in the top 12.
8:07pm: Holyoke scores a physical 32-22 win over Yuma to win the 2A District 2 championship. The Dragons also won the regular season crown. They entered the game #1 in RPI and could easily stay there with the win which would make them the top overall seed in the regional bracket. Holyoke leads Limon by .005 despite losing to the Badgers head-to-head. That result could come into play in the state tournament as more criteria other than RPI is used to place teams in the bracket. Yuma was #20 in RPI before the game but even with loss could move up based on losses by Denver Christian, Sedgwick County and Calhan; the three teams immediately ahead of them in the standings.
7:35pm: Pagosa Springs is the 3A IML district champ as they knocked off Centauri for a third time this year. The Pirates opened the game #6 in RPI but we believe they will move into the top three as the committee has some criteria they can use. Centauri was #2 in RPI before the game but will be seeded behind the Falcons due to those three losses. St Mary’s (#1), Delta (#3), University (#4) and Lutheran (#5) finish out the top five.
7:16pm: Academy moves forward as the only unbeaten team in Class 3A as the Wildcats stuffed Middle Park for the Frontier district crown. The Wildcats opened the night #8 in RPI and will draw a top eight seed. Their best wins came early against University, Eaton and Platte Valley. University is #4 in RPI and Eaton is one behind the Wildcats at #9.
6:42pm: McClave knocked off Eads 36-33 to win the 1A District 2 championship and with the decision, the Cardinals earn a top three district seed. The Cardinals will also receive a first-round bye based on seeding criteria that rewards district winners with that advantage. McClave is probably the #3 seed behind South Baca and Genoa Hugo so they could end up with a second round pairing against Springfield.
6:41pm: Lone Star edged Haxtun 27-25 to win their first 1A District 5 crown since 2001. Both teams head to the Northeast regional next week. Lone Star may have locked down the #5 seed with the win with Haxtun currently sitting at #7. That’s based on RPI standings as of 4:15pm but they will of course change with more results coming in tonight.
6:06pm: Faith Christian downed Kent Denver 38-28 to win the 3A Metro championship. Both teams are headed to the state tournament as automatic qualifiers and the Eagles are still clinging to hopes of hosting the first two rounds. As a district champion, Faith Christian must finish in the RPI top 16 and with new numbers released at 4:15pm, they were #17. But those standings of course do not include their win over Kent Denver plus there are other results yet to be decided for teams ahead of them in the standings. New numbers could be out by 9:00pm tonight and most every result should be factored in by then.
5:58pm: Flatirons Academy beat Shining Mountain 52-46 to capture the 1A District 8 championship. Both teams are in a tight battle with Briggsdale and Fleming for the top three seeds and first round byes in next week’s regional tournament. RPI standings were updated at 4:15pm but do not include the Flatirons Academy win. But with the current standings, Briggsdale would be #1 with Shining Mountain #2 and Fleming #3. Flatirons Academy could jump ahead of both Shining Mountain and Fleming with this win.
5:50pm: In a game played on Friday, Front Range Baptist upset Mile High Academy to take third in the 1A District 8 bracket. Front Range Baptist is #20 in RPI so they will likely play in the first round of next week’s regional tournament. They’re currently seventh in regional seeding.
5:23pm: Vanguard holds off a strong Trinidad rally to beat the Miners for third place in the 3A Tri Peaks. The Coursers will now watch RPI closely as they remain in the battle for a home game as a top eight seed. Right now, they’re the third highest ranked wildcard team behind Lutheran and the loser of Pagosa Springs-Centauri. That game will determine the IML champ and the winner will lock down a home site next week. Vanguard’s chances of earning a home game are boosted by Eagle Ridge Academy as that district champion (Confluence) is only #33 in RPI and won’t be at home in the first two rounds. That opens a spot for a third wildcard to gain a home court advantage.
5:21pm: Elbert grabs third place in 1A District 7 as they bounce back from a loss to Kiowa to topple Edison this evening. The win pushes the returning state qualifier into the Southeast regional next week. They will be seeded seventh through ninth as a third place team. Others in their seeding group are Kit Carson and Kim/Branson.
