5A Playoff Preview: Chuck Williams
Before the season started I stated that this year was a year that was wide open as no team stood head and shoulders above the rest. Well, with no undefeated teams, close league play battles and surprise league champions it’s safe to say that this is one of the most wide-open state tournaments we have in quite some time—I can’t wait! As a result, we’ll be taking a look at each region as who we believe will win it and who else might surprise us.
Chuck Williams Region
Who is in it:
Rock Canyon, Columbine, Castleview, Eaglecrest, Rangeview, Arapahoe, Overland, Fossil Ridge, Mullen, Regis Jesuit, Douglas County, Rocky Mountain
Key Game in the First Round with a prediction:
Fossil Ridge versus Mullen
With first round bye’s for Rock Canyon, Eaglecrest, Overland and Regis Jesuit you can see that this is a very strong region from top to bottom. One of the key things that stand out for the region is Rock Canyon and from there; balance. In the first round, one of the best matchups is 25th seeded Fossil Ridge vs. No. 40 Mullen. Fossil Ridge is 12-11 on the season on a high note as they’re currently heading into the state tournament on a two-game winning streak. They’re led by senior Brandon Lambrecht at 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as well as Garrett Ripsam at 7.7 points, 2.9 rebounds a game. On the opposite side, the Mullen Mustangs come in as underdogs at 10-13 on the season. They’re led by Christian Davis at 11.5 points per game and Cinque Mason at 7.9 rebounds a game. This will be a very close battle in which I’m giving the edge to Mullen as the bulk of their losses have been a result of playing in a very, very tough league. I expect Davis and Lambrecht to both have big games but Mullen pull it out at the end setting up for Mullen to face-off against a team they already fell to twice in league play, Overland Trailblazers.
Who will win it?
The No.1 overall seed is in this division, Rock Canyon Jaguars. Rock Canyon has been the best overall team in the state for a reason and they took two losses at the end of the year so I fully expect them to come into the state tournament with a chip on their shoulder to avenge their overtime loss in the state tournament last year. Sam Masten and Tyson Gilbert just prove to be too much for this division and I fully expect it to be on display throughout the playoffs.
Surprise team:
The surprise team from this division has to be the Overland Trailblazers. They’re arguably the hottest team in the state as they were named Centenial league champions after starting out the year 0-5. They went 12-2 in the almighty Centenial league and im sure they’re ready to prove that it wasn’t a fluke. This is a battle tested team that can surprise any team in the state as they don’t give up on any play, they play hard and have the players to compete with anyone.
Key players to watch for out of the region:
Sam Masten, Tyson Gilbert, Daijon Smith, Tucson Redding, XaiV’ion Jackson, Branden Bunn, Jamil Safieddine, Elijah Marinez, Jodaun Dotson, Ryan Ongala