It is easy to get excited at the beginning of the season when every team is 0-0. But watch out for those teams that are just as excited, if not more so, as the Class 4A girls basketball state tournament moves into the round of 16 Friday.
A team such as Regis.
In just its second varsity season, Regis (20-3) exceeded all expectations by winning the super-competitive, essentially 5A Continental League. Throughout the season, several coaches have called the Raiders the best team in the state regardless of classification.
Regis’ biggest challenge since the playoffs started was finding a way to hit the brakes after going up 40-1 in the first quarter against Fountain-Fort Carson, a game Regis won 105-38.
“What do you do in that situation?” Regis coach Carl Mattei asked. “Katie Mihalco had 23 points in the first half. She would have scored 50 if I would have kept her in.”
Not bad problems to have, but the games get tougher now, starting with Berthoud (16-8). The winner plays Pueblo Central (19-3) or Silver Creek (17-8). The title game is March 10 at the Coors Events Center in Boulder.
Regis, with scorer Mihalco, well-rounded post Aija Putnina and Andrea Hendee as part of its first senior class, is considered a favorite to win the state championship. But teams such as Broomfield (23-1), Mullen (21-2), Moffat County (23-0) and Harrison (23-1) aren’t giving in.
On the same side of the bracket with Regis, Moffat County will play disciplined and fundamentally sound Montrose (16-7), and Harrison will meet Glenwood Springs (15-8).
Moffat County has four players who average double figures – Mari Katherine Raftopoulos, Cayla Maneotis, Angie Charchalas and Markie Workman – and Jessica Uecker is close behind. Despite being the only undefeated team in 4A, the Bulldogs may not have reached their full potential yet.
“We’ve really had some ups and downs along the way with injuries and illnesses, so I don’t know if we ever really peaked,” Moffat County coach Craig Mortensen said. “Our strength comes from the team and our depth, and we never feel like we are unbeatable.”
Broomfield is another team that started the season excited and remains that way. With junior leaders and a bench that runs as deep as 15 players, the Eagles will be a handful for Windsor (14-10). Broomfield’s Katie Calderwood and Caitlan Stem play well at both ends of the court, and the loss of 6-foot-6 freshman Anna Prins to a knee injury has been cushioned by the rise of 6-foot freshmen Sophia Rhodes and Chaundra Sewell.
Waiting in the regional final will be Greeley West (17-8) or Ralston Valley (19-5).
Mullen will play Pueblo West (18-6), which stunned Sterling, last season’s state champion, with a one-point, overtime victory in the second round. Mullen’s game revolves around its athleticism, and Kathleen Majewski, Meg Hurley, Jenna Erdle and Lauren Webb all can put up big numbers.
“We played a near-perfect first half against Sterling, and we’ll have to do the same thing against Mullen,” Pueblo West coach Mike Wilkinson said.
Golden (17-7) or Pueblo South (19-5) will play the winner of the Mullen-Pueblo West game.
