Regis Jesuit (in 5A) and Air Academy (in 4A) are each now atop their respective polls in this week’s girls basketball rankings.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Greeley Central, Montrose, Grand Valley, Eaton, Alamosa, Sanford, Paonia, and North Park have all joined this week’s girls basketball rankings.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
D’Evelyn 30, Widefield 21, Golden 13, Berthoud 9, Wheat Ridge 8, Pueblo Central 6, Skyline 5, Mead 4, George Washington 3, Denver West 2, Thomas Jefferson 2, Weld Central 2, Canon City 1, Denver North 1, Discovery Canyon 1, Palmer Ridge 1.
Dropped out
D’Evelyn (9), Golden (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
St. Mary’s (10)
4-0
118
1
3-0
2
Colorado Springs Christian (2)
2-0
110
2
1-0
3
Lutheran
3-1
84
3
0-1
4
Centauri
5-1
67
6
2-1
5
Delta
3-0
56
8
1-0
6
University
4-1
50
5
1-1
7
Pagosa Springs
2-1
48
4
1-1
8
Grand Valley (1)
5-0
32
–
2-0
9
Eaton
5-0
27
–
2-0
10
Alamosa
4-2
22
–
3-1
Others receiving votes:
Cedaredge 20, Roaring Fork 17, Colorado Academy 13, Faith Christian 13, Resurrection Christian 13, Kent Denver 7, Machebeuf 5, Moffat County 5, Estes Park 2, Platte Valley 2, Coal Ridge 1, Lake County 1, Manitou Springs 1, Riverdale Ridge 1.
Dropped out
Moffat County (7), Kent Denver (9), Cedaredge (10).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Wray (7)
4-0
86
1
3-0
2
Del Norte (1)
5-0
75
4
3-0
3
Holyoke
3-0
50
5
1-0
4
Yuma
2-2
48
3
2-1
5
Simla
3-0
42
7
1-0
6
Limon
2-1
41
2
1-1
7
Swink (1)
2-1
39
6
2-1
8
Sanford
3-1
19
–
2-1
9
Soroco
5-1
18
9
3-1
10
Paonia
3-0
17
–
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Hotchkiss 14, Meeker 12, Heritage Christian 6, Holly 6, Ignacio 5, Rye 5, Crowley County 4, Highland 3, Rocky Ford 3, Fowler 1, Plateau Valley 1.
Dropped out
Meeker (8), Highland (10).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Kit Carson (13)
3-0
138
1
3-0
2
Sangre de Cristo (1)
4-0
114
2
1-0
3
Haxtun
3-0
101
3
1-0
4
Briggsdale
5-0
79
4
2-0
5
South Baca
4-0
67
5
2-0
6
Genoa-Hugo/Karval
4-0
64
6
2-0
7
Kim/Branson
4-0
43
8
1-0
8
Fleming
2-1
26
9
2-0
9
North Park
2-1
23
–
1-0
10
McClave
2-2
22
7
1-2
Others receiving votes:
Springfield 17, De Beque 16, Longmont Christian 14, Elbert 10, Shining Mountain Waldorf 8, Cheraw 6, La Veta 5, Cotopaxi 4, Eads 4, Lone Star 3, Pikes Peak Christian 2, Wiley 2, Dove Creek 1, Merino 1.
Wray has taken over the top spot in this week’s Class 2A girls basketball rankings.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Widefield 21, Greeley Central 18, Discovery Canyon 8, Thomas Jefferson 8, Centaurus 7, Littleton 5, Mead 4, Montrose 4, Pueblo Central 4, Rifle 4, George Washington 2, The Classical Academy 2, Berthoud 1, Pueblo County 1.
Dropped out
Thomas Jefferson (8).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
St. Mary’s (8)
1-0
107
1
1-0
2
Colorado Springs Christian (3)
1-0
102
2
1-0
3
Lutheran
3-0
67
6
3-0
4
Pagosa Springs
1-0
63
4
1-0
5
University
3-0
56
3
3-0
6
Centauri
3-0
44
7
3-0
7
Moffat County
2-1
33
5
2-1
8
Delta
2-0
26
–
2-0
9
Kent Denver
1-0
15
9
1-0
10
Cedaredge
2-0
11
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Lamar 10, Sterling 10, Machebeuf 9, Faith Christian 8, Manitou Springs 8, Alamosa 7, Eaton 7, Colorado Academy 6, Grand Valley 6, Resurrection Christian 6, Estes Park 2, Jefferson Academy 1, Salida 1.
