AURORA | A capsule look at the first round matchups involving Aurora teams in the Class 5A girls state basketball playoffs, which begin on Feb. 2, 2022:
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
No. 39 Smoky Hill (12-9) at No. 26 Chatfield (14-9), 6 p.m.
BREAKDOWN: Smoky Hill has earned its first appearance in the Class 5A state playoffs since 2014, while the Buffaloes’ last postseason victory happened in 2013. Coach Rick Harris’ team has earned 12 wins, which is more than in the past six-plus seasons combined for the program. Freshman Yamoni Perez has been a big addition for Smoky Hill and averages a team-high 14.7 points per game and also leads the team in steals (3.7 spg) and assists (0.9 apg), while senior senior Jasmine McNeal leads the squad in rebounding at 7.4 per contest in addition to 2.9 blocked shots. Seniors Paige Johnson (6.9 ppg), Jazlyn Lindsey (6.8 ppg) and McNeal (6.7 ppg) follow Perez in offensive production. …Chatfield is back in the postseason after losing in the first round last year and comes into the playoffs with wins in three of its last four games. Coach Kincaid Bimler’s Chargers has a pair of double-digit scorers in the lineup in playmaking senior Grace Talbot (16.0 ppg) — who counts more than half of her field goals made from 3-pointer land — and Talea Kuennen (13.3 ppg), who is one of four players on the team with 19 or more 3-pointers made on the season. Six-foot senior Avery Rohlman tops the team in rebounding with 6.5 per contest. …WINNER GETS: The Smoky Hill-Chatfield winner heads south for a Feb. 25 second round playoff contest at seventh-seeded Doherty (20-3).
No. 45 Douglas County (6-15) at No. 20 Eaglecrest (11-11), 6 p.m.
BREAKDOWN: Douglas County comes into the playoffs with five losses in its past six games. Coach Dana Lentz’s Huskies key around 5-foot-10 senior frontcourt player Isabella Newbold, who is the lone player to average in double-figures as she scores 10.4 points per contest and is also the team leader in rebounding at 6.2 per contest. Senior Carly Dickson adds 7.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest, while assist leader Bradey Green, a junior, averages 5.7 points per contest and is the leading 3-point shooter on the team with 18 made triples. …Eaglecrest has qualified for the 5A state playoffs for the ninth consecutive season, but it in search of its first postseason victory since 2017. The Raptors defeated Douglas County in a first round playoff matchup back in 2008. Coach Robby Gabrielli’s team comes into the postseason on a four-game losing streak — all against top 10-seeded teams from the Centennial League — is .500 overall, but is 9-2 against non-conference opponents. The Raptors have a pair of double-digit scorers in juniors Nia McKenzie (11.1 ppg) and Laci Roffle (10.3 ppg), while the due also paces the team in rebounding at 6.2 and 5.4 per game, respectively. Junior Anjolene Ramiro — the team’s most prolific 3-point shooter — is just a bit behind at 9.3 points per game, while she averages a team-best 2.9 assists as well. WINNER GETS: The Douglas County-Eaglecrest winner moves on to a second round playoff road contest at 13th-seeded Fossil Ridge (17-6) Feb. 25.
No. 38 Greeley Central (11-12) at No. 27 Vista PEAK (15-8)
BREAKDOWN: Greeley Central comes into the playoffs with six wins in its past nine games, which helped it reach the postseason after a 5-9 start. Coach Juliet Sheets’ Wildcats have a trio of double-digit scorers in Alexis Tapia (13.8 ppg) — a 5-foot-10 senior who works the paint — and junior Zoey Drovdal (12.9 ppg) and junior Tatis Arredondo (12.1 ppg), the team’s top two 3-point shooters. The same trio also leads the way in rebounding with averages of 8.2, 5.7 and 5.6 per contest, respectively, while Arredondo dishes out 2.6 assists per game. ...Vista PEAK is in the postseason for the fifth time in the past six years after missing it a year ago in the pandemic-shortened campaign. The Bison made it to the Sweet 16 round of the 2020 5A playoffs. Coach Howard Payne’s team enters the playoffs on a five-game winning streak, including a victory over rival Rangeview in its season finale that earned the EMAC championship. Vista PEAK features the top scorer in Colorado regardless of classification in senior Breanna Jefferson, who has poured in 23.7 points per game without missing a contest, which leads 5A players by a full four points. Jefferson has knocked down 45 3-pointers to help her cause, while she has also scored significantly in transition as Vista PEAK averages nearly 19 steals per game. Senior post Mikenzie Jones returned from injury and has been a force over 14 games (during which the team is 10-4), as she has averaged 12.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.4 blocked shots per game. Freshmen Eianna Jackson (8.7 points, 5.7 rebounds) and Amirah Pena (6.7 ppg) have contributed significantly, as has junior Ashlyn Stapleton, who averages almost a handful of steals per contest. …WINNER GETS: The Greeley Central-Vista PEAK winner moves into a second round contest Feb. 25 at No. 6 Cherry Creek (16-6).
No. 34 Castle View (9-13) at No. 31 Cherokee Trail (9-13), 6 p.m.
BREAKDOWN: The postseason opener is a rematch of a early regular-season tournament contest between Castle View and Cherokee Trail back on Dec. 3, 2021, in which the Cougars prevailed 47-30. …Castle View comes into the postseason with four losses in six games, including the last two to No. 2 Highlands Ranch and No. 18 ThunderRidge. Coach Matt Hema’s SaberCats average just 42.6 points per game and doesn’t have a single double-digit scorer on the roster, with senior Abby Nagel closest at 9.3 points per game, while junior Rielley McNeill, sophomore Liv Loveland and senior Ella Seeley all average around 7.0 points per contest, while Seeley is the club’s leading rebounder at 7.3 per contest. …Cherokee Trail had an 11-season streak of making the postseason stopped last year in the pandemic-shorted season, but makes its return to the playoffs. Coach Tammi Traylor-Statewright’s team snapped a four-game losing streak in Centennial League play with a win in its finale. The Cougars also don’t have a player averaging double figures on the season, but senior Sierra Culbreath is almost there at 9.9 points per contest. Senior Damara Allen is just behind at 9.7 points per game (and has scored 12 or more in five of the last season games) and also leads the team in rebounding (7.3 rpg) and steals (3.2 spg), while sophomore Ava Turnbull, freshman Delainey Miller and senior Kaley Bruning all average 7.0 points or more per game. …WINNER GETS: The Castle View-Cherokee Trail winner moves into a Feb. 25 second round contest at No. 2 Highlands Ranch (18-4).
