Class 5A Playoff Preview: Larry Farmer Region
It’s that time of year again! The Colorado high school playoffs begin Wednesday, with 48 teams in each of the state’s largest classifications beginning fresh with their eyes on a state championship run. Through the next few days, we’ll preview…
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Continue ReadingIt’s that time of year again! The Colorado high school playoffs begin Wednesday, with 48 teams in each of the state’s largest classifications beginning fresh with their eyes on a state championship run.
Through the next few days, we’ll preview the 4A and 5A state playoffs, region by region, with storylines to watch, key matchups and predictions.
Let’s get started:
5A Larry Farmer Region
Byes (with overall seed in parentheses)
Eaglecrest (1)
Smoky Hill (8)
Denver East (9)
Lakewood (16)
What to know: This region is loaded with some of the best talent in the state, and compelling storylines wait at every turn. Top-ranked Eaglecrest, behind Pepperdine-bound guard Colbey Ross, is aiming to return to the state title game a season ago after falling short in the title game to Overland last year.
The road won’t be easy. A talented second-round opponent will await in either Mountain Range or Rangeview. The Sweet 16 would like feature a matchup against one of the state’s best in Lakewood’s Kolton Peterson or Vista Ridge’s Hunter Maldonado. Escape that gauntlet and a Great 8 clash with Daylen Kountz and Denver East or Will Becker, Kenny Foster and Smoky Hill — against whom Eaglecrest is 1-1 this season in two thrilling games — will be waiting, with that trip to the Final Four on the line.
Anything can happen in this region, with upset possibilities at every turn. Let the games begin.
First Round
No. 32 Rangeview (15-8) vs. No. 33 Mountain Range (16-7)
The Scoop: Rangeview withstood the loss of top player Elijah Blake to a preseason ACL injury to win the 5A/4A East Metro Athletic Conference with a perfect 10-0 mark. Mountain Range finished seventh in the 13-team 5A Front Range League with a 6-6 mark. The Mustangs own one of the state’s biggest upsets this season, a 52-50 win over No. 5 overall seed Rock Canyon back on Jan. 4.
Matchup To Watch: Rangeview senior Matthew Johnson vs. Mountain Range guard Max Castillo. Johnson, a 6-2 guard, has taken a huge leap as a senior, averaging 20.7 points per game. He’s a dangerous outside shooter who can catch fire in a hurry, and he’s made this team tick during a stretch in which it has won 11 of 12 games. Castillo, a 6-3 senior, is a strong perimeter defender who contributes in multiple facets, averaging 10.8 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.
Moving On: Rangeview, a Final Four team last season, will earn a second-round matchup with top-seeded Eaglecrest, which ended the Raiders’ hopes of a state title in the state semifinals last year.
No. 17 Vista Ridge (17-6) vs. No. 48 Greeley West (9-14)
The Scoop: Vista Ridge made it to the 4A Final Four last season before moving up in classification. They finished second in the 5A/4A Pikes Peak League this season behind Lewis-Palmer. Greeley West has had an up-and-down season after losing a handful of seniors, from last season’s team. The Spartans finished tied for 11th in the 5A Front Range League with a 2-10 mark.
Matchup To Watch: Vista Ridge senior PG Noah Beatty vs. Greeley West sophomore PG Andre Sepeda. There’s little doubt Vista Ridge’s 6-5 Wyoming bound forward Hunter Maldonado will get his points. Few have been able to stop him this season. Key for G-West will be limiting the Wolves elsewhere. Beatty is one of the more underrated point guards in his class and is equally effective scoring and distributing the basketball. The 5-8 Sepeda has stepped up in a major way after a strong freshman season at G-West, averaging a team-leading 15.1 points and 3.8 assists per game.
Moving On: Vista Ridge will earn an intriguing matchup in the second round with 16th-seeded Lakewood.
No. 25 Highlands Ranch (11-12) vs. No. 40 Fairview (11-12)
The Scoop: Don’t let the record fool you: Highlands Ranch has been hot of late. The Falcons closed the season with three straight wins — with victories in five of their last six — including an upset overtime victory over Rock Canyon. They finished in a fourth-place tie in the Continental League at 6-4. The Knight finished sixth in the Front Range League at 7-5 — a two-game improvement from last season.
Matchup To Watch: Highlands Ranch junior Brendan Sullivan vs. Fairview senior Sam Grad. These two won’t match up directly against one another, per se, but each will be key to his team’s success. Sullivan has been one of the top under-the-radar performers in the 2018 class. The 6-4 guard/forward is averaging a double-double of 16.6 points and 10 rebounds and has elevated his game down the stretch. Grad, a 6-7 senior, has made big improvement since last season. Before an off night in the final regular season game against Loveland, Grad had averaged 21.2 points over his previous five games.
Moving On: Highlands Ranch keeps its strong momentum going to earn a second-round matchup with eighth-seeded Smoky Hill.
No. 24 Fossil Ridge (14-9) vs. No. 41 Lincoln (11-12)
The Scoop: Can Braxton Bertolette shoot the Sabercats through this bracket in upset fashion. If the last three games for Fossil Ridge’s 6-3 unsigned senior guard are any indication — outputs of 40, 39 and 40 points, respectively in three straight victories to close the regular season — he just may have a chance. Bertolette is talented enough a shooter to swing a game and light a fire in a hurry. Lincoln knows Bertolette well. The Lancers’ top player — 6-6 senior Umar Jalloh (16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds per game) — played 17U ball on the Colorado Hawks with Bertolette last spring and summer. But will knowing his tendencies be enough to slow Bertolette and earn the first-round upset?
Matchup To Watch: Bertolette vs. Lincoln freshman guard Ty Foster. If you’ve seen any of the 5-11 Foster’s bevy of in-game dunk highlights, you know he has athleticism. While it’s likely double-teams and other defensive measures will be used by coach Dre Calloway in an effort to reduce Bertolette’s impact, having a quick guard like Foster at the point of impact could pay big dividends.
Moving On: Bertolette won’t let his senior season end without another marquee performance, and it will be enough to lift the Sabercats to a second-round matchup against Denver East.