Preview: Gilpin County Eagles vs. Denver Academy Mustangs
After three games on the road, Gilpin County is heading back home. They will take on the Denver Academy Mustangs at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Gilpin County will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Colorado Rankings (they are ranked 333rd, while Denver Academy is ranked 151st).
Back in December of 2023, Gilpin County was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 40-35 to Flagler.
Despite their loss, Gilpin County saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Lane Willis, who scored seven points along with seven rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Ben Bushey was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Denver Academy strolled past Cripple Creek-Victor with points to spare on Saturday, taking the game 65-50. The victory was just what Denver Academy needed coming off of a 91-60 loss in their prior match.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Denver Academy to victory, but perhaps none more so than Nolan Monasch, who scored 24 points. That makes it five consecutive games in which Monasch has scored at least a third of Denver Academy's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Riley Allen, who scored 21 points.
Gilpin County's defeat dropped their record down to 0-7. As for Denver Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 4-2.
Thursday's contest is shaping up to be a scrappy match: Gilpin County have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 14.9 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Denver Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 18.5 rebounds per game. Given Gilpin County's sizeable advantage in that area, Denver Academy will need to find a way to close that gap.
Everything came up roses for Gilpin County against Denver Academy in their previous meeting back in January of 2023 as the team secured a 69-32 win. With Gilpin County ahead 45-22 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
