Colorado girls Class 2A basketball scene becoming increasingly fierce

As the girls basketball regular season winds down, few can debate that the state's mostly hotly-contested classification is 2A.

A testament to 2A's competitiveness can be illustrated in that Cedaredge's unscathed 14-0 season only has the Bulldogs sitting at No. 5 in the latest CHSAANow.com rankings. That's because top-ranked Peyton and No. 2 Hoehne so are unbeaten – more impressively so, according to the voters – and powers Yuma and Caliche (Iliff) occupy the Nos. 3 and 4 spots.

Heck, Akron, which won it all in 2012 and '13, boasts another impressive squad but the Rams (12-2) are nestled in at No. 6. With last season's champion Lutheran (Parker) now in 3A, it appears that all of that half-dozen can be considered viable title contenders.

"I try to keep my eye on what they are all doing, see highlights on them and things like that," Hoehne coach Beth Kreutzer said. "I think all of them will be tough."

Why is the competition so fierce this season? Well, let's start at the top.

Peyton (13-0) has perhaps the finest back-court in the state, a three-guard system featuring seniors Sarah Logar, Victoria Goodman and Emily Green. As the Panthers rocketed to the semifinals last season, the one thing they sorely lacked was a prominent post presence.

Turns out, she was at the school the whole time – but on the JV squad. Darielle Evans had transferred from Sand Creek (Colorado Springs), but due to a convoluted set of circumstances, was prohibited from playing varsity for the season. She's a full go this year, and filling up the box score with 11.1 points, 7.4 blocks and 4.8 steals per game while teaming with Mikayla Miller in the front court.

"It's kind of a continuation of last year, but this group, I think they're better than last year," Peyton coach Tony Goodman said. "I lost a little bit of speed from last year, but basketball-skills wise, I gained in that department. That's why I've got four girls averaging double digits."

Logar leads the way with a 17.9 scoring average, followed by Victoria Goodman (15.1) and Green (11.2). Although the Panthers finished 24-3 last season, coach Goodman feels a lot better this season with Evans in the fold.

"Last season, I think we were outrebounded pretty much every game," he said. "This year, with the combination of her and (Miller), it's given us a lot of stability in the half-court defense. We actually can run a half-court offense now, too, where last year we were constantly trying to beat people in transition."

Two wins stand out on Peyton's schedule as the Panthers seek their first title: A 66-59 win over Manitou Springs (currently the No. 2 team in 3A) and a 65-45 pasting of Yuma – the same Yuma squad that eliminated the Panthers last season.

Count Hoehne as another team that was stellar last season but feels better about how things currently are unfolding. The Farmers (14-0), also seeking their first title in the sport, advanced to the quarterfinals last season and finished 23.3.

The Farmers don't have the glitzy numbers like Peyton, as only guard Cydney Kreutzer averages double digits at 12.8. But they get scoring from up and down the lineup and play marvelous team defense. Opponents are averaging, get this, 16.5 points per game.

"When we're playing games, we set up defensive challenges for the girls," Beth Kreutzer said. "We're making sure we're working hard to run through our offense, so we're ready when it gets to playoff time."

In an effort to improve on last year rather than stand pat, Hoehne has instituted a full-court press that has wreaked havoc. In addition, Cydney Kreutzer, the Farmers longtime point guard, has been afforded the chance to play off the ball some this season.

About half the time, she slides over to shooting guard while sophomore Sophia Anderson takes over at the point. Hoehne has done this while not being especially tall, with 5-foot-10 forward Aspen Anderson (9.1 points a game) the closest thing to a skyscraper.

Yuma (13-2) is a junior-heavy group led by Logan Hixon and Peighton Roth, and Caliche (12-1) is led by standout senior Shayln Johnson. Cedaredge, naturally, is unbeaten for a reason and features a balanced attack led by junior Nellie Freeman.

Akron's AJ Miller and Jordan Baer both are capable of lighting it up as well. The classification runs deeper as well, with squads such as Ellicott (Calhan), Meeker, Paonia and Del Norte morphing into legitimate threats.

Perhaps now it's apparent why 2A could feature the most competitive tournament of the bunch.