AURORA | A look at some of the key games, tournaments and happenings in Aurora prep sports from March 2-7, 2020:

Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports

MONDAY, MARCH 2: The first official day of the spring prep sports season begins as the Colorado High School Activities Association permits practice to begin in baseball, girls soccer, boys swimming, track & field, boys and girls lacrosse, girls tennis and girls golf.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3: The Class 5A girls state basketball playoffs resume with five Aurora teams involved in eight Sweet 16 contests throughout the state. The two games that will happen in Aurora take place at No. 3 Regis Jesuit — where the Raiders (20-4) will move across campus to the Boys Division Gym for a 7 p.m. contest vs. No. 14 Broomfield (18-6)— as well as at No. 4 Grandview (21-3), which has a Centennial League rematch with No. 20 Arapahoe (15-10) at 6:30 p.m. Another meeting of Centennial League foes takes place at No. 2 Cherry Creek at 6 p.m. when No. 15 Cherokee Trail (15-9) — which is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2010 — aims to top the Bruins (22-2), who won both previous meetings. No. 9 Vista PEAK (22-2) comes off its first playoff win of all-time and travels to No. 8 Fossil Ridge (20-4) for a 6 p.m. Sweet 16 contest, the same time No. 16 Rangeview (18-6) goes to No. 1 Valor Christian (23-1).

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4: Six of the eight Class 5A Sweet 16 boys state basketball playoff contests include Aurora teams, with two home games and four on the road. In town, top-seeded and unbeaten Rangeview (24-0) has a 6:30 p.m. Chauncey Billups Region contest against No. 16 Mountain Vista (17-7), while No. 5 Grandview (18-6) swings into action in Kent Smith Region plays at 7 p.m. with a visit from No. 21 Broomfield (17-8). Coming off a big upset at Cherry Creek in the second round, No. 29 Regis Jesuit (12-13) aims to continue its rise with a 6 p.m. trip to play No. 13 Denver East (21-3) at Manual’s Thunderdome in another Kent Smith Region contest, while No. 10 Smoky Hill (18-6) has a rematch with No. 7 Chaparral (18-6) on the Wolverines’ home court at 7 p.m. in a pivotal Chuck Williams Region contest. In the 5A Sweet 16 for the first time, No. 15 Vista PEAK (20-4) tries to extend its run even further with a 6:30 p.m. visit to No. 2 Fairview (21-3) in the other Chuck Williams Region matchup and the Larry Farmer Region, No. 11 Eaglecrest (17-7) tries its hand at toppling No. 6 Valor Christian (18-6) at 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, MARCH 5: For the 13th consecutive season, the state ice hockey Frozen Four includes Regis Jesuit, which is in action in the first of two semifinals contests at the Pepsi Center. Puck drop or the fifth-seeded Raiders — who are a step from playing for a third straight state championship — and top-seeded Valor Christian is 5 p.m., with No. 3 Fort Collins and No. 2 Chaparral to follow at 7:30 p.m. Winners return to the Pepsi Center ice for the state championship game March 10.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6: The remainder of the Class 5A girls state basketball tournament takes place at the Denver Coliseum beginning with four Great 8 matchups that will be determined by results from the Sweet 16 round three days earlier.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7: The remainder of the Class 5A boys state basketball tournament takes place at the Denver Coliseum beginning with four Great 8 matchups that will be determined by results from the Sweet 16 round three days earlier.

Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor and photographer with Sentinel Colorado. A Denver East High School and University of Colorado alum. He came to the Sentinel in 2001 and since then has received a number...