5:14pm: Wray scores a third-place finish in 2A District 2 by beating Sedgwick County 56-45. The Eagles should be in the top half of the 32-team regional bracket as they opened the game #15 in RPI. They could move ahead of #14 Hotchkiss and #12 Dawson as both clubs suffered losses in district championship games earlier in the day.
4:39pm: With Sangre De Cristo beating Cotopaxi for the 1A District title, the Western regional pairings are now set. District 1 and District 6 cross-bracket their top two teams for regionals with each winner advancing to the state tournament. Coming up next week at Gunnison high school, Sangre De Cristo will face De Beque and Dove Creek takes on Cotopaxi.
4:36pm: Meeker overcame an early deficit to beat Hotchkiss 53-36 and win the 2A District 5 championship. That win could lock the Cowboys into the #3 seed for the regional tournament next week. Holyoke (#1) has yet to play their district final while Limon (#2) has already secured a home berth for regionals. Heritage Christian (#4) and Rye (#5) have also won titles but Meeker seems to have a big enough gap in RPI to stay ahead of the Eagles and Thunderbolts.
3:37pm: With a win over Idalia, Stratton/Liberty qualifies for the 1A Northeast regional next week. The win gave the Knighted/Eagles third in District 5. They entered the game #33 in RPI and as a result could be the ninth seed in a nine-team regional bracket. If that’s the case, they could be looking at a first round game with Fleming, Shining Mountain or Flatirons Academy in round one.
3:18pm: Delta lands the 3A Western Slope district crown as they held off Grand Valley 43-37. The Panthers entered the game #4 in RPI but will likely receive a lower seed as head-to-head results and common opponents can be factored into the 3A state bracket. Delta trails St Mary’s, Centauri and University in the RPI standings but one of their losses came against Centauri before Christmas. Grand Valley was #13 at tipoff but six non-district champions are ahead of them in the standings which could push them a bit lower in the overall bracket.
3:15pm: Three-time defending state champion Kit Carson is through to the regionals. They beat Cheraw 59-31 this afternoon to land third place in 1A District 2; a game they had to win to keep the season alive. The Wildcats will not be seeded higher than seventh in the regional bracket based on the format. District champs are seeded 1-3 based on RPI, then runner-up teams are placed 4-6 with the third place teams placed in a pod that does not include a team from their district. The Wildcats will thus have a team from District 3 and 7 with them in the bracket.
3:01pm: Lutheran bounces back from a critical loss to Faith Christian on Thursday to blow past Colorado Academy. With the victory, the Lions are third in the 3A Metro district. They’re #5 in RPI so they’re still in line for a top four seed and home games in the first two rounds of the state tournament next week. Before the tournament, they were the likely #2 seed in the bracket so we’ll see how the semifinal loss impacts their placement.
2:58pm: Limon wins the 2A District 4 title by downing Denver Christian. The Badgers are currently sitting at the #2 spot in RPI behind Holyoke. If the Dragons beat Yuma for the District 2 crown later today, then Limon likely settles for the #2 seed in regionals. They have a .011 lead on #3 Meeker and likely won’t fall below them even if Meeker wins the District 5 championship over Hotchkiss. Limon also beat Holyoke in the regular season but that doesn’t come into play until seeding for the state tournament if both teams advance that far. According to the CHSAA guidelines, only RPI is used to seed the regional bracket.
2:44pm: Simla is the 2A District 8 champion as they beat Colorado Springs School 43-31 in the championship game. The Cubs are now guaranteed to play at home next week and could be the #7 seed. They could move up to #6 if Sanford beats Del Norte inside District 1 tonight. Colorado Springs School right now is the second highest non-district champion which, if it stays that way, puts them at #10 in the regional bracket, meaning they could end up in the same bracket with Simla.
2:37pm: Heritage Christian survived a tough district final with Dawson to claim the 2A District 7 title. The Eagles started the day at #4 in RPI and could stay there if Holyoke, Limon and Meeker all win their district crowns. They are .011 behind Meeker in the race for third and that’s a large gap to make up in one contest.
2:34pm: Ignacio crushed Telluride 71-2 to land the District 3 championship as expected. The Bobcats entered the game #14 in RPI and will probably land the #8 seed in the regional tournament. They could move up one spot if Yuma knocks off Holyoke in District 2 but #7 is likely the highest placement they can get.
