(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

As the 2013-14 basketball season emerges from its annual winter break on Thursday, we take a look at where things stand:

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Boys

Fossil Ridge started the preseason ranked No. 6 in 5A, so it’s not as though the SaberCats weren’t on anyone’s radar. Still, at the break, Fossil Ridge (8-0) has perhaps the most impressive resume of any big-school basketball team.

Among the wins? Defending champion Eaglecrest, at the time ranked No. 3; Grandview, which has since won five in a row and is now ranked No. 8; then-No. 5 Highlands Ranch; and Thompson Valley, at the time 4A’s No. 2 team.

The start has been so impressive that the SaberCats got eight of 19 first-place votes in the most recent CHSAANow.com poll. They still sit No. 2, behind everyone’s presumptive favorite, Denver East, but are at this point a serious contender.

The SaberCats have three players averaging double figures, all seniors: Brandon Bodnar (13.4 points), Evan Smith (12.8) and Alex Semadeni (11.3). As a team, their 69.8 points per game rank sixth in 5A.

Surprise team: Mountain Vista.

The Golden Eagles are unbeaten (8-0) and opened at No. 8 in the preseason, but not many people are talking about them. Here’s the surprise: The No. 5 Golden Eagles lead the state in scoring (85.1 points) and assists (22.1), and also lead 5A in rebounding (36.1) and steals (15.4), and rank third in blocks (5.8) and free-throws made (129). This is a complete team which should also be counted as a serious contender in 5A.

Jake Pemberton (19.1 points, 7.1 assists) is a dynamic player who led Mountain Vista to the final four for the first time in school history a season ago.

Denver East’s Dominique Collier. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

Looking ahead: Denver East remains the favorite in 5A, and the early-season performance against a tough schedule has reinforced the talent the Angels have.

Already, East has been to two out-of-state tournaments and played national-caliber competition. They are 7-2, but both losses came in Florida just prior to the winter break. (The Angels are 3-0 in Colorado, with wins over Cherokee Trail, Cherry Creek and Eaglecrest.)

CU recruit Dominique Collier again looks like a player of the year candidate (21.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.3 steals per game) and his supporting cast is among the best with seniors Ronnie Harrell and Jevon Griffin and junior Brian Carey.

It’s early, but there seem to be clear-cut favorites in the other classes, as well. None of the No. 1 teams have changed since the preseason.

Valor Christian, in search of its first boys basketball championship in 4A, already owns six wins over 5A teams.

Holy Family, 7-0 in 3A, is outscoring its opponents by an average of 34 points per game this season.

Stat leaders:

Points: 
1. Dylan Clark (Sand Creek, Sr.): 26.7
2. Marcus Asmus (Standley Lake, Sr.): 26.0
T3. Brandon Book (Swink, Sr.): 25.8
T3. Nathan Hagemeyer (Ridgway, Sr.): 25.8
T5. Brady Baer (Akron, Sr.): 25.2
T5. Jack Buckmelter (Colorado Academy, So.): 25.2

Rebounds: 
1. Ibrahim Sylla (Denver South, Sr.): 13.1
2. Marcus Asmus (Standley Lake, Sr.): 12.9
3. Tim Rutter (Eagle Ridge Academy, Sr.): 12.5
4. Zach Braxton (Highlands Ranch, Sr.): 12.4
5. Blake Warren (La Veta, Sr.): 12.2

Assists:
1. Connor Fiscus (Merino, Jr.): 7.8
2. Nathan Akers (Front Range Baptist, Sr.): 7.2
3. Jake Pemberton (Mountain Vista, Sr.): 7.1
T4. Mikail Lowney (Frederick, Jr.): 6.3
T4. Grant Witherspoon (D’Evelyn, Jr.): 6.3

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Girls

(Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

The 5A girls field is extremely deep this year. Everyone knows about top-ranked Regis Jesuit and its impressive college-bound talent, but Highlands Ranch, ThunderRidge and others should make this a fun stretch run.

Consider that at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix just prior to the break Highlands Ranch, Castle View and Cherry Creek all won their divisions. Grandview and Rock Canyon played in the title games. That tournament draws top teams from around the country.

