Mead and Holy Family girls basketball find themselves back in familiar positions, with the Mavericks vying for a spot in the Class 5A state championship game and the Tigers hoping for a spot in the Class 4A final four.
It's become the same old story over the past few years, but a new set of faces has entered the chat. Prospect Ridge Academy boys basketball, fresh off of its home regional victory, will continue its storied season with a trip to the Great 8.
All three teams will play at the Denver Coliseum on Wednesday and Thursday.
No. 2 Mead vs. No. Mullen girls, Thursday, 5:45 p.m.
For the third time in four years, the Mavericks are back in the semifinals -- and looking as hot as ever. They come in with a 23-3 record, having only lost to 6A's third-seeded Broomfield and two teams out of Idaho.
No 5A team has been able to take them down -- yet.
The Mavericks boast a strong, well-rounded game that sees 55.2 points per game, 29.4 rebounds per game, 12.5 assists per game and 14.6 steals per game. Chief among those scorers have been sophomore Madi Clark (13.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and senior Darby Haley (10.6 PPG).
They face a Mullen team that has seen its fair share of adversity with a 17-9 record, many losses of which came from the stacked Centennial League. The Mustangs lag behind Mead in every metric, starting with their 48.9 PPG and followed by their 26 RPG, 11.8 APG and 9.7 SPG.
They circulated a large portion of their defense around Makenzie Jones (16 PPG) and Tatum Jones (10 PPG). The winner of the game will move into the championship, where it will face off with No. 1 Air Academy or No. 5 Green Mountain.
No. 4 Prospect Ridge Academy vs. No. 5 Fort Lupton boys, Wednesday, 10:15 a.m.
The Miners have been nothing short of spectacular this season, and that's been reflected in their 19-6 record heading into the Great 8. Half of those losses came in the always-tough Metro League, but they ended the regular season on a high note with six straight wins.
PRA has enjoyed a powerful offense that's chugging along at 73.6 PPG, and it's backed that high metric up with 30.3 RPG, 16.2 APG and 14.1 SPG. The Miners boast a well-balanced starting five thanks to their top scorers, senior Travis Agbosse (14.1 PPG, 7.6 RPG), senior Liam Schilling (14 PPG), sophomore Jackson Brandt (13.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG) and senior Zeke Bote (11.5 PPG).
They'll go to battle with a 21-4 Bluedevils squad that's been scoring 64.8 PPG along with 27.6 RPG, 14.5 APG and 15.4 SPG. They, too, house a solid core of four with Javon Gonzales (16.9 PPG), Isaiah Garcia (13.3 PPG), Guillaume Nkiadiambu (13.1 PPG) and Mylz Palmer (10.2 PPG).
The winner will advance into the final four against either No. 1 Kent Denver or No. 25 The Academy.
No. 4 Holy Family vs. No. 5 Alamosa girls, Wednesday, 8:45 a.m.
The Tigers come in a bit battered from their 6A/5-heavy Granite Peaks League with a 16-8 mark, but they've blasted their way through the postseason so far with victories of 34 and 40 points in the first two rounds.
They've relied on a well-rounded game to get them there, having scored 53.5 PPG while adding 27.4 RPG, 13.2 APG and 14.5 SPG. Juniors Gracie Ward and Alexcia Oaxaca have taken on the brunt of the offensive responsibility with 14.4 PPG and 11.3 PPG, respectively.
The Mean Moose come in with a 19-6 mark, having netted 45 PPG with 29 RPG, 10.1 APG and 10.4 SPG. They hold no double-digit scorers, but Morgan Ortega claims the top spot with 9.5 PPG. The winner will take on No. 1 University or No. 9 D'Evelyn in the final four.