4A State Playoffs – Sweet 16- Ron Vlasin Region
The second round of the 4A state playoffs went pretty much exactly how we expected it to go as the higher seeds cruised out to victories. But, the sweet 16 holds good and even matchups as we can even expect an upset or two with the way that these teams have been playing. Let’s take a look at each region and who we expect to see keep going.
Ron Vlasin Region
Who is in it:
Falcon, Fort Morgan, Air Academy, D’Evelyn, Mead, Littleton, Longmont, Cheyenne Mountain, Thompson Valley, Windsor, Steamboat Springs, Skyline
Who will win it?
Before the second round I chose for Longmont to win it although Falcon is the top overall seed in this region and I’m sticking with it. They’re now 22-2 on the season and building. It was good to see them in a bounce back spot and go out and dominate. They won 76-46 against Cheyenne Mountain thanks to a huge 4th quarter where they won the quarter 31-15. They had four players score in double digits but it was Senior guard Luke Johnson that led all scorers with 16, building on a great season. Dallas Dye finished with 14 points and Beck Page added 11 showcasing that anybody can get it going and you can’t key in on one specific player. They’re up against a Windsor team that won six in a row.
Surprise performance?
D’evelyn found a way to win a slow pace, low scoring game when that hasn’t been their style of play as of late. They beat Mead 57-56 in a nail biter when the last time they scored under 60 points was in January. This has been a fast-paced team that’s been pushing teams to playing the way that they want and for them to come out against Mead and grind one out says a lot about the way they can change things up. They’ll have to continue on that type of control as they face off against Falcon the highest overall seed in the region at No. 4 and that’s a team that can take away your best attribute. Charles Dinegar and Cole Clifton will have to put their best foot forward and take over in a game that they’ll be called upon. Falcon is one of the best teams in all of 4A so to come off of a game where they showed they can switch it up is important as Falcon is not a team you want to run up and down with. A slow and methodical approach will get the job done.
Most likely upset: None
I’m taking a look at this region and it just seems inevitable that Longmont and Falcon meet each other in the next round. Longmont is the No. 5 overall seed and they’ve been on a mission and showcasing that they truly believe that they can win it all this year. After the bye, they went straight in and won by 30 points. Luke Johnson and Dallas Dye are a fun duo to watch and know how to play together with great chemistry and I expect them to ride that into the Great Eight where they’ll most likely be up against Falcon.
Falcon players Reece Warren and Brendan LaRose mean business. LaRose is averaging a double-double on the season and will only see his stock get higher as he continues to dominate each game. He finished the game with a massive stat line of 10 points and 17 rebounds. Reece warren has still been lighting up the scoreboard as he had 21 points. Noah Martinez added 19. This is a team that gets it done and it’ll be exciting to see them at the Coliseum.
Key players remaining out of this region: Luke Johnson, Dallas Dye, Beck Page, Charles Dinegar, Rhaven Brown, Reece Warren, Brendan LaRose, Noah Martinez, Cole Clifton, Kirk Relford, Tyler Mcginnis,