What a weekend it was.
The boys and girls state basketball champions were crowned at four different venues throughout Colorado. During the four-day stretch of games, there were first-time state champions (University and Resurrection Christian girls) along with a championship drought of over a century (Windsor boys) coming to an end.
Below is a complete overview of the weekend with stories and photo galleries from the Colorado Preps team.
Class 6A
Boys
(Doug Ottewill/ColoradoPreps.com)
Championship: A thriller from start to finish, Eaglecrest held on despite foul trouble from key players to beat defending champion Valor Christian. It was the Raptors’ first state title since 2017.
Photos:
**
Final 4: Eaglecrest survived an overtime battle with Mountain Vista while Valor Christian handed Rangeview its first loss of the year, setting up an epic title showdown.
Photos:
Eaglecrest vs. Mountain Vista:
Valor Christian vs. Rangeview:
**
Girls
(Dan Mohrmann/ColoradoPreps.com)
Championship: This championship, a third in four years for the Wolves, was important for Sienna Betts. But it wasn’t her favorite.
Photos:
Final 4: Grandview survived an early haymaker from Pine Creek while Legend outlasted Riverdale Ridge and standout Brihanna Crittendon.
Photos:
Grandview vs. Pine Creek:
Legend vs. Riverdale Ridge:
**
Class 5A
Boys
(Dan Mohrmann/ColoradoPreps.com)
Championship: A century in the making, Windsor captured its first boys basketball title in 101 years with a win over Green Mountain.
Photos:
Final 4: Green Mountain kept its Cinderella run alive with a win over a gritty Falcon team. The third time was the charm for Windsor as the Wizards finally beat Mesa Ridge to inch closer to a title.
Story by Dennis Pleuss and Dan Mohrmann
Photos:
Green Mountain vs. Falcon:
Windsor vs. Mesa Ridge:
Girls
(Dan Mohrmann/ColoradoPreps.com)
Championship: Air Academy went into the title game undefeated, but a challenge awaited the Kadets in the form of Makenzie Jones.
Photos:
Final 4: Mullen held Mead without a field goal in the second quarter while Air Academy moved a step closer to redemption with a win over Green Mountain.
Story by Dan Mohrmann and Dennis Pleuss
Photos:
Mullen vs. Mead:
Air Academy vs. Green Mountain:
**
Class 4A
Boys
(Dan Mohrmann/ColoradoPreps.com)
Championship: Kent Denver’s road to a state championship win over Colorado Academy began three days after the 2024 season came to an end.
Photos:
Final 4: Kent Denver survived a track meet of a game as it ran past Prospect Ridge Academy. Colorado Academy faced some dicey moments, but maintained control in a win over Coal Ridge.
Story by Dan Mohrmann and Matt Meyer
Photos:
Kent Denver vs. Prospect Ridge Academy:
Colorado Academy vs. Coal Ridge:
Girls
(Dan Mohrmann/ColoradoPreps.com)
Championship: Maddie McNair wasn’t going to let an elbow to the face prevent her from helping University claim its first state championship.
Photos:
Final 4: Breezy Huff had a career day to power Delta into the championship game while University survived a tough run from Holy Family.
Story by Dan Mohrmann and Matt Meyer
Photos:
University vs. Holy Family:
Delta vs. Timnath:
**
Class 3A
Boys
(Tracy Renck)
Championship: Resurrection Christian muscled its way by Strasburg to complete its run to back-to-back titles.
Girls
(Tracy Renck)
Championship: It was an historic day for all Rez Cougars as the girls captured their first state title in school history.
Class 2A
Boys
(Brian Miller)
Championship: In Simla, 38 years was started feel twice that long. But the Cubs ended that drought by beating Crowley County for the 2A championship.
Girls
(Brian Miller)
Championship: The winning ways continue in Merino as the Rams overcame a big injury scare to win a second straight title.
Class 1A
Boys
(Alex Graser)
Championship: After watching the McClave girls hoist championship gold, the boys knew they had to make a sweep for the program.
Girls
(Alex Graser)
Championship: The strive for five was successful as McClave captured its fifth state title in program history.
