CLASS 6A GREAT 8 PREVIEW
A look at each of the Class 6A Great 8 matchups set for Saturday at the Denver Coliseum:
Boys NO. 1 MOUNTAIN VISTA (23-2) VS. NO. 8 VALOR CHRISTIAN (18-7)
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Players to watch: MV — Caden Stevens, 6-9, sr. (17.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4.2 bpg); Radek Homer, 6-2, sr. (12.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 5.5 apg, 2.8 spg); Cal Baskind, 5-11, so. (12.2 ppg). VC — Cole Scherer, 6-2, so. (15.8 ppg, 4.9 apg, 2.2 spg); Archer Vansickle, 6-4, sr. (12.0 ppg, 2.8 apg); Hunter Guiles, 5-11, sr. (11.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg). What to know: Chasing its fourth Final 4 bid in 10 years and first championship game appearance in program history, Mountain Vista gets a rematch with a Valor team it beat 75-66 on Jan 10. It’s one of four victories the Golden Eagles have over fellow Great 8 teams, including two over second-seeded Rock Canyon. Valor returns to the Great 8 after a two-year absence.
NO. 4 DENVER EAST (23-2) VS. NO. 5 SMOKY HILL (20-5)
Time: 10:15 a.m.
Players to watch: DE — D’aundre Samuels, 6-3, sr. (21.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 6.6 apg, 5.0 spg); Austin Mohr, 6-3, sr. (15.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg); Jack Greenwood, 6-2, sr. (10.6 ppg). SH — Rickey Mitchell, 6-4, sr. (23.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.2 apg, 2.6 spg); Kai Mcgrew, 6-8, fr. (10.6 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.4 bpg, 2.0 spg); Lorenzo Contreras, 5-9, so. (9.2 ppg, 5.2 apg, 2.4 spg). What to know: Denver East dropped its first two games of the season, but haven’t lost since behind an offense that’s second only to Smoky Hill in the 6A bracket in scoring — barely (1,927 total points to 1,925). Smoky Hill is going for its first Final 4 appearance in 17 years and first state title in program history.
NO. 2 ROCK CANYON (23-2) VS. NO. 7 REGIS JESUIT (19-6)
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Players to watch: RC — Gavin Hershberger, 5-10, sr. (16.9 ppg,
5.0 rpg, 4.9 apg); Aidan Peck, 6-7, sr. (13.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.7 apg); Mac Terry, 6-3, jr. (11.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.3 apg). RJ — Tarea Fulcher, 5-10, sr. (16.5 ppg, 3.6 apg); Joe Dorais, 6-0, sr. (15.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg); Damarius Taylor, 5-11, jr. (13.1 ppg, 1.4 spg). What to know: Two teams led by electric senior guards — Hershberger for Rock Canyon, Fulcher for Regis — meet in a rematch of a 59-57 Continental League
thriller that went the Jaguars’ way. Rock Canyon is unbeaten against everyone not named Mountain Vista and is shooting for its third Final 4 trip since 2017. Regis has won nine straight since losing back-to-back games to Rock Canyon and Mountain Vista.
NO. 3 FOSSIL RIDGE (23-2) VS. NO. 6 FORT COLLINS (22-3)
Time: 1:15 p.m.
Players to watch: FR — Nick Randall, 6-7, sr. (21.8 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.6 bpg); Matthew Boldt, 6-5, sr. (9.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.5 apg); Domenic Leone, 6-3, sr. (8.9 ppg, 3.2 apg). FC — Luke Wagstaff, 6-8, sr. (20.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 5.0 apg); Jayce King, 6-0, jr. (18.7 ppg, 2.0 spg); Jamar Mitchell, 6-5, sr. (13.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg). What to know: In the first meeting between Fort Collins boys basketball teams in the Great 8 or later, Fossil Ridge gets a shot at avenging one of its two losses on the season (the other is to Valor) as it goes for a second consecutive Final 4 bid. The Lambkins, who won at Fossil Ridge 55-52 on Jan. 31, have already matched their highest win total of the past 13 years and are a win away from reaching the Final 4 for the first time since 1977.
