Ball Fever: Upsets late last week could lead to a shakeup in boys basketball rankings

Our mid-week report theme was top teams hitting their stride and those top teams continued but the theme for the second half of the week may be a few of our top-10 newcomers taking losses from the “underdog”!

It’s sure to shake up our top-10 this week … let’s look at how it went down!

The Look Back

Thursday, Jan. 10

What a night! What’s better than reaching a career milestone? Doing with your buddy on the same night! Kyle Helbig (19 points) and Tanner Baird (27 points) both join the 1,000 point club for Holy Family in their win over Erie.

HIGHLIGHTS: @HelbigKyle11 and @TannerBaird6 both reach the 1,000 point milestone in @HF_Athletics win over @ErieHSAthletics last nighthttps://t.co/VsQTTTH4EA #9sports #copreps pic.twitter.com/adf2SNbHiJ

— 9NEWS Prep Sports (@9Preps) January 11, 2019

Rangeview seniors Jodaun Dotson and Quincey Jewett score 20 points each as the No. 7 Raiders continue to roll with a lopsided win by 52 over Thorton.
We’ve found our second “30-piece” of the season provided by No. 8 Lincoln’s James Felton vs. Chatfield. He poured in 33 points and added 7 rebounds in the Lancers 22-point win over 5A Chatfield.
How about 42 combined points from WIlkinson and Westfall for Pine Creek?!!
Who had Alameda at 9-1 ten games into the season?
20-point, 13-rebound double-double efforts help a squad a lot and Daniel Carr is no stranger to them!
32-point fourth quarter getting it done for Rampart!

Friday, Jan. 11

Valor, now moved up to 5A Jeffco, got 14 points from Cole Bott but not enough to take down No. 6 Pueblo West, which get their second win this week by 8.
Fairview, No. 9 last week in our poll, destroy Mountain Range 82-39 putting in their bid to remain in the top 10!
A 26-point, 3 rebound effort from Jackson Hayslip leads Greeley Central to 8-point win over league foe SIlver Creek.
The Fever Crew talked about how it always seems like a different player steps up for balanced No. 1 Mountain Vista and this night Corban Gamble scored 26 points (on 82% shooting!) in the tight 4-point win over rival Highlands Ranch. The Eagles also needed all FIVE of Gamble’s three pointers vs. a game Ranch squad in a rivalry game.
The Fever Crew was eager to see the result of an ever improving Arvada West’s visit to Rangeview Friday. However, this game may have taught us more of No. 7 Rangeveiws strengths…strength as in one of the best “monsta” double-doubles we’ve seen 2019 in Quncey Jewett’s 33 points (16-18 from the field!) and 16 rebound effort in the 29-point win over No. 10 A-West.
We expect 5A Top-10 action to bring us more scoring than 65 points, but 34 is what was needed for ThurnderRidge to take down neighborhood rival Rock Canyon by 3 points on the road. If you visit the Jags be prepared to play a slowed, half court pace and grind out a win if you can. The Grizzlies had just enough to pull this one off late.
Need more evidence of Lewis-Palmer claiming its stake on the Top Spot in the state, regardless of classification? How about four players in double figure scoring and this time around it’s Noah Baca’s 20 points that led in the 37-point win over of Sand Creek!
TJ Boykins and Brendan Temple both scored in double figures for Douglas County but “at Chap” is no easy task and when the Wolverines have four of their stars score in double digits it’s even tougher! Tanner Giles was the lead man this night for Chap with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists securing the home league win by 8.
Another 20-plus point victory for Longmont over Niwot! Is there a more “quiet” undefeated No. 2 team that anyone can think of?
How did Javonte Johnson follow up his OUTSTANDING 37 point performance Dan Moohrman covered early in the week? How about 26 more points and 6 rebounds for Cheyenne Mountain in home league win over Palmer Ridge.
Columbine, with Luke O’Brien scoring 23, get the rivalry win in new look 5A Jeffco.

Saturday, Jan. 12

Had the pleasure of going on “live” 9News with Blake Olson Saturday when Cherry Creek visited tough Grandview.

As we discussed with Blake, the Wolves have a tough inside/out attack where they punch you in the mouth early with the big boys Dayne Prim and Caleb McGill in the paint, and as soon as you adjust thinking this is all they have their perimeter studs Walker, Ramiro, and Dombro start to make open court plays and hit open 3’s due to the collapsing defense on the inside.

Seeing the Wolves twice this week in person definitely convinced us they are should be higher than the No. 6 squad our poll, and they used their formula to methodically pull away from your C Creek in this one by 26. But don’t just take our word for it … check it out.

In other games:

No surprise that Eaglecrest was tested by 9-3 Mullen in Saturday’s game, winning by 10. If Aaron Bokol and Ty Robinson keep this up the Raptors will be their normal tough battle in Centennial play

Aaron Bokol led the way with 26 points, Zion Ruckard had 18, Ty Robinson 17, and Thurbl Bile chipped in with 15 points. Raptors back home Saturday vs Mullen. @aurorasports #copreps

— Eaglecrest Athletics (@raptorathletics) January 10, 2019

In other Centennial, we discussed in the “The Look Ahead” that No. 4 Overland could not take Cherokee Trail lightly in league play but even we didn’t see the 42-41 tight last second final the Trailblazers pulled off with a “monsta” 16 point, 17 rebound double-double from Graham Ike!
Fairview took a blow to their claim to stay in the Top-10 after a 2-point loss to Pueblo East late Saturday.
Arvada West entered the Top-10 last week and had one of its toughest weeks of the season thus far, capped with a rivalry game where they got the win by six at Pomona. Josh Rogers back to his scoring ways with 26 along with junior Taylor Kline’s 11 helped get the job done.
Last week’s No. 2 Smoky Hill righted the ship and got back on track after the tough visit to Grandview beating Arapahoe 81-55 on the road. The Buffaloes stay firmly in the Centennial league race with only one league loss. And Kenny Foster closed out the win above the rim doing “Kenny type thangz….”