Must Watch Games This Week (1/3 – 1/8)

There are some great matchups for this week. This will be all teams first action coming out of winter break but there are tons of great matchups across the state. <strong>Cheyenne Mountain (5-1) vs. Legend (7-2) Tuesday January 4th</strong> Cheyenne Mountain is off to a hot start and will look to keep it going against another team who is playing extremely well. The Red-Tailed Hawks are led by two standouts who have had massive stat lines all year. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="145432" first="Alena" last="San Augustin"] is averaging 19.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, and 3.3 apg. The 5'-6" guard has already dropped a 30 point game this year and has multiple games with 20+ points. She leads her team in 3-point makes and free-throws made. She is a talented scorer who can get a bucket when she wants. She is joined by fellow Junior [player_tooltip player_id="261800" first="Anila" last="Owens"] who is a walking double-double. Owens is averaging 18.5 ppg and 13.2 rpg. Agustin and Owens give Cheyenne Mountain a one-two punch that can go against anyone in the state. The Titans are off to one of their best starts in recent program history. They have solid wins over Lutheran and Rocky Mountain while their only losses are to Lewis-Palmer and ranked Chaparral. Legend has multiple scorers who can beat you on any given night. Their lone double digit scorer is Senior [player_tooltip player_id="117680" first="Kinzie" last="Whitehead"] who is averaging 11.8 ppg and 10.1 rebounds. She is extremely crafty around the basket and can score from the wing as well. Their next three leading scorers are either Freshman or Sophomores. Freshman Mason Borcherding (6.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg), Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="495875" first="Katelyn" last="Lamb"] (6.7 ppg), and Freshman [player_tooltip player_id="329369" first="Grace" last="Stanley"] (6.3 ppg) have all had major contributions throughout the season. They are a deep team with 9 players averaging more than 10 minutes per game. This is poised to be a great game and a good test for both teams. The winner of this game will look to carry their momentum into league play. <strong>Cherry Creek (5-3) vs. Arapahoe (5-3) Wednesday January 5th</strong> Both Cherry Creek and Arapahoe are dark-horse championship contenders this season. The Bruins are led by standout Freshman [player_tooltip player_id="361564" first="Tianna" last="Chambers"] who is averaging 12.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, and 3.4 apg. She is arguably the state's top Freshman and is showing she can hang with anyone is Colorado regardless of class. Fellow Freshman [player_tooltip player_id="327638" first="A'Neya" last="Chambers"] is also having a strong campaign averaging 8 ppg and 5 rpg. Cherry Creek is a balance team with five players averaging 5+ ppg. The Bruins have the size to keep Arapahoe in check and keep them off the glass. The Warriors are led by Senior [player_tooltip player_id="117684" first="Sam" last="Crispe"] who is averaging 12.6 ppg and 6.4 rpg. She is one of the state's top post players and demands a lot of attention on the offensive end of the floor. Junior transfer Sydney White is having an impressive first season in Colorado. She is averaging 11.8 ppg and 3.3 apg. She is a talented defensive player and a good three-point shooter. She is shooting 33% from deep. Arapahoe has a handful of other players who play hard and contribute on a nightly basis. Freshman Gianna Smith has been a consistent player for the Warriors, averaging 5.9 ppg. She has had a couple double-digit point performances so far this season. This is poised to be a great game from two of the state's top teams. <strong>Green Mountain (5-0) vs. Littleton (5-2) Wednesday January 5th</strong> 4A Jeffco league play starts up this week and two of the conference contenders match up in their first league game. Green Mountain will look to keep their 28 league game win streak alive against one of the few Jeffco 4A teams that could knock them off. Littleton has the length and size to disrupt Green Mountain. The Lions are led by Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="216728" first="Penny" last="Urquhart"]. She is averaging 16.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg, and 2.3 spg. She is one of the state's top Sophomores and can get a bucket when her team needs it. