Class 1A Boys Basketball District Predictions Week 5
Holiday break is complete, and we move into January. Lots of basketball still to be played and I plan on updating all my District Predictions for Class 1A thru 3A this week and will continue to update weekly. I will be using the Districts from the CHSAA bulletin which is how team will qualify for regionals. I also see they have reverted to 2019 rules to qualify for regionals and state. I will post that below.
How to Qualify for Regionals and State
8 District each qualify 2 or 3 teams to three regionals. The three regionals are posted below
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 3 |
| District 1 & 8 | District 4, 5, 7 | District 2, 3, 6 |
The #1 and #2 seeds from Districts 1 and 8 will be paired, while the #1, #2, and #3 seeds from Districts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 will advance to a regional site. In Region 2 (4,5,7) and Region 3 (2, 3, 6), the nine qualify teams will be seeded by RPI avoiding any previous district matchups. In Region 1, District 1 and 8 #1s will play each other districts #2. Region 1 receives 2 state qualifiers, Region 2 & 3 receive three state qualifiers each.
After the Final 8 teams have been determined the teams will be re-seeded base on the following: The eight regional winners advance to the state tournament where they will be seeded by seeding criteria approved in a committee, made up of administrative representatives. The committee may use the following criteria to seed the final pairings: final RPI, previous district matchup’s, head-to-head competition, and common opponents.
A consolation bracket will be played in the Great 8.
Class 1A Boys Basketball District Predictions Week 3
Going back to the 2019 ways to qualify for Regionals they have altered my District Predictions a small amount.
District 1
1. Caprock Academy
2. Dove Creek
3. Ouray
4. North Park
5. De Beque
6. Nucla
District 1 only gets 2 teams to regionals. Not a ton of changes from my preseason predictions to today. I still have Caprock Academy as my favorite to win the District 1 tournament and will play the #2 team from District 8. Caprock Academy is off to a solid 4-0 start with a quality win over Crested Butte and Cedaredge. Dove Creek is still my pick to finish in second place. Dove Creek is 4-2 with a quality loss to Center. Dove Creek also picked up a solid win over Dolores and avenged there loss to Monticello UT beating them in OT. Ouray I still have in 3rd place. Ouray is 4-4 with 2 quality loses to Heritage Christian and Belleview Christian. Ouray best win is over Ridgway and North Park. North Park has moved up into the #4 spot. North Park defeated Nucla and Lone Star and move ahead of De Beque. De Beque is 1-2 to start the season and I think will be a team that improves as the year goes on. Nucla rounds out District 1 with a 1-5 record to start this year.
My predictions for District 1
League Champion: Caprock Academy
Regional Qualifiers: Caprock Academy and Dove Creek
District 2
1. Granada
2. Cheyenne Wells
3. Cheraw
4. McClave
5. Wiley
6. Eads
7. Kit Carson
District 2 gets 3 team into regionals and will compete against District 3 & 6 at Regionals. Granada stays as my pick to win District 2. Granada is off to a 6-0 start winning the Lamar Holiday shootout. Granada had a close call against McClave and Wiley. Granada opens things off in 2022 against Eads. I really feel loke spots 1 thru 5 are wide open this year in District 2. Cheyenne Wells stays as my #2 team. Cheyenne Wells is also off to a 4-1 start with a key win over Idalia to open the season. Cheyenne Wells picked up their only loss to Genoa-Hugo in OT. Cheyenne Wells open 2022 against Kit Carson. Cheraw is my pick to finish 3rd and get to regionals. Cheraw is 4-2 on the season but the 2 loses are to quality opponents. Cheraw has solid wins over Center and Dolores. McClave stays as my pick to finish 4th. McClave could easily be a team to move into the top 3 as they competed well against Granada and beat Holly by 2. Wiley is in a similar boat as McClave as a team that can compete for a regional spot. Wiley beat Holly and lost by 10 to Granada. Eads is a bit of a wildcard as they have defeated Hi-Plains but lost big to McClave and competed well but lost to Springfield. Eads could be a team to watch as the season goes on. Kit Carson rounds out District 2 at 1-4.
