Several smaller schools from the area will host regional tournaments this weekend as the Colorado High School Athletic Association released the Class 1A-4A brackets on Sunday.
Classes 5A and 6A — which began play last week — forego regional tournaments, opting instead for a larger state tournament bracket in which the higher seed hosts each game until the Great 8.
While still part of a larger state tournament bracket, the smaller classifications break down the first two rounds into regionals, hosted by the top eight seeds around the state.
The year, four boys teams — Fort Lupton, Resurrection Christian, Windsor Charter and Highland — as well as five girls teams — University, Eaton, Resurrection Christian, Highland and Briggsdale — will host regional tournaments.
Another 14 area squads will load up the busses (or vans, in some cases) and head out of town to play regional games. Most will be played on Friday and Saturday, but the Prarie boys will play their first game Thursday, presumably for travel purposes.
And while most times are not yet set, here’s how the first two rounds shape up.
4A boys
No. 5 Fort Lupton (19-4) looks to keep a 14-game win streak alive Friday when the Bluedevils host No. 28 DSST: Cedar (11-12). DSST: Cedar has slipped of late, losing it’s last three heading into this weekend.
If the Bluedevils take care of business, they will face the winner of No. 12 Lamar (16-7) and No. 21 DSST: Conservatory Green (13-10) on Saturday.
No 15 University (16-7) will head down to the Denver area to take on No. 18 Manitou Springs (16-7) Friday. The winner of that game will play Saturday against the winner of No. 2 Peak to Peak (21-2) and No. 31 Conifer (12-11).
No. 16 Eaton (14-9) looks to stay hot Friday in Denver when they take on No. 17 Bennett (17-6) at 7 p.m. The Reds have won eight of their last nine after a mid-season slump. Bennet has lost three of four after a nine-game winning streak throughout the second half of January.
Eaton head boys basketball coach Tanner Ervin keeps a close watch on his team while playing University in Eaton on Jan. 23, 2024. No. 16 Eaton plays No. 17 Bennett in the first round of regionals on Friday.(Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)The winner of that matchup will face the winner of No. 1 Kent Denver (20-3) and No. 32 Steamboat Springs (8-15) at 1 p.m. Saturday.
4A girls
No. 1 University (23-0) seeks a state title that has narrowly eluded it over the past few seasons — making it to the 4A Great 8 last year, the 4A final four in 2023 and the Class 3A championship game in 2022. With a roster chalk full of upperclassmen, this year may be the best chance the Bulldogs have had to raise the trophy later this month.
The University High School girls basketball team gathers together as a team before the beginning of a game this season. The lady Bulldogs finished the regular season undefeated at 23-0. (Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)They get their latest playoff campaign underway Friday, hosting No. 32 Eagle Ridge Academy. If the Bulldogs win, they will play Saturday against the winner of No. 16 St. Mary’s (13-9) and No. 17 Kennedy (16-7).
No. 3 Eaton (15-8) gets to stay home for regionals, hosting No. 30 La Junta (11-12) Friday. Despite making the second round in each of the past three seasons — including a Great 8 appearance in 2023 — the No. 3 seed is the highest the Reds have had coming into the regional tournament.
If Eaton makes it four straight years in round two, they will host the winner of No. 14 Sterling (12-11) and No. 19 Colorado Academy (11-12) on Saturday. The Reds won both matchups this year against Sterling — 55-25 on Jan. 21 in Sterling and 60-35 Feb. 6 in Eaton — but have not yet faced either La Junta or Colorado Academy.
No. 18 Valley (14-9) looks for a second-round appearance that has eluded the team in recent years when they play No. 15 Berthoud (13-10) on Friday in Timnath. Valley has lost in the first round of regionals in each of the past three seasons, but this year’s 18 seed is the highest the Vikings have secured.
If Valley does beat Berthoud, the winner of No. 2 Timnath (20-3) and No. 31 Montezuma-Cortez (7-16) will await the Vikings on Saturday.
No. 27 Fort Lupton (13-9) will make the relatively short drive down to Denver to play No. 6 Delta (17-6) at 7 p.m. Friday. The winner of that game will play Saturday against the winner of No. 11 Skyview (19-4) and No. 22 Bennett (14-9).
No. 28 Weld Central (6-17) hopes a season of playing in a stacked Patriot League will have prepared it when they head way down south to take on No. 5 Alamosa (17-6) in Alamosa.
The winner of that game will face the winner of No. 12 Kent Denver (13-10) and No. 21 Classical Academy (11-12) on Saturday.
3A boys
No. 1 Resurrection Christian (23-0) looks to keep its perfect season alive when the Cougars host No. 32 Ignacio (11-12) Friday. As the top seed, Resurrection Christian will host the second-round game Saturday — whether the Cougars are involved or not — against the winner of No. 16 Lyons (13-9) and No. 17 St. Mary’s (15-8).
Resurrection Christian’s Cade Crutcher drives toward the basket against Lutheran in their Class 4A semifinal game in March 2024 at the Denver Coliseum. (Nathan Wright/Loveland Reporter-Herald)No. 2 Windsor Charter would also be undefeated this year if it weren’t for Resurrection Christian — who has handed the Firebirds both of their losses. While the Firebirds have a full bracket ahead of them, Windsor Charter (21-2) will surely have its sights set on a rematch with the Cougars in the championship game.
The Firebirds take their first step to that rematch Friday, when they host No. 31 Fountain Valley (12-6). If they that game, they will take on the winner of No. 15 Roaring Fork (17-6) and No. 18 Denver Christian (10-13) on Saturday.
