5A Second Round Preview: Larry Farmer Region
The first round of the Colorado Class 5A state tournament is in the books and the second round is on tap for Saturday. A total of 16 games will be played, and each of the four teams that received first-round…
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Continue ReadingThe first round of the Colorado Class 5A state tournament is in the books and the second round is on tap for Saturday. A total of 16 games will be played, and each of the four teams that received first-round byes in each of the four regions will finally enter the fray.
With teams set to play for spots in the Sweet 16, let’s take a look at each second-round matchup in the Larry Farmer Region:
No. 3 Rangeview (21-2) vs. No. 35 Windsor (13-11), Saturday, 2 p.m.
The Windsor Wizards won a close 69-66 game against No. 30 Valor Christian in the first round Wednesday with junior Lance McGinnis scoring 18 points and sophomore Ben Hageman scoring 15. They will certainly have their hands full against Rangeview. The Raiders have only lost two games – Grandview and Overland – and have been victorious in their last 14 contests. Quincey Jewett (16.6 ppg) and the Raiders score over 70 points a game and appear to be destined for the Great 8.
No. 14 Arvada West (17-6) vs. No. 19 Fountain-Fort Carson (17-7), Saturday, 7 p.m.
The Fountain-Fort Carson boys went nuts in the first round, routing No. 46 Prairie View, 95-52. Here’s how they did it: Keyshawn Malbita 27 points, James Sanders 15, Keiton Beck 12, Rashon Barron 12, Evan McMinn 11, and six others scoring in single digits. Arvada West has plenty of players who can put the ball in the basket, as well, with Josh Rogers (20.6 ppg), Taylor Kline (9.3) and Joseph Call (9.0) headlining the group. Both teams were ousted in the first round of last year’s tournament, and their shared determination to make it out of Round 1 should help make this one interesting.
No. 6 Grandview (17-6) vs. No. 27 Boulder (13-11), Saturday, 3 p.m.
Three of Grandview’s six losses this season area against out-of-state opponents, Wolves have proven they can beat other top teams like No. 3 Rangeview, No. 4 Overland and No. 7 Smoky Hill. Senior Dayne Prim is a flat-out stud, averaging 14.1 points and 7.8 rebounds a night. The Boulder Panthers got past George Washington in the first round, and have an emerging player to watch on their team in the form of junior guard Tyler Turner, who scored 17 points against GW and also poured in a game-high 23 points against No. 8 Fairview in Boulder’s regular-season finale.
No. 11 Rock Canyon (16-7) vs. No. 22 Brighton (19-5), Saturday, 1 p.m.
The Brighton Bulldogs are surging right now, having won 10 of their last 11 games. That includes a first-round playoff game in which they held Vista Ridge to 37 points. If this game goes to seed, it would set up an intriguing Sweet 16 matchup between Rocky Canyon and No. 6 Grandview. Rock Canyon edged Grandview, 37-36, during the regular season on Dec. 8.