A pair of Aurora boys basketball teams put the finishing touches on league championships on Feb. 20, the final day of the regular season.
Overland already seemed to have a No. 1 seed in the Class 5A state tournament in the bag, but the third-ranked Trailblazers added the outright Centennial League crown with a comfortable 70-53 home win over Grandview.
Junior De’Ron Davis poured in 19 points, junior Padiet Wang added nine and senior Ryan Swan eight as coach Danny Fisher’s team won its 12th straight game and finished 13-1 in the league standings, plus 18-5 overall.
Rangeview sealed the EMAC crown with an 86-61 win at rival Gateway behind five Raiders in double figures, led by Tarren Storey-Way with 22 and Tyrei Randall with 20.
• The spring prep sports season got off to its typical rough start, as practices began on Feb. 23, the first day after a major snow storm hit the area. While boys swimmers weren’t affected, teams in baseball, girls soccer, track & field, boys and girls lacrosse, girls tennis and girls golf were forced indoors for tryouts. The regular season for girls tennis and girls golf begins Feb. 26 and other sports start March 5.
• The brackets for the Class 5A boys and girls and Class 4A boys state basketball tournaments was released by the Colorado High School Activities Association on Feb. 22. Nine Aurora boys teams (Aurora Central, Cherokee Trail, Eaglecrest, Grandview, Hinkley, Overland, Rangeview, Regis Jesuit and Smoky Hill) made the 48-team 5A bracket, while Vista PEAK, Aurora’s only 4A team, made the 32-team 4A field. The 5A girls 48-team playoff bracket included Cherokee Trail, Eaglecrest, Gateway, Grandview, Rangeview and Regis Jesuit.
• Rangeview’s Max Gonzales (220 pounds) and Grandview’s Josh Vigil-Harrison (285 pounds) pinned their way to third place at the Class 5A state wrestling tournament, while Regis Jesuit’s Logan Ronan (152 pounds) finished fourth and Grandview’s Seth Brown (145 pounds) and Aurora Central’s Juan Fraire (182) each came in sixth. Full recap and results, here.
• The Gateway girls basketball team came up a win short of claiming in the EMAC championship, but the Olys finished undefeated against everybody except league winner Westminster with a 65-56 win over rival Rangeview Feb. 20. Carmen Ramey scored 20 points to pace the Olys.
• Connor Brennan’s hat trick helped the Regis Jesuit ice hockey team build a five-goal lead, then the Raiders had to survive a flurry by Cherry Creek in a 6-4 win on Feb. 20 at Family Sports Center.
• Grandview’s Seth Brown (145 pounds), Aurora Central’s Juan Fraire (182 pounds) and Rangeview’s Max Gonzales all advanced to the semifinal round of the Class 5A/4A state wrestling tournament on Feb. 20 before they were defeated. In all, 10 Aurora wrestlers remained alive in the consolation bracket going into the final day.
• Elijah Coleman scored 24 points and Ladarius Thomas added 18 as Aurora Central downed rival Hinkley 69-55 in front of a packed house at Hinkley on Feb. 20 to lock up third in the EMAC boys basketball standings.
• Ten of Aurora’s 27 wrestlers posted first round wins on Feb. 19, the opening day of the Class 5A/4A state wrestling tournament at the Pepsi Center. The first round winners advanced to the championship quarterfinals, while the losers moved into the consolation bracket of the double-elimination tournament.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
