AURORA | Capsule preview look at the 2019 Class 5A boys state basketball first round playoff matchups involving Aurora teams set for Feb. 20, 2019 (full 5A boys bracket & schedule, here):
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@sentinelcolorado.com.Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Sentinel Prep Sports
2019 CLASS 5A BOYS FIRST ROUND CAPSULES
NO. 47 CHEROKEE TRAIL (6-17) AT NO. 18 GREELEY WEST (17-6), 6:30 P.M.
Breakdown: Cherokee Trail finished 48th in the final Class 5A RPI standings, but was switched with Chatfield to avoid a first round matchup against fellow Centennial League member, Mullen. The Cougars are working on a streak of 12 consecutive seasons in the postseason and have advanced to the second round in four straight seasons. New coach Gary Childress is no stranger to the postseason, having taken Grandview and Vista PEAK in recent seasons. The Cougars come into the game on an eight-game losing streak dating back to a Jan. 18 in a win over Arapahoe. Cherokee Trail features a pair of double-digit scorers in junior G/F Isaac Tesfaye (12.4 points per game) and senior G Chad Robinson (10.9 ppg), with Robinson coming off a season-high 21 points in the regular season finale against Grandview and Tesfaye (the team’s leading rebounder at 6.9 boards per game) having his 18th double-figure effort in 23 games. Senior G Zach Sanders is a key contributor in a variety of categories, while the Cougars have used a fairly long rotation most of the season. …Greeley West has won three of its last five games and have collected its most wins since the 2015-16 season. Coach Brett Cloepfil’s Spartans finished third in the Front Range League standings. Greeley West features a trio of double-digit scorers led by senior G Andre Sepeda (17 points per game), senior F Jarod Clark (12.3 ppg) and senior G Tommie Gonzales (10 ppg).
WINNER GETS: The Cherokee Trail-Greeley West winner moves on in the Chuck Williams Region and will travel to play at No. 15 Fruita Monument in the second round Feb. 23.
NO. 42 VISTA PEAK (12-11) AT NO. 23 HIGHLANDS RANCH (14-9), 7 P.M.
Breakdown: Vista PEAK qualified for the playoffs in its first season in 5A and finished in the 42nd spot in the final RPI standings. The Bison made the 4A postseason for the previous five seasons and won at least one game in each of the previous two years. Coach Keenon Clement’s Vista PEAK team enters the postseason after wins in its last two games and five of its last seven. The Bison feature a trio of double-digit scorers led by junior G AJ LaCabe (12.6 points per game plus a team-best 5.5 rebounds per contest), along with senior G Jaerron Hunter (12.1 ppg) and sophomore G Curtis Stovall (10.9 ppg), while junior G Sayo Owolabi is just behind at 9.6. …Highlands Ranch has won three of its last five going into the postseason, but still finished in the bottom half of the highly competitive Continental League. Coach Mike Gibbs’ junior-heavy Falcons have three double-digit scorers of their own in sophomore G Jason Simental (11.0 ppg), junior G Ryker Cisnarik (10.5 ppg) and junior G/F Tristan Hurdle (10.1 ppg), while junior F Conor Lathrop paces the team with 8.3 rebounds per game.
WINNER GETS: The Vista PEAK-Highlands Ranch winner moves on in the Chuck Williams Region and will travel to play at No. 10 Regis Jesuit in the second round Feb. 23.
NO. 44 GATEWAY (15-8) AT NO. 21 DENVER EAST (16-7), 7 P.M.
Breakdown: Gateway celebrates a return to the Class 5A playoffs after an absence that stretches back to the 2010-11 season, the last under former legendary head coach Jeff Sweet. In his first season at the helm — as the program’s fourth head coach since Sweet retired — Ian Calvert guided the Olys to a six-win improvement over last season into the postseason as the No. 43 teams in the final 5A RPI (Gateway was moved to the No. 44 slot by the CHSAA seeding committee). A lot of faces returned from last season (except for leading scorer Michkaleke “Man Man” Baker), while senior G Kywan Jones arrived and took over the mantle as the team’s leading scorer at 12.8 points per game. Senior G Noah Harrison is the Olys’ most dangerous outside shooter and his 44 made 3-pointers on the season boosted his scoring average to 9.9 points per contest (to go with a team-high 4.0 assists per contest), with high-flying senior F Jabriel Brown (8.7 ppg and team-best 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game) and senior G Marcus Hill (8.4 ppg) close behind. Hill is a key figure defensively and averages a team-high 2.3 steals per contest and his steal in the second-to-last game of the season against Aurora Central helped make sure the Olys would win and qualify for the postseason. …Denver East is one of the hottest teams entering the playoffs as it currently has a seven-game winning streak and seems to always make significant runs in the 5A field. Coach Rudy Carey’s Angels feature a University of Wyoming pledge in senior G Kwane Marble, who averages 19 points per game, while senior G Caulin Swain is next at 12.7 ppg and sophomore G Rashawn Williams is at 10.9 per contest. Senior F Clayton Finley-Ponds paces Denver East in rebounding at 5.2 per game and 8.7 points.
WINNER GETS: The Gateway-Denver East winner moves on in the Kent Smith Region and will travel to play at No. 12 Ralston Valley in the second round on Feb. 23.
NO. 45 AURORA CENTRAL (15-8) AT NO. 20 LEGEND (14-9), 7 p.m.
Breakdown: Aurora Central has gathered six more wins than it had last season so far and has its best record since it went 18-7 in 2015-16, while it checked in at No. 44 in the final 5A RPI (the CHSAA committee shifted a few teams, with the Trojans ending up with the No. 45 seed). Coach Rob Harrison’s Aurora Central team comes into the postseason with wins in three of its last four games and finished in the dead middle of the EMAC standings. The Trojans feature the high-scoring duo of senior G Malachi Owens and senior C Kaleb Atherly, who average 15.7 and 14.7 points per game, respectively. Owens (who has only failed to score in double figures in three of 23 games) leads the team in assists (3.1 apg) and steals (2.9 spg), while Atherly is also good for a team-high 12.2 rebounds per contest (with 14 double-doubles on the season) and hard-nosed senior F/C Michael Thompson is next at 7.5 boards per game. …Legend ended the regular season on a high note with a victory over top-seeded Chaparral, while it also beat Continental League champion and 10th-seeded Regis Jesuit in league play to finish 20th in the final RPI. Coach Kevin Boley’s Titans are prolific from the perimeter with six players having made double-digit 3-pointers on the season. Senior G Sufyan Elkannan paces a balanced lineup with an average of 13.5 points per game, while senior G Caleb Tamminga is next at 10.2 points per contest and three other players contribute 8.3 points per game or more.
WINNER GETS: The Aurora Central-Legend winner moves on in the Kent Smith Region and will travel to play at No. 13 Eaglecrest in the second round on Feb. 23.
