CHICAGO (March 20, 2026) — In its 41st year celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Eric Fiedler of Regis Jesuit High School is the 2025-26 Gatorade Colorado Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their excellence in sport, academics and community. The award recognizes Fiedler as Colorado’s best high school boys basketball player, and he joins an elite legacy that spans professional athletes and coaches to CEOs, such as Jayson Tatum (2015-16, Chaminade College Preparatory School, MO), Cooper Flagg (2023-24, Montverde Academy, FL) and Cameron Boozer (2022-23 & 2024-25, Christopher Columbus High School, FL).

The 6-foot-8, 215-pound senior wing led the Raiders to a 15-10 record and a trip to the third round of Colorado’s 6A state tournament this past season. Fielder averaged 29.9 points—the best of any 6A scorer to reach the postseason—shooting 47 percent from the field and added 10.4 rebounds per game. He finished his career as the leading scorer in program history (1,909 points) and scored 30 or more points 12 times this past season. He’s ranked as Colorado’s No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2026 by PrepHoops. 

Fiedler has volunteered locally at the Tennyson Center in Denver, working with children who have experienced trauma. He has also volunteered at a local food pantry and participated in a service-mission trip to Kenya.

“Eric is an explosive basketball player,” said Joe Ortiz, head coach of ThunderRidge High School. “He plays the game with great confidence and aggressiveness. He’s very skilled and can beat you from out to 25 feet or down in the post. Combine all of that with his size and strength and you have a dominant high school basketball player.”

Fielder has maintained a 3.76 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a written letter of athletic aid to play basketball at Colorado State University this fall.