Three boys basketball unbeaten teams fall as regular season nears end

The past week was everything it was cracked to be – and a little bit more.

From a battle of top-ranked teams, to a big-time bounce-back for Limon, and three more squads falling from the ranks of the unbeaten, the first week of February delivered the goods for the state’s three lower classifications in boys basketball.

Class 3A’s No. 1 Faith Christian proved its mettle with a solid 86-77 victory over 4A No. 1 Kent Denver last Friday. Keegan Paige paced the Eagles (15-1, 6-1 in Metro League) with 25 points, Ben Clark added 22, and Carson Jasa powered his way to 16 points and 18 rebounds. Unfortunately for Faith Christian, its dominating run came to a halt Tuesday night with a 61-55 loss to 4A’s second-ranked team in Eagle Ridge Academy.

No. 2 Salida knocked The Vanguard School from its perch as the only other 3A undefeated team with an 84-69 victory Monday night.

As for Limon, the question was how would the formerly top-ranked Badgers respond after their first setback of the season a week ago to 3A Yuma? Well, Limon answered in a big way. The Badgers (18-1) took down fifth-ranked Wray 58-51 last Friday, topped Union Pacific rival Burlington by two points Saturday, and then handed No. 3 Evangelical Christian its first loss of the season Monday in a 51-36 rout.

Then there is Genoa-Hugo/Karval. The No. 5 Pirates were reeling a bit after back-to-back losses to Merino and Burlington, but the team responded with victories over No. 4 Stratton (71-51) and No. 7 Fleming (47-39).

So what lies ahead this week? Just a handful of top-10 matchups in – and across – classifications, along with maybe the most anticipated 1A matchup of the regular season next Tuesday when No. 1 Belleview Christian goes up against No. 3 Denver Jewish Day.

With only 11 days remaining in the regular season, here is a quick look back (and ahead) at the 3A, 2A and 1A classifications:

Class 3A

It was a rough night for 3A’s ranked teams on Tuesday. In addition to Faith Christian falling, No. 8 Platte Valley went down to 4A No. 3 Resurrection Christian 56-34, and No. 9 Colorado Springs Christian lost 50-42 to Banning Lewis Academy.

Salida nearly has the Tri-Peaks League wrapped up after its triumph over The Vanguard School. The Spartans (16-1, 12-0) have home games with Lamar and Buena Vista remaining. The Coursers (13-1, 9-1) still have games left on the schedule, including big contests with Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs Christian.

Third-ranked Highland had a nine-game run ended by 4A No. 5 Eaton, falling 79-74. Carson Steinke led the Highlanders (13-3) with 25 points. Mitch Haythorn paced Eaton with 27.

Centauri has a chance to grab a victory over its own 4A top-five foe Friday when the No. 4 Falcons visit No. 4 Alamosa in Intermountain play. The Mean Moose defeated Centauri 57-52 on Jan. 21.

No. 7 Prospect Ridge Academy, which took down Eagle Ridge Academy a week ago, visits Faith Christian on Friday. No. 5 Yuma takes on 2A No. 7 Merino on Friday as well.

Class 2A

Crowley County (18-0) moved into the No. 1 spot in 2A after Limon’s loss to Yuma. The Chargers have only one game remaining in the regular season, facing 3A Ellicott on Thursday.

Much like Limon had to do last week, fourth-ranked Simla faces its own top-10 tests this week. The Cubs (12-3, 3-0 in Black Forrest) have won four in a row since a loss to Limon, but must go up against 1A No. 6 Stratton on Friday before battling No. 3 Evangelical Christian on Valentine’s Day for the league title.

Merino is up against it as well. The No. 7 Rams (10-5) face 3A No. 5 Yuma for a chance to create a three-way tie in the Lower Platte League with Yuma and Wray. Merino goes up against 1A No. 7 Otis on Tuesday.

Fifth-ranked Holly (11-3) lost two games to Crowley County by a combined four points. The Wildcats have won three in a row, with only three games remaining.

Class 1A

Genoa-Hugo/Karval (11-3, 3-2 in Union Pacific) had dropped three of five before rattling off four wins a row. Against Stratton (11-4, 3-1), which had won six consecutive games, the Pirates shot 64 percent from the field and Trey Smith scored 24 points. Smith added 19 points against Fleming, and Kyler Rowden Stum had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Braylen Feather had a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds for Fleming (9-5). The Wildcats visit No. 2 McClave on Friday and host No. 10 Flatirons Academy on Saturday.

Belleview Christian (17-0, 6-0 in in 5280) handled No. 6 Flatirons Academy for a second time this season, cruising to an 83-56 victory. Nathaniel Owen recorded yet another triple-double, this time going for 32 points, 19 rebounds and 11 blocks. The Bruins travel to Colorado Springs on Thursday to face Pikes Peak Christian before facing Denver Jewish Day (14-1, 6-0) next Tuesday for the league title. The Tigers have won 10 in a row, and senior Andrew Zimmerman is averaging 24.8 points and 8.2 rebounds a game.

No. 4 Dove Creek saw its eight-game winning streak ended last Wednesday with a 76-74 loss to Bayfield despite 25 points from Tanner Williams and 20 points and 11 rebounds from Kade Hankins. The Bulldogs have all but wrapped up the San Juan Basin title though, holding a one-game lead over Mancos.