Class 3A at Moby Arena in Fort Collins. Arguably, the highlight of a long, balanced 3A boys regular season and playoffs to this point was Eaton outlasting Arvada’s Faith Christian in early January, when a last-second shot by the host Eagles rolled off the rim.
Both are here today to begin final rounds on opposite sides of an appealing bracket.
Defending champion Eaton (Lance Korell) will begin against feisty Roaring Fork (19-5) and is lumped with two other familiar midrange contenders, Colorado Springs Christian and Kent Denver, the only other metropolitan-area team still alive.
Faith Christian’s first step will be against Valley, but don’t be fooled about the Vikings’ losing record (10-13). They ended Eaton’s 32- game winning streak.
The remaining matchup is as juicy as any — Aspen and Cory Parker (recently committed to Drake) against Yuma and Justin Coughlin.
For girls, Ellicott (14-10) is the one surprise, a sixth seed set to take on Faith Christian, the Metropolitan League winner.
The rest generally have made lots of noise in the era, including the tossup matchups of Basalt against C.S. Christian and Holy Family, which, like Faith Christian, went 22-2, against Buena Vista.
Lamar, a third seed and the only other team than Ellicott that wasn’t seeded first or second to make the Great 8, will open against Roosevelt, which owns the best record (23-1) in the field.
Class 2A at CSU-Pueblo. The top-seeded Grand Valley boys (20-2) haven’t lost to a 2A team all season. The Tigers went down only to 3A’s Aspen and Coal Ridge.
Hence, the defending champions are the targets. First up on the top of the bracket is Sedgwick County. Hot Hoehne and capable Calhan also await.
Rocky Ford’s Meloneers (22-1), winners of 14 consecutive games, will begin against Paonia, opposite the Sanford-Holyoke matchup.
Simla owns the only undefeated girls record (23-0) in Colorado and features the sister act of Caroline and Elly Alexander as well as RaeLynn Snyder, who all score in double figures. The Cubs will take on Hoehne and occupy the top side with Sangre de Cristo and Wray.
There is power below with Holyoke and Rocky Ford, both 22-1, who will meet Grand Valley and Paonia, respectively.
Class 1A at Air Force Academy. Undefeated Hi-Plains, a loser in last season’s final to Kit Carson, has a chance to make it two titles in three seasons.
The Patriots’ bid lies with four of five starters from a year ago, including leading scorer Nathan Rueb. Hi-Plains (23-0) will begin with a giddy Crested Butte and is grouped with Campo-Vilas and Peetz.
Second-seeded Caliche will open with Ouray and No. 3 Flagler has McClave of the High Plains League that has produced five state champions in the 2000s.
Top-seeded McClave, which won three consecutive girls titles from 2004-06, is back, and in command of the upper bracket.
The Cardinals will meet Hi-Plains and the winner has the survivor of the Dove Creek-Briggsdale quarterfinal, each entering 20-3.
Defending state champion Eads and Talli Hansen, last season’s player of the year by The Denver Post, are seeded second, but set to roll. Crested Butte, Haxtun and Stratton complete the group.
