CLASS 1A GIRLS BASKETBALL REPORT – WEEK EIGHT by Kerry Sherman

CLASS 1A GIRLS BASKETBALL REPORT – WEEK EIGHT

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

With most teams already more than midway through their regular season schedules, it has already been a memorable year. Three players have topped 1000 career points, one more is on the verge of 1500, and several younger players are continuing on a path that will lead them to huge milestones. Oh, and the races for league championships is as heated as ever.

So far, we’ve seen Emma Cox (Flatirons Academy), Dezirae Gonzales (North Park), and Sedonia Isenbart (Stratton) surpass the 1000 point mark for their careers this season. Ginny Shade (Rocky Mountain Lutheran), Jordan Perreault (Kiowa), and Emily DeHaan (Flatirons Academy) all have a shot at joining them in that club by the end of the season. Briggsdale’s Jenna Krise will likely reach 1500 for her career this weekend, as she enters Friday’s home game with Otis only 13 shy of the mark. She’s averaging better than 25 a game for the Lady Falcons.

All of those players mentioned are seniors, but the junior class has a handful of competitors to keep an eye on down the stretch this year. Aspen Autry (La Veta), Jaylyn Kechter (Idalia), and Paige Ryser (Cheyenne Wells) are all over 600 so far, and with their season averages, all should be well over 800 heading into their senior campaigns.

McClave sophomore Abrielle Gomez is fashioning a career that could see her threaten the 1500 point mark. Just 36 games into her Lady Cardinal career, Gomez is averaging 15.6 points per game. If McClave makes another deep run in the postseason, she could be well over 800 through just two seasons. The Lady Cards suffered their first loss of the season last Saturday against one of the top 3A teams, Peyton. The game came down to the wire, with McClave coming up just short, 48-45. Gomez had 25 points in the contest.

Other sophomores who are tearing it up include Lila Fairchild (Creede), Isabella Maldonado (Primero), Avery Rigsby (De Beque), and Tailee Weeks-Johnson (Eads). Idalia’s Ailyn Monarrez was in that group before suffering what is expected to be a season-ending knee injury against Lone Star last Friday.

The freshman class has five players scoring in double figures, headlined by Anna Wollert from Eads. She’s averaging a double-double at 17 points and 11.5 rebounds a night. She went for 17 and 17 in last Saturday’s 47-24 win at Idalia, and Weeks-Johnson added 16 and 12. Sarah Elmore from South Baca is next on the list at just under 16 points a game, followed by Prairie’s Hannah Kugler (14.9), Kit Carson’s Avery Johnson (12.8) and Jaidynn Reiman from Peetz (12.6).

On to the league races. In the North Central, it looks to be a two-team chase, with Briggsdale and Fleming each unbeaten in league play. They will meet on Saturday in Briggsdale. The Lady Falcons have won seven straight in the series, and nine of the last 10. Fleming still owns a 23-19 lead since MaxPreps started tracking girls basketball in 2007.

Idalia and Arickaree meet on Friday, with the winner most likely claiming the title in the YWKC. Idalia still has a contest with Bethune later in the season, and Arickaree still has to play Otis. With Stratton coming in for district play, Friday’s game could decide who gets the #2 seed in that bracket.

The High Plains league could come down to the last team standing. McClave and Eads are both unbeaten in league play and they meet next Friday. Kit Carson and Cheyenne Wells are one game back, and Cheraw can’t be overlooked. Even Granada is dangerous,as the Lady Bobcats look to get back to the state tournament after last year’s appearance. Cheraw gets its crack at Eads on Friday, while McClave and Granada square off that day. There are two huge non-league games this weekend, with McClave visiting South Baca, who is tied with Springfield for the lead in the Arkansas Valley, on Thursday. Kit Carson hosts Stratton on Friday.

Speaking of Stratton, the Lady Eagles had their five-game winning streak snapped last Saturday at 2A Merino. They don’t open Union Pacific play until Tuesday when they host Deer Trail. That starts a run of five straight league games. Limon and Burlington, both ranked highly in the Selection and Seeding Index for Class 2A, are the top challengers for the crown in the UP.

Flatirons Academy owns the longest current winning streak in the classification at eight. The Lady Bison host Belleview Christian next Thursday in what could decide the 5280. Right behind that is the next installment in what has become a fun rivalry with Briggsdale.

Dove Creek and Kiowa are tied for the second longest active winning streaks, with both having won their last six. Dove Creek is tied with 2A Mancos for the lead in the San Juan Basin and the Lady Bulldogs will travel on Friday to challenge the co-leaders. For Kiowa, next Thursday’s game at Pikes Peak Christian should decide the Black Forest.

Creede is off to a 3-0 start in the Southern Peaks, with Sierra Grande and Centennial both at 1-0. Sangre de Cristo has yet to play a league game, but that changes on Saturday when the Lady Thunderbirds travel to Centennial. Creede and Sierra Grande go at it on Friday