My predictions for District 2
League Champion: Granada
Regional Qualifiers: Granada, Cheyenne Wells, Cheraw
District 3
1. La Veta
2. Kim/Branson
3. Primero
4. Springfield
5. Manzanola
6. Walsh
7. South Baca
District 3 will get 3 teams into regionals and will compete against District 2 & District 6. District 3 will be a very interesting battle as some teams have key players that have transferred or teams that are off to a slow start. My pick to win District 3 is La Veta. La Veta is off to a 5-2 start. La Veta has quality losses to ECA and Las Animas. La Veta did pick up a quality win over Creede and Hoehne. La Veta will look to take a big step when they face Manzanola on Friday. Kim/Branson slides into the #2 spot. Kim/Branson is 2-5 but have competed well so far this season. Kim/Branson has 4 straight losses but all are to quality opponents. Things do not get any easier for Kim/Branson as they open 2022 against Primero in a huge contest on Friday. Primero stays in the #3 spot but will look for a quality win to open 2022 against Kim/Branson and Sangre De Cristo. Primero is 3-4 but have won 3 straight games including quality wins over Cotopaxi and Hanover. Springfield has moved up from #6 to #4 this week. Springfield is 2-3 overall but picked up solid wins over Kit Carson and Eads. Springfield I think will improve as the season goes and could be a team to jump into the top 3. Manzanola slides into the #5 spot. Manzanola is off to a 2-2 start but a big win over Moffat to end 2021 could be a big jump start to 2022. Manzanola has a huge contest against La Veta to open 2022. Walsh and Primero both are winless and will look for a big win to open 2022.
My predictions for District 3
League Champion: La Veta
Regional Qualifiers: La Veta, Kim/Branson, Primero
District 4
1. Briggsdale
2. Haxtun
3. Merino
4. Prairie
5. Longmont Christian
6. Caliche
7. Fleming
8. Peetz
9. Weldon Valley
District 4 will get 3 teams into regionals. District 4 will compete against District 5 & 7 at Regionals. District 4 will be one of the toughest leagues this season with 8 competitive teams and should make for a fun January and February. Briggsdale stays as my pick to win District 4. Briggsdale opened the season at 5-0 including solid wins over Sedgwick County, Idalia, Prairie, and Flatirons Academy. Briggsdale opens 2022 against Weldon Valley and a big test the next day against Stratton. Haxtun stays as my pick to finish 2nd. Haxtun opened the season at 5-1. Haxtun only loss is to Holyoke who is ranked in Class 2A. Haxtun has quality wins over Fleming, Merino, and Sedgwick County to open the season. Haxtun opens 2022 against 2A #1 Yuma then another big test the next day against Prairie. Merino is my pick to finish 3rd. Merino is 3-2 currently with quality losses to Haxtun and Simla. Merino does have quality win over Akron and Burlington. Merino will open 2022 against Fleming and Peetz. Prairie is my pick for 4th place, and I think could easily challenge for a top 3 spot. Prairie is 3-1 with their lone loss coming by 1 to Briggsdale. Prairie will hope to improve going into 2022 and will have a shot at Haxtun on 1/8. Caliche is my pick to finish 5th. Caliche is currently 2-3 but have quality losses. Caliche wins over Peetz and Fleming are the reason they sit at #5. Caliche opens 2022 against Sedgwick County and Weldon Valley. Longmont Christian is my pick at #6. Longmont Christian currently sits at 1-4 overall but don’t let the record fool you. Longmont Christian has played a tough schedule with quality losses to Meeker, Mancos, and Flatirons Academy. They open 2022 against Nederland and a big test on 1/11 against Lyons. Fleming and Peetz are both 1-4 to open the season and both open 2022 against Merino. These two teams I think will show improvement as the season goes on. Weldon Valley rounds out District 4 at 0-4.
