Here’s a quick peek at the 5A-4A Pikes Peak League.
<strong>What happened in something called Season B</strong>
Another league during the time of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, another group of uneven loop lineups … some teams managed to play all 10 league games, others nine, seven, six … the bigger the league, the more league games missed. As it was, Doherty won the Pikes Peak at 9-0, followed by Fountain-Fort Carson (6-1), Air Academy (8-2) and Palmer Ridge (6-3). The other seven were .500 or worse.
<strong>Teams –</strong> Air Academy, Cheyenne Mountain, Discovery Canyon, Doherty, Fountain-Fort Carson, Lewis-Palmer, Liberty, Palmer Ridge, Pine Creek, Rampart, Vista Ridge.
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<strong>Which playoff team(s) made the loop’s most noise?</strong>
Doherty won a 1<sup>st</sup>-rounder in 5A over Poudre and fell in Round II to Arapahoe. Ditto for Fountain-Fort Carson if you substitute Horizon and Highlands Ranch, respectively. Air Academy dropped a big-school preliminary to Columbine. In 4A, Palmer Ridge beat Severance and fell to Erie.
<strong>The short list of returnees to follow</strong>
Peyton Sterk, Doherty, Sr., F, 5-10
PGH-CO 2022 No. 10. Loop’s leading scorer (16.3 ppg) returns. Also averaged 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Seventy-four percent at the free-throw line.
Alena San Agustin, Cheyenne Mountain, Jr., G, 5-6
A consistent scorer – went for double figures in every game but one a season ago, averaged 15.8 points.
[player_tooltip player_id="216688" first="Caitlin" last="Kramer"], Air Academy, So., F, 6-2
Impressive as a frosh – 15.5 ppg, 7.5 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, numbers that should keep going up. Scored at least 30 points three times.
[player_tooltip player_id="261800" first="Anila" last="Owens"], Cheyenne Mountain, Jr., F, 5-10
Versatile, can play any of the three interior positions. Nice double-double (14.8 points, 12.2 rebounds).as a sophomore.
<strong>You may also wish to keep track of …</strong>
[player_tooltip player_id="259815" first="Griffin" last="Greenwood"], Lewis-Palmer, Sr., F, 5-11
PGH-CO 2022, No. 58. Averaged 12.2 points and 11.6 rebounds. Also shot 74 percent from the free-throw line. Best around the basket – made only 7-of-24 3-point attempts, but 74 percent from the free-throw line.
[player_tooltip player_id="263613" first="Emily" last="Huxtable"], Rampart, So., G, 5-6
12.6 ppg a season ago, being asked to have a bigger role in 2021-22.
[player_tooltip player_id="259817" first="Mia" last="Womack"], Palmer Ridge, Sr., G,. 5-11
Late-season slump dropped her shooting percentage to 38 percent, but capable of going on binges.
[player_tooltip player_id="210293" first="Brynae" last="Stewart"], Pine Creek, Sr., G, 5-11
Nice size out front and nice numbers overall (11.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.9 steals) from a season ago.
<strong>A short look ahead to 2021-22</strong>
Colorado Springs-area teams are still trying to match their Denver-area counterparts and this may be the time to make a jump – seven of the top 10 scorers in the Pikes Peak return. Sterk, a Cal State East Bay commit, remains among Colorado’s better players and others within the loop are looking to join her.
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