Dropped out
Lamar (8), Resurrection Christian (10).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Wray (7)
1-0
87
3
1-0
2
Limon
1-0
69
2
1-0
3
Yuma (1)
0-1
62
1
0-1
4
Del Norte
2-0
58
4
2-0
5
Holyoke
2-0
53
6
2-0
6
Swink (1)
0-0
46
5
0-0
7
Simla
2-0
31
8
2-0
8
Meeker
1-1
18
7
1-1
9
Soroco
2-0
16
–
2-0
10
Highland
2-1
12
9
2-1
Others receiving votes:
Clear Creek 8, Rangely 8, Ignacio 7, Sanford 7, Paonia 4, Rocky Ford 4, Holly 2, Wiggins 2, Sargent 1.
Dropped out
Ignacio (10).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Kit Carson (10)
0-0
106
1
0-0
2
Sangre de Cristo (1)
3-0
85
3
3-0
3
Haxtun
2-0
63
5
2-0
4
Briggsdale
3-0
44
–
3-0
5
South Baca
2-0
40
8
2-0
6
Genoa-Hugo/Karval
2-0
39
–
2-0
7
McClave
1-0
35
6
1-0
8
Kim/Branson
3-0
32
7
3-0
9
Fleming
0-1
28
2
0-1
10
La Veta
0-0
27
9
0-0
Others receiving votes:
North Park 25, Springfield 16, Eads 15, De Beque 8, Longmont Christian 8, Aguilar 5, Cheraw 5, Cotopaxi 5, Caliche 4, Otis 4, Primero 3, Wiley 3, Elbert 2, Dove Creek 1, Merino 1, Shining Mountain Waldorf 1.
LOVELAND — Sean Fehringer knew something special was in the making.
Four months ago, the Peetz boys basketball coach watched his school’s football team capture the 6-man state championship. The best part? Ten out of the 12 players on his basketball roster were multi-sport athletes also on that team.
Knowing they were equipped with a championship mentality, Fehringer helped them transfer it over to the court — which came full circle Saturday night when the Bulldogs beat South Baca 51-44 in the Class 1A title game at the Budweiser Events Center.
Peetz now has two championships this school year, and its first boys basketball crown since 1962.
“Right after football season, we told the guys they had an opportunity to do something truly special for our town,” Fehringer said. “We have some of the greatest fan support for our athletics. It really is a community achievement for little old Peetz, Colorado.”
The Bulldogs’ run to the basketball title began as the No. 5 seed in the state tournament. They had to move past No. 4 Sange de Cristo in the opening round, then survive an overtime thriller against top-seeded Creede in the semifinals.
“We knew that coming in, there would be eight teams here all hungry for the same thing, and that makes it very challenging,” Fehringer said.
In Saturday’s finale, Peetz (25-1) found itself evenly matched against No. 6 South Baca.
(dustinpricephotography.com)
The Bulldogs grabbed an early lead but were unable to put the game away, which remained tight all the way until the final minutes. Although never having a lead, the Patriots did not trail more than eight at any point, continuing to apply pressure.
It was the senior-heavy Peetz lineup that proved to be the difference coming down the stretch.
Logan Sircy, who also earned football Player of the Year honors, finished as the game’s leading scorer with 23 points. Included in his performance was a key 3-pointer and a pair of free throws late in the fourth quarter to help his team fend off South Baca.
Gabe Naegele and Bryson Long added nine and eight points, respectively, while Tre Fehringer chipped in five.
South Baca finishes its season with a 21-5 record as state runner-up. The Patriots were led by the scoring duo of seniors Micah Crane (19 points) and Thomas Manuel (13).
“This is awesome; just amazing. The environment and everything — you’ll never forget it,” Sircy said.
“We’ve been dreaming of this for as long as I can remember. It was a long time coming. To come out and get it done on the last game of your career is a really special feeling.”
GREELEY — Micah Crane started dreaming up a moment like this years ago.
It started his freshman season, when he watched his older brothers lead the South Baca boys basketball team in the state tournament. Now a senior, he had his own opportunity — and he was sure to make the most of it.
Crane and his Patriots teammates found themselves locked in a back-and-forth battle Friday night with No. 2-seed Front Range Baptist in the Class 1A semifinals.
Something had to give, and a game-clinching 3-pointer from Crane that bounced off both sides of the rim proved to be the moment of the game, which ended in a 64-57 victory for No. 6 South Baca.
“I dream of big-time shots like that every night. I felt it in the moment and it ended up being good,” Crane said. “Playing against my older brothers my whole life, it was really special to hit it with them in the stands watching.”
The win puts his team in position to do even better than that 2015 squad led by Matthew and Morgan Crane, which finished as the state consolation champion. Micah and the Patriots have a chance to bring South Baca its first state title when they take on Peetz in the championship game at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland.
