Can’t-miss these games this week

At last, the shortened Colorado season is yielding high-end matchups. Here are three this week you won’t want to miss … &nbsp; <strong>Erie at Holy Family, 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 17</strong> These two groups of Tigers met twice a year ago, split two games and ended in a three-way tie with Berthoud for the Tri-Valley League championship. Erie, 5-1 overall and 3-0 in league, has three double-figure scorers -- [player_tooltip player_id="117710" first="Grace" last="Moyers"] (PGH-Colorado 2022 No. 10, 21.0 points), [player_tooltip player_id="95176" first="Deb" last="Altshuler"] (PGH-Colorado 2022 No. 21, 15.2 points) and [player_tooltip player_id="116819" first="Anna" last="Hefner"] (Western Colorado signee, 13.7 points). Holy Family, also 5-1, 3-0, will counter with [player_tooltip player_id="116779" first="Alyssa" last="Wells"] (2021, 14.2 points) and <strong>Tyler</strong> Whitlock (2021, 12.0 points, 5.3 rebounds). Plus, longtime Holy Family coach Ron Rossi has won more than 500 games. &nbsp; <strong>Grandview at Mullen, 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 19</strong> Clearly the powers of the Centennial League are the top-rated teams in 5A and 4A, respectively, Grandview won handily (by 22 points) in the first meeting a year ago – the loop offers home-and-away matchups -- and had to fend off Mullen at home in the regular-season finale, escaping by four points (53-49). In the delayed season opener on Jan. 27, Grandview, now ranked No. 17 nationally by MaxPreps, pulled away in the second half for a 68-53 decision. The Wolves (6-0, 6-0), of course, boast 6-foot-7 [player_tooltip player_id="95167" first="Lauren" last="Betts"] (PGH-Colorado 2022 No. 1 and arguably the best in her class nationally). She’s getting 20.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per outing. Six-foot-5 [player_tooltip player_id="95122" first="Addison" last="O’Grady"] (PGH-Colorado 2021 No. 1, Iowa signee) is averaging 16.8 points and 6.0 rebounds and Marya Hudgens (PGH-Colorado 2022 No. 3) gets 13.7 points and 5.7, and may be the wild card of sorts to the Wolves season. Mullen’s entire team from a year ago is back for another run, one thatls balanced. The Mustangs (5-1, 5-1) are headed by regular all-stater [player_tooltip player_id="95130" first="Megan" last="Pohs"] (PGH-Colorado 2021 No. 12, Regis signee and 10.7 points), [player_tooltip player_id="95170" first="Imani" last="Perez"] (PGH-Colorado 2022 No. 4) and Grace Gallegos (PGH-Colorado No. 6, 14.5 points). &nbsp; <strong>Valor Christian at Regis Jesuit, 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 20</strong> A Catholic-school nonleaguer … what else to spice up a shortened, pandemic season? And by the way, they have played only once – Regis Jesuit won 97-7 in 2009. And that’s not a misprint. It was Valor’s second season and a title campaign for the Raiders. The Eagles, 7-0 overall and atop 5A Jefferson County at 5-0, may have lost 6-3 [player_tooltip player_id="95168" first="Raegan" last="Beers"] (PGH-Colorado 2022 No. 2) to injury, but had the Huard sisters, 6-1 Haley (PGH-Colorado 2022 No. 6, headed to Montana) and Macey (PGH-Colorado 2023 No. 2) transfer from Washington to join the high likes of [player_tooltip player_id="95124" first="Kindyll" last="Wetta"] (PGH-Colorado 2021 No. 3, Colorado signee) and [player_tooltip player_id="95129" first="Jenna" last="Siebert"] (PGH-Colorado No. 11, Colorado Mines signee). Regis Jesuit doesn’t have nearly the experience of Valor, but the Raiders (7-0 overall, 5-0 in the Continental) recently won at longtime nemesis Highlands Ranch and are emerging. Avery Van Sickle (PGH-Colorado No. 2 2021 and Washington signee) is back on a limited basis from injury and is asked to lead. Unsung 6-0 [player_tooltip player_id="116818" first="Samantha" last="Jones"] (PGH-Colorado 2021 No. 18) tops the Raiders in scoring (16.9 points) and is heading a younger, talented roster that includes the younger sister of dunker and Stanford’s Francesca Belibi, Hana, an interesting 2024 who is dunking a tennis ball, much to the delight of head coach Carl Mattei. &nbsp; &nbsp;