Class 5A Great Eight: Game-by-Game Preview

We are narrowing down the contenders who still have a fighting chance to be crowned state champions. The teams that are left happen to be the top eight ranked teams coming into the postseason. Let’s take a look at what is in store for Friday’s matchups in Denver. &nbsp; [caption id="attachment_132646" align="alignleft" width="154"] [player_tooltip player_id="95129" first="Jenna" last="Siebert"][/caption]<span style="font-size: 14pt"><strong>#1 Valor Christian (24-1, 8-0 Jeffco) vs. #8 Fossil Ridge (21-4, 12-0 Front Range)</strong></span> Valor is coming off of an impressive win over Rangeview, still proving that they deserve to be the top-ranked team in the state. Sophomore forward/center [player_tooltip player_id="95168" first="Raegan" last="Beers"] finished that game with a double-double (15 pts and 13 rebs), bringing her postseason numbers to 31 points, 22 rebounds, and four blocks. Teammate [player_tooltip player_id="95124" first="Kindyll" last="Wetta"] (junior guard) tallied 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals in the Sweet 16 victory. For Fossil Ridge, [player_tooltip player_id="115768" first="Sophia" last="Hadad"] (senior guard/forward) led the team with 18 points and 14 rebounds in their win over Vista PEAK. Senior guard Alexis Kohler also posted a double-double, finishing with 15 points and 10 boards in that contest. <em>Other Eagles to watch: [player_tooltip player_id="95129" first="Jenna" last="Siebert"] &amp; [player_tooltip player_id="116767" first="Karissa" last="Lukasiewicz"]</em> <em>Other Sabercats to watch: Lauren Zwetwig &amp; Allison Osthoff</em> &nbsp; [caption id="attachment_99167" align="alignleft" width="131"] [player_tooltip player_id="116763" first="Brooklyn" last="Seymour"][/caption]<span style="font-size: 14pt"><strong>#2 Cherry Creek (23-2, 13-1 Centennial) vs. #7 Ralston Valley (20-5, 7-1 Jeffco)</strong></span> The Cherry Creek Bruins have, without a doubt, the state’s best point guard in senior [player_tooltip player_id="95016" first="Jana" last="VanGytenbeek"] leading the charge towards a state title. The Stanford commit has posted back-to-back double-double postseason games so far, tallying a combined 26 points and 20 assists over two games. For the Mustangs, [player_tooltip player_id="116763" first="Brooklyn" last="Seymour"] (junior forward) is coming off of a win over Columbine, where she posted 20 points and 12 rebounds. Both teams have a plethora of talent flooding the court at any given moment, making this matchup a must-see. <em>Other Bruins to watch: [player_tooltip player_id="95019" first="Cali" last="Clark"], [player_tooltip player_id="95132" first="Kacee" last="Kyle"], [player_tooltip player_id="116769" first="Abby" last="Wrede"]</em> <em>Other Mustangs to watch: [player_tooltip player_id="117682" first="Saya" last="Sabus"], McKenna Nichols, [player_tooltip player_id="95126" first="Sydney" last="Bevington"]</em> &nbsp; [caption id="attachment_132625" align="alignleft" width="134"] Lila Dere[/caption] <span style="font-size: 14pt"><strong>#4 Grandview (22-3, 13-1 Centennial) vs. #5 Fruita Monument (23-2, 7-1 Southwestern)</strong></span> [player_tooltip player_id="95167" first="Lauren" last="Betts"] (center) is Prep Girl Hoops’ top-ranked sophomore in the state. She has scored 33 points and swatted six shots over the postseason so far. Junior teammate, [player_tooltip player_id="95122" first="Addison" last="O’Grady"] came away with 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists in their previous playoff contest for the Wolves. Fruita Monument’s Lila Dere (senior guard) is coming off of a win where she put up 20 points, seven rebounds, and four steals. Fellow senior, [player_tooltip player_id="115788" first="Callie" last="Allen"] (center), finished the Sweet 16 round with 15 points, six rebounds, and three steals to help keep the Wildcats alive in the tournament. <em>Other Wolves to watch: [player_tooltip player_id="117679" first="Marya" last="Hudgins"] &amp; [player_tooltip player_id="95023" first="Tomia" last="Johnson"]</em> <em>Other Wildcats to watch: Kylie Wells &amp; [player_tooltip player_id="115790" first="Bailey" last="Rigsby"]</em> &nbsp; [caption id="attachment_96446" align="alignleft" width="157"] [player_tooltip player_id="95018" first="Jada" last="Moore"][/caption]<span style="font-size: 14pt"><strong>#3 Regis Jesuit (21-4, 10-0 Continental) vs. #6 Highlands Ranch (20-5, 9-1 Continental)</strong></span> The Regis Raiders will be led by an outstanding scorer in senior guard, [player_tooltip player_id="95018" first="Jada" last="Moore"]. The Kansas State commit put up a Sweet 16 double-double, finishing with 30 points and 14 rebounds. Moore is averaging 17.6 points in her final season as a high school player, putting her career average at 10.8 points. Junior teammate [player_tooltip player_id="116818" first="Samantha" last="Jones"] (forward) posted 11 points in their previous win, which is right around her season average of 10.9 points. Highlands Ranch is coming off of a dominant performance where they managed to hold one of the state’s top three scorers to zero points. This matchup, however, should prove to be a tougher contest for [player_tooltip player_id="95123" first="Payton" last="Muma"] (junior guard) and her fellow Falcons. <em>Other Raiders to watch: [player_tooltip player_id="95125" first="Avery" last="Vansickle"] &amp; Madden Mchugh</em> <em>Other Falcons to watch: [player_tooltip player_id="95169" first="Taylor" last="Ray"], [player_tooltip player_id="115763" first="Sarah" last="Mitchell"], [player_tooltip player_id="95179" first="Alex" last="Pirog"]</em>