The Mesa Ridge Grizzlies will face off against the Widefield Gladiators at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Mesa Ridge is coming into the contest hot, having won their last 12 games.
Last Friday, Mesa Ridge beat Coronado 55-42. Given the Grizzlies' advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 17th, while the Cougars are ranked 299th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 01/24/25 vs Coronado | 13 |
| 01/21/25 @ Canon City | 11 |
| 01/08/24 @ Coronado | 11 |
| 12/17/24 @ Rampart | 10 |
| 12/09/23 @ Pueblo South | 8 |
Mesa Ridge's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jaxon Auger, who posted 13 points and six rebounds. Those 13 points gave Auger a new career-high. Bryce Riehl was another key player, putting up 11 points and four steals.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Widefield, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Wednesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Coronado 47-44.
Mesa Ridge better keep an eye on Amari Taylor. He was instrumental in Widefield's win, going 6 for 14 on his way to 17 points and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Javon Johnson, who put up ten points and three steals.
Mesa Ridge pushed their record up to 12-1 with the win, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.7 points per game. As for Widefield, their victory bumped their record up to 6-7.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Mesa Ridge has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Widefield struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.4 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Mesa Ridge strolled past Widefield in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 by a score of 68-49. Does Mesa Ridge have another victory up their sleeve, or will Widefield turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
