CLASS 1A BOYS BASKETBALL REPORT
BY: KERRY SHERMAN

Entering the next to last weekend of the regular season, the eight teams that will host regional games look to be locked in, but there could still be a lot of movement. Some of that could happen this weekend, as most of the top 16 teams in the latest release of the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index have huge match-ups.

1 MCCLAVE (17-2)

The Cardinals continue to lead the pack in 1A, and they are on an eight-game winning streak. The latest in that run came on Thursday, 79-46 over 2A #21 Las Animas. McClave posted 37 points in the first quarter and never looked back. Mason Barr led a trio of Cards in double figures with 22 points. The title in the High Plains is on the line on Friday when McClave goes to #4 Cheyenne Wells. The Cards also travel to Burlington on Saturday.

2 NUCLA (21-0)

Nucla had one of its closest calls of the season on Thursday, but the Mustangs passed the test, beating #18 Ouray 47-39, extending their winning streak to 21. Brycen Rummel nearly notched a double-double, finishing with 19 points and nine rebounds. He did post a double-double on Tuesday with 12 points and 11 boards in a 62-48 win over Dolores. Nucla gets 2A #12 Plateau Valley at home on Saturday.

3 FLATIRONS ACADEMY (17-2)

The Bison pushed their hot streak to nine games with a pair of victories this week. Flatirons beat Dawson School 67-33 on Tuesday, and 2A #7 Front Range Christian 71-58 on Thursday. Four Bison scored double figures on Tuesday, including Gunnar Ast, who went for 12 points and 11 rebounds. Flatirons goes to Kiowa on Saturday, and will play in the Mile High league tourney next week.

4 CHEYENNE WELLS (19-1)

Cheyenne Wells made it an even dozen wins in a row last weekend, as the Tigers beat Eads (61-36) and Swink (55-24). Corey Hill tallied 20 points and 10 rebounds against Eads, and Caden Muth had 19 points and 10 assists. Muth hit for 15 points against Swink. After hosting McClave on Friday, the Tigers go to #20 Holly on Saturday.

5 STRATTON (18-2)

Stratton remained unbeaten against in-state opponents, as the Eagles beat #22 Idalia 59-45 on Thursday. It was the 17th straight win for the Eagles, who got 22 points out of Von Isenbart, and 14 from Gavin Ruhs. Stratton heads to 2A #13 Limon on Friday, with the winner claiming the Union Pacific title.

6 PRAIRIE (16-4)

The Mustangs had their nine-game winning streak snapped on Thursday by #10 Denver Jewish Day, 60-45. Prairie had extended its streak earlier in the week with a 57-13 win over Weldon Valley. The Mustangs are the top seed in the North Central/YWKC crossover that begins on Monday at NJC. They will face Bethune in the quarterfinals.

7 DENVER WALDORF (14-4)

Denver Waldorf has its winning streak up to seven after beating Caliche 70-55 on Monday. Cayden Quinn went for 24 points, seven assists, and seven steals in the victory. The Spartans put their streak on the line on Friday against #8 Elbert.

8 ELBERT (15-5)

Elbert had won six straight before taking a 72-39 loss at the hands of 2A #1 Simla on Tuesday. Eli Cornell led the Bulldogs with 16 points in that contest. They bounced back to earn a 59-33 win at #28 Rocky Mountain Lutheran on Thursday. Elbert travels to Denver Waldorf on Friday for a top-10 showdown with the Spartans.

9 OTIS (13-5)

The Bulldogs laid claim to the YWKC title with a 67-37 win over Idalia on Tuesday. Idalia led 8-0 just a minute into the contest, but Otis had runs of 13-0, 16-0, and 14-0 as it ran away with the victory. Otis hosts #35 Flagler on Friday, and Genoa-Hugo/Karval on Saturday. The Bulldogs are the #2 seed in the NCL/YWKC crossover and will face Fleming in the quarterfinals at NJC on Monday.

10 DENVER JEWISH DAY (12-8)

Before earning its signature win of the season over Prairie (60-45) on Thursday, Denver Jewish Day picked up a 45-42 win against #31 Arickaree/Woodlin on Tuesday. Solly Bielsky went for 18 points and 13 rebounds in that victory. He erupted for 33 points and 10 rebounds against Prairie, and Jackson Brooks added 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Tigers start the 5280 tournament on Tuesday.

11 SIERRA GRANDE (15-4)

The Panthers remain one of the hottest teams in the classification, as they picked up their 12th straight win on Thursday. Sierra Grande Lake City Community 58-28. The Panthers will host Primero on Saturday, and then enter Southern Peaks tournament play next Tuesday.

12 WILEY (15-4)

Wiley grabbed a pair of wins last week, taking down Holly and Rocky Ford. The Panthers will go more than a week between games as they played Rocky Ford last Thursday, and won’t get back on the court until Saturday when they host South Baca in Ark Valley action.

13 PEETZ (14-5)

Peetz had won six in a row before falling to Otis 55-51 last Thursday. The Bulldogs rebounded with an 80-45 victory over Front Range Baptist on Saturday. They wrap up North Central play on Friday at Weldon Valley, and will be the #3 in next week’s NCL/YWKC crossover tournament at NJC. The Bulldogs begin the tourney on Monday against Arickaree/Woodlin.

14 SANGRE DE CRISTO (16-2)

The Thunderbirds had a 13-game winning streak come to an end last Friday with a 48-45 loss to Sierra Grande. Ezra Lopez had 12 points for Sangre in the contest. They received a forfeit the next day from Antonito. The Thunderbirds host Trinidad on Friday, and Lake City Community on Saturday. Southern Peaks League tournament play starts on Tuesday.

15 GRANADA (14-4)

Granada has put three straight wins in the books, including a 61-23 victory over Bethune on Thursday. The Bobcats also have a 64-51 victory over #21 Kim/Branson in the run. Angelo Martinez went for 26 points, 14 rebounds, and six steals in that contest. Granada finishes its High Plains slate at #23 Cheraw on Friday.

16 DE BEQUE (14-7)

De Beque saw its hopes of winning the Western Slope dashed with a 60-26 loss to 2A #8 Vail Christian on Thursday. The Dragons also had a non-league game with league rival Plateau Valley on Tuesday. The 12th ranked team in 2A got an 82-44 win. Jace Graham led De Beque with 17 points and eight rebounds. The Dragons are off this weekend.