AURORA | A look back at some of the key games, tournaments and happenings in Aurora prep sports from Feb. 3-9, 2020:
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
SUNDAY, FEB. 9: Members of the Regis Jesuit ice hockey team delivered the spoils of their Jan. 10 Teddy Bear Toss to patients of a variety of ages at Children’s Hospital Colorado. The eighth annual event in which fans toss stuffed animals on the ice after the first Raiders goal of the game — scored this time by Brody Sannes just 1 minute, 46 seconds, into the contest — brought in an estimated 400 stuffed animals. Twenty members of the Regis Jesuit team took the plush prizes — ranging from teddy bears to Peanuts characters to oversized unicorns — to the hospital.
SATURDAY, FEB. 8: The girls state wrestling tournament — which completed the pilot process before it becomes an officially sanctioned sport by the Colorado High School Activities Association next season — got condensed from two days to one at Thornton High School. Three wrestlers from Aurora programs earned state places in Vista PEAK senior Elisa Abeyta (fifth at 118 pounds) and junior teammate Ashley Jaramillo (6th at 147 pounds) along with Eaglecrest freshman Blythe Cayko (5th at 185). …The Rangeview girls swim team won its third straight EMAC championship with a 15-point victory over Brighton in one day’s worth of competition at the Veterans’ Memorial Aquatic Center. Haley Zant (Vista PEAK) won EMAC titles in both sprint freestyle events and Jasmine Johnson won the 100 yard breaststroke with a Class 5A state-qualifying time for the Raiders. Alyssa Lutz won a championship in the 100 backstroke for fourth-placed Hinkley, while finished sixth. …Grandview junior Hailey Matthews won the lone individual championship for Aurora programs at the one-day Centennial “A” League Championship girls swim meet at Arapahoe High School, as she captured the 500 yard freestyle crown to help the Wolves grab third place in the eight-team standings. Cherokee Trail grabbed fourth place, Smoky Hill fifth, Eaglecrest seventh and Overland eighth. …Featuring a lineup made up mostly of swimmers trying to get their first or second Class 5A state qualifying swims, the Regis Jesuit girls swim team finished fifth in the one-day Continental “A” League Championship meet at Heritage High School. …Nolan Sargent score two goals in the third period, but the Regis Jesuit ice hockey team fell short in its rally in a 3-2 loss to Valor Christian at Family Sports Center. The teams tied in their first meeting. …Lauren Betts scored 21 points and the Grandview girls basketball team again had all nine players score in a 75-43 win at Cherokee Trail to complete a Centennial League sweep. …The Eaglecrest boys basketball team ended up with a Centennial League split with Arapahoe after dropping a 79-78 decision in double overtime on the Warriors’ home floor despite Ty Robinson scoring 21 points and four others registering double figures.
The Aurora prep sports scoreboard for Saturday, Feb. 8, here
FRIDAY, FEB. 7: Aurora Public Schools, Cherry Creek Schools and Regis Jesuit High School all canceled school due to an overnight snowstorm, which took all after school practices and contests with them. The lost slate included seven boys basketball games (involving 10 Aurora teams), six girls basketball games featuring nine city teams, a wrestling dual, the start of three girls swimming league championship meets, the opening day of the girls state wrestling tournament and an ice hockey doubleheader at Family Sports Center.
THURSDAY, FEB. 6: With a 58-18 dual match victory over Arapahoe, the Cherokee Trail wrestling team secured the Centennial League championship. The Cougars finished a perfect 7-0 run against league competition. …The Vista PEAK girls basketball team posted a decisive 88-58 road win at Thornton to create a virtual three-way tie atop the EMAC standings, as the Bison joined the Trojans and Rangeview with one loss in league play. In other EMAC girls play, Aurora Central outlasted Gateway 48-47 in overtime. …The Regis Jesuit boys basketball team held on for a 52-51 Continental League home win over Legend in a game in which Alonzo Paul and Ty Bergman scored 13 and 12 points, respectively. The Titans had a go-ahead shot at the buzzer waived off by a foul for a moving screen.
The Aurora prep sports scoreboard for Thursday, Feb. 6, here
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 5: The first Signing Day of the 2020 calendar year for prep athletes was a popular one as Cherokee Trail, Grandview, Regis Jesuit, Smoky Hill and Vista PEAK hosted ceremonies to honor athletes that signed National Letters of Intent or had signed in the previous period back in November of 2019. Grandview had the largest ceremony with 31 athletes honored, Vista PEAK had its largest-ever signing class with 10 and both Regis Jesuit (baseball) and Smoky Hill (football) had double-digit signees in a single sport. Full NLI Aurora signing/honoree list, here. …The Denver Nuggets invaded the Unified basketball contest between visiting Cherokee Trail and Smoky Hill, with public address announcer Kyle Speller on the microphone along with mascot Rocky and a variety of cheerleaders and gameday personnel. In the nightcap, Quinten Rock poured in 24 point and Jalen Weaver added 21 as the Smoky Hill boys basketball team topped Tre Titus (26) and Cherokee Trail 88-77.
The Aurora prep sports scoreboard for Wednesday, Feb. 5, here
TUESDAY, FEB. 4: Gateway officially dedicated its newly refurbished basketball floor as “Jeff Sweet Court” in honor of the winningest coach in boys basketball program history at the schools. Jeff Sweet, who won 321 games and never had a losing season in 20 campaigns on the sidelines for the Olys, attended the game along with several former coaches and players from his 1999-2000 team that went to the Class 5A Final Four. On the court, Maliq Alford scored 22 points and Erick Covington added 12 as Gateway stayed unbeaten in EMAC play with a 78-41 win over Westminster. …The Rangeview girls basketball team pitched a shutout in the third quarter of a 61-11 EMAC win over Adams City in a game in which two players Ny’Era West with 18 points and Brianna Linnear (15) scored more than the Raiders allowed to the Eagles.
The Aurora prep sports scoreboard for Tuesday, Feb. 4, here
MONDAY, FEB. 3: The lone contest on the Aurora prep sports schedule — a strong non-league girls basketball game at Grandview featuring visiting Ralston Valley — got postponed by a week because of weather.