Colorado high school girls basketball state champions to be crowned

Several teams across the board will give themselves fighting chances when games begin Thursday. And one thing will be clear for each team that raises a championship trophy, their titles will be earned!

Class 5A // Brackets
(1) Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) vs. (5) Arapahoe (Centennial)
Although the two schools are right down the road from each other, they did not meet during the regular season. Valor enters the semifinals as the defending 5A champion with its eyes on another state crown. Arapahoe is trying to reach its first state title game since 1997 when it lost to Montbello (Denver).

The Eagles had to battle to get a 54-44 win over Chaparral (Parker) in the Great 8 last weekend. Raegan Beers and Macey Huard each scored 16 points to keep the Wolverines at arm's length. Beers averages 19.5 points, while Huard adds almost 13. Beers is also the team's leading rebounder, grabbing 13.3 per game. Valor is outscoring their opponents 195-112 so far this postseason.

Arapahoe held off a tough Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins) team to keep their championship hopes alive. Sam Crispe leads the team in scoring and rebounding, getting 14.1 points and grabbing 6.7 boards per game. Playing in a tough Centennial League might just give the Warriors enough experience against tough teams to reach the state championship game.

(2) Highlands Ranch vs. (3) Grandview (Aurora)
The post players will be on display here as Lauren Betts hopes to cap her career with an elusive state title. The Wolves were bounced in the semifinals last year, and although they made the state title game in 2020, the game was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Getting back to the Final 4 seemed like a forgone conclusion, but Betts left little doubt as she went out and scored 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the quarterfinal win over Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village). Marya Hudgins led the Wolves with 21 points and that could very well be the formula that gets Grandview in the hunt for its first state championship since 2018.

It will be a tough task for Falcons center Alex Pirog to slow down Betts, but she's up to the challenge. She averages 12.8 points and 11 rebounds, which should make for a fun battle on the block. Pirog scored a game-high 17 points as Highlands Ranch beat Doherty (Colorado Springs) to reach its fourth Final 4 in a row.

Class 4A // Bracket
(1) Windsor vs. (5) Mead (Longmont)
The Wizards still feel the sting of last year's 4A title game loss and are just a win away from getting an opportunity to redeem themselves. They have yet to lose a game, and they don't win with overly flashy numbers. Olivia Reed is the team's leading scorer at 12.5 points per game, and Jolie Jiricek chips in an additional 10.3. If Windsor can get the win on Thursday, it would advance to the fourth state title game in school history. The lone championship for the Wizards came in 1994.

Mead would love to match the championship run that the boys team had last year. The Mavericks had to get through a Severance team that had scored two major upset wins in the state tournament. Kyra Haan put on a show by scoring 25 points and Maddox Boston nearly matched it with 21. Mead has never played for a state championship in girls basketball, so getting a win in the Final 4 would be an historic moment for the program.

(2) Mullen (Denver) vs. (6) Green Mountain (Lakewood)
This is a return trip for both teams to the semifinals. Mullen got wins over Holy Family (Broomfield) and Windsor last year to claim its second straight state title. The Rams suffered a big semifinal loss to the Wizards last season and have been playing well enough to earn another crack at reaching the state title game.

Like the previous three seasons, Mullen is stacked with talent starting with senior Gracie Gallegos, who averages 15.4 points. Kilah Freelon adds 13.6 and also grabs 6.6 rebounds per game, second only to Imani Perez. The Mustangs look ready to win a third consecutive title as they have won every playoff game by at least 32 points.

It's not a forgone conclusion that they get by the Rams, however. Jayda Maves has been fantastic all season, averaging 20.2 points. She also gets 3.6 steals per game, tying her for a team high with Avery Oaster. Oaster also scores 16.3 points and grabs a team-high 9.1 rebounds per game. Green Mountain has never won a girls basketball state championship, and, if it could beat Mullen, would advance to its first state championship game in school history.

Class 3A // Brackets
Platte Valley (Kersey): The defending state champions continue to look unbeatable as the 3A field makes its way to the University of Denver. The Broncos won the first two games of the state tournament by an average of 32 points. In the Sweet 16 win over Kent Denver (Cherry Hills Village), Cora Schissler, Andi Schissler and Brooke Bunting all scored at least 14 points. The team also shot 48% from the field, which will also be helpful in winning state tournament games. The Broncos will face Lamar in the Great 8.

University (Greeley): The Bulldogs had a great defensive showing in their first two playoff games, holding their opponents to a combined 37 points. Taryn Kravig averaged 16 points in the two wins and dished out a total of seven assists. Freshman Addison Harding will be a big factor in University's title hopes this weekend. She's averaging 9.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, which will be crucial production as each game figures to get tougher from here on out. The Bulldogs will face Delta in the Great 8.