Highland (17-6) will host No. 27 Colorado Springs Christian (11-12) Friday after securing a No. 6 seed. The Huskies have wins over several tournament teams but have lost to both No. 1 Resurrection Christian and No. 2 Windsor Charter. With a first-round win, Highland will face the winner of No. 11 Middle Park (18-4) and No. 22 Wiggins (9-14)
No. 26 Frontier Academy (10-13) will head just south of Denver to take on No. 7 SkyView Academy (20-3) in Highlands Ranch. While the Timberwolves have their work cut out for them, two of SkyViews three losses came to local teams, falling to Windsor Charter and Highland early in the year. Frontier has also dropped games to both those teams.
If the Timberwolves pull off the upset, they will face the winner of No. 10 The Vanguard School (17-6) and No. 23 Wray (9-14)
No. 28 Platte Valley (7-16) will make the long trip south of Alamosa to face No. 3 Centauri (23-0) on Friday in La Jara. If the Broncos can hand Centauri its first loss of the season, they will take on the winner of No. 12 Peyton (15-7) and No. 21 Bayfield (15-8) the following day.
3A girls
Not to be outdone by the boys team, the Resurrection Christian Girls also secured the No. 1 seed and will host No. 32 Forge Christian (8-15) on Friday. The Cougars (21-2) two losses have come to No. 8 Strasburg in January and University — the top-ranked 4A team — last weekend.
Resurrection Christian’s Olivia Klein, left, tries to shoot from three point range before being fouled by Holy Family’s Essynce Contreraz, right, in the 4A Girls Basketball Semifinal at the Denver Coliseum on Friday, March 8, 2024. (Matthew Jonas/Staff Photographer)No. 16 Platte Valley (15-8) hopes to meet the Cougars in the second round Saturday, but will need to take care of business against No. 17 Gunnison (15-8) in what, in theory, should be one of the most competitive first-round games. The Broncos will enter that matchup on a four-game winning streak, having last lost to No. 12 Brush on Feb. 14.
No. 7 Highland comes into the playoffs peaking at the right time for their first round matchup against No. 26 Buena Vista (10-13) in Ault. Since Jan. 10, the Huskies only two losses have come to the top-seeded teams in both 3A and 4A — falling to Resurrection Christian 60-49 on Feb. 14 before nearly handing University its first loss, falling 58-56 last Wednesday.
With a win, the Huskies will host the winner of No. 10 Wiggins (15-8) and No. 23 North Fork (11-11).
No. 28 Windsor Charter (11-12) will face a tough first round opponent Friday, heading to Colorado Springs to take on fifth-seeded Colorado Springs Christian (20-3). Colorado Springs Christian will enter that matchup on an 11-game win streak, while Windsor Charter has won two in a row after dropping six of their previous seven. The winner will face the winner of No. 12 Brush (14-9) and No. 21 Peyton (11-11) on Saturday.
2A boys
No. 28 Union Colony (12-11) will make the trip out near Grand Junction to play No. 5 Plateau Valley (20-1) Friday in Collbran. Plateau Valley’s lone loss came in their season opener, against Fort Lupton, the No. 5 seed in Class 4A.
If the Timberwolves find a way to beat Plateau Valley, they will face the winner of No. 11 Fowler (14-9) and No. 21 Crested Butte (13-10) on Saturday.
No. 31 Dayspring Christian Academy will have its work cut out for itself Friday, when the Eagles (9-14) travel to the southeastern part of the state to play No. 2 Crowley County (21-2) in Ordway. The winner of that game will play Saturday against the winner of No. 15 Holyoke (12-11) and No. 18 Custer County (14-9).
2A girls
No. 23 Dayspring Christian (10-13) will make the long trip south down Interstate-25 to take on No. 10 Center (16-7) on Friday in Hoehne. If the Eagles advance, they will await the winner of No. 7 Hoehne (20-3) and No. 26 Trinidad (11-11) on Saturday.
1A boys
No. 22 Prairie (12-11) will head way down south to take on No. 11 Front Range Baptist (16-7) on Thursday in Kim. If the Mustangs win, they will face the winner of No. 6 Kim/Branson (16-4) and No. 27 Denver Academy of Torah (10-8) on Saturday.
1A girls
The final stretch of Briggsdale’s quest for a third-straight Class 1A state title kicks off Friday, when the sixth-seeded Falcons (16-6) host No. 27 Arickaree (8-15). Briggsdale narrowly edged out Arickaree 37-33 in the first matchup between the two on Feb. 21. If the Falcons take care of business again, they will play the winner of No. 11 Caliche (17-6) and No. 22 Kit Carson (11-12) the next day.
The Briggsdale girls basketball team celebrate together after beating McClave 50-45 in the semi-final game at the Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley on Friday March 8, 2024. The Falcons look to win their third-straight Class 1A state title later this month. (Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)No. 15 Prarie (13-10) will face No. 18 Otis (10-11) Friday in Idalia in the third matchup between the two squads. The Mustangs and Bulldogs split the first two, with Prairie winning the first 63-31 on Jan. 31, then Otis avenging that loss 50-27 last Friday. The winner of that game will play the winner of No. 2 Idalia (19-4) and No. 31 Weldon Valley (10-13) on Saturday.
Quite the trek
While nine local teams get to stay home for regionals, a handful of others will be planning plenty of extra time to get to their regional tournaments across the state.
Here are the longest of the bunch, according to the quickest route that avoids tolls on Google Maps:
• Platte Valley boys to La Jara: 4 hours, 43 minutes (309 miles)
• Union Colony boys to Collbran: 4 hours, 38 minutes (288 miles)
• Prarie boys to Kim: 4 hours, 15 minutes (265 miles)
• Weld Central girls to Alamosa: 4 hrs, 14 minutes (256 miles)
• Dayspring Christian girls to Hoehne: 3 hours, 48 minutes (262 miles)
• Dayspring Christian boys to Ordway: 3 hours, 4 minutes (194 miles)
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