Compelling contests

Girls basketball

Air Academy at Pine Creek, 7 p.m. Friday

One of the most anticipated games of the season features two 9-0 squads and area schools ranked No. 1 in their respective classes.

Pine Creek ranks No. 1 in CHSAA’s 6A polls while Air Academy holds the top spot in 5A.

Both schools also boast D-I commits with Pine Creek’s Brooklyn Stewart headed to Oklahoma in the fall while Air Academy’s Tatyonna Brown will head to Lawrence to play for Kansas.

Both the Kadets and Eagles have three players averaging double figures with Brown (19.8), Lydia Flowers (16.4) and Kinley Asp (11.4) leading the charge for Air Academy. For the Eagles, Stewart (20.8), Leekaya Burke-Perryman (11.3) and Alli Dreessen (11.2) have shouldered the bulk of the scoring load.

Vista Ridge at Mesa Ridge, 7 p.m. Thursday

Jasmine Byers sits at 979 career points entering this matchup against the Grizzlies. Through seven games this season, Byers leads the Wolves in scoring at 20.1 points per game.

The Wolves enter the contest at 6-1 and have won their previous four games by double figures.

Mesa Ridge looks for its first win against Vista Ridge since Jan. 8, 2022, when the Grizzlies earned a 46-36 win against the Wolves.

Sierra at Harrison, 11 a.m. Saturday

This classic southern Colorado Springs rivalry takes place at Thorpe Gymnasium with the boys contest to follow.

Deja Burns enters the game averaging 11.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 7.1 blocks per game. Burns’ blocks per game average is top in the state and the Stallion senior needs one more game to move into the top 5 of the nation in the category.

For Harrison, the Panthers are 4-3 ahead of the matchup, which matches their 2024 total.

Boys basketball

Doherty at Palmer, 7 p.m. Saturday

Another beloved rivalry between a pair of gritty teams on the basketball court.

The Spartans have owned this rivalry the past four seasons and hold a six-game winning streak against the Terrors.

Doherty’s last six wins against Palmer have each been by double figures including last year’s 71-56 win where then-seniors Elijah Mack (26) and James Pulliam (24) combined for 50.

But this year, the Spartans will need to contain J’twane Mike, who is averaging 18.6 points per game through eight contests.

Sand Creek at Discovery Canyon, 6 p.m. Thursday

Following a one-point loss in the season opener to Pueblo South, Discovery Canyon has rattled off eight consecutive wins.

The Scorpions boast a 6-2 record to start the year, a stark contrast to last season when Sand Creek began the season 0-5 before finishing 13-11.

Elijah Brotherns leads the Scorpions scoring charge at 14.8 points per contest.

Falcon at TCA, 7 p.m. Tuesday

Prior to their games against Coronado and Elizabeth, the Titans have a 7-0 record which is their best start in team history.

The Titans hope to improve their mark against the Falcons, who own a 7-1 record against TCA with the lone loss coming in 2023, a 66-54 victory for The Classical Academy.

Falcon’s Tyler Cox leads his team with13.9 points per game and Jeremiah Potts is second with 12.9.

Wrestling

Vista Ridge Alpha Female Tournament, Saturday

More than 30 teams and hundreds of wrestlers will fill the gym at Vista Ridge for the annual tournament that will showcase some of the top girl wrestlers in Colorado.

Chatfield, Eaglecrest, Pomona, Pine Creek, Coronado, Doherty, Falcon, host Vista Ridge and a plethora of other schools will attend the tournament.

State champion and Wolves senior Hayden Newberg, who won the 120-pound title last season, enters the competition 15