AURORA | A look back at some of the key games, tournaments and happenings in Aurora prep sports from Dec. 16-22, 2025, as compiled by Sentinel Sports Editor Courtney Oakes:
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
MONDAY, DEC. 22: The Eaglecrest boys basketball team edged Leuzinger (Calif.) 53-51 in Orleans Division play at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. …Caleb Jensen scored 13 points, London Moore had 12 and Anthony Ayon and Jordan Mitchell added 11 apiece for the Cherokee Trail boys basketball team in a 60-49 win over West Torrance (Calif.) in the Roundballin.com Division of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. …The Vista PEAK Prep boys basketball team prevailed over Cuppeyville (Puerto Rico) 70-58 in Baller TV Division play at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas with help from 23 points from Julian Williams, 13 from Tristan Moore Devan and 10 from Quincy Williams. …Despite 16 points from Marceles Duncan, 11 from Aidan Perez and 10 from Archie Weatherspoon V, the Rangeview boys basketball team got edged by Riviera Prep (Florida) 58-56 in overtime in Platinum Division play at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. …The Cherokee Trail girls basketball team finished in third place in the Joe Smith Division of the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix with a 59-54 win over Clovis (Calif.). …The Grandview girls basketball team downed Cathedral Catholic (Calif.) 41-29 in the third-place game of the Dan Wiley Division at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix. Rangeview finished 10th in the same division with a 51-47 loss to Chandler (Arizona). …The Overland girls basketball team suffered its first loss in the Sapphire Division of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas with a 67-44 defeat at the hands of Notre Dame (Calif.)
SATURDAY, DEC. 20: The Grandview boys basketball team earned third place at the Cherry Creek Holiday Classic with a 60-55 victory over Valor Christian. …The Smoky Hill boys basketball team continued to move forward in the championship bracket of the Foot Locker Division of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas with a 53-51 win over Desert Oasis (Nevada). …The Rangeview boys basketball team got back on the winning track with a 63-60 win over Carter (Texas) in Platinum Division play of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. Archie Weatherspoon V had 25 points, Aidan Perez 12 and Marceles Duncan 10 for the Raiders. …The Eaglecrest boys basketball team downed Laramie (Wyoming) 64-56 in Orleans Division play at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. …Julian Williams‘ 15 points helped the Vista PEAK Prep boys basketball team to a 56-49 win over Rancho (Nevada) in the Baller TV Division of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. Maayan Allen added 10 for the Bison. …The Eaglecrest girls basketball team finished 2-1 at the Eaglecrest Tournament with a 70-14 victory over Lakewood. Kiarra Spellman paced the Raptors with 19 points, while Kennedy Spellman added 16 and Naomi Emecheta 13. …The Overland girls basketball team continued on in the championship bracket of the Sapphire Division of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas with a 49-42 defeat of Victory Christian Academy (Calif.). …The Rangeview girls basketball team picked up a 45-36 win over Sunnyslope (Arizona) in Dan Wiley Division play at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix. In the same division, Grandview lost to Villa Park 50-49. …Cooper Mathews won the 132-pound bracket and Elijah Horn was the 106-pound runner-up for the Cherokee Trail boys wrestling team, which finished eighth out of 87 scoring teams at the UNC Christmas Tournament at the Island Grove Event Center in Greeley. Jovani Galvan finished as the runner-up at 138 points for Smoky Hill (which hadn’t had a placer at the tournament since 2018) and Ian Bacon’s third-place finish at 126 pounds led Vista PEAK Prep. …JR Ortega (120 pounds) and Leland Day (285 pounds) won championships at the rugged Reno Tournament of Champions, while Gunner Lopez (165 pounds) finished second in his weight for the Grandview boys wrestling team. …The Eaglecrest boys wrestling team finished 2-6 in dual matches at the Flatwater Fracas in Grand Island, Nebraska. Aidan Ritz (106 pounds) recorded seven pins and received a forfeit in eight duals for the Raptors. …Remington Zimmerer (120 pounds) and Alexandra Zimmerer (170 pounds) won championships for the Regis Jesuit girls wrestling team, which tied for 21st among 54 scoring teams at the UNC Christmas Tournament at the Island Grove Event Center in Greeley. Amelia Bacon won the 125-pound title to lead Vista PEAK Prep, which finished 24th. …The Eaglecrest girls wrestling team finished 5-2 in dual matches at the Flatwater Fracas in Grand Island, Nebraska, and finished third in the Gold Bracket. Maxime Lantz (145 pounds) and Parice Jones (170) won all their matches for the Raptors.
