CLASS 1A BOYS BASKETBALL – TEAM CAPSULES
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
Both of last year’s finalists are back for more. Cheyenne Wells took down McClave in the title game, giving the Tigers the first championship since 1955. Along with Stratton, who won third place last season, and consolation champion Flatirons Academy, all four teams who claimed hardware return. They are the only teams in the field who made the bracket last year. All games will be played at the Bank of Colorado Arena on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.
Individual statistics quoted below are courtesy of MaxPreps. Teams are listed in bracket order.
#1 MCCLAVE CARDINALS (22-3)
COACH: Jeremy Mallard
STATE TITLES: 2022, 2013
LEAGUE: Won High Plains title (5-0)
REGIONALS: Beat Sangre de Cristo (69-22), De Beque (65-43)
STREAK: Won 6 straight
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 1-3
Wins: Cheyenne Wells
Losses: Yuma, Stratton, Simla
TEAM NOTES: Fourth straight appearance – runner-up last year – have won at least 19 games in each of last four years – won Lamar Holiday Basketball Tournament title – 2-1 in games decided by single digits – outscored opponents 1593-988
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Tuff Kelley | 17.3 | 12.0 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2 |
| Mason Barr | 9.9 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 45 |
| Ethan Bronniman | 8.0 | 4.3 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 46 |
| Myles Northrup | 8.0 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 29 |
| JR Mungaray | 5.6 | 6.8 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1 |
| Drew Howe | 5.2 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 16 |
| Ryan Steinbrunn | 4.2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 13 |
#9 ELBERT BULLDOGS (19-6)
COACH: Aaron Thieman
STATE TITLES: 1988 (A-II)
LEAGUE: Won Black Forest (4-0)
REGIONALS: Beat Kit Carson (54-42), Sierra Grande (51-36)
STREAK: Won 2 straight
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 0-4
Wins: None
Losses: Otis, Byers, Simla, Cheyenne Wells
TEAM NOTES: Did not make the field last year – 2-3 in games decided by single digits – outscored opponents 1352-964
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Ethan Tesman | 15.7 | 4.2 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 34 |
| Caleb Cornell | 15.1 | 4.7 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 48 |
| Eli Cornell | 11.3 | 5.4 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 34 |
| Jeremiah LaChausse | 5.4 | 5.0 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1 |
| Steve Smith | 2.8 | 5.7 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1 |
| Grant Smith | 2.4 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 6 |
#4 STRATTON EAGLES (20-5)
COACH: Curt Isenbart
STATE TITLES: 1992, 1990
LEAGUE: Won Union Pacific (6-0)
REGIONALS: Beat Idalia (68-40), Holly (64-41)
STREAK: Won 17 straight
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 3-2
Wins: Cheyenne Wells, McClave, Byers
Losses: Syracuse (KS), Sedgwick County
TEAM NOTES: Making third straight appearance – finished third last two years – 3-2 in games decided by single digits – outscored opponents 1448-1175
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Von Isenbart | 19.6 | 7.4 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 54 |
| Ricky Schillig | 12.1 | 6.5 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 26 |
| Judson Isenbart | 9.2 | 5.9 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 13 |
| Gage Levin | 6.5 | 4.6 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 3 |
| Dominic Hornung | 4.0 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 8 |
| Gavin Ruhs | 4.0 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1 |
| Nolan Notter | 1.8 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 2 |
#5 PRIMERO BULLDOGS (23-2)
COACH: Greg Robinson
STATE TITLES: None
LEAGUE: Won Fishers Peak (3-0)
REGIONALS: Beat Eads (66-42), Cheraw (42-32)
STREAK: Won 2 straight
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 2-0
Wins: Kim/Branson (2)
Losses: None
TEAM NOTES: Did not make the field last year – first appearance since 2021 – 7-1 in games decided by single digits – outscored opponents 1493-972
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Brett Kendall | 19.0 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 4.5 | 31 |
| Mat Pachorek | 17.1 | 8.7 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 23 |