2:13pm: A pair of bubble teams for the state tournament met for fifth in the 3A Tri Peaks. Colorado Springs Christian is rated #31 in RPI and knocked off Lamar 42-30. The Savages are #34 so both will watch the standings change tonight and tomorrow with hopes of getting in.
1:57pm: Soroco and Hayden were ranked #18 and #19 in RPI to start their battle but it was the Rams who came out on top 44-29 to win third in 2A District 5. The Rams could sneak into the top 16 of the bracket with the win. Battling teams such as Wray, Denver Christian and Sedgwick County for that honor.
12:40pm: Briggsdale wins a tight battle with Fleming to claim the District 4 championship. The Falcons are fourth in RPI to start the day and battling Shining Mountain (#3) in the race for the top regional seed. Shining Mountain plays Flatirons Academy for the District 8 crown later today but the Lions have a loss to Briggsdale this year. Fleming is right in the thick of the third seed as they sit #5; one spot ahead of Flatirons Academy.
12:39pm: Dove Creek is the 1A District 1 champion as they downed De Beque 39-29 this afternoon. Both teams head to regionals next week. Dove Creeks meets the loser of Sangre De Cristo & Cotopaxi in District 6 while De Beque gets the winner next week.
12:10pm: We don’t have the official final score but we do know that West Grand beat Paonia to take fifth in District 5. That win moves the Mustangs into the regional tournament next week while Paonia closes their season.
11:47am: Gilpin County downed Loveland Classical 61-29 in the District 7 third place game. Both teams head to regionals next week; a first for the Loveland Classical program. Neither will receive a top 16 seed as Gilpin County is #28 in RPI and Loveland Classical #36.
11:33am: Mancos advances from 2A District 3 as the third place team following their win over Dolores. The Bluejays were seeded 5th in the five-team bracket but now moves to the regional round. At #54 in RPI, they will be among the lowest seeds in the 32-team pairings.
11:27am: Cedaredge is the third place team in the Western Slope as they took care of Roaring Fork. Both teams are easily in the 32-team state bracket with the Bruins #14 in RPI and Roaring Fork #20.
11:24am: Buena Vista rallies in the fourth quarter to beat La Junta in the seventh place game of the 3A Tri Peaks. Both teams are on the bubble for the state tournament as the Tigers started the game #28 in RPI and the Demons #31. Eagle Ridge Academy is outside the top 32 (#33) but will get in as a district champion so one of the top 32 could get bumped depending on how the numbers play out on Sunday.
11:17: Peyton earns third in 2A District 8 with a win over Calhan. Both teams are headed to the regional tournament with the Panthers sitting #12 in RPI which put them very close to the #13 seed in the bracket. Ignacio (#14) is behind them in the RPI but would be placed ahead of them as the Bobcats are projected to win the District 3 title.
10:11: Rye stayed perfect on the season and won the 2A District 6 crown with their win over Rocky Ford last night. The Thunderbolts are #5 in RPI and could be in that spot for regional seeding as the four teams ahead of them are expected to land district titles. Those four clubs are Holyoke, Limon, Meeker and Heritage Christian. Rocky Ford could be the top wildcard as they’re #6 in RPI but cannot be seeded higher than #9.
10:07: The only 1A team to clinch a district title is South Baca as they upended Springfield in District 3. The Patriots are #2 in RPI so they could be the top overall seed in the Southeast regional next week. Genoa Hugo (#8) is the only other potential district champion within range of the Patriots in those standings. If the Pirates win today, they’re the likely #2 seed with the winner of McClave/Eads grabbing the third spot. In the Southeast regional, district winners are guaranteed a first round bye and top three seed.
9:48am: University and Eagle Ridge Academy have both won district titles in Class 3A but only the Bulldogs will host a regional tournament next week. District winners must finish in the RPI Top 16 to host and Eagle Ridge Academy is only 33rd. University is #3 in RPI. Eaton is #9 and also receives a guaranteed berth as the Patriot runner-up as does Riverdale Ridge as the second place team in the Confluence. The Ravens are #22 in RPI.
9:45am: Merino moves into the 1A Northeast regional as the third seed from District 4 thanks to their win over Longmont Christian. Based on RPI the Rams are currently the 6th seed in the regional bracket behind Shining Mountain, Briggsdale, Fleming, Flatirons Academy and Lone Star.
