AURORA | A look back at some of the key games, tournaments and happenings in Aurora prep sports from Feb. 16-23, 2022.
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at [email protected] Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
THE WEEK PAST IN AURORA PREP SPORTS, FEB. 16-23, 2022
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 23: The Overland boys basketball team downed visiting Fruita Monument 66-48 in a Class 5A state tournament first round contest. Senior Victor Harp led the Trailblazers with 20 points, while junior Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq added 18 in the victory. Game story and box score, here …The Vista PEAK boys basketball team led for much of the way in its visit to Chatfield, but ended up falling to the Chargers 48-45 in a 5A state tournament first round playoff matchup. The Bison finished the season 11-13. …The Aurora Central boys basketball team got off to a good start on the road at Roosevelt in a Class 4A state tournament first round playoff matchup, but the Roughriders rallied to down the Trojans 63-54. Aurora Central finished the season 10-12. …Updated Class 5A state tournament scoreboard and schedule, here and updated 4A state tournament scoreboard and schedule, here
TUESDAY, FEB. 22: A trio of Aurora girls basketball programs — all playing on their home floors — picked up victories in the opening round of the Class 5A state playoffs. … Seeded 20th overall, Eaglecrest jumped out to a 19-5 lead after one quarter against Douglas County and finished off the Huskies 55-39. Juniors Nia McKenzie (15 points) and Anjolene Ramiro (13) paced the Raptors. …EMAC champion Vista PEAK, the No. 27 seed, entertained Greeley Central and found itself trailing at halftime, only to explode for 45 points in the second half on its way to a 64-33 victory. Seniors Breanna Jefferson and Mikenzie Jones tallied 27 and 12 points, respectively, to lead the Bison. …Damara Allen scored 14 points and eight other players got in the scoring column as No. 31 Cherokee Trail moved on with a 52-33 home win over Castle View. …The Smoky Hill girls basketball team made its first appearance in the state playoffs since 2014, but it last one round as the 39th-seeded Buffaloes lost 84-44 on the road at Chatfield. Smoky Hill finished the season 12-10.
SATURDAY, FEB. 19: Three days of the Class 5A and 4A boys and girls state wrestling tournaments wrapped up at Ball Arena and the result was one state champion (Eaglecrest’s Blythe Cayko — story, here), three other finalists (Cherokee Trail’s Derek Glenn Jr. and Matthew Buck plus Eaglecrest’s Dorian Ervin) and a total of 14 top-six placers. Full results for all 38 of Aurora’s 5A and 4A boys state qualifiers, here and all 11 girls qualifiers, here. ….The Rangeview boys and girls basketball teams visited rival Vista PEAK for a doubleheader with both games deciding the EMAC champion. The Vista PEAK girls avenged a large loss to Rangeview in the first meeting with a 72-61 victory that included a 28-point outburst for Breanna Jefferson, plus 15 for Mikenzie Jones. Ny’Era West (15 points) & Jennesse Byrd (13) did the most damage for the Raiders. The Rangeview boys followed with a 62-53 victory to take the league crown as Hanif Muhammad and Elijah Thomas finished with 15 points apiece. …The Cherry Creek ice hockey team closed the regular season with a 5-2 win over Resurrection Christian on three goals for Harrison Follett and two more for Luke Brennan (Eaglecrest).
FRIDAY, FEB. 18: The Eaglecrest boys basketball team downed Cherry Creek 80-67 to close the regular season. Mostapha Elmoutaouakkil had 27 points, Peyton Taylor 17, DeAndre Brown 11, and Jayden Washington 10 as the Raptors won their 12th straight game. …TaRea Fulcher and Kyle Sandler poured in 16 points apiece and the Regis Jesuit boys basketball team concluded the regular season with a 67-57 road win at Heritage. …The Overland boys basketball team held off Grandview 57-54. …Austin Gibson had 22 points, and the Cherokee Trail boys basketball team had a big fourth quarter, but Smoky Hill prevailed 73-66. …Despite 16 points from Laci Roffle and 10 from Nia McKenzie, the Eaglecrest girls basketball team fell short of Cherry Creek 41-36 in Centennial League play. …Jameri Hartsfield finished with 22 points to lead the Gateway girls basketball team to a 46-36 EMAC win over Hinkley.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16: The Class 5A girls state swim meet concluded at the Veterans’ Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton, with three Aurora programs finishing in the top 12 of the final standings in Regis Jesuit (third), Grandview (sixth) and Cherokee Trail (12th). The Raiders picked up 52 points in the diving competition prior to the swim finals as Chiara Lopach, Mia Henninger and Sarah Mann all finished in the top nine, then saw Emma Weber win her third career state championship in the 100 yard breaststroke amid a slew of championship finals finishes. Grandview matched the second-best team finish in program history by putting all three relay teams in the championship finals as well as junior Paige Dailey individually (100 breaststroke). Senior Skylar Brgoch made two championship finals apiece for Cherokee Trail, which had a fantastic finish to the meet with its 400 freestyle relay team, while Smoky Hill senior Annelise Thomas was a championship finalist and scored in two events. …The Eaglecrest boys basketball team clinched the Centennial League championship with a 61-45 win over Mullen that came with a 23-point effort from senior Mostapha Elmoutaouakkil. …Rickey Mitchell tallied 18 points and Anthony Harris Jr. had 14 as the Smoky Hill boys basketball team overcame 25 points for Overland’s Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq in an 82-69 victory.
