AURORA | A look at some of the key games, tournaments and happenings in Aurora prep sports between Feb. 25-March 3, 2016:
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
• The Grandview girls basketball team opens the Class 5A state playoffs at 7 p.m. Feb. 26 with a second round game against No. 8 Douglas County, which topped No. 9 Grand Junction in the first round. Coach Josh Ulitzky’s undefeated and top-seeded Wolves were the only Aurora team to receive a first round bye as one of the overall top 16 seeds. Sixth-seeded Cherokee Trail got past No. 11 Gateway to advance to a 6 p.m. Feb. 26 second round game at No. 3 Pine Creek. Fifth-seeded Regis Jesuit is set for a 6 p.m. Feb. 26 visit to No. 4 Rampart after a first round victory. Full 5A girls playoff scores and schedules (here).
• The state ice hockey playoffs begin with rounds No. 1 and No. 2 on Feb. 26-27, with both teams involving Aurora players — Regis Jesuit and the Cherry Creek co-op team — involved in the 16-team postseason. The Raiders (18-1) take their home ice at the Family Sports Center for their opener at 5:45 p.m. Feb. 26 against Cheyenne Mountain and would play in the second round on the same ice at 3:15 p.m. Feb. 27 with a victory. Cherry Creek (15-4), the defending state champion, plays Liberty at 7:45 p.m. Feb. 26 at South Suburban and a win would put the Bruins into a 3:45 p.m. game on Feb. 27 on the same ice in the second round. The two local teams could meet in the Frozen Four with two wins. Full state ice hockey bracket (here).
• The Class 4A boys and girls basketball state tournaments open Feb. 26-27, with Vista PEAK qualified to compete in both 32-team fields. The Vista PEAK boys head to Denver South High School to play Thompson Valley at 5 p.m. Feb. 26 with a win sending them to a Sweet 16 game on the same floor at 4 p.m. Feb. 27. The Vista PEAK girls play Pueblo South at 6:30 p.m. at Holy Family High School on Feb. 26 and win puts them into the Sweet 16 game scheduled for 1 p.m. Feb. 27 on the same floor. Full 4A boys bracket (here) and 4A girls bracket (here).
• Six Aurora Class 5A boys basketball teams open the playoffs with second round home games on Feb. 27 as No. 1 seeds Rangeview, Eaglecrest and Overland, No. 2s Regis Jesuit and Cherokee Trail and No. 3 Grandview swing into action after sitting out the Feb. 24 first round, where their opponents will be determined. Overland plays first at 1 p.m., followed by Rangeview at 3 p.m., Eaglecrest at 4 p.m. and Regis Jesuit, Cherokee Trail and Grandview at 6 p.m. Seventh-seeded Aurora Central plays at No. 2 Chatfield at 6 p.m. after a first-round victory over Heritage. Full 5A boys bracket (here).
• The opening day of practice for the springs prep sports season is Feb. 29, as Aurora teams and others in baseball, girls soccer, boys and girls track & field, boys and girls lacrosse, boys swimming, girls tennis and girls golf can begin preparations for the start of the 2016 regular season. Girls golf and girls tennis teams can begin to compete on March 3, while the remainder of the sports get underway on March 10.