AURORA | A look back and some of the key games, tournaments and happenings in Aurora prep sports from Dec. 17-22, 2024:
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
THE WEEK PAST IN AURORA PREP SPORTS, 12.17-12.22.24
MONDAY, DEC. 22: There was no competition for Aurora prep sports teams ahead of the mandatory holiday hiatus for practice and competition.
SATURDAY, DEC. 21: The Rangeview boys basketball team captured the championship of the Aztec Varsity Tournament in Tucson, Arizona, with a 65-33 dispatch of Buena (Arizona) behind 18 points from LaDavian King, 12 from Marceles Duncan and 10 from Royce Edwards. The Raiders went 3-0 at the tournament. …The Eaglecrest boys basketball team finished as the runner-up in the Spalding Division at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas with a 73-66 loss to Bingham (Utah). Kris Coleman paced the Raptors with 16 points, while Garrett Barger and La’Quince York had 14 apiece. Also at the Tarkanian Classic, Smoky Hill defeated Faith Lutheran (Nevada) 65-57 to place third in the Ball Dawgs Division, while Cherokee Trail topped The Victory Christian Academy 70-67 to cap play in the Orleans Division. …Despite 30 points from Siraaj Ali, the Overland boys basketball team fell to Liberty 70-69 in overtime to conclude Shoot The Rock Tour play in Arizona. …The Gateway boys basketball team used tremendous defensive pressure to pull away from Hinkley for an 85-39 home win. …The Overland girls basketball team won the championship of the Sapphire Division bracket of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas with a 62-36 win over Denver South. Ilaisaane Davis paced the Trailblazers with 14 points, while Sasha Davis had 13, Michaela Halton 12 and Emma Davis 11. …The Rangeview girls basketball team finished in third place of the Derril Kipp Division at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix with a 69-21 loss to Doherty in a matchup of Colorado teams. At the same tournament, Grandview finished fifth in the Vincent Cannizarro Division with a 65-27 loss to Bishop McNamara (Md.) and Cherokee Trail placed ninth in the Joe Smith Division after a 51-50 loss to Millenium (Arizona). …Ava Elzroth scored 18 points to pace the Vista PEAK Prep girls basketball team to an 83-31 victory over Palmer. Knakai Starks added 17, while Amaya Nance had 14 and Eianna Jackson 10. ..The Eaglecrest girls basketball team settled for second place at its own tournament with a 58-36 loss to Columbine. …The Grandview boys wrestling team had two placers at the prestigious Reno Tournament of Champions, as Charlie Herting secured third place (and All-American status) at 175 pounds, while heavyweight Leland Day finished in fourth place. …The Cherokee Trail boys wrestling team finished in fifth place to lead locals at the massive Northern Colorado Christmas Tournament in Greeley , which saw 86 teams earned points. The Cougars four top-eight placers led by Chance Mathews, the champion at 144 pounds, while Cooper Mathews took second at 113. …Amelia Bacon secured the championship of the 125-pound bracket at the large Northern Colorado Christmas Tournament and helped the Vista PEAK Prep girls wrestling team to a ninth-place finish out of 51 scoring teams, The Bison had four top-eight placers. …The Eaglecrest girls wrestling team finished as the runner-up at the 24-tea, Warrior Classic on the Western Slope as the Raptors had 12 top-eight placers. Sydney Babi (110 pounds), Jordan Heibult (125) and Natalie Replogle (155) lost in the finals. Eaglecrest also sent a contingent to the Columbine Invitational and had a champion at 130 pounds in Marisa Atkins. …The Regis Jesuit ice hockey team scored three goals in each of the final two periods in a 6-3 win over Chaparral. Nolan Williams scored two goals and Parker Brinner had three assists to pace the Raiders. …The Cherry Creek co-op ice hockey team blanked Heritage 5-0 with a four-goal third period breaking it open. Mason Banks made 28 saves for the shutout, while Harry Frangiskakis had a goal and an assist and Grayson Helm dished out two assists.
FRIDAY, DEC. 20: The Regis Jesuit boys basketball team finally shook free from Denver East on its way to a 72-55 home victory to enter winter break 5-2. Eric Fiedler poured in 30 points to lead the Raiders, who also got 13 from Lucas Dickinson and nine from Mason Marshall. …The Rangeview boys basketball team routed the Tucson High School Magnet School 65-43 in a championship semifinal at the Aztec Varsity Tournament behind 15 points from LaDavian King and 13 from Marceles Duncan. …The Eaglecrest boys basketball team edged Notre Dame Prep 65-62 in a championship semifinal of the Spalding Division of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. …The Eaglecrest girls basketball team rolled past Fountain-Fort Carson 50-23 to improve to 2-0 at the Eaglecrest Invitational. …The Overland girls basketball team edged Clovis East 49-47 in a championship semifinal of the Sapphire Division at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. …The Grandview ice hockey team earned its historic first victory as a varsity program with a lopsided 11-3 win over Dakota Ridge. Aidan McGinty had a hat trick, while Kyle Golas and James Lembke had two goals apiece and Brady Finn and Evan Stellino notched three assists apiece. …The Cherry Creek co-op and Regis Jesuit ice hockey teams finished in a 2-2 overtime tie at Family Sports Center. Harry Frangiskakis and Cooper Huang scored goals for the Bruins to counter the goals of Alexander Warot and Andrew Bennick for the Raiders. Easton Sparks made 47 saves for Regis Jesuit, while Payton Mills (Overland) stopped 37 for Cherry Creek.
THURSDAY, DEC. 19: Mitchell Oliver and Noah Adkins scored 13 points apiece and Marquilos Mata had 10 as the Vista PEAK Prep boys basketball team cruised to a 71-54 win over DSST: Montview to enter winter break 3-2. …A 29-point explosion by Archie Weatherspoon V paced the Rangeview boys basketball team to a 67-55 win over Sahuaro (Arizona) to open the Aztec Varsity Tournament. …The Grandview girls basketball team fell 88-70 to Ontario Christian (Calif.) — the No. 1 team in the country — at the Nike Tournament of Champions. …The Smoky Hill boys wrestling team earned a 48-30 win over Arapahoe. …The Cherokee Trail girls swim team edged rival Grandview 96-94 in a Centennial League dual that hinged on the result of the 400 yard freestyle relay at the end. Mindy Yang, Rachel Williams, Allison Shaw and Lilly Rosh earned a four-second victory for the Cougars to secure the win. …The Smoky Hill girls swim team set two Eaglecrest pool records during a 131-54 Centennial League win.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18: The Overland boys basketball team opened the Shoot The Rock Tour in Arizona with a 69-67 win over San Tan Charter. …The Eaglecrest girls wrestling team swept a tri-dual from Conifer (69-12) and Mullen (78-6).
TUESDAY, DEC. 17: Alex Flores scored 23 points as the Aurora Central boys basketball team won 62-50 at Englewood. …Jane Rumpf scored 14 points and Iliana Greene added 13 as the Regis Jesuit girls basketball team defeated Northfield 66-49. …Jamaea Johnson-Gonzalez had 23 in the Aurora Central girls basketball team’s 62-11 win over Englewood.
