4A First Round Preview: Jenny Coalson Quadrant

The state brackets are set in Colorado’s 5A and 4A fields with respective top seeds in Valor Christian and Sand Creek. In this preview, we’ll take a look at the Jenny Coalson region in Class 4A — that’s bottom left on your computer screens. The quadrant features No. 4 Berthoud as the highest seed followed by No. 5 Erie, No. 12 Glenwood Springs and No. 13 Falcon, all of which have first-round byes. Their opponent will be decided after Tuesday’s slate games. Here’s a look at the region’s four first-round games. &nbsp; <strong>No. 29 Golden (9-13, 8-7 Colorado Springs Metro) vs. No. 36 The Classical Academy (10-13, 7-5 Jeffco)</strong> [caption id="attachment_133338" align="alignright" width="300"] Allyson Goodwin[/caption] Golden senior<strong> <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/elli-garnett/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/elli-garnett/">Elli Garnett</a></a></strong> is exactly the type of player who could lead a middling seed to a deep run in the tournament. The University of Northern Colorado commit, who is just 28 points shy of 1,000 in her career, averaged 19 points per games she led the Demons (10-13) to seven wins over their final 10 games. In a 21-point win at Wheat Ridge in final game of their regular season, Garnett scored 28 points on 60 percent with four 3's. TCA, meanwhile, will be on the road after it struggled down the stretch with four losses in its final five games. The Titans did have some nice, RPI favoring wins this season, including against Mesa Ridge and Pueblo South (both of which are higher ranked elsewhere in the tournament). For the Colorado Springs charter school, look for a balanced scoring attack that features <strong>Katharine Roach</strong> (9.3 ppg),<strong> Shenna Daum</strong> (8.6 ppg), <strong>Brooka Jones</strong> (6.4 ppg) and <strong>Gracie Dorny</strong> (6.1 ppg), among others. The winner gets Berthoud in the second round. &nbsp; <strong>No. 20 Greeley Central (17-6, 10-4 Northern) vs. No. 45 Pueblo Central (9-14, 4-6 South Central)</strong> The realist might say that Greeley Central’s best run in the state postseason will come in a year or two with its top three scorers being a sophomore, junior and a freshman. Then again, maybe there’s no need to wait. <strong>Alexis Tapia</strong> (12.4 ppg), <strong>Micaela Hidalgo</strong> (11.4 ppg) and <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/tathis-arredondo/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/tathis-arredondo/">Tathis Arredondo</a></a></strong> (11 ppg) leads a team that went 17-6 on the season. Tapia shot 55 percent from the field, while Hidalgo was at 43 percent and Arredondo at 45. On the other side, Pueblo Central went just 9-14 and come in averaging 13 point per game less than Greeley Central. But if coach Carlos Lopez’s team can perhaps slow things down, perhaps keep things close late, it did go 4-2 in games decided by five points or less this season (both losses were to Pueblo South). <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/alicia-lest/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/alicia-lest/">Alicia Lest</a></a> </strong>led PC with 8.1 point and 8.7 rebounds this year. &nbsp; <strong>No. 28 D’Evelyn (13-10, 6-6 Jeffco) vs. No. 37 Longmont (10-13, 7-7 Northern)</strong> [caption id="attachment_132482" align="alignright" width="300"] Cassidy Simpson[/caption] D’Evelyn and Longmont last met at the Jeffco Jungle Jam in December as the Cougars beat the Trojans by 14. But Longmont has grown up. Senior <strong>Jordynn Lee</strong> (12.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg), a one-time C-team player, flirts with a double-double on a nightly basis. She will need to be a factor on both sides of the floor to give the Trojans a chance to move on, and perhaps so will a player like freshman <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/christine-depagnier/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/christine-depagnier/">Christine D’Epagnier</a></a></strong>, who could be a sneaky difference-maker after showing some nice flashes in her debut season. The other way, it’s about <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/lexi-szathmary/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/lexi-szathmary/">Lexi Szathmary</a></a></strong>. She is the driving offensive force behind D’Evelyn. The junior guard scored 11.1 points, while also averaging 3.3 boards and 3.5 steals this season. The Cougars are 8-0 when she scores in double figures. &nbsp; <strong>No. 21 Lewis-Palmer (14-9, 8-6 Pikes Peak) vs. No. 44 Widefield (9-14, 9-7 Colorado Springs Metro)</strong> [caption id="attachment_99184" align="alignright" width="300"] <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/liliani-krause/">Liliani Krause</a>[/caption] Coming off eight wins a year ago, Lewis-Palmer won 14 games and finished fourth in a rigid 5A/4A Pikes Peak Athletic Conference. Breakout sophomore <strong>Griffin Greenwood</strong> averaged a double-double with 10.9 points and 10.9 rebounds and three-sport athlete and senior <strong>Ally DeLange</strong> led the team in scoring at 11.6 points. Of note, the Ranges went 1-2 against last year semifinalist Air Academy, which is ranked 10^th this in this year’s tournament. They also played top-seed Sand Creek tight in their last meeting 15 days ago, losing by just six. Widefield, on the other hand, finished fourth in the 4A Colorado Springs Metro League after going 0-7 in its nonconference schedule (which included a five-point loss to L-P in December). The Gladiators carry a nice scoring duo that features <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/liliani-krause/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/liliani-krause/">Liliani Krause</a></a></strong> (14.5 ppg) and <strong>Erika Warner</strong> (12.5 ppg). In one of its highlight wins of the year, the two combined for 45 points and 19 rebounds in a 66-65 overtime win at The Classical Academy on Feb. 15.