With conference play heating up across all five classifications, the boys basketball games on the nightly schedule carry a bit more weight each day. Conference champions in Classes 4A and 5A earn automatic bid to the state tournament while teams in the 1A, 2A and 3A divisions are battling for top district tournament seeds. With that in mind, Colorado Preps will provide some daily notes on the importance of certain games.
Photo by Van Hollis
1A 5280: Belleview Christian meets Denver Jewish Day with both teams unbeaten in the conference (1-0) and ranked in the top 10. Both have league wins over Rocky Mountain Lutheran. Altogether three teams from the conference are the top 10 this week so tonight’s winner still has some work to do.
1A NON-LEAGUE: Very good matchup between Briggsdale and Front Range Baptist. Briggsdale is ranked second and is unbeaten on the season while Front Range Baptist seeks a third straight win against a top 10 opponent. The Falcons scored wins over Denver Waldorf and Prairie last week and entered the rankings at #10 this week.
2A SANTA FE: Crowley County plays host to Holly with the Chargers needing a win to stay tied with Fowler atop the standings. Both are 3-0 in conference play. Holly has a loss to Fowler already this season but is only one game back in the loss column so a win keeps them very much alive for a league title. The Wildcats share third with Hoehne.
3A PATRIOT: It’s very early in this race as each team has just one conference game but the list of teams unbeaten will drop by at least one tonight. That’s when Brush heads to Platte Valley. Both teams are 1-0 and share first with Sterling, Resurrection Christian and Estes Park. The last two clubs on that list could get challenged as well tonight. Resurrection Christian faces Strasburg with both clubs coming off solid wins; the Cougars beat Eaton and the Indians took out 2A Limon. (UPDATE: Resurrection Christian vs Strasburg postponed.) Estes Park also has a tough assignment against an Eaton club looking to bounce back from their loss to Resurrection Christian.
3A TRI PEAKS: St Mary’s (3-0) stands alone in first with Salida, Colorado Springs Christian and Buena Vista all one game back in the loss column. Two of those teams meet tonight as Salida tangles with CSCS. Buena Vista is away from the conference schedule against a good Alamosa club. Both Salida and CSCS have a loss to St Mary’s this season so the loser could drop out of title contention.
4A WEST SLOPE: Eagle Valley (9-3) has the best overall rcord of any team in the league but they enter tonight’s game with Glenwood Springs one game back of the Demons and Palisade in the race for the title. The Devils were taken out by Palisade last Saturday so a second straight loss leaves them two games back of first very early in the 12-game league schedule.
4A NORTHERN: A very good league with Mead (3-0), Holy Family (3-0) and Windsor (2-0) all in the top 10 and all having a piece of the conference lead. Longmont is one game back in fourth (2-1). Centaurus beat Longmont over the weekend and now challenges Mead; the defending state champions. Holy Family faces a Silver Creek team that is below water in league play (1-2) but with losses to Mead and Longmont. A win over the Tigers tonight could get them to a top three league finish by years end.
4A PIKES PEAK: This is a very good and deep league. Just three games into the schedule, only team is unbeaten and that’s Lewis Palmer as the Rangers sit alone in first (3-0). They lead six teams by one game, including Vista Ridge and they face the Wolves tonight. Lewis Palmer is 13-1 overall and Vista Ridge 11-2.
4A SOUTH CENTRAL: A very difficult opening week for 10th ranked Pueblo County as meet Pueblo Central tonight and then Pueblo South on Friday. Both opponents are in the top five of the statewide rankings and favored to beat the Hornets. A win in either puts County right in the middle of the championship chase however. Wins in both make them the new conference favorite.
5A CONTINENTAL: Another solid with exciting games expected every week. Tonight, the feature attraction is Chaparral against Douglas County. The Wolves survived Mountain Vista (60-59) last week and were one of five teams to win league openers. Douglas County dropped their first conference game but played very well in a five point loss to top ranked ThunderRidge. A win over Chaparral keeps the Huskies very much alive for a top two league finish.
