AURORA | A look ahead at the games, tournaments and happenings in Aurora prep sports between Dec. 10-16, 2015:
• Basketball tournaments aplenty continue Dec. 10, which includes the Dakota Ridge Tournament featuring Grandview, Gateway and Smoky Hill. The Wolves waited nine days since the opening of the season to play and take on Green Mountain at 5:30 p.m., the same time as Gateway faces Monarch and prior to the 7 p.m. contest between Smoky Hill and Mesa Ridge (bracket/schedule). The tournament continues through Dec. 12 as does the Littleton Mane Event, which includes the Overland girls (bracket/schedule). The Smoky Hill boys basketball team opens its own three-day tournament on Dec. 10. The Buffaloes face Horizon at 7:30 p.m. after Hinkley plays Mountain Range at 3 p.m. (bracket/schedule).
The Regis Jesuit boys head to Arizona for the Duel in the Desert, while the Aurora Central boys head to the Fairview Festival Dec. 7-11 (bracket/schedule), Eaglecrest heads to the Palmer Terror Invitational Dec. 9-12 (bracket/schedule), Grandview plays in the Ralston Valley Roundup Dec. 8-11 (bracket/schedule) and Rangeview heads north for the Fort Collins/Poudre Tip Off tourney Dec. 8-12 (bracket/schedule).
In other girls tournaments, Aurora Central, Hinkley and Rangeview take part in the Douglas County Holiday Tournament (bracket/schedule), Cherokee Trail is entered in the Jungle Jam tournament at D’Evelyn High School (scores/schedule) and Vista PEAK has a three-game set at the Spartan Classic at Berthoud (scores/schedule).
• The Regis Jesuit ice hockey team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss is set for Dec. 11 when the Raiders — who are off to a 2-0 start — play host to Resurrection Christian at 5:45 p.m. at Family Sports Center. Fans are asked to bring a stuffed animal to throw on the ice after Regis Jesuit scores its first goal of the game, with the animals collected going to Children’s Hospital Colorado.
• The annual Grandview Duals tournament is set for Dec. 12 with a quality group of teams heading to a strong early season dual tournament set to open at 8 a.m. Rangeview represents Aurora in addition to host Grandview, while the quality field also includes Adams City and Broomfield. Vista PEAK plays host to a tradition bracketed tournament with a multi-classification mix of 13 teams that also includes Smoky Hill. Meanhwile, Eaglecrest, Gateway and Regis Jesuit compete at the 36th annual Harold McCray Invitational at Lewis-Palmer and Cherokee Trail travels to California for the La Costa Canyon Classic.
• The Smoky Hill girls swim team competes in the Angel Invitational on Dec. 12 at Manual High School, as the Buffaloes look to continue a strong start that has produced three dual meet victories. Smoky Hill posted a 19-point victory over Chatfield at last season’s Angel Invite, which featured 16 teams.
• The Overland boys basketball team opens the Tarkanian Classic on Dec. 16 as the Trailblazers (2-0 in Colorado) head to play in the loaded Platinum Division of the tournament in Las Vegas.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
