Season Preview: Colorado 8 League

<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">With the season beginning in January, players are excited to get back on the court with their teammates. We’re going league-by-league to take a look at how things went last season and what to look for this year. Though the season will be short and strange this winter, we are all excited that basketball will continue and to see Colorado’s players to play the sport they love in Season B. </span> <div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem;">Here’s a snapshot of the Colorado 8 League.</span></div> <div></div> <div> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>How it all shook out in ‘19-20</b></span> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">A slight change to the conference adds three new teams in Aurora Central, Eagle Ridge Academy and Thornton.  No longer will Riverdale Ridge, Conifer, and Alameda be competing in the Colorado 8. Skyview won the conference in 2019-20, finishing 7-0 in conference and a 20-5 overall. Loosing three seniors, Skyview should be on track to contend for another conference title.</span> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Runner-up to the conference title was Weld Central, finishing the season 6-1 in conference and 17-7 overall. The team battled all year losing close games against teams opponents in their conference. Weld Central only lost by 10 points midway in the season against Skyview giving the team their only conference lost last year.  </span> </div> <div> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Teams --</b> Skyview, Weld Central, Englewood, Aurora Central, Thornton, Eagle Ridge Academy, Fort Lupton and Arvada.</span> </div> <div> <div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Which playoff team advanced the furthest?</b></span></div> <div></div> <div>Riverdale Ridge went on a deep run in the 3A district tournament round, eventually defeating Englewood 56-37. After the win against Englewood, Riverdale Ridge went on to play against Eagle Ridge Academy where they came up short. Skyview, being ranked No. 19 in the 4A postseason, advanced to the second round of the playoffs being eliminated by Durango.</div> </div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div> <div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A few returning players to watch</b></span></div> </div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div> <div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116785" first="Thalia" last="Guardiola"], 2021, 5’6, PG, Skyview</strong></span></div> <div></div> <div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Guardiola is a leader on the floor and has great court awareness. She shows that she can be a threat in the open court with her ability to make the right reads and can knock down open shots. This savvy point guard can finish with both hands around the rim, averaging 11.5 points per game on 101-of-297 (34 percent) from the floor in 2019-20. Leading her team to a conference title, Guardiola also averaged 4.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.7 steals per game.  </span></div> </div> <div></div> <div></div> <div> <div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116765" first="Kaydee" last="Sims"], 2021, 5’9, G, Weld Central</strong></span></div> <div></div> </div> <div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the most electrifying scorers in the league, Sims can score the ball in a variety of ways and shows that she can finish through contact. She was the league’s top scorer, as she turns her defense into offense. Sims averaged 20.4 points per game on 169-of-412 (41 percent) shooting from the field last year, and Sims also does a great job of tracking the ball whether it’s for a rebound or a steal. She also averaged 8.4 rebounds and 4.3 steals per game, leading her team to a runner-up finish for the conference title last winter. </span></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div> <div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Sydnie Pevler, 2021, 5’7, G, Weld Central</strong></span></div> <div></div> <div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Alongside Sims is Pevler, who does a great job of passing the ball ahead in transition for easy baskets. She also shows that she can finish with great touch around the rim with contact. Pevler averaged 10.6 points per game on 100-of-314 (32 percent). Pevler also does a great rebounding the ball for her position, averaging 8.1 rebounds per game making her the second leading rebounder on her team behind Sims. She scored a season high in points last season with 20 against Brush shooting 8-of-14 (57 percent) from the floor. </span></div> </div> <div></div> <div></div> <div> <div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116789" first="Monique" last="Delatorre"], 2021, 5’5, G, Thornton</strong></span></div> <div></div> <div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Though entering a different league this year, Delatorre will look to lead her team this new season.  She helped her team to a 3 way tie for their conference title last season.  She is a player that is very versatile for her position, and will do it all to put her team in a position to win.  Last season her team went 9-1 in conference, and 20-5 overall.  Delatorre averaged 14.2 points, 4.0 assist, and 4.2 steals per game.</span></div> </div> <div></div> <div></div> <div> <div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Sydnee Aragon, 2021, W, Englewood</strong></span></div> <div></div> <div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Aragon the second leader in points per game for her team, averaging 9.4 on 78-of-249 (31 percent) from the floor last winter. She is a player who is willing to get up to grab boards and give her team extra possessions. Aragon will get more touches this year with the leading scorer on the team last season graduating. She put up a season high in points later in the season last year with 21 points on 9-of-17 (53 percent) from the field.</span></div> </div> <div></div> <div></div> <div> <div>[caption id="attachment_232060" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-232060" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/11/Hannah-Wolfe-Skyview-300x296.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="296" /> [player_tooltip player_id="203433" first="Hannah" last="Wolfe"][/caption]</div> <div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem;">Some other names to know</b></div> <div></div> <div> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Carly Villegas (5’9". PF, 2021, Riverdale Ridge)</span> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Sienna Mullin (5’4", G, 2022, Riverdale Ridge)</span> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Breanna Carroll (5’6", SG, 2021, Fort Lupton)</span> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="203433" first="Hannah" last="Wolfe"] (5’9", SF, 2021, Skyview)</span> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Taylor Weber (5’4", PG, 2022, Weld Central)</span> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Macey Lauridson (5’5", PG, 2021, Eagle Ridge Academy)</span> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Kathrine Prado (5’8", G, 2022, Thornton)</span> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="145401" first="Aryannah" last="McClain"] (5’5", G, 2021, Aurora Central)</span> <b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem;">A quick, early look to the spring</b> <div> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This league has made some big changes to the teams that are in this league.  Thornton is a team that can win the conference and can advance further moving down a class.  Skyview and Weld Central have players that have players that can score among the best, and they can help advance their team.  Skyview coming off a tough lost in the playoffs last season will be fired up, and ready to show that they deserve to go further this season.</span> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This year season will go by fast as each team will play each other once, and then playoffs so each of the team will have to develop chemistry quickly.</span> </div> <div> &nbsp; </div> </div> </div>