| Aiden Komaroski | 8.2 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 8 |
| Xavier Garcia | 7.3 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 22 |
| Jeremy Robinson | 5.1 | 4.5 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 17 |
| Josh Pachorek | 3.8 | 5.4 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1 |
#2 OTIS BULLDOGS (21-2)
COACH: Karson Kuntz
STATE TITLES: None
LEAGUE: Won YWKC (5-0)
-REGIONALS: Beat Hanover (67-21), Arickaree/Woodlin (51-43)
STREAK: Won 19 straight
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 1-1
Wins: Elbert
Losses: Flatirons Academy
TEAM NOTES: Second appearance in three years – won title of NCL/YWKC tournament – lost to Flatirons 67-49 in December – 3-1 in games decided by single digits – outscored opponents 1462-906
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Charlie Kendrick | 17.1 | 5.3 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 47 |
| Grady Bechtle | 11.0 | 9.0 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 9 |
| Cambric Klinzmann | 8.1 | 6.4 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 0 |
| Mitchell Stivers | 7.4 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 39 |
| Austin Hornung | 7.2 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 2 |
| Gracen Bechtle | 4.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 18 |
| Dalton Demers | 3.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 14 |
#7 FLATIRONS ACADEMY BISON (19-6)
COACH: Todd Glasser
STATE TITLES: None
LEAGUE: Fifth in Mile High (9-5)
REGIONALS: Beat Caliche (58-47), Granada (53-50)
STREAK: Won 8 straight
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 1-2
Wins: Otis
Losses: Bishop Machebeuf, SkyView Academy
TEAM NOTES: Second straight appearance – won consolation championship last year – 2-1 in games decided by single digits – outscored opponents 1594-1178
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Brandon Ewing | 17.9 | 4.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 34 |
| Parker Wilson | 12.2 | 7.1 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 0 |
| Jackson Schulz | 9.0 | 6.0 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 12 |
| Caleb Doughty | 7.0 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 17 |
| Trey Abeyta | 4.9 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 26 |
| Micah Doughty | 4.6 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 18 |
| Henry Dehaan | 4.1 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 12 |
#3 CHEYENNE WELLS TIGERS (20-4)
COACH: Kendall Pelton
STATE TITLES: 2024, 1955, 1954
LEAGUE: Second in High Plains (4-1)
REGIONALS: Beat Ouray (62-22), Evangel Christian Academy (46-28)
STREAK: Won 4 straight
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 1-3
Wins: Elbert
Losses: Syracuse (KS), Stratton, McClave
TEAM NOTES: Making third straight appearance – won first title in 69 years last season – finished runner-up in 2017 – 5-3 in games decided by single digits – outscored opponents 1168-791
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Corey Hill | 23.1 | 14.3 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 9 |
| Zach Dickey | 7.1 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 1.6 | 26 |
| Trey Scheler | 6.3 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 0 |
| Taegan Eiring | 4.8 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 22 |
| Bryson Hyle | 4.4 | 3.1 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 4 |
| Gabriel Zamarippa | 2.6 | 3.1 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 3 |
#6 KIM/BRANSON MUSTANGS (18-4)
COACH: Jesus Gamez
STATE TITLES: 1996, 1993 (Kim), 1967 (Branson)
LEAGUE: Won Arkansas Valley (5-0)
REGIONALS: Beat Denver Academy of Torah (63-35), Prairie (48-38)
STREAK: Won 11 straight
RECORD VS STATE TEAMS: 0-2
Wins: None
Losses: Primero (2)
TEAM NOTES: Did not make the field last year – first appearance since 2021 – 1-1 in games decided by single digits – outscored opponents 1414-991
| NAME | PTS | REBS | ASSTS | STEALS | 3-POINT |
| Kolter Cranson | 12.3 | 6.3 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 2 |
| Will Doherty | 12.0 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 12 |
| David Gamez | 11.9 | 5.0 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 10 |
| Cameron Rosas | 11.2 | 4.8 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 30 |
| Trotter Watkins | 10.9 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 31 |
| Cooper Winter | 3.0 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2 |
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