AURORA | A look at some of the games, tournaments and happenings in Aurora prep sports between Jan. 5-11, 2017 (Note: All games and meets from Jan. 5 were canceled due to weather):
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
• A lengthy slate of boys and girls basketball games is set for Jan. 6 with nearly every Aurora program in action in either non-league or league play. Among the boys basketball highlights, Overland pays a visit to Cherry Creek in Centennial League play, which also includes Cherokee Trail playing host to Smoky Hill, while Rangeview visits Rock Canyon and Vista PEAK welcomes in Pueblo South in non-league action, with all set to tip at 7 p.m. In girls play, Grandview has a tough Centennial League challenge ahead of it when Arapahoe visits at 7 p.m.
• The Cherry Creek co-op ice hockey team has a difficult back-to-back set Jan. 6-7 to open the second half of the season. The Bruins (5-1) skate against 3-3 Denver East in a 3 p.m. contest Jan. 6 at the Joy Burns Arena ice at the University of Denver, then turn around and try to defend the home ice at the Family Sports Center against Dakota Ridge (4-0-1) at 3:15 p.m. Jan. 7. The 6-0 Regis Jesuit ice hockey team — which resumed play on Jan. 4 against Valor Christian — play host to Monarch at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 7 at Family Sports Center in a rematch of last season’s state championship game.
• The Grandview wrestling team competes in the Colfax Smackdown tournament Jan. 6-7 at Denver East High School, as the Wolves attempt to pick up the momentum they had going into winter break with their performance at the Reno Tournament of Champions. The tournament features a tough multi-classification mix. Cherokee Trail heads out to the second of its three out of state tournaments (the Douglas Invitational in Wyoming), while Rangeview plays host to its annual Raider Classic with a few local teams in the field and Eaglecrest and Vista PEAK compete in the Legend Duals.
• Rangeview plays host to Overland at 7 p.m. Jan. 10 in a matchup of Aurora boys basketball teams that made up half of last season’s Class 5A Final Four. Both teams should be ready to play, as the Raiders come in after playing at Rock Canyon and George Washington, while the Trailblazers had Eaglecrest and Cherry Creek to open up after winter break. In girls play, neither Regis Jesuit nor ThunderRidge have particularly sparkling won-loss records at this point, but the Continental League rivals expect a competitive battle when the Raiders visit the Grizzlies at 7 p.m.
• The top two teams in Aurora Public Schools girls swimming over the past three years meet Jan. 10, when Rangeview plays host to Hinkley in an EMAC dual meet at 4:30 p.m. The Raiders and Thunderbirds have finished 1-2 at the annual APS Championship meet since in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and get a look at each other ahead of the 2017 meet, scheduled for Jan. 27-28 at Hinkley.
• A lot of outstanding Centennial League basketball is set for Jan. 11, including a doubleheader of boys and girls rivals when Cherokee Trail visits Grandview for 5:30 p.m. & 7 p.m. contests, the same set up as Overland at Smoky Hill. The Eaglecrest boys basketball team plays at Arapahoe, while the girls teams meet at Eaglecrest at 7 p.m.
• A Jan. 11 wrestling triangular at Gateway features a pair of visitors from Aurora in Aurora Central and Vista PEAK, which begin to compete at 5 p.m. Regis Jesuit plays host to powerhouse Ponderosa at 6:30 p.m. in Continental League action and Rangeview is at Westminster at 7 p.m. for an EMAC dual.