Defending champion Regis Jesuit remains the favorite. But the list of challengers seems to grow by the day. Among them are teams like Fossil Ridge and Lakewood — both off to surprising 8-0 starts — or Ralston Valley, which joined the most recent CHSAANow.com ranking at No. 10.

(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

Surprise team: Lakewood.

The Tigers did get 18 votes in the preseason poll, but ultimately went unranked until Dec. 13. Now No. 6 with wins over Mountain Vista and Chaparral under its belt, Lakewood has a real opportunity to show it belongs in the top-5. It plays Ralston Valley on Jan. 4, and also has a looming date with Castle View.

Sophomore Mackenzie Forrest has been a star thus far, averaging 20.9 points, 5.4 steals and 3.3 assists per game. Along with senior Jessica Brooks’ 12.1 points per game, Forrest paces a Tigers attack which is averaging a state-best 75.1 points per game this season.

Lakewood also leads 5A in steals (25.0), is second in assists (15.9) and fourth in rebounding (37.6).

Looking ahead: Regis Jesuit has six seniors bound for Division I basketball: Diani Akigbogun (Texas), Justin Hall (Purdue), Kelsi Lidge (Drexel), Neffie Lockley (Howard), Jordan Molyneaux (Seton Hall) and Anna Ptasinski (Lafayette).

The Raiders won last season’s championship. They are ranked No. 6 in the most recent national rankings put out by MaxPreps. They’ve beat in-state opponents by an average of 40 points thus far, going 4-0.

Broomfield is the favorite in 4A. (Pam Wagner)

So, yes, Regis is the team to beat.

Things look pretty clear-cut so far in 4A, too. Broomfield (6-0) has handled everything in its path thus far, and has a average margin of victory of 31.7 points per game.

The Eagles own wins over Sand Creek, at the time ranked No. 6 in 4A, as well as 5A teams Legacy, Ralston Valley and Fairview. They’ve also topped rival Holy Family, which occupies 3A’s top spot.

Stat leaders:

Points:
1. Shannon Patterson (Pueblo South, Sr.): 24.7
2. Amber Corbett (Aurora West College Prep, Sr.): 24.4
3. Savannah Smith (Fossil Ridge, Sr.): 21.0
4. Mackenzie Forrest (Lakewood, So.): 20.9
5. Taryn Frazier (Coronado, Sr.): 20.8

Rebounds:
1. Kendra Cullison (Weldon Valley, Sr.): 15.3
2. Keturah Tatum (Limon, Sr.): 13.8
3. Elijah Daughtry (Englewood, Sr.): 13.7
4. Maya Love (Kent Denver, So.): 13.3
5. Sarah McGinley (Heritage Christian, Fr.): 13.2

Assists:
1. Katie Chavez (Holy Family, So.): 8.1
2. Molly Gillis (Liberty Common, Jr.): 6.7
3. Katie O’Brien (Cherry Creek, Sr.): 6.3
4. Chelsea Vallejos (Lamar, Sr.): 6.2
5. Delaney Gaddis (Glenwood Springs, Sr.): 6.0

Fountain-Fort Carson has joined this week’s On The Mat wrestling rankings in Class 5A. The Trojans are No. 10.

Aside from that, the Nos. 1-9 teams in 5A stayed the same.

In 4A, Mesa Ridge joined at No. 10. The 2A ranking added Crowley County.

The four No. 1 teams — Arvada West (5A), Broomfield (4A), Brush (3A), Paonia (2A) — again went unchanged.

Complete team rankings for all classes are below.

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On The Mat Wrestling Rankings

Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.

To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.

To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.

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Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A

A complete schedule and scoreboard for girls basketball’s top-10 teams this week.

• Live scoreboard
• Full schedule and scoreboard of this week’s games
• Complete CHSAANow.com rankings

Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A
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A complete schedule and scoreboard for boys basketball’s top-10 teams this week.

• Live scoreboard
• Full schedule and scoreboard of this week’s games
• Complete CHSAANow.com rankings

Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A
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A complete schedule and scoreboard for hockey’s top-10 teams this week.

• Full schedule and scoreboard of this week’s games
• Complete CHSAANow.com rankings

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(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

CHSAA’s annual winter break is upon us. No games, matches or meets will be played from Tuesday through Jan. 1, per the association’s long-standing rule restricting play during this time.