My predictions for District 4
League Champion: Briggsdale
Regional Qualifiers: Briggsdale, Haxtun, Merino
District 5
1. Genoa-Hugo
2. Stratton
3. Otis
4. Idalia
5. Arickaree/Woodlin
6. Hi-Plains
7. Bethune
8. Deer Trail
9. Flagler
10. Lone Star
District 5 gets 3 teams into regionals and will compete against District 4 & 7 at regionals. Genoa-Hugo is my pick to win District 5. Genoa-Hugo is currently 5-0 and picked up a big win over Cheyenne Wells to close out 2021. Genoa-Hugo opens 2022 against 2A Limon and Calhan. After Genoa-Hugo things get very interesting with a lot of District 5 teams getting off to slow starts. Otis is now my pick to finish 2nd in District 5. Otis is currently 3-3 with a big win over Idalia by 7. Otis has 3 quality losses to Prairie, Merino, and Akron. Otis opens 2022 against Bethune and should give us insight on both teams. Stratton is my pick to finish 3rd. Stratton is 1-2 currently with losses to 2A Calhan and Akron. Stratton did defeat Idalia in OT which is why I moved them to #3 and Stratton is a young team that will improve as the season goes forward. Stratton opens 2022 against Arickaree/Woodlin and this game will give huge insight in the battle for a top 3 spot. Idalia falls into the #4 spot this week. Idalia is off to a slow start at 1-5 but have played a very tough schedule with losses to Cheyenne Wells, Briggsdale, Genoa-Hugo, Stratton, and Otis. If Idalia can bounce back, I see no reason why they don’t challenge for a top 3 spot. Idalia opens 2022 against Hi-Plains. Arickaree/Woodlin is currently 3-3 but their loss to Fleming is why I dropped them to #5. Arickaree/Woodlin did end 2021 on a positive not beating Gilpin County. Arickaree/Woodlin will look to open 2022 with a win over Stratton and Rocky Mountain Lutheran. Hi-Plains is 1-3 to start the season but they have played a tough schedule. Hi-Plains opens 2022 against Idalia and this game should give us insight into how the league will pan out. Bethune comes in at #7. Bethune is currently 2-3 overall. Bethune has quality losses to Cheyenne Wells and Hanover. Bethune best win is over Deer Trail and they will open 2022 against Otis and this is a big game for both teams as they look to open 2022 on the right foot. Flagler comes in at #8. Flagler moved up to #8 after defeating Deer Trail. Flagler is 2-4 and open 2022 against Denver Waldorf and Limon both will be very tough games. Deer Trail and Lone Start round out the bottom of District 5.
My predictions for District 5
League Champion: Genoa-Hugo
Regional Qualifiers: Genoa-Hugo, Otis, Stratton
District 6
1. Sierra Grande
2. Cotopaxi
3. Moffat
4. Creede
5. Centennial
6. Antonito
7. Sangre De Cristo
District 6 will get 3 teams into regionals and will compete with District 2 & 3 at regionals. Sierra Grande is my pick to win the District 6 tournament. Sierra Grande is off to a 7-0 start with quality wins over Primero, Kim/Branson, Hayden, and Center. Sierra Grande will open 2022 against Lake County but the trust test comes next week against Trinidad. Sierra Grande 2022 schedule should keep them battle tested before heading into the final stretch. Cotopaxi is my pick to finish 2nd. Cotopaxi is 4-2 to start the season with quality wins over Moffat and Crested Butte. Cotopaxi has quality losses to Primero and ECA. Cotopaxi opens 2022 against Sangre De Cristo and Kim/Branson both are important games for Cotopaxi moving forward. Moffat makes the move from #4 to #3 and I think have a good shot at making regionals. Moffat is currently 2-3 but have 3 quality losses. Moffat will open 2022 against Creede and this game could be huge for seeding the District Tournament. Creede is my pick to finish in 4th. Creede is 4-3 to open the season and right off the bat in 2022 they face Moffat and I think winner will have a huge advantage to getting to regionals. Centennial comes in at the #5 spot. Centennial is 2-3 but they have defeated Antonito both times this season. Centennial opens 2022 against Lake City and Antonito and could be 4-3 before facing Springfield and Creede. Antonito and Sangre De Cristo round out the rest of District 6.
My predictions for District 6
League Champion: Sierra Grande
Regional Qualifiers: Sierra Grande, Cotopaxi, Moffat
District 7
1. Evangelical Christian
2. Simla
3. Hanover
4. Pikes Peak Christian
5. Elbert
6. Kiowa
7. Miami-Yoder
8. Cripple Creek
District 7 will get 3 teams into regionals and will compete against District 4 and 5 at Regionals. Evangelical Christian is my pick to win the District 7 tournament. Simla is my pick to finish in 2nd place and Hanover is my pick to finish in 3rd and grab the final spot to regionals. ECA is off to a 6-0 start with quality wins over La Veta, Fleming, Cheraw, and Belleview Christian. ECA will look to get 2022 going with tough games against Colorado Springs School and Flatirons Academy. Simla is 3-2 to start the year with losses to 2A Peyton and Crowley County. Simla did pick up big wins over Merino and Calhan to end 2021. Simla opens 2022 against 2A Byers and then a huge clash against Pikes Peak Christian on 1/14. Hanover is 4-1 to start the season with their best win coming over Wiley and Moffat. Hanover will open 2022 against Deer Trail. Pikes Peak Christian is my pick to finish in 4th place. PPC is 5-1 on the season with their best win coming over Elbert and Flagler. Pikes Peak Christin lone loss is to Front Range Christin by 30 and they open 2022 against Belleview Christian. Elbert is my pick to finish 5th. Elbert is 1-4 to start the season with their lone win over Miami-Yoder. Elbert opens 2022 against Hanover and a win should get them back on track. Kiowa rounds out the top 6. Kiowa is 2-0 to start the season but are still look for their first quality win. Kiowa opens 2022 against Calhan and this game will determine a lot for me. Miami-Yoder and Cripple Creek round out the rest of District 7.
My predictions for District 7
League Champion: Evangelical Christian
Regional Qualifiers: Evangelical Christian, Simla, Hanover
District 8 (Only 2 teams make it to Regionals)
1. Belleview Christian
2. Denver Waldorf
3. Flatirons Academy
4. Front Range Baptist
5. Denver Jewish Day
6. Rocky Mountain Lutheran
7. Mile High Academy
8. Denver Academy of Torah
9. Beth Eden
District 8 gets just 2 teams into Regionals and will face District 1 at Regionals. District 8 has been tough to evaluate early on with teams playing non CHSAA schools or playing non-quality opponents. Belleview Christian is my pick to win the District 8 tournament. Belleview Christian is 4-3 but all 3 loses are to quality opponents. Belleview Christian has quality wins over Ouray, Dawson School and Heritage Christian. Belleview Christian will open 2022 against Pikes Peak Christian. Denver Waldorf is my pick to finish 2nd. Denver Waldorf is 4-0 to open the season and has a quality win over Cheraw and Fleming. Denver Waldorf opens 2022 against Flagler and then moves into league play against Front Range Baptist. Flatirons Academy is 3-3 to start the year with 3 quality loses to Strasburg and Byers. Flatirons Academy did pick up a solid win over Front Range Christian will open 2022 against Loveland Classical and ECA. Front Range Baptist is my pick for 4th place. Front Range Baptist is 2-2 and their best win is over Dayspring Christian. Front Range Baptist opens 2022 against Lone Star and then open league play against Denver Waldorf. Denver Jewish Day rounds out my top 5. Denver Jewish Day has not played a quality opponent yet. They open 2022 against 3A SkyView Academy then move into league play against Rocky Mountain Lutheran. Rocky Mountain Lutheran is my pick for 6th. Rocky Mountain Lutheran is 3-3 with quality wins over Golden View Classical and Dawson School. Rocky Mountain Lutheran is a team I believe could push for a much higher spot but their 20-point loss to Dayspring Christian does have me concerned. Mile High Academy, Denver Academy of Torah, and Beth Eden round out District 8.
My predictions for District 8
League Champion: Belleview Christian
Regional Qualifiers: Belleview Christian, Denver Waldorf
Regional/State Tournament Predictions
I am going to put the teams down that I think make it to regionals and then give my predictions on which teams make it to the State Tournament. As we get deeper, I will give some seeds with RPI but for now this is just my predictions.
Region 1
District 1: Caprock Academy, Dove Creek
District 8: Belleview Christian, Denver Waldorf
State Qualifiers: Caprock Academy & Belleview Christian
Region 2
District 2: Granada, Cheyenne Wells, Cheraw
District 3: Kim/Branson, La Veta, Primero
District 6: Sierra Grande, Cotopaxi, Moffat
State Qualifiers: Granada, Cheyenne Wells, Sierra Grande
Region 3
District 4: Briggsdale, Haxtun, Merino
District 5: Genoa-Hugo, Idalia, Arickaree/Woodlin
District 7: Evangelical Christian, Simla, Hanover
State Qualifiers: Briggsdale, Haxtun, Evangelical Christian
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