CLASS 1A GIRLS BASKETBALL WEEKLY PREVIEW
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
With February less than a week away, postseason basketball is just around the corner. Our focus this week is spotlighting the key match-ups in each league. All rankings are from the most recent CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index, unless otherwise noted.
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Despite a losing overall record, Belleview Christian (22nd) enters Thursday’s contest with Denver Waldorf with a half game lead over Flatirons Academy (2nd) in the league race. Next Thursday’s meeting could be a de facto league championship game. However, Rocky Mountain Lutheran is still in the mix, with just one league loss.
The Lady Bruins dropped a 16-15 affair to 3A Dawson School last Thursday, with neither team scoring more than six points in any quarter. Victoria Mallory, who has only played in the last three games, led the way with eight points. She’s averaging just under four a game. The senior added 15 rebounds and five steals in the loss. Bethany Long is the lone Lady Bruin averaging more than seven points a game this season, checking in at 12.7 ppg. She also grabs close to 11 rebounds a night, recording four double-doubles on the year.
Denver Waldorf (50th) has dropped four straight games and enters the contest with just one victory overall. The Lady Spartans lost the league match-up with Belleview Christian 39-6 two weeks ago, and have only scored more than 17 points once this season. That was the 11th straight win by the Lady Bruins in the series. Denver Waldorf has not beaten Belleview Christian since December of 2009.
ARKANSAS VALLEY
Three teams inside the Ark Valley have not lost a league contest, but none has played more than two so far. Springfield (12th) is 2-0 and the Lady Longhorns will host South Baca (36th) on Tuesday with the winner gaining the inside track to the league title. But, Kim/Branson (13th) still has both on the slate and the Lady Mustangs will definitely be a factor down the stretch.
Springfield has a non-league game with La Veta (33rd) on Friday that may not catch a lot of attention, but the two will be in the same district once the postseason rolls around, so it’s still an important contest. The Lady Longhorns already own a 53-30 victory over La Veta from early in the season. That was part of a tournament at Las Animas.
Brakelle Westphal and Lainee Leathers each had 19 points for Springfield in the win, while Kendyl Eddleman, who has signed to play volleyball at Otero, led the Lady Redhawks with 13. On the season, Westphal averages 16 points and eight rebounds, while Eddleman has been good for 11 points and eight boards a night for La Veta. Springfield has won its last two outings and all six previous meetings with the Lady Redhawks dating back to 2015. La Veta has lost three straight overall.
South Baca has a tough non-league draw on Thursday at McClave (3rd). Kate Elmore leads the Lady Patriots in just about every category, including scoring (11.9 ppg), rebounding (11.5), assists (2.0), steals (4.0), and blocks (4.9). McClave, out of the High Plains, counters with standout freshman Abrielle Gomez, who scores just over 14 points and blocks 2.2 shots per game. Junior McKayla Kinniston leads the Lady Cards with 7.3 rebounds, 6.4 steals, and 3.3 assists a game. South Baca is coming off a 61-34 loss to Granada (6th) on Tuesday, while McClave is 10-0 on the year. The Lady Cards won two meetings with last season, the first snapping a five-game losing streak in the series.
Kim/Branson is 1-0 in league play after Tuesday’s 30-26 victory over Wiley (27th) in overtime. The Lady Mustangs travel to winless Walsh (45th) for another league contest on Friday, and a win keeps them in possession of a share of the league lead. With a tough non-league game against Eads (16th) the following day, the Lady Mustangs must remain focused on the task at hand. Walsh is averaging just a tick under 19 points a game.
BLACK FOREST
Kiowa (4th) shares the league lead with Pikes Peak Christian (31st), who is just inside the cut line for regionals. The two don’t meet until next Thursday. Kiowa does not have a league game before that contest, while the Lady Eagles visit Hanover (34th) in league play on Friday.
