Never count out the defending champions.
As the second seed in the playoffs last season, Jefferson Academy stormed through the competition to win its second boys basketball title in the school’s sixth year of varsity play, knocking off defending champion Evangelical Christian for the Class 2A crown.
The Jaguars graduated four starting seniors and find themselves sitting below ECA in The Denver Post/9News preseason poll.
“We’ve got a lot of guys, with our schedule, that are going to surprise some people,” said Mark Sharpley, who has been the only coach for the Jefferson Academy boys program.
Senior Ryan Holocher headlines the Jaguars and finds support from Blain Swanson and Ken Yockey, who split sixth-man duties last season.
The common opinion is Evangelical Christian’s seniors benefited from the playoff experience enough to warrant the top preseason ranking.
“I’m bringing back four starters – last year we ran six starters, and graduated two,” said coach Don Bost, in his second season as ECA’s coach.
It’s not a two-team race in 2A by any means.
District 1 fans will witness some serious competition, as Sanford and Del Norte renew their rivalries as the second- and third-ranked teams.
“I got a good look at both (Sanford and Del Norte) last year, and was glad not to face them in the playoffs,” Bost said.
District 4 is home to Burlington and Rocky Ford, the only schools in 2A to have the boys and girls teams ranked.
Rounding out the districts with multiple ranked teams is District 2 with Wray coming in at seventh and Sedgwick County, a cooperative of previously 1A schools Julesburg and Revere, at ninth.
“Districts and regionals are going to be a dogfight,” said Sharpley, a sentiment echoed by most coaches around 2A.
