AURORA | Three city teams made it through Saturday’s second round of the Class 5A boys state basketball playoffs, while four others had their seasons end.
Top-seeded Eaglecrest, fourth-seeded Grandview and No. 8 Smoky Hill performed well on their home floors in double-digit victories, while 12th-seeded Overland, No. 18 Cherokee Trail, No. 19 Regis Jesuit and No. 32 Rangeview all battled before falling.
All three Aurora winners will be on their home floors again on March 1 in the Sweet 16, with a victory sending them on to the Great 8 at the Denver Coliseum.
(1) EAGLECREST 69, (32) RANGEVIEW 53: In a rematch of last season’s 5A state semifinals that felt way too early, the Raptors topped the Raiders again. Colbey Ross (17 points), Victor Garnes (12) and Austin Forsberg (10) scored in double figures and Eaglecrest kept alive the hopes of winning a state title in coach John Olander’s last season. The Raptors will play host to No. 17 Vista Ridge — which upset No. 16 Lakewood 52-44 — in the second round. Rangeview got another big game from senior Matthew Johnson (25 points), but fell short of reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2010.
(4) GRANDVIEW 78, (29) GRAND JUNCTION 51: The Wolves led from start to finish against the visiting Tigers and moved into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2014. Coach Michael Rogers’ Grandview team had too much size and quickness for Grand Junction to keep up with as senior guard Lechaun Duhart struck for 19 points and senior post Gaige Prim added 15, while Dayne Prim and Tyler Unger contributed 12 points apiece. The Wolves play host to 13th-seeded Mountain Vista, a 47-39 winner over No. 20 Legend, in the Sweet 16.
(8) SMOKY HILL 76, (25) HIGHLANDS RANCH 52: The Buffaloes returned to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2014 with a high-flying victory over the Falcons. Smoky Hill delivered coach Anthony Hardin his first postseason win in grand fashion with above the rim play from start to finish. Sophomore Kenny Foster had a couple of dunks as part of a 15-point effort, while freshman Quinten Rock added 14 and junior Jahwan Phillips chipped in 13. The Buffaloes play host to No. 9 Denver East — a 72-56 winner over No. 24 Fossil Ridge — in the Sweet 16.
(21) FAR NORTHEAST WARRIORS 68, (12) OVERLAND 56: The Trailblazers’ two-year reign as 5A state champions came to an end at the hands of the visiting Warriors, who made all the plays down the stretch and had five players finish in double figures in points. Overland had a five-point lead with just over six minutes remaining, but went cold from the field and couldn’t get a defensive stop when it needed it in crunch time. Coach Danny Fisher’s Trailblazers finished 13-11.
(17) RAMPART 67, (18) CHEROKEE TRAIL 47: The Cougars — a Great 8 team last season — fell on the road in the second round as they had trouble handling the inside game of the massive Rams. Cherokee Trail trailed by just four points at halftime, but a 16-5 advantage for Rampart in the third period put coach Morgan Gregory’s team in too big of a hole to climb out of. The Cougars finished the season 13-12.
(14) CHAPARRAL 53, (19) REGIS JESUIT 50: The Raiders nearly paid back a recent sizeable loss to the Wolverines, a Continental League rival, but watched the game slip away in the closing seconds. Coach Ken Shaw’s Regis Jesuit team got outscored by 10 points in the fourth quarter to see its season end at short of the Great 8 for the first time since 2014. Junior Elijah Martinez led the Raiders with 16 points, while sophomore Jamil Safieddine added 13 and sophomore Payton Egloff chipped in nine as they finished 13-12.