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="216656" first="Jacy" last="Chandler"] is averaging 10.7 ppg and gives the Lions a strong second scoring threat. They also have two other players averaging 6 ppg or better. Littleton already has impressive wins against Arvada West and Lewis-Palmer. They also had a tight 4 point loss against Monarch. Green Mountain is continuing to have a ton of success under Coach Pitzner. They haven't played as many games as most teams in the first part of the season due to COVID but they have won their 5 games by an average margin of 37.4 points. [player_tooltip player_id="95215" first="Jayda" last="Maves"] is off to a great start averaging 21.2 ppg and 3.8 spg. She is one of the state's top scorers. [player_tooltip player_id="117693" first="Avery" last="Oaster"] is another staple at Green Mountain who is averaging 15.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg, and 4 apg. She is one of the most well-rounded posts in the state. [player_tooltip player_id="316812" first="Olivia" last="Sears"] and [player_tooltip player_id="316814" first="Shea" last="Murphy"] continue to be consistent players for the Rams and contribute where they are needed to help the team win. They are a balanced team who know how to play with each other. This should be a great game between the Rams and the Lions. <strong>Monarch (8-0) vs. Columbine (6-3) Wednesday January 5th</strong> Monarch and Columbine are both two dark house 5A teams looking to make deep runs in state this season. Monarch already has impressive wins over Thunderridge, D'Evelyn, and Lakewood but this game against Columbine may be their biggest test so far this season. The Rebel's only in-state loss so far came against #1 Valor Christian. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="216675" first="Elizabeth" last="Gentry"] is averaging 12.1 ppg and 7.9 rpg. Every game she gets better and better. She is a force on the inside and is developing a well-rounded offensive game. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="117697" first="Jessica" last="Bollwahn"] is averaging 9.9 ppg and 8.1 rpg. She is a unique player who can shoot, drive, or post up smaller guards. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="495850" first="Emily" last="Allison"] was a potential breakout player in 5A and she is turning in an impressive campaign averaging 7 ppg and 4.9 rpg. Columbine is a great defensive team and will look to slow down a Monarch team who is averaging 57 ppg as a team. The Coyotes have Junior stud [player_tooltip player_id="222378" first="Natalie" last="Guanella"] who is averaging 18 ppg and 2.4 apg. She is a multi-threat scorer who can slash to the basket for scores. They also have 6'-1" [player_tooltip player_id="318873" first="Amelia" last="Rosin"] who is averaging a double-double at 11 ppg and 10.6 rpg. She will most likely be tasked with guarding Gentry and will have to limit her rebounding. The Coyotes have a ton of great other pieces who could end up being the difference in this game. This game will come down to Monarch's ability handle Columbine's posts and limit them to one possession. This will be a great game with two of 5A's top teams. <strong>Roosevelt (5-2) vs. Northridge (8-0) Friday January 7th</strong> The Roughriders have been a breakout 4A team this year. They will look to make some noise in their league and make a deep state run behind their talented young team. Their top five scorers are either Freshmen or Sophomores. They will be a must watch team over the next few years. Their leading scorer is Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="216711" first="Brynn" last="Price"] who is averaging 12.4 ppg. She is joined by one of the state's top Freshman in [player_tooltip player_id="346832" first="Ryanne" last="Bahnsen-Price"] who has exploded onto the high school scene averaging 11.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg, and 2.9 spg. At 6'-0", Ryanne is a unique and skilled player who can score off the wing. She will only continue to get better and get more attention. Sophomore Brook Meza (10 ppg, 6.7 rpg), Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="216727" first="Kinsey" last="Trujillo"] (9.3 ppg, 3 apg), and Freshman [player_tooltip player_id="353328" first="Rayleigh" last="Hess"] (9.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4.7 apg) give the Roughriders one of the most talented rosters in 4A. They will look to make a statement against undefeated Northridge. Northridge is one of the few undefeated teams left in the state. They have quality wins over Broomfield, Mountain View, and Palmer Ridge. They have a balanced scoring attack and are upperclassmen heavy. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="207132" first="Makenna" last="Shaffer"] leads her team at 12.3 ppg and 5.9 rpg. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="117725" first="Seneya" last="Martinez"] is averaging 9.6 ppg and 5 spg. Juniors Katy Jo Werner and [player_tooltip player_id="318879" first="Karly" last="Beck"] are both averaging 8+ ppg. The Grizzlies have won every game this season by double-digits. This will be a great test for both teams as they fight for position in the 4A Longs Peak League.