AURORA | A look at some of the key games, tournaments and happenings in Aurora prep sports from Jan. 2-6, 2025:
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
MONDAY, JAN. 6: The Regis Jesuit boys basketball team knocked off visiting Horizon 73-52. …The Cherry Creek co-op ice hockey team skated to a 5-2 win over Castle View in a matinee played at South Suburban Sports Complex. The Bruins tallied two power play goals and one shorthanded on its way to a win, which saw Cooper Huang score twice, while Ari Gelfand and Jack Linville had a goal and two assists apiece. Payton Mills (Overland) made 24 saves. …The Regis Jesuit ice hockey team rolled to a 5-1 win over Chaparral in an early game play at the Ice Ranch. Avery Osgood scored two goals — including the game-winner in the second period — while Cedar Regan, Alexander Stellino and Nolan Williams also tallied. Andrew Brennick and Beau Paton had two assists apiece and Easton Sparks snared 24 of the 25 shots he saw in the victory.Â
SATURDAY, JAN. 4: The Regis Jesuit boys basketball team exploded in the second half on its way to a 73-57 home win over Cherokee Trail in its first contest since winter break. The Raiders outscored the Cougars 45-25 in the final two quarters to erase a four-point halftime deficit. Eric Fiedler tallied 26 points for Regis Jesuit, which also got 18 from Alec Roumph, eight from Lucas Dickinson and seven from Mason Marshall. …The Eaglecrest boys basketball team used a 24-8 spurt in the third quarter to pull away from Douglas County in a 75-40 victory in a championship semifinal of the Raptor-Titan Classic to make the Jan. 7 championship game at Legend High School. Garrett Barger dominated the paint on his way to 20 points, while Ant Nettles added 12, La’Quince York 10 and Kris Coleman and Jason Noone eight apiece. …The Grandview boys basketball team came out of winter break with a solid 68-57 home win over Vista PEAK Prep in crosstown matchup of Aurora programs. The winning Wolves were balanced as Breven Anderson had 15 points, while Noah Sevy added 11 and Trevor Thomas 10, while the Bison got a 23-point effort from Marquilos Mata plus 12 from Mitch Oliver. …Despite 20 points from TJ Manuel, the Overland boys basketball team fell at Broomfield 80-72 in a rematch of a Class 6A state playoff contest from last season. Siraaj Ali added 17, Isreal Littleton 10 and Kyron McDonald nine for the Trailblazers, who were outscored by 18 points at the free throw line. …The Smoky Hill boys basketball team wrapped up play at the Nike Tournament of Champions Hoophall West tournament in Arizona with a 79-60 loss to Lone Peak (Utah). …The Overland girls basketball team returned from winter break with a decisive 69-16 victory over Silver Creek that started with a 25-2 first period. Ilaisaane Davis poured in 18 points to pace the Trailblazers (who won their seventh straight game), while Michaela Halton added 17 and Cayla Clark and Malia Relford contributed nine apiece. …The Regis Jesuit girls basketball team finished a 2-1 showing at the East Idaho Shootout with a 54-44 victory over Rigby to win the Coast Guard Bracket. …The Grandview girls basketball team had a road clash with defending Class 6A state champion Valor Christian and battled to the end of a 65-62 loss. Sienna Betts had a monster game with 26 points and 20 rebounds for the Wolves, who also got a 16-point effort from Ava Chang as well as 10 from Deija Roberson. …The Cherokee Trail girls basketball team dropped a 64-61 contest to Democracy Prep out of Nevada in the fifth-place game of the Denver East Holiday Ball played at Manual H.S. The Cougars finished 1-2 in the tournament that included a number of teams from out of state. …The Eaglecrest girls basketball team fell to Fruita Monument 53-44. …The Cherokee Trail boys wrestling team posted five victories to win the championship of the Legend Duals. The Cougars defeated The Classical Academy (51-17), Rocky Mountain (40-30), Araphaoe (73-6), Legend (52-28) and Greeley West (65-11). …A split Grandview boys wrestling team earned the championship of the 17-team Smoky Hill Buffalo Invitational with 206.5 points to easily outpace runner-up Mountain Vista (149) and a split Cherokee Trail team (138.5). The Wolves had the champions of two weight classes — Kyle Menuez at 120 pounds and Oz Nowick at 215 pounds — and had six other top-three placers, which was one more than the Cougars, who had champions in Charlie Rider (103 pounds) and Noah Collins (175 pounds). Fourth-place Regis Jesuit had three weight winners as Richard Avila claimed the 113-pound title, Genghis Gholston triumphed at 150 pounds and Lafe Sarjeant took the crown at 157 pounds. Ian Bacon (126 pounds) won the only title for fifth-place Vista PEAK Prep, which had six tip-four placers, while Silver Velasquez DeLao ruled the 285-pound bracket for ninth-place Overland. …The Eaglecrest boys wrestling team accrued 75.5 points over two days to tie for 23rd