Top 10 Colorado Boys Basketball Games for December

The boys basketball season isn't yet a week old, but the action is already off to a fast and furious start.

From Sand Creek (Colorado Springs) senior D'Shawn Schwartz scoring 50 points in a season-opening victory over Thornton, to George Washington (Denver) and Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch) engaging in a back-and-forth battle in the finale of the Rock Canyon/Mountain Vista tournament, December has offered up some great basketball games thus far.

Colorado regular-season basketball tournaments

So what does the rest of the month have in store before the winter break? Even more competitive tournaments and a number of non-league battles that will have teams tested before the calendar turns the page to January.
Here is a look at 10 games to watch across the five classifications over the next three weeks:

Class 5A
• Eaglecrest (Centennial) (2-0) at Rock Canyon (2-1), 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 6
Two teams expected to be among the state's top contenders square off in a non-league clash. Eaglecrest, which finished second in 5A a year ago, opened with victories over Chaparral (Parker) and Chatfield (Littleton). All-state senior Colbey Ross scored 30 points against the Chargers, and senior Josh Walton added 19 points.
Rock Canyon has its own returning all-state force in guard Sam Masten, who is averaging more than 23 points a game. Senior Colin Rardin is averaging more than 13 points for the Jaguars, who are coming off a three-point loss to George Washington.
• Overland (Aurora) (1-0) at George Washington (3-0), 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 9
The two-time defending state champions were hit hard by graduation, but the Trailblazers aren't about to concede anything. Overland opened its season with 71-63 victory over Regis Jesuit (Aurora), getting 26 points from junior Daijon Smith. Junior Goy Wang had 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals.
George Washington is a team that continues to keep getting better. The Patriots opened their season with three victories, including a hard-fought 68-65 victory over Rock Canyon in tournament play. Senior Calvin Fugett, Jr. and junior Jon'il Fugett have GW thinking big this winter.
• Lakewood (4-0) at Cherokee Trail (Aurora) (3-0), 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 9
Two of the state's top players and their teams square off in this non-league tilt. Lakewood's Kolton Peterson, who has lit up the state since his freshman season, has helped the Tigers get out to a 4-0 start. The Tigers have a gauntlet ahead of them though that includes the likes of Cherokee Trail, ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch), Regis Jesuit and Denver East.
Cherokee Trail's Jaizec Lottie has exploded out of the gates, averaging close to 22 points through the team's first three games. The guard most recently went for 26 points in an 18-point victory over Rangeview (Aurora). Junior Tyson Rodgers is averaging more than 13 points a game.



Class 4A
• Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) (0-0) vs. Doherty (Colorado Springs) (1-0), 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 7
The 4A state runner-up, Valor Christian opens its season with a test against 5A's Doherty. The Eagles return nearly everyone from last year's team, including all-state forward Jalen Sanders, who averaged 17 points as a junior.
Doherty won 22 games last winter before running up against eventual state champion Overland in the 5A state tournament. Senior Brevin Brimble leads this year's Spartans and scored 25 points in a season-opening victory over Bear Creek (Lakewood).
• Sand Creek (2-0) at Sierra (Colorado Springs) (1-0), 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 16
As juniors, Sand Creek's D'Shawn Schwartz and Sierra's CJ Jennings were both selected as second-team all-state picks. Now seniors, the pair match up in a non-league contest before the break.
Schwartz and the Scorpions are off to a 3-0 start, with the 6-foot-6 Schwartz hitting the 50-point mark in the opener. Jennings and the Stallions opened with a victory over Falcon, where the guard scored 29 points. Senior Dondre Savage had 22 rebounds.
• Pueblo West (2-0) at Holy Family (Broomfield) (2-1), 4 p.m., Friday, Dec. 23
The defending state champion Cyclones, backed by all-state guard David Simental, kicked off their title defense with victories over Harrison (Colorado Springs) and Air Academy. Junior Pierre Taylor went off for 27 points against Harrison and junior Nieyeme Smyer-Williams had 20 in the victory over Air Academy.
Holy Family was upended by Valor Christian in the second round a year ago. The Tigers have three players scoring in double figures through their first three games in senior Joe Golter and sophomores Kyle Helbig and Tanner Baird.

Class 3A
• Manual (Denver) (0-0) at Denver Science & Tech Stapleton (1-2), 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 13
Manual stormed into the 3A semifinals a year ago before falling to Alamosa. Jaedon Bowles averaged 18 points as a freshman and Jerome Carter averaged 16 points as a junior. Both should play big roles for the Thunderbolts this winter.
DSST-Stapleton earned the top seed in 3A a year ago but couldn't get past Alamosa in the opening round of the state tournament. The Knights dropped two of their first three games this season, but both losses came to talented 4A teams in D'Evelyn (Denver) and Pueblo South. Senior Blake Pullen is averaging 22.3 points thus far, and had 29 points and 16 rebounds in the team's opening victory over Mountain View (Loveland).
• Faith Christian (Arvada) (0-0) at Resurrection Christian (Loveland, Colo.) (3-0), 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 17
The Eagles missed out on the 3A state tournament a year ago, but that was due in large part to drawing eventual state champion Colorado Springs Christian in the regional tournament. Leading scorer Gabe Hegarty graduated, but senior Jonathan Hardcastle and juniors Jonah Gardner and Benjamin Hawkins each averaged roughly 10 points a game a year ago.
Resurrection Christian, a runner-up in 2A the previous two years, makes the jump to 3A this year. The Cougars haven't missed much of a beat, taking each of their first three games. Returning all-state senior Tanner Ervin has already gone for 32, 39 and 24 points in those victories.

Class 2A
• Holyoke (1-1) at Sedgwick County (Julesburg) (1-0), 6 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 17
Two semifinalists from last year's state tournament square off in an early-season non-league matchup. The Cougars picked up a 72-31 victory over Garden County (Neb.) to open their season.
Holyoke, which fell to defending champion Sanford in the 2016 semis, split its first two games. The Dragons handled Byers before falling by two points to 3A The Vanguard School (Colorado Springs). Senior Austin Herman had back-to-back double-doubles, going for 12 points and 16 rebounds in the victory over Byers.

Class 1A
• Fleming (0-0) at Weldon Valley (Weldona) (3-0), 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10
Weldon Valley got off to a strong start with three consecutive victories. The Warriors took down Wiggins, Idalia and Arickaree/Woodlin, and senior Ben Cartwright is averaging 17 points a game.
Fleming, the defending 1A champion, opens its season Dec. 9. The Wildcats have a pair of all-state talents back in Jaxon King and Alex Vandenbark.