Colorado basketball teams begin quests for titles

While the blowout loss in football will leave a bitter taste for a while, Regis Jesuit (Aurora) fans can rejoice in the notion that they have an elite boys basketball team to support. The Raiders have won two straight titles and return key seniors Drew Dyer and Ryan Winters, again topping a list of favorites that includes Arapahoe, Highlands Ranch Palmer and Denver East.

Additional early-season favorites include Longmont, Sterling and Broomfield (4A); Faith Christian (Arvada), Kent Denver (Englewood) and Eaton (3A), Lutheran (Parker), Limon and Holyoke (2A); and Caliche (Iliff), Stratton and Idalia (1A).

Of note, don't count out defending champion Sierra or runner-up Pueblo East in 4A.

HIGHLANDS RANCH GIRLS AIMING TO FINISH
In 5A girls, Highlands Ranch again is the favorite. But keep in mind, the Falcons were the favorite the past two seasons and were upset in the late rounds of the playoffs. Of course, the Falcons won it all the three seasons before that, so they're not exactly reeling.

"As soon as last season ended, I stopped thinking about that and looked ahead," Falcons San Diego-bound senior Katelyn McDaniel said.

Highlands Ranch will compete in a circuit that includes potential title contestants Monarch (Louisville), Regis Jesuit, ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch) and Denver East.



Additional early-season favorites include four-time defending champion Broomfield, Longmont and Mullen (Denver) (4A); three-time defending champ Holy Family (Broomfield), Pagosa Springs and Estes Park (3A); last season's runner-up Akron, Sangre de Cristo and incumbent champ Paonia (2A); and Simla, McClave and defending champion Kim in 1A.

LEGACY NOT LOST
After losing the state championship game in 2007 – and also Melissa Jones, now a senior starter at Baylor – the Legacy girls basketball team emphatically fell back to the pack. Many expected the same this season, considering the Lightning is coming off another title-game defeat and lost two Division I players and their coach, Jamie Carey, to USA Basketball.

So far, that hasn't happened. The Lightning has started 3-0 with quality wins against Air Academy and Wheat Ridge. Senior center Sade Akindele and junior guard Kailey Edwards are among the top 20 players in the state.

"Jamie left the program in good shape and there's no reason why we shouldn't continue to win," said first-year coach Craig Van Patten, who took over after nine seasons as an assistant.