FRIDAY, DEC. 19: The Cherokee Trail boys basketball team opened play in the Roundballin.com Division of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas with a 59-36 win over Canyon Springs (Nevada). …The Smoky Hill boys basketball team picked up its first win of the season with a 52-43 defeat of Spring Valley (Nevada) in Foot Locker Division play at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. …The Grandview girls basketball team edged Horizon (Arizona) 51-48 to continue in the championship bracket of the Dan Wiley Division at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix. …The Cherokee Trail girls basketball team topped La Jolla Country Day (Calif.) 45-42 in a championship bracket contest of the Joe Smith Division of the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix. …The Overland girls basketball team began play in the Sapphire Division of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas with a 52-13 win over Silverado (Nevada). …The Vista PEAK Prep girls basketball team moved to 2-0 in the Timnath Winter Classic with a 57-45 win over Boulder. …The Regis Jesuit ice hockey team got an early goal from Jeremy Kornmesser — which prompted an avalanche of stuffed animals thrown on the ice in the program’s annual Teddy Bear Toss, where donations get taken to Children’s Hospital Colorado — and went on to a 6-2 win over Chaparral at Family Sports Center. Beau Paton scored three goals and had two assists, Dylan Nash had a goal to go with three assists and Marc Brousseau made 25 saves for the Raiders. …The Cherry Creek co-op ice hockey team got two goals and an assist from Ari Gelfand, a goal and an assist from Sean Badasyan and 17 saves from Nicholas Rausch in a 4-1 win over Castle View. …The Regis Jesuit girls swim team won the title among Class 5A teams at the Rex Abelein Invitational at the Veterans’ Memorial Aquatic Center with 706 points to outpace Cherry Creek (675.50), while Smoky Hill (287.50) took eighth, Grandview (264) 10th and Cherokee Trail (263) 11th. Three of the four area programs had event champions, as the 200 yard freestyle relay team of Aria Thomas, Lexi Stramel, Zoe Larson and Vivian Hutcheson and Ava Terella (100 yard backstroke) earned wins for the Raiders, while Makenna Dyk claimed the 50 yard freestyle for Grandview and Natalie Daum took the 100 yard breaststroke for Cherokee Trail. Smoky Hill’s Cameryn Walkup was a finalist for the Hoyt Brawner Award. …The Cherry Creek co-op ice hockey team skated to a 1-1 tie with undefeated Poudre School District with help from a goal by Matthew Lopez and 28 saves from Mason Banks. …William Farber found the back of the net in overtime to lift the Regis Jesuit ice hockey team to a 2-1 win over Denver East in a game in which Alexander Warot also scored and Easton Sparks made 29 saves.
THURSDAY, DEC. 18: The Grandview boys basketball team opened the Cherry Creek Holiday Classic tournament with a 78-56 victory over Castle View that included a 31-point outburst from Noah Sevy. Obi Morris added 11 and Charlie Atkinson chipped in 10 for the Wolves. …The Grandview girls basketball team downed Faith Lutheran (Nevada) 57-28 to open play in the Dan Wiley Division at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix. …Chloe Cain scored 27 points, Aaliyah Broadus had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds and Karson Chaney also scored 12 as the Cherokee Trail girls basketball team edged Osbourn Park (Virginia) 67-66 in overtime to start play in the Joe Smith Division of the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix. …The Vista PEAK Prep girls basketball team had a trio of double-digit scorers (Mady Eltzroth with 19 points, Knakai Starks with 14 and Amaya Nance with 11) in a 69-21 win over Cheyenne South to begin the Timnath Winter Classic. …The Gateway girls basketball team rolled past DSST: Green Valley Ranch 58-18. …The Rangeview boys wrestling team earned a 48-18 dual win over Denver West that included pins from Remi Hernandez, Guy Evilsizer, Alec Romero, Muhammed Ali Sardar and Biram Griffey. …The Smoky Hill girls swim team picked up a 134-51 Centennial League dual win at Eaglecrest as Mia and Sophie Noffsinger and Cameryn Walkup won two events apiece and Caroline Kaiser and diver Lyla Bailey also took firsts. Cailyn Baldermann claimed the 200 yard individual medley for Eaglecrest.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 17: The Overland boys basketball team picked up a big road win with a 91-75 victory at Denver East. Demetrius Lambert poured in 34 points to pace Trailblazers, who also got 15 from Darian Proctor, 13 from Lawrence Amedor and 10 from Mehki McNeal. …The Overland girls basketball team earned a 64-24 road win at previously unbeaten Aurora Central in a local matchup that saw Michaela Halton lead all scorers with 21 points. Joy Jamison also reached double figures for the Trailblazers with 13. …In a game moved over to Cherry Creek High School due to wind and potential power outage, the Eaglecrest girls basketball team opened the Eaglecrest Tournament with a 77-20 win over Prairie View that included 22 points from Kennedy Spellman, 16 from Kiarra Spellman and 13 from Naomi Emecheta. …The Eaglecrest boys wrestling team edged Brighton 41-39 with wins by fall from James Pearson, Cade Piccone, Aisley Retallack and Nakhai Miller. …The Vista PEAK Prep boys wrestling team swept a tri-dual with Rangeview (53-30) and Thomas Jefferson (47-34) as Ian Bacon and Kyler Milligan picked up two pins and Cole Redmond and Gavin Fifita went 2-0. Biram Griffey pinned two opponents for Rangeview, which defeated Thomas Jefferson 48-24 after its loss to Vista PEAK Prep. …The Regis Jesuit boys wrestling team earned a 60-24 Continental League dual win over Heritage with help from the pins of Dean Anderson, Dane Anderson, Gavin Anderson, Lafe Sarjeant and Benjamin Bacon. …Tyler Loyd, Parker Travis, Colton Ragsdale, David Lopez and Phillip Gordon earned wins by fall to help the Smoky Hill boys wrestling team to a 78-6 win over Hinkley, which got its points from Angel Gonzalez’s pin at 138 pounds. …The Vista PEAK Prep girls wrestling team lost to Ponderosa 42-24 despite pins from Hailey Brown, Amelia Bacon and Idaly Garcia.
TUESDAY, DEC. 16: The Rangeview boys basketball team went on the road and rolled past Denver West 68-30 behind a balanced attack led by Archie Weatherspoon V with 16 points. Anthony Andrew added 14 and Aidan Perez 11 for the Raiders. …The Aurora Central girls basketball team got a 20-point effort from Bella Lumba in a 75-20 win over Englewood that also saw Jamaea Johnson-Gonzalez (16) and Tay Phillips (11) reach double figures in the scoring column. …The Rangeview girls basketball team cruised to a 56-16 victory over Denver North. …The Vista PEAK Prep girls basketball team rallied past ThunderRidge for a 45-34 home victory.