out of 73 teams at the Conflict at Cleveland in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. …The Vista PEAK Prep girls wrestling team earned 128 points on its way to a runner-up finish behind Coronado (146) at the Smoky Hill Buffalo Invitational as Amelia Bacon (120 pounds), Idaly Garcia (130), Parice Jones (190) and Khloe Yizar (235) finished on top of their respective weight classes. Fifth-place Overland had no champions, but had five runners-up (Ellena Berhe, Isabella Taylor, Carter Steine, Jackelyn Torreblanca Oseguera and Ruth Worknhe), while Maria Pascual Francisco (115 pounds) and Grace Song (140/145) were second for host Smoky Hill. …The Regis Jesuit girls wrestling team finished second at the 22-team field at the Bennett Invitational with 156 points to the 168.5 of winner Thornton. Remington Zimmerer (120 pounds) and Marisol Shukie (135) won championships to pace the six top-four finishers for the Raiders. …The Eaglecrest girls wrestling team finished in fifth place out of 66 teams in the Conflict at Cleveland tournament in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Bailee Mestas placed fourth at 126 pounds to lead the Raptors, who also got top-six places from Jordan Heibult (120 pounds), Carmella Trujillo (132) and Emma Roberts (235). …The Grandview girls swim team racked up 367 points to finish third among five team that competed in the Craven Class at Cherry Creek High School. The Wolves finished in third place behind host and winner Cherry Creek (574) and runner-up Rock Canyon (431) with help from a win by Makenna Dyk in the 50 yard freestyle. Grandview also finished second in all three relay events and saw Delaina Burgeson (100 backstroke) grab a second and Paige Gust placed third twice. …The Regis Jesuit ice hockey team returned to the ice after winter break with a 4-1 victory over Castle View with four different goal scorers in Parker Brinner, Zachary Lorenzo, Avery Osgood and Mark Tiftickjian all found the back of the net. Six players picked up assists and Marc Brousseau saved 22 of the 23 shots he faced. …The Cherry Creek co-op ice hockey team fell to Valor Christian 5-1 with the lone goal coming from Carter Sharkey (Cherokee Trail) with an assist to Cooper Huang. Mason Banks made 16 saves for the Bruins. … Brady Finn, Aidan McGinty and Christian Sorensen scored goals for the Grandview ice hockey team in a 4-3 loss to Lewis-Palmer that included assists from Finn, James Lembke and Kiryl Kapantsou. The Rangers put 52 shots on goal and Linkin Alisasis stopped 48 of them.
FRIDAY, JAN. 3: The Eaglecrest boys basketball team added transfer Ant Nettles to the lineup for the first time and he tallied 18 points and was credited with 10 steals as the Raptors rolled past Palmer 82-42 to open the Raptor-Titan Classic. Lucas Kalimba added 21, while Garrett Barger had 13 and Jason Noone 12. …The Smoky Hill boys basketball team dropped a 59-52 contest at the Nike Tournament of Champions Hoop Hall West to Casteel (Arizona). …Four players scored in double figures for the Vista PEAK Prep girls basketball team in a 61-50 home win over Fruita Monument. Knakai Starks finished with 18 points, while Jade Hibbler tallied 15, Amirah Pena went for 14 and Eianna Jackson 10 for the Bison. …The Cherokee Trail girls basketball team downed Chatfield 65-46 in a consolation semifinal contest at the Denver East Holiday Ball tournament. …The Regis Jesuit girls basketball team got into the win column at the East Idaho Shootout with a 61-36 victory over Shelley (Idaho). …The Cherry Creek ice hockey team returned to the ice after winter break and skated to a 4-4 overtime tie with the Poudre School District. Shota Badasyan, Grayson Helm, Matthew Lopez and Austin Katz each scored goals, while Carter Sharkey (Cherokee Trail) had two assists and Payton Mills (Overland) made 26 saves.
THURSDAY, JAN. 2: The Smoky Hill boys basketball team returned from winter break with a 70-64 victory over Liberty (Arizona) in play at the Nike Tournament of Champions. …The Cherokee Trail girls basketball team fell to Mt. Zion Prep Academy (Maryland) 62-50 in the opening game of the Denver East Holiday Ball tournament played at Manual H.S. Aaliyah Broadus poured in 23 points to pace the Cougars, who also got eight points apiece from Madeline Gibbs and Talia Strode. …The Regis Jesuit girls basketball team tipped off the East Idaho Shootout in Rigby, Utah, with a 43-33 loss to Madison (Idaho) despite eight points apiece from Iliana Greene and Tiana Rogers, while Jane Rumpf had 13 rebounds. …The Smoky Hill girls swim team dropped a tight 97-89 Centennial League dual meet with Cherry Creek. Caroline Kaiser picked up wins in the 50 yard freestyle and 100 yard backstroke for the Buffaloes, who also got wins from Cameryn Walkup, Mya Noffsinger and diver Lyla Bailey in addition to the 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams, both of which included Kaiser, Walkup and Greta Smolenski.
