AURORA | Bragging rights and likely improved position in the upcoming Class 6A boys basketball state tournament is at stake as the Centennial League Challenge begins Friday.
Eight teams concluded a full round of play Wednesday, which finalized the seedings for the week-long tournament, which will decide the league champion.
Cherry Creek’s four-point victory over Grandview gave the Bruins (6-1 in league play) the No. 1 seed and earned them a 6:30 p.m. home game against No. 8 Smoky Hill (0-7 in league play) in a rematch of 62-49 Cherry Creek win Jan. 21.
The final contest left the Wolves as the highest Aurora area seed in No. 2, which they got in a tiebreaker with Eaglecrest thanks to a head-to-head win as both teams were 5-2 in league contests. Grandview will play host to Arapahoe (1-6 in league play) at 7 p.m. Friday in a rematch of the Wolves’ 68-53 win Jan. 29.
Last season’s league champion, Eaglecrest, ended up with the No. 3 seed and draws a matchup with sixth-seeded Mullen (3-4 in league play) in the opening round, which is set for 7 p.m. The Raptors earned an 82-58 victory over the Mustangs Feb. 6.
Overland won its last three games and surged into the No. 4 spot, which landed a home game at 7 p.m. against Cherokee Trail (4-3 in league play) in a rematch of the Trailblazers’ 63-59 win on the Cougars’ home floor Feb. 6.
Championship and consolation semifinals take place Feb. 19 at higher seeds, followed by placing games Feb. 21, which will all take place at Smoky Hill.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2026 CENTENNIAL LEAGUE CHALLENGE BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
Seedings: 1. Cherry Creek (16-4, 6-1), 2. GRANDVIEW (14-6, 5-2), 3. EAGLECREST (15-5, 5-2), 4. OVERLAND (10-10, 4-3), 5. CHEROKEE TRAIL (14-6, 4-3), 6. Mullen (11-9, 3-4), 7. Araphaoe (6-14, 1-6), 8. SMOKY HILL (2-18, 0-7)