Lucky 13th: Previewing Tuesday’s Monster Matchups
It’s still 12 days until Christmas, but consider Tuesday’s big slate of high school games in Colorado an early holiday present.
Here’s a breakdown of our top five games of the night to watch:
Rampart (3-2) at Grandview (4-0, No. 8 in 5A), 6 p.m.
The scoop: Both of Rampart’s losses — to Arapahoe and the Far Northeast Warriors — have come by one basket. The Rams will get another tough test against a Grandview team that is undefeated with victories over Rangeview and Mountain Vista among its early successes.
Matchup to watch: Rampart’s 6-9 senior forward Jackson Ehrlin vs. Grandview’s 6-6 senior forward Gage Prim. These two have both been excellent in the early going, with each player averaging about 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Whichever of these players gets the upper hands will have a good chance to lead their team to victory in this big-time 5A non-conference game.
Prediction: Grandview.
Lewis-Palmer (3-1, No. 10 in 4A) at Vista PEAK (6-0, No. 6 in 4A), 7 p.m.
The scoop: Lewis-Palmer’s heartbreaking 65-64 loss to Golden in the opening week of the season is the only thing that keeps this from being a matchup of undefeated teams. Still, this is as good as it gets in 4A this week, with the Rangers and Bison both eyeing an opportunity to stake their claim as a contender in the classification.
Matchup to watch: Lewis-Palmer’s 6-4 senior forward Angelo Battistelli vs. Vista PEAK’s 6-2 senior guard/forward Tre Early. … Early may be undersized at 6-2, but that hasn’t stopped him from being a beast on the boards (seven rebounds per game). He’s tough and athletic and will give Battistelli everything he can handle.
Prediction: Vista PEAK.
Smoky Hill (4-1, No. 3 in 5A) at George Washington (5-0, No. 1 in 5A), 7 p.m.
The scoop: This is without a doubt the game of the night in Colorado. The gym on Monaco Parkway should be rockin’ for this top-five matchup of teams with athleticism and talent to spare. Can Smoky Hill handle the intense full-court pressure deployed by the Patriots? Can G-Dub control the twin towers of 6-7 John Harge and 6-8 Will Becker? Buckle up, this is going to be an intense one that should come down to the wire.
Matchup to watch: Smoky Hill guards Quinten Rock and Eugene Rivers vs. George Washington guards Jon’il and Calvin Fugett. The brothers Fugett run the point of what is probably the best perimeter defense in the state. Every dribble is contested, and they love to team up to trap ball-handlers at numerous spots on the court. If the freshman Rock and his junior teammate Rivers are able to handle that pressure (Smoky Hill has the benefit of two bigs in Harge and Becker who are solid ball-handlers), then the Buffs should be able to get into the frontcourt and use their size advantages at several positions. But if the Patriots can turn their pressure into easy offense, a 6-0 record could follow.
Prediction: George Washington.
Holy Family (3-1, No. 4 in 4A) at Sierra (3-1, No. 8 in 4A), 7 p.m.
The scoop: Both of these programs have been among the classification’s early surprises with their stout starts. Each has suffered a close loss in their first four games to quality opponents. A victory here would go a long way toward building confidence for each program.
Matchup to watch: Holy Family’s 6-1 senior guard Joe Golter vs. Sierra’s 6-3 senior guard CJ Jennings. Jennings is averaging 28.3 points per game this season. He had a 43-point game in a loss to Denver South, a performance that included eight made 3-pointers. He’s simply one of the most difficult players in the state to slow down. Holy Family, though, has a guard in Golter who embraces the challenge of defending players like Jennings. Golter is one of the state’s better on-ball defenders, and he’s also averaging 10.5 points and three assists per game.
Prediction: Sierra.
Lakewood (4-1) at ThunderRidge (4-0, No. 5 in 5A)
The scoop: Lakewood is a tipped-in free-throw miss against Cherokee Trail from being undefeated. The Tigers are an experienced, hot-shooting team that looks like it will be a prime contender for the JeffCo League title and a deep playoff run to follow. The same goes for ThunderRidge in the Continental League. The Grizzlies are coming off an impressive win over Doherty and has won each of its games by at least seven points.
Matchup to watch: Lakewood’s 6-2 senior guard Kolton Peterson vs. ThunderRidge’s 6-3 junior guard Kaison Hammonds. Hammonds is fresh off a 38-point performance in the win over Doherty and seems to be following a standout spring and summer with Billups Elite into even more improvement to start his junior season. Peterson, despite facing constant double teams, is averaging 20 points per game and is one of the premier shooters in the state.
Prediction: ThunderRidge.