With teams on the homestretch of their regular season schedules and the playoffs set to begin in a couple of weeks, here’s a look at five championship favorites in Class 6A girls basketball. The Final Four and championship are March 7-9 at the Denver Coliseum.
Grandview
Record/RPI: 10-9, 10th
Key Wins: Willamette (Ore.), Valor Christian, Regis Jesuit
Championship Case: Forget the Wolves’ RPI ranking and their record hovering just above .500. So long as junior forward Sienna Betts doesn’t slip on ice and break her arm, Grandview will be in the mix at the Denver Coliseum. The UCLA commit leads the state with 15.3 rebounds per game and is first in the classification with 23.0 points per game, and the Wolves’ auxiliary cast continues to improve.
Cherry Creek
Record/RPI: 16-2, 1st
Key Wins: Roosevelt, Regis Jesuit, Grandview
Championship Case: The Bruins proved defending champion Grandview is mortal, using salty defense to limit Betts to 11 points in a 36-30 win on Jan. 31. Point guard Tianna Chambers is the Bruins’ star, while fellow junior A’neya Chambers (unrelated) is Cherry Creek’s other top scorer. Cherry Creek’s won just one girls hoops title, the Class 5A crown in 2019, but that tally could double next month.
Valor Christian
Record/RPI: 15-3, 5th
Key Wins: Deer Valley (Ariz.), Wagner (Texas), Pine Creek
Championship Case: Coach Jessika Caldwell’s Eagles are steamrolling through the Jeffco League behind the trio of junior guard Quinn VanSickle, sophomore guard Peyton Jones and junior guard Rylie Beers, all three of whom are averaging double-digit scoring. Valor Christian’s home showdown against Cherry Creek on Feb. 12 will be a big late-season test as the postseason looms.
Cherokee Trail
Record/RPI: 17-2, 3rd
Key Wins: Bishop O’Dowd (Calif.), Regis Jesuit, Legend, Grandview
Championship Case: Cherokee Trail brings the heat with an up-tempo, high-pressure style of play that is capable of making the opposition wilt. While senior point guard Damara Allen is the team’s heart-and-soul, junior small forward Delainey Miller, sophomore guard Karson Chaney, sophomore forward Aaliyah Broadus and junior guard Madeline Gibbs provide the balance and depth to make a run.
Legend
Record/RPI: 17-2, 2nd
Key Wins: Horizon, Pine Creek, Chaparral
Championship Case: The Titans are on a collision course with Regis Jesuit for the Continental League title in the regular-season finale, as both teams are cruising through the conference. Junior forwards Mason Borcherding and Aubrey Cook give the Titans size inside, while junior guard Grace Stanley’s emerged as one of the state’s top perimeter defenders while setting the program’s all-time steals record.
Other Contenders
Regis Jesuit (senior duo of Hana Belibi and Coryn Watts is potent), Horizon (tracking toward the Front Range League title), Mullen (beat Grandview on Jan. 25); Pine Creek (hasn’t lost since Dec. 19, beat Cherry Creek); Fruita Monument (dominating teams on the Western Slope); Highlands Ranch (led by Colorado’s all-time winningest girls coach Caryn Jarocki), Arapahoe (featuring a Division I tandem in senior forward Liz Gentry and junior guard Gianna Smith), Columbine (senior Emily Allison is surrounded by talented sophomores).
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