Holy Family returns to Class 3A state girls basketball tournament after rare absence

After a one-year hiatus — a largely unexpected one, at that — the Holy Family (Broomfield) girls basketball team has returned to its accustomed role as favorite.

OK, so Centauri (La Jara) officially is the top seed in the Class 3A tournament, which kicks off Thursday at Moby Arena on the Colorado State campus. But is anyone angling against a No. 2 Holy Family squad with a score to settle?

The Tigers (19-5) had a four-year title reign expire last season. But it was more about when it happened than how. As a senior-heavy No. 1 seed that some had already penciled in for a fifth consecutive title, the Tigers never even made it to Moby Arena.

They were upset at home in the Sweet 16 round by No. 17 Florence. It was a long offseason, but the Tigers are back and clicking. Led by guards Lindsey Chavez and Katie Chavez, Holy Family is primed to restore order.

"There are four of them who were on varsity last year and didn't get to go to Moby," said Holy Family coach Ron Rossi, whose team will open against No. 7 Trinidad. "They had to experience the hurt, the pain of not going. It was really motivating. They wanted to go back and be a part of the state tournament."

Rossi isn't overrating his somewhat youthful squad or implying it is a favorite, saying: "We're improving. We'll just see if we've improved enough."

To be clear, this is no slight to Centauri (21-2), a capable, dangerous squad led by Taylor Wilson and Tori Fringer. It's just that the Falcons, who will open against No. 9 Bishop Machebeuf (Denver), don't have the recent championship pedigree of the Tigers.

Of course, that could make no difference. Or, maybe a well-balanced squad such as No. 3 Denver Science & Tech, a preseason No. 1 on many lists, can break through. Five players average in double figures for DSST, a final-four participant last season that will open against No. 6 Pagosa Springs.

Fourth-seeded St. Mary's (Colorado Springs) (21-4) also is a threat. The Pirates will take on the biggest bracket-buster of the quarterfinals in No. 12 Kent Denver (Englewood).

The 2A field contains a rarity. There are two unbeaten squads in top-seeded Akron (24-0) and No. 2 Lutheran (Parker) (23-0). If seeing those teams together sounds familiar, it should. They met in the championship game last season with Akron registering a 57-49 win behind 26-points from now-senior Sidney Merrill.

While a rematch is an absolute possibility with each team deep and balanced, don't overlook the remainder of the field on the Massari Arena hardwood at Colorado State-Pueblo.

Vanguard Charter (Colorado Springs) (23-1) is a loss at Peyton away from being the third unbeaten team in the fray. The No. 3 Coursers have gotten ample production from senior Bailey Haist (18.1 points, 6.3 steals per game, 5.0 steals).

"We're flying under the radar a little bit, but at the same time, there are three teams that return to the Elite 8," Vanguard coach Frank Haist said. "That's us, Akron and Lutheran. So I guess there's a little pressure on improving on what you did last year."

Last season marked the first appearance at state for the Coursers, who will take on No. 6 Yuma in the first round. The Indians are led by guard Kiera Mekelburg, who has recently emerged from a brief scoring slump.

Last season, Vanguard was eliminated by Lutheran in the quarterfinals. But this season's Coursers squad contains four players averaging in double figures and could pose larger problems.

"A lot of people in the Akron and Lutheran communities would like an Akron-Lutheran rematch," Frank Haist said. "Maybe people outside, too. We'd love to not have that. We'll see how we compete."

Sangre de Cristo (Mosca) (22-2) and Peyton (20-4) make for a compelling Nos. 4 vs. 5 matchup and ensure one formidable foe will quickly be moved to the consolation bracket.

Seventh-seeded Simla will have its hands full with Lutheran in the quarterfinals, but if senior Kenzi Mitchell gets hot, the Cubs can be just as dangerous as their 20-4 record implies.

After a 5-7 start, No. 8 Ignacio enters as winners of 11 straight. The Bobcats will have to pull off a monumental upset against Akron to reach a dozen.

In the 1A bracket, top-seeded Norwood will enter with positive vibes after learning that star Harlie Williams has been selected to compete in the The Show All-Star Game at the Pepsi Center, a rare feat for a small-classification player.

Will some of that joy be curtailed by a seven-hour trek to the First Bank Center in Broomfield? Probably not. And if so, it shouldn't rattle these ultra-steady Mavericks (21-1).

"I think we've been pretty consistent all year," Norwood coach Greg King said. "We haven't really had any peaks and valleys. I don't think anybody at this point can say they've played the perfect game. I think we can still play better."

King said that there is always room for improvement offensively, but that defense has been the Mavericks' "one constant." He emphasized that his team, which finished state runner-up last season, will need to maintain that mentality in an unusually deep field of contenders.

Kim (21-1), led by the high-scoring Tai Nittler (19.9 points a games) and the multifaceted Alexa Feemster (14.6 points, 11.5 rebounds), is potential championship material.

Caliche (Iliff) sophomore Shayln Johnson (18.7) is a potential game-changer for the third-seeded Buffaloes (20-3), and No. 4 Wiley has thrived behind three players who average double digits.

The bottom half of the bracket contains stalwarts, too, as No. 5 Belleview Christian (Westminster), No. 6 Eads and No. 7 Idalia all are at least 12 games over .500. Eighth-seeded Stratton (13-10), which will take on Norwood in the opening round, enters on a four-game winning streak.

Norwood's Williams, a subject of a MaxPreps' feature earlier in the season, has the potential to emerge as perhaps the tournament's biggest difference-maker.

"She's a four-year starter and probably our hardest worker on the floor," King said. "She leads by example. She's not a big rah-rah kid, she doesn't say a lot, but she's always very positive with her teammates."