“To represent our school up here feels amazing. I just want to make our hometown proud,” Crane said. “We want to put our school on the map.”
In Friday’s win, Crane helped South Baca offensively with 24 total points. The 10 he scored in the fourth quarter included the clutch, go-ahead 3-pointer and a pair of free throws late to seal the victory.
Fellow senior Thomas Manuel led the Patriots in scoring with a game-high 25 points, including connecting on seven of his 10 free-throw attempts.
Front Range Baptist, which never trailed more than 5 points until the late moments of the game, had three players score in double-digits. The Falcons were led by Adam Poole’s 17 points, while Deric Woods and Stephen Stallings contributed 13 and 10, respectively.
Front Range Baptist moves into the third-place game, where it will face Creede at noon Saturday back at Bank of Colorado Arena.
[divider]
(5) Peetz 69, (1) Creede 67 (OT)
The second boys semifinal bout was just as competitive as the first, so much that extra time was required to determine a winner
Friday’s finale didn’t disappoint, as both teams remained tied down to the final moment. The Bulldogs had possession with only eight seconds left in overtime when the last timeout was called. Shortly after, Logan Sircy dished the ball over to Gabe Naegele, who was waiting beneath the basket to put in the game-winner.
Sircy finished as the top scorer for Peetz with 23 points. Naegele put up 15 points of his own, while Bryson Long contributed 14.
Isaac Borchers of Creede was beyond impressive offensively as he finished the game leading all scorers with 33 points. Casper Freedie and Finn Leggitt added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
GREELEY — Finn Leggitt only scored six points in the second half of No. 1 Creede’s 55-46 win over No. 8 Cornerstone Christian, but they were easily the most timely six points of the game.
The Miners held a slim 27-25 lead at halftime, and missed key opportunities to make the game a little more comfortable at the break. That was the emphasis of the talk at halftime.
“A lot of backdoors and start making layups,” Leggitt said. “We didn’t do so well and had to work on that.”
Burying a couple of long shots helps too. Leggitt connected on two 3-pointers to highlight a 12-1 run that Creede opened the second half with. What was a back and forth battle for the better part of 16 minutes had turned into a game where the top seed in the Class 1A state tournament had control.
“We knew they were going to play rough and come out here and player their game,” Leggitt said.
The Bulldogs attacked the basket often, drawing fouls and making their way to the free throw line. Seven of their 25 first-half points came from the charity stripe.
And where Leggitt warmed up at just the right time for the Miners, Cornerstone Christian went cold. Christian Lambertson’s 3-pointer in the third was the only field goal the Bulldogs made in the quarter.
Ethan Carlson scored eight of his game-high 19 points in the fourth. The man-to-man pressure from Cornerstone Christian threw Creede off for a bit, but they were able to adjust enough to come away with the win.
“In our district, we see a lot of zone presses and not a lot of man,” Leggitt said. “We had a hard time adjusting, but we’ll go over it and we’ll fix it.”
The Miners will face Peetz in the 1A Final 4 on Friday.
[divider]
(6) South Baca 75, (3) Heritage Christian 59
Micah Crane scored 25 and Thomas Manuel added 21 as South Baca grabbed the 1A tournament’s early upset.
Levi Kilian scored 16 for the Eagles, half of which came in the fourth quarter. But the Patriots outscored Heritage Christian 23-17 in the final eight minutes to move on to Friday’s Final 4.
[divider]
(2) Front Range Baptist 65, Genoa-Hugo/Karval 31
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Deric Woods scored 22 and Adam Poole added 16 as Front Range Baptist rolled into the 1A semifinals.
Ben Miller led Genoa-Hugo/Karval with 11 points.
The Pirates had their best offensive output in the third quarter, but the deficit to the Falcons proved to be too much ground to make up.
With the win, Front Range Baptist will face No. 6 South Baca, who beat No. 3 Heritage Christian Thursday morning.
[divider]
(5) Peetz 64, (4) Sangre de Cristo 29
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Peetz is headed to the Final 4 after an impressive win over Sangre de Cristo. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 18-10 lead after the first quarter and extended it to 29-15 at the half.
Logan Sircy led Peetz with 19 points while Jake Slane was scoring leader for the Thunderbirds, totaling 11.
The Bulldogs will face top-seeded Creede in the semifinals on Friday.
ThunderRidge has moved up to the No. 1 spot in Class 5A in this week’s boys basketball rankings.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
With the regular season set to end on Saturday, these will serve as the final rankings of the regular season.
Chaparral (in 5A) and Peetz (in 1A) have taken over the top sports in their respective boys basketball rankings this week.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Pueblo South (4A) and Holly (1A) took over the top spots in their respective basketball rankings this week.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.