However, winter sports teams have opportunities to hold voluntary practices during the break. Here’s how it breaks down for winter athletes:

• Dec. 24-Jan. 1: No games, matches or meets allowed.
• Dec. 24-27: No contact allowed. No practice allowed.
• Dec. 28: Voluntary practice allowed.
• Dec. 29: No practice allowed, per Sunday contact rule.
• Dec. 30-31: Voluntary practice allowed.
• Jan. 1: No contact allowed. No practice allowed.
• Jan. 2: Full practices, games, matches and meets may resume.

So, while, practices can be held over the break, these practices must be voluntary. No coach may mandate a player’s attendance.

No contact is permitted between coaches and out-of-season (spring and fall) athletes from Dec. 24 through Jan. 1.

“We wish everyone a safe and happy break,” said CHSAA commissioner Paul Angelico.

Regis Jesuit moved up one place to No. 4 this week. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

Grandview, Monarch and Cherry Creek all joined this week’s CHSAANow.com boys basketball rankings in 5A.

Combined, the three teams went 9-0 last week. Grandview, which went 4-0 at the Mission Prep Christmas Classic in California last week, joined at No. 8. Monarch is No. 9 and Cherry Creek is No. 10.

There was nearly a massive shakeup of the 5A poll this week. Fossil Ridge — which already owns impressive wins over Eaglecrest, Grandview, ThunderRidge, Highlands Ranch and Thompson Valley — received eight first-place votes, and was close to overtaking No. 1 Denver East for the top spot. But the Angels got 11 first-place votes in staying atop the ranking.

So Fossil Ridge remained at No. 2 spot. Overland stayed at No. 3, while No. 4 Regis Jesuit and No. 5 Mountain Vista switched places.

Eaglecrest is sixth and Arapahoe moved up to ninth this week.

The biggest mover in the 4A ranking was Air Academy, which went from No. 10 last week to No. 6 this week. Valor Christian stayed atop that poll, and continued to be followed by No. 2 Thompson Valley and No. 3 Thomas Jefferson. No. 4 Pueblo East and No. 5 Sand Creek each moved up one spot.

3A’s Holy Family, 2A’s Sanford and 1A’s Caliche all remained atop their respective rankings this week. That means the No. 1 teams in each classification have not changed since the preseason.

These polls will serve as the rankings over the winter break, and through the first part of January. The next poll will not come out until Jan. 13.

Complete polls for all classes are below.

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CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

Ralston Valley remains atop the hockey poll this week. (Dennis Pleuss)

Mountain Vista’s big week has made an impression on the hockey voters.

The Golden Eagles, coming off a 3-0-0 week which included a 4-3 overtime win over then-No. 6 Cherry Creek, moved up six places to No. 2 in this week’s CHSAANow.com ranking.

Ralston Valley continued to lead the poll, and received five of the six first-place votes. Monarch is third, Cherry Creek is fourth and Columbine rounds out the top-5.

These polls will serve as the rankings over the winter break, and through the first part of January. The next poll will not come out until Jan. 13.

Complete rankings are below.

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CHSAANow.com Hockey Poll

Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

Ralston Valley is No. 10 in this week’s 5A girls basketball poll. (Dennis Pleuss)

Ralston Valley has joined this week’s Class 5A CHSAANow.com girls basketball poll. The Mustangs, who went 2-0 last week, are No. 10.

Elsewhere, the No. 1 teams remained the same. Those are Regis Jesuit (5A), Broomfield (4A), Holy Family (3A), Yuma (2A) and Caliche (1A).

Mesa Ridge made the most significant jump in the 4A poll in going from No. 5 to No. 3.

The 3A poll added Sterling (No. 6) and Peak to Peak (No. 8).

These polls will serve as the rankings over the winter break, and through the first part of January. The next poll will not come out until Jan. 13.

Complete rankings for all classes are below.

[divider]

CHSAANow.com Girls Basketball Polls

Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

THORNTON — Fairview won girls swimming’s annual Coaches Invite at VMAC on Saturday. The Knights’ 271 total team points bested second-place Cherry Creek (238) and third-place Regis Jesuit (217).

Team results are below. Find complete results on MaxPreps.

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