We’ll start with that match-up, as it’s one that Hanover really needs to win. They Lady Hornets sit outside the top-32 in the Seeding Index and already have a league loss to Kiowa. There is reason for Hanover fans to be optimistic as they pushed Elbert, a top-20 team in 2A, in a 34-33 loss on Wednesday.
While Hanover has lost its last two games, the Lady Eagles have won their last two and are 3-1 in their last four. The duo of Rebecca Thomas (14.3 ppg) and Sarah Harris (9.3 ppg) combine for more than 23 points a night. The Eagles average just under 31 a game as a team. Hanover has won the last two meetings, by a combined three points. Over the last six, each team has won three.
Kiowa has a tough non-league match-up with Genoa-Hugo (18th) on Thursday. The Lady Pirates join the same district as Kiowa, so it’s another key clash that could have implications on the seeding for that tournament. They come in on a two-game skid, but those losses were to the top two teams in the 2A index, Merino and Burlington. Their last five games have been against 2A opponents, and they’ve gone 2-3 in that stretch. Senior Baylee Kelly (9.6 ppg) and junior Haley Ewing (4.8 ppg) lead a young squad that has three freshmen and a sophomore in the top six of the rotation.
Over the last season and a half, Kiowa has gone 30-3, but the Lady Indians failed to make it to state last year, after winning 20 games. As good as they were last season, they might be even better this time around. They average close to 58 points a game, with three players in double figures for the year, and a fourth not far behind. Kendra Byrd (18.6 ppg) has scored double figures in all nine of the games she’s played this season and is coming off an 18 point performance in the win over Hanover last Saturday.
FISHERS PEAK
Realignment and reclassification really hit the Fishers Peak league hard, leaving only two programs. La Veta and Primero (44th) don’t play for another two weeks, so most of the focus is on games against teams they will see in districts. That means the Ark Valley (minus Wiley). The only such match-up this week is the La Veta and Springfield game mentioned earlier.
However, Primero will have a shot at helping its standing in the Seeding Index when the Lady Bulldogs host Sierra Grande (21st) on Thursday in non-league action. Primero has dropped four of its last five, including two against future district opponents Kim/Branson and Springfield. In seven of their eight losses, the Lady Bulldogs have scored fewer than 25 points. They are 3-1 when scoring more than 25. With a roster that includes only five upperclassmen, the Lady Bulldogs are led by freshman Isabela Maldonado, who averages 12 points and nearly three and a half steals a game.
Sierra Grande has alternated wins and losses over its last six games, and the Lady Panthers will enter the contest having beaten John Mall by 50 on Tuesday. They have scored more than 60 points in each of their last three wins, but have only scored more than 35 in one of the last three losses. Mariana Loya recorded her fourth double-double of the season in that win on Tuesday, posting 21 points and 10 rebounds. On the season the senior averages 16 points and just a shade under 10 boards. As longtime members of the same district, the two programs have met 16 times since 2006, with Sierra Grande winning 15, including the last 14 in a row.
HIGH PLAINS
Four of the top eight teams in the most recent Seeding Index call the High Plains league home, and all six members are currently inside the top 24 of the metric. The final month of the regular season is sure to be packed with top match-ups from that league.
The biggest one just might happen on Friday when McClave hosts Granada. Entering Thursday, the teams had a combined 20-1 record, with the lone loss belonging to Granada. Oh, and it was against McClave in the championship of the Lamar Holiday Tournament. The Lady Cards jumped out to a 33-12 halftime advantage and rolled to their 26th straight win over the Lady Bobcats during the MaxPreps era, 54-31. Gomez scored a game-high 25 for the Lady Cards, while Trinidie Quintana led Granada with eight.
McClave has won all but two of its first 10 games by at least 12 points. The only two in single digits were over Kit Carson (7th) during the Lamar tourney, and 2A #13 Simla. Both of those games were decided by nine points. The Lady Bobcats have been pretty impressive so far this season, too. Of their 10 wins, seven have been by double digits. The lone exceptions are a pair of wins over Springfield (four points and nine points) and a nine point victory over Kit Carson. They have four players averaging nine points or more a game, led by Kiana Herrera at 15.3 ppg. Quintana averages a double-double at 11 points and 10 boards. The senior has four of them, plus a triple-double this season.
Cheraw (8th) hosts Eads on Friday with the Lady Wolverines looking to keep pace with the winner of the McClave and Granada game atop the league standings. Cheraw has won seven straight since suffering its lone loss of the season to Sangre de Cristo (11th) 43-41 in the Thunderbird Shootout during the first weekend of the season. Crislyn Miell, who leads the team in scoring at 11.7 ppg, went for 15 in that loss. That number has taken a hit recently as she’s been held to a total of 10 points in the last two games. On the season the junior has hit 22 of 66 three-point shots.
A quick glance at the numbers for Eads shows that not only are the Lady Eagles right at .500 with a 5-5 record, but they’ve outscored their opponents 323-319. Not many teams have been that close to even this season. They’ve lost two of their last three and another loss would drop them to 0-2 in the league, with games against McClave and Granada, plus Cheyenne Wells still on the schedule. Freshman Tailee Weeks-Johnson is having a solid first season in high school, leading the Lady Eagles in scoring (10.8 ppg), rebounding (5.9), steals (4.7), and assists (2.1). Eads has won 14 of the last 16 match-ups, but Cheraw has won two of the last three. Both were by single digits, including a 37-36 decision last year.
Kit Carson is in a really tough stretch in its schedule, and it will be that way the rest of the regular season. Dating back to last Friday’s loss to Granada, the Lady Wildcats do not have an opponent remaining on the slate that is outside of the top 24. That includes a pair of games against top 20 teams in 2A. One of those comes on Saturday when they host Evangelical Christian (17th). Kit Carson is just 3-2 this month, but both losses are against teams ranked fourth and sixth in the Seeding Index. Balance has always been a trademark of the Lady Wildcats under coach Sara Crawford and this season is no different. Tess Johnson leads the team at 9.1 ppg, while Kenzie Waggoner (8.7) and Lindsey Mayhan (8.3) aren’t far behind.
ECA had it rolling in its first season back up in 2A, but the Lady Eagles have dropped their last two game and their remaining schedule is loaded with highly ranked opponents in both 1A and 2A.
NORTH CENTRAL
It comes as little surprise that the top two teams in the NCL are Briggsdale (1st) and Fleming (5th). They will meet on Saturday in Fleming with the league title likely going to the winner. Both teams are unbeaten, but Fleming has a tough challenge on Friday night when the Lady Wildcats host Merino who is the top team in the 2A Seeding Index.
Fleming has a strong 1-2 punch in Kally Kirkwood and Madi Serrato. Kirkwood averages 12.9 points, 7.5 boards, 3.3 assists, and almost a block and a half, all of which lead the team. She’s also second in steals at 3.8 a contest. Serrato adds 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.6 steals. Merino has won nine straight since opening the season with a 34 point loss to Flatirons Academy. Only one has been decided by single digits. The Lady Rams have a game at Stratton on Thursday to make up for one that was snowed out last weekend.
When Fleming gets to Saturday’s clash, the Lady Wildcats will contend with a Briggsdale squad that’s averaging more than 58 points a game and is coming off a 55-33 win over 2A #5 Wiggins last week. Junior Jenna Krise is averaging close to 26 points a game and has recorded a pair of double-doubles on the season, one with points and rebounds and another with points and assists. Kayl Klem, Claire Brown, Peyton Nicklas, and Macie Klem all score between six and nine points for the Falcons. Briggsdale has a Friday game with Otis before it can shift its focus to the match-up with Fleming. The Lady Falcons have won the last four in the series with the Lady Wildcats, and six of the last seven, but Fleming holds a 23-16 advantage in the series dating back to 2007.
SOUTHERN PEAKS
Outside of the game featuring Sierra Grande and Primero, the biggest contest in the Southern Peaks this week is on Friday when the Lady Panthers are home against Creede (38th). Sierra Grande is tied with Centennial (39th) one game behind Sangre de Cristo in the win column atop the league standings. Creede is a half game back, tied with Antonito (51st) for fourth.
The Lady Miners seem to be very comfortable in low scoring games, as they are 2-1 when neither team scores 30 points. They will enter Friday’s game having won two straight after dropping three in a row. A pair of freshman lead them in scoring, with Lila Fairchild (8.1 ppg) and Jasmin Laing (5.5 ppg) pacing the squad. The Lady Miners have lost the last five contests with Sierra Grande, all by at least 15 points.
YWKC
Idalia (9th) has been the class of the YWKC this year under first year head coach Myles Johnson, who comes from the Jim Trahern coaching tree. They already have wins over two of the three closest teams in the league standings, and they’ll face the third member of that group on Friday when they host Arickaree (30th).
Arickaree hosts Lone Star (35th) on Thursday in a clash of teams right on the fringe of the cut line for the regional round. The Lady Bison have dropped four of their last five, all by 15 points or less. Cora Schrock leads a balanced attack with 9.3 points a game. Janiya Smith gives the team just over eight points a night, while Raeya Schrock adds 7.9. Wynter Van Ness was expected to contribute but has been sidelined by a knee injury that has limited her to just one game.
Lone Star has not had the season it had hoped for as the Lady Longhorns have dropped their last three outings. They were hit very hard by graduation, but still returned four players who were solid contributors on last year’s squad that made the state tournament for the first time in program history. They are 1-2 in league play and will only have one more league game after Thursday night.
Idalia will ride a two-game winning streak into its contest with Arickaree. The Lady Wolves beat Flagler (19th) on Tuesday, with Krista Wieser leading all scorers at 20 points. Jaylyn Kechter recorded her third double-double in the last five games by posting 17 points and 13 rebounds. All four of Idalia’s losses have been by 11 points or less.
UNION PACIFIC
Four of the seven members of the UP are in 1A, with half going into District 7 with members of the Black Forest and the other two going into District 5 with the YWKC. Three of the top four in the league standings are 2A programs, with Genoa-Hugo sitting third. The Lady Pirates have their big non-league tilt with Kiowa on Friday. Stratton has yet to play a league game won’t until next Tuesday.
However, the Lady Eagles have two huge contests before they see Deer Trail next week. The first of those is on Thursday against Merino. The Lady Eagles snapped a two-game skid last Friday by beating Eads 46-27. Cousins Sedonia and Sophia Isenbart lead the team in scoring at 15.9 and 8.6 points a game, respectively. There will be very little rest for the Lady Eagles as they host Kit Carson on Friday.
SAN JUAN BASIN
Dove Creek (10th) is tied with 2A #15 Mancos atop the San Juan Basin and the two will meet on Friday. The winner will most likely take the league crown. The Lady Bulldogs will ride an eight-game winning streak into the match-up with none being decided by fewer than 15 points. Three players were in double figures in Tuesday’s 78-33 win at Monticello (UT), led by Kylie Gatlin with 25 points. She added 11 rebounds to record her first double-double of the season. Kalie Gatlin and Trista Barnett each scored 14 points in the win. Lexie Gray narrowly missed her eighth double-double of the year, tallying eight points and 10 boards.
Mancos picked up a 51-14 win over Dolores on Tuesday, with freshman Claire Goodwin picking up her own double-double of 12 points and 16 rebounds. Juniors Quincy Montoya and Teya Yeomans added 16 and 12 points, respectively. The Lady Bluejays have not beaten Dove Creek since 2017, dropping five straight. They will meet again next Wednesday, at Mancos.
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