Girls NO. 1 VALOR CHRISTIAN (22-2) VS. NO. 8 ARAPAHOE (19-6)
Time: 4 p.m.
Players to watch: VC — Macey Huard, 6-2, sr. (21.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.2 spg); Quinn Vansickle, 5-7, so. (14.4 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2.7 spg); Emma Lytle, 5-7, jr. (9.6 ppg, 3.0 apg, 2.4 spg). AR — Gianna Smith, 5-10, so. (18.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg); Sydney White, 5-9, sr. (12.3 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2.5 spg); Emily Thomas, 5-8, sr. (7.1 ppg, 2.9 apg). What to know: Outside of an uncharacteristic slip-up vs. Arvada West, Valor has been nearly untouchable this season with wins over five of the other seven 6A
Great 8 qualifiers, including a 57-44 victory over Arapahoe. The Eagles have reached the Final 4 three years in a row and the championship round each of the past two seasons (winning in 2021). This is Arapahoe’s third straight quarterfinal trip.
NO. 4 MONARCH (24-1) VS. NO. 12 REGIS JESUIT (17-8)
Time: 8:45 a.m.
Players to watch: MO — Natalie Guanella, 5-7, sr. (15.7 ppg, 3.3 apg, 3.0 spg); Amelia Rosin, 6-1, sr. (11.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.1 bpg); Arezo Safi, 6-0, sr. (10.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg). RJ — Hana Belibi, 6-0, jr. (17.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg); Coryn Watts, 5-8, jr. (14.6 ppg, 4.0 apg, 1.8 spg); Iliana Greene, 5-2, so. (9.9 ppg) Jane Rumpf, 6-2, so. (9.4 rpg, 1.3 bpg).
What to know: If Monarch is to reach the Final 4 for the first time in eight years, it first must avenge its lone loss of the season. Regis took down the Coyotes at home 50-36 on Dec. 21. Since then, Monarch has won 18 in a row, all but one of which came by double figures: a 54-48 Sweet 16 win over Ralston Valley. The win over Monarch constitutes the high point of Regis’ season.
NO. 2 CHERRY CREEK (21-4) VS. NO. 7 DOHERTY (19-6)
Time: 7 p.m.
Players to watch: CC — Tianna Chambers, 6-0, so. (13.8 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2.1 spg); Braelynn Barnett,
6-0, so. (10.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg); A’neya Chambers, 5-10, so. (9.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.4 spg). DO — Brooke Mansanares, 5-11, sr. (11.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.0 spg); Tayva Phillips, sr. (8.4 ppg, 1.7 spg).
What to know: The Bruins’ Class of 2025 core was ahead of schedule a year ago when it made a run to the Great 8. With that group a year older, Creek is now a threat to do some serious damage. The Bruins went 4-3 against 6A Great 8 squads this season, including a 53-41 win at Doherty on Jan. 12. The Spartans are back in the Great 8 for the second year in a row.
NO. 3 HIGHLANDS RANCH (22-3) VS. NO. 11 GRANDVIEW (16-9)
Time: 11:45 a.m.
Players to watch: HR — Tori Baker, 5-7, so. (15.3 ppg, 3.9 apg, 2.1 spg); Ezra Simonich, 5-10, so. (10.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.2 spg); Maddie Groth,
5-11, sr. (9.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg). GR — Sienna Betts, 6-3, so. (21.6 ppg, 16.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 3.9 bpg); Isa Dillehay, sr. (4.0 ppg, 3.8 apg, 2.2 spg).
What to know: Just like a year ago, Grandview took its lumps with a challenging schedule. And just like a year ago, the Wolves are peaking at the right time — this time with a younger Betts (sophomore Sienna, not Lauren) leading the way. An eighth straight trip to the Final 4 will not come easy. Highlands Ranch is 19-1 in its last 20 games behind a pair of super sophomores in Baker and Simonich.