Season Preview: 3A Metro League

With the 2020-21 girls basketball season now looking as though it will begin in February, we’re taking a look back/forward at how things went last year and what to look forward to in each of Colorado’s conferences. Many of the leagues are different and the shortened season certainly will present its own unique challenges, but we’re no less excited to see what Colorado’s many talented players have to offer in Season B. Here’s a snapshot of the 3A Metro League. <strong>How it all shook out in 19’-20’</strong> Lutheran came out of the season to win the league championship finishing 11-0, and 21-3 overall where they were the number 7 seed.  They went on to advance to the sweet 16 where they fell short to Eaton. Jefferson Academy being runner up finished 10-1 in league play, and 18-6 overall.  They were able to enter the playoffs with the number 16 seed to face off against Moffat County winning by 2 points.  They then went on to face the number 1 seed falling short in the sweet 16. <strong>Teams--</strong> Bishop Machebeuf, Colorado Academy, Faith Christian, Lutheran, Stargate, Manuel, Kent Denver, Jefferson Academy, Peak to Peak, Prospect Ridge, Skyview Academy, St. Mary’s Academy <strong>Which playoff team advanced the furthest?</strong> The Metro League had a total of three teams that all advanced to the Sweet 16, including Faith Christian, Lutheran and Jefferson Academy. Faith Christian came in with the No. 8 seed and lost by 12 points to a tough Vanguard team. Lutheran had the best seeding among the Metro League teams at No. 7, and they put up a good fight against Eaton, losing by only six points as Eaton reached the Final before the cancellation of the season. Jefferson Academy went into the playoffs seeding number 16. They pulled off a close win in the first round, winning by only two points to advance to the Sweet 16 and play a tough St. Mary’s team that was the No. 1 team entering the playoffs. <strong>A few returning players to watch</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116812" first="Stephanie" last="Schultz"] (5’5", G, 2021, Lutheran</strong>) Schultz is a player that can create multiple scoring opportunities for herself and teammates. She has a high motor with great foot speed, making her a tough assignment in transition. Schultz can slice through the defense to shrink the floor and can knock down shots from behind the arc. She averaged 14.5 points per game on 140-of-289 (48 percent) shooting from the field. She is an unselfish player who and can play passing lanes well, averaging 2.8 assists and 3.2 steals per game. <strong>Ekko Hopkins (G, 2023, Skyview Academy)</strong> A young player with immense upside to her game coming off a great freshman year debut for Skyview Academy, Hopkins averaged 13.9 points per game and was the second leading scorer on her team. She scored 264 total points on the season last year and could be on track to join the 1,000-point club as she continues to improve. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="117727" first="Amanda" last="Licht"]</strong> <strong>(5’6", G, 2022, Kent Denver)</strong> Licht is a player who can score in bunches and has shown that she is a willing shooter. She does a good job slicing through the defense and converting easy buckets around the rim. Standing at 5-foot-6, Licht is a solid rebounding guard who gives her team extra possessions. Last winter season, she averaged 13.4 points per game on 105-of-293 (36 percent) shooting from the floor. Licht averaged 5.3 rebounds per game last season, making her the second leader in rebounds on her team. <strong>Erica Derby</strong> <strong>(PG, 5’6", 2021, Stargate)</strong> Derby carried the heavy load for her team last season, as she led the team in points, steals, rebounds and assists per game. She shows that she is a willing shooter who and can create her own shot off the dribble. She averaged 11.6 points out of her team's 27.8 points per game. Derby also averaged seven rebounds and 5.5 steals a night, and scored a season-high 19 points in two contests last year. <strong>Ella Freimuth</strong> <strong>(W, 2021, Colorado Academy)</strong> Freimuth is a tri-sport athlete who was just shy of averaging a double-double her sophomore year. She is the leading scorer for Colorado Academy, averaging 11.5 points per game on 100-of-297 (34 percent) shooting from the field in 2019-20. Freimuth also averaged 9.6 rebounds per game and had a remarkable season high in rebounds with 21 towards the end of her junior year. <strong>Some other names to know</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="207085" first="Kaitlin" last="Kyle"]</strong> (SF, 5’10", 2022, Lutheran) <strong>Jacqueline Salazar-Alvarez</strong> (5’7", G-F, 2021, Manual) <strong>Elizabeth Rooks</strong> (5’11", F, 2022, Prospect Ridge) <strong>Karla Muratella</strong> (5’7", W, 2022, Bishop Machebeuf) <strong>A quick, early look to Season B</strong> Lutheran is a tough team that posted a record of 21-3 overall last year and should be a team that can go far in Season B with its three top scorers returning this year. Jefferson Academy was the league runner-up last year and will look to fulfill to graduating seniors from last year.  Still, Lutheran has a high-powered offense and is certainly the league favorite with designed on advancing past the Sweet 16 this year.