CLASS 1A BOYS BASKETBALL REPORT
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
The weekend slate doesn’t have a ton of top match-ups, but there are still a number of interesting storylines. Included are rivalry games, top teams looking to bounce back from tough losses, and teams getting hot as the month progresses.
Cheyenne Wells falls into the second category, as the Tigers were upset on Tuesday by Stratton, who went into the Tiger Den and came out with a 49-46 overtime victory. It was the first loss of the season by the Tigers against an in-state opponent. Corey Hill had 21 points and 14 rebounds in the defeat.
The Tigers host 2A Holyoke on Friday and then travel to Otis for a top-10 showdown on Saturday. The Bulldogs celebrated a big milestone last Friday, when Charlie Kendrick collected his 1000th career point on his first career dunk in a win over Bethune. Otis has won four straight after taking down Haxtun on Tuesday.
Before the Bulldogs can get to that match-up with Cheyenne Wells, they must visit Idalia on Friday. The winner retains a share of the lead in the YWKC. The Wolves earned their first league win with a resounding 55-12 victory over Hi-Plains last Saturday.
Stratton’s win on Tuesday was its first of the month, and a brief break from a string of games against the 2A LPAA. After losses to Holyoke and Akron last weekend, the Eagles challenge Sedgwick County and Merino this weekend.
Thursday night sees the latest installment of the rivalry between Holly and Granada. The two teams, separated by 11 miles, met in the semifinals of the Lamar Holiday Tournament last month, with Granada earning a 44-38 victory behind 21 points from Maddox Coleman. Devin Eaton had 20 for the Wildcats. Holly had won 12 straight meetings prior to that contest, and owns a 19-9 advantage since 2006.
Nucla has won five of the last eight meetings with Ouray, but overall, the Trojans hold a 30-5 lead in the series dating back to 2006. Ouray is tied for the lead in the San Juan Basin with Ridgway, while the Mustangs are one game back. The two will meet again in late February.
Pikes Peak Christian lost its final two games of 2024 by a total of five points, but snapped that skid on Monday by beating Denver Jewish Day 61-56. Eddie Harmon poured in a career-high 34 points in the win, moving the senior to within 110 of 1000 for his career. He’s averaging better than 22 a game this season.
The Eagles will host Thomas MacLaren on Thursday in a match-up of teams that call the Black Forest home. PPC is in the 1A league, while the Highlanders are from the 2A/3A league.
After hosting Arickaree/Woodlin on Wednesday, Peetz will welcome Haxtun in on Friday. The Bulldogs went into that midweek contest with the Bison having lost two of their last three. Arickaree/Woodlin split a pair last weekend, falling to Prairie at the buzzer and then beating Flagler on Saturday.
The Southern Peaks will see two of the league leaders square off, with Moffat hosting Sangre de Cristo on Friday. They are two of four teams without a league loss, along with Creede and Sierra Grade. The Cowboys ride a four-game winning streak into the contest, while Sangre had won two straight before falling to Cotopaxi last Saturday.
Front Range Baptist has a big non-league showdown with Loveland Classical, with the teams having a combined 13-3 record entering play. The Falcons had their six-game winning streak ended by Lyons on Tuesday. Loveland Classical took a three-game win streak into a Wednesday night meeting with Ascent Classical.
De Beque took a three-game slide into the weekend, with Western Slope games against Vail Mountain and North Park on tap. The Dragons dropped their return to action game against Plateau Valley last Friday, 63-51. Jace Graham established a new career-high with 31 points, surpassing his previous high of 29 set earlier in the season.
North Park was trending in the opposite direction entering the weekend, having won two straight prior to a Friday night at Hayden. Gavin Pittington and Chris Reyes each scored double figures twice last weekend in wins over Weldon Valley and Gilpin County.
A share of the lead in the Mile High is likely on the line when Flatirons Academy hosts Bishop Machebeuf on Saturday. The two were part of a logjam atop the standings coming into the weekend. With two victories last week, the Bison pushed their winning streak to three ahead of a Thursday night clash with Denver Academy. Brandon Ewing scored a game-high 26 points in a 70-39 win over Belleview Christian last Friday. Heritage Christian looms on the horizon, with that tilt scheduled for Tuesday.
As was the case with the game between Pikes Peak Christian and Thomas MacLaren, Miami-Yoder and Liberty Tree Academy are both members of the Black Forest, but each in a different classification. Regardless of the outcome of games each has leading up to Saturday, both will go in with records above .500 on the season. The Buffs are looking for their second straight winning season, while Liberty Tree has already surpassed last year’s win total of three, with five as of Wednesday afternoon.
Sierra Grande hosts Kim/Branson in a solid non-league affair, with each team multiple games above .500 for the season. They’ve played a number of close games over the years, but the Panthers have won 10 of the previous 12 meetings, including four straight.
MileHigh Prep Report 