The Vanguard School (Colorado Springs): The Coursers head into this weekend having battled a couple of times last weekend. They won their two games by a combined 15 points against No. 30 Strasburg and No. 14 Centauri (La Jara). Juliana Garcia has been a top-notch player in the Tri Peaks League all season, averaging 17.5 points and 6.6 rebounds. They will have a rematch with Colorado Springs Christian in the Great 8. The two teams played in a thriller for the district title last month, with the Coursers battling back in the fourth quarter to get a 50-48 win.

Grand Valley (Parachute): The Cardinals could be dangerous with their blend of experience and youth on the roster. Abbeyrose Parker, Jaycee Pittman and Bailey Radel each average at least 13 points. Pittman is also the team's leading rebounder at 7.7 per game. Grand Valley beat No. 29 Buena Vista by nine to start its state tournament run, then advanced to the Great 8 with a 57-28 win over Colorado Academy (Denver). It will see No. 12 St. Mary's (Colorado Springs) in the quarterfinals. The Pirates advanced with a 63-53 win over Lutheran (Parker). Ellie Hartman scored 31 points in the win for the Pirates.

Class 2A // Brackets
Sanford: A four-point loss to Colorado Springs Christian is still the only loss that Sanford has suffered this season. It very well could be the top 2A team in the state. Asia Caldon leads the team with 14.1 points per game, and Cheyenne Caldon chips in 11.5 of her own. Sanford made the Final 4 as the No. 3 seed last season before falling to Limon, which eventually went on to win the 2A championship. Sanford opens the tournament against Wiggins.

Holyoke: The fact that the Dragons are the No. 2 seed shows how talented the top of the 2A bracket is. They haven't lost a game since Dec. 9 and also roster one of the top players in the entire state in Kristin Vieselmeyer. She averages 19.1 points and 11.4 rebounds. Lauren Herman is also averaging a double-double with 12.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Vieselmeyer scored 24 points in the regional championship win over Denver Christian. Holyoke has a first-round matchup against Dayspring Christian Academy (Greeley).

Limon: The regional championship game on March 5 served as a state championship rematch between the Badgers and Wray, with the result very much the same. The Badgers got the 67-60 win thanks in big part to Trista Marx. She scored 33 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Jentri Marx was a beast on the boards as she hauled in 19 to go with her 10 points. The Badgers begin their state title defense with a first-round game against Peyton.

Rye: There is just one unbeaten team in the 2A field and it happens to be the Thunderbolts. In fact, the district win against Hoehne on Feb., 25 was the only game they have played that has been decided by fewer than 10 points. Three players scored in double figures in the regional championship win over Yuma, and Sydney Adamson led the way with 20. Rye has the early game on the 2A bracket, taking on Cedaredge at 8:45 a.m. Thursday.

Class 1A // Brackets
Briggsdale: The Falcons needed just one regional win to enter the 1A field as the top overall seed and they left no doubt with a 68-19 win over Stratton. They will ride the hot hands of Kylie Krise and Jenna Krise, who combine to average more than 38 points per game. Kylie is the team's leading rebounder at 7.2 per game, while Jenna averages a team-high 4.5 assists. They both average 3.3 steals per game. The Falcons start their state tournament against No. 8 Lone Star (Otis).

Flatirons Academy (Westminster): The defending 1A champion enters the bracket as the No. 2 seed thanks to a 66-47 regional win over North Park on March 5. The Bison saw a great team effort as four players scored in double figures. Sophomore Emma Cox led with 17, while Katelynn Coulter added 16, which was 13 more points than her season average. There is not a single senior on the roster so this Flatirons Academy team could establish itself as a contender for years to come. The title defense kicks off with a first-round game against Cheyenne Wells.

McClave: A gritty win in the regional championship game put the Bulldogs into the 1A tournament. Anna Beckett scored a team-high 10 points to lead the team to a 35-25 win over South Baca. McClave has shown an ability to win games playing at different tempos and that versatility will be huge for their title hopes next weekend. McClave will face Dove Creek in the first round of the 1A tournament.

Fleming: As the No. 6 seed last year, the Wildcats made a run to the state championship game before falling to Flatirons Academy. They hope they can at least repeat that performance as the No. 4 seed in this year's bracket. Whitney Chintala has maintained a steady level of play this season, averaging 14.1 points and 5.4 rebounds. The Wildcats got a narrow 38-35 win over Idalia in the regional championship game, so they enter the tournament very battle-tested. Fleming faces Sangre de Cristo (Mosca) in its first-round game.