Colorado high school boys basketball champions to be crowned

Below is a preview of the semifinal games in Class 5A and 4A along with a breakdown of the top seeds of the other three classifications. Only one thing is for certain ahead of games beginning Thursday: there is going to be exciting basketball being played in Colorado during the three-day stretch.

Class 5A // Brackets
(1) ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch) vs. (4) Denver East
The defending 5A champions have a great shot at making it two in a row. ThunderRidge held off a resilient Air Academy team in the Sweet 16 before dispatching league rival Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch) in the Great 8. For Denver East, this is a big return to the final week of the season. The Angels haven't played in the Final 4 since 2015 when they lost by 20 to Overland (Aurora). That was coming off their state title win in 2014.

Zach Keller's 14.8 points per game leads a ThunderRidge scoring attack that features four players averaging double figures. Three of the four are seniors, making this team very experienced at completing a run at a state title. The fourth player is sophomore Andrew Crawford, who scores 11 points per game and is also the team's leading rebounder. He grabs 6.7 boards per game and his 3.5 assists are also a team high.

East's 24-2 record has flown under the radar a bit considering the outstanding seasons that other schools have had. D'Aundre Samuels has had an outstanding junior season, averaging 18 points and six rebounds. Aguirr Dwam nearly averages a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds per game. The Angels have a very productive roster and even boast the coaching experience of Rudy Carey, which could be the formula they need to claim their first state title in eight years.

(2) Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins) vs. (3) Chaparral (Parker)
Anyone who has watched either of these teams this season shouldn't be surprised they have advanced this far. They previously met this season, with Fossil Ridge coming away with a 67-63 win.

The Sabercats are getting great play from senior Brock Mishak as he averages 20.4 points and 4.2 assists, both of which are team highs. There hasn't been a game in which he has been held to less than 10 points, and it has become one of the big reasons that Fossil Ridge could reach the state title game for the first time since 2014. They lost to Denver East in that game and it is the only state championship appearance in the program's history.

Perhaps one of the best fourth-quarter performances in playoff history saw Chaparral outscore Eaglecrest (Aurora) 22-4 to erase a 13-point deficit to advance to the Final 4. The Wolverines have a dynamic scoring duo in Luke Williams and Joel Speckman II, who each average at least 15 points per game. In the loss to the Sabercats earlier this season, Williams scored 15 and Speckman 12, but the Wolverines allowed Nick Randall to score a season-high 29 points.

Class 4A // Brackets
(1) Lewis-Palmer (Monument) vs. (5) Pueblo Central
The top-seeded Rangers haven't lost to a 4A team all season. They beat Falcon by 31 and Longmont by 15 to reach the Final 4 and have looked every bit as impressive as those scores would indicate. The Wildcats aren't too shabby, either. They went on the road and handed Montrose its first loss of the season to advance.

For Lewis-Palmer, the key is making sure that Cameron Lowe can convert on his shots while getting the support around him that's been there all season. Lowe averages 17.7 points, while Brady Jones gets 14.3, Eli Robinson gets 13 and Cohen Edmondson gets 10.3. Edmondson left the Great 8 game against Longmont with an injury and didn't return, so his status is unclear heading into Friday. If he can't go, look for Damarion Jelks to fill the void.

Central might have one of the best duos in the entire state. Kadyn Betts is averaging 22.4 points and 12.2 rebounds and is a viable candidate for 4A player of the year. Syris Williams adds 17.5 points and also dishes out 6.9 assists per game. The Wildcats lost a close game to Harrison (Colorado Springs) early in the season – only to even the score in the playoffs on March 2 – and dropped both league games to Pueblo South. The Wildcats last played in the state title game in 1965.

(2) Pueblo South vs. (6) Frederick
In 26 games, the Colts have yet to come out on the losing end. Their fast-paced style of play has made them one of the favorites to come away with the 4A title all season, and they want to live up to those expectations. Frederick comes into the Final 4 on an emotional high after taking down defending champion Mead. The ability to win a game like that can make a team feel like it can do anything, which can make that team dangerous.

If South plays to its ideal tempo, Tarrance Austin and Maurice Austin will certainly get their scoring numbers. They both average more than 20 points and at least five rebounds per game. Maurice Austin leads the team in assists at 7.5 per game. Ray J Aragon adds 14 points per game, making the Colts a dangerous team through the entire lineup.

The Warriors played inspired basketball to get a 10-point win over Mead in the Great 8. They will need to keep that inspiration and hope that Luke Justice can knock down some outside shots to put the Colts back on their heels. He made a team-high 55 3-pointers in 24 games through the season. Bryce Conover is another outside threat and scores 11.6 points per game. The last time Frederick played for a state title, it beat Sanford. That was back in 1956, so a win here would be historic for the school.

Class 3A // Brackets
St. Mary's (Colorado Springs): The top overall seed in the 3A tournament is playing its best basketball at the best possible time. The Pirates are averaging more than 86 points in the 3A tournament and haven't surrendered more than 66. Sam Howery has made the most of his senior season as he averages 26.5 points, 9.2 assists and 8.6 rebounds. The team also has three other players averaging double-digit scoring numbers, including Cyrus Hernandez, who scores 12.9 per game. St. Mary's lost to Lutheran (Parker) in last year's state title game and want to get back there and finish the job this time. They see No. 8 Eagle Ridge Academy (Brighton) in the Great 8.

Sterling: This Tigers team feels oddly similar to the team that won the state in 2017. They weren't the top seed but they knew how to play playoff basketball and finish a state tournament run. Jackson Keil averages 20.7 points, and Ryder McConnell scores an additional 14.1. Sterling has a solid roster up and down the lineup and won't shy away from any opponent on the bracket. That includes its Great 8 showdown with Manual (Denver), which has the state's leading scorer, Jordan Reed. The senior averages a staggering 29.3 points per game.

Aspen: The Skiers are the only undefeated team remaining on the bracket. They sit at 24-0 and cruised through their first two state tournament games. Shae Korpela leads the scoring effort with 16.2 points per game, while Porter Lee and Braden Korpela each add 13.7. They have experience making a playoff push as they reached the Great 8 last year only to lose to Sterling by two points. They take on Resurrection Christian (Loveland) in the quarterfinals. The Cougars rallied from a 20-6 first-quarter deficit to Manitou Springs in the Sweet 16 to advance to DU. Ty Yoder scored 21 points to lead the comeback.

Colorado Academy (Denver): The Mustangs shook off two straight losses in the Metro district tournament to advance to the Great 8. They have played well all season with Elliott Cravitz leading the way with 17.6 points and two steals per game, both of which are team highs. Ahbil Woldeyohannes chips in 11.9 and Cooper Quatrochi's provides a triple-threat that teams will have trouble slowing down this week. The Mustangs last reached the state title game in 2015 before losing to Colorado Springs Christian. They will take on Centauri (La Jara) in the Great 8.

Class 2A // Brackets
Yuma: A 90-57 win over Vail Christian only fueled Yuma's status as the favorite to claim the 2A title. The team has been the best 2A team all season and needs just three more wins to make it official. Clay Robinson has been the team's top scorer and rebounder all season, scoring 17.4 points and grabbing 6.5 rebounds per game. He also leads the team with three assists per game. If he's not getting to the basket, Javier Duran can help balance the offensive attack as he averages 10.5 points per game. Yuma is looking to claim its first state title since 2019 and starts the tournament against No. 8 Lotus School For Excellence (Aurora).

Limon: A 2021 runner-up finish still stings for the Badgers and they want to get that taste of their mouths with a state championship run in 2022. They put together a strong second half to beat Meeker in the regional championship game and will now turn their attention to the next task at hand. Brady Rockwell's 12.7 points per game is tops for the team, with Jordan Rockwell's 11.3 coming in second. The siblings will need to be on point for three days to get the Badgers their first state title since 1964. The Badgers start their state tournament run against No. 7 Crowley County (Ordway).

Sanford: Coming off a dominating performance in its regional championship game, Sanford wants to make a deeper tournament run than it did last year. McCray Larsen has been the team's leader in scoring and rebounds for much of the year. After 17 games, he was averaging 12.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Sanford reached the Sweet 16 in 2021 but lost to Ignacio. It will face No. 6 Peyton in the first round. The Panthers have won 10 of their past 11 games.

Denver Christian: The Thunder was a basket away from reaching the Final 4 a year ago, so getting there this season is certainly a priority. They will lean on Ben Buhler, who leads the team with 15 points per game. Xander Neu adds 12.5 points per game and is also the team's leading rebounder at 8.1. The Thunder sees defending champion Wray to start the state tournament. The Eagles have won 10 of their past 11, the one loss coming against No. 1 Yuma.

Class 1A // Brackets
Sierra Grande (Blanca): The top overall seed in the 1A tournament has yet to lose a game all season. In fact, the Panthers have rarely been tested. Just three times has the winning margins been 16 or fewer points. Isiah Chairez has been dominant all season, averaging 21.1 points and 7.6 rebounds. He scored 23 points, pulled down eight rebounds and had six steals in the regional championship win over Kim/Branson. Sierra Grande has played in three state championship games in school history but has yet to claim a title. It begins 1A tournament play against Dove Creek.

Evangelical Christian (Colorado Springs): A stunning loss to Simla in districts didn't linger too long as the Eagles topped Genoa-Hugo/Karval to win a regional title and take the No. 2 seed in the state tournament. Jared Guest and Jon Bunker each scored in double figures to solidify the win. Michael Mann and RJ Wagner are the team's leading scorers at 11.9 and 10.9 points per game, respectively. ECA won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005 but have yet to reach a championship game since then. The Eagles face Merino in the first round of the 1A tournament.

Granada: Like ECA, the Bobcats suffered a stunning loss in districts only to rebound in the regional championship game. The 62-48 win over Springfield gives Granada the No. 3 seed and a first-round game against Haxtun. Dominic Coleman leads the team with 14.3 points and 4.6 assists per game and also grabs 5.6 rebounds. Maddox Coleman and John Hainer also average double-digit scoring numbers to give the Bobcats a dangerous offensive attack.

Caprock Academy (Grand Junction): The Eagles' two losses this year came in a three-game stretch, but they have looked strong outside of that one week. They snagged a five-point win over Denver Jewish Day in the regional championship game. As they have all season, the Eagles will look for Jonathon Abshear to carry the offensive load. He averages 17.3 points and 8.8 rebounds. Andrew Jordan gives Caprock a solid one-two punch as he accounts for 13.9 points per game. Caprock Academy has never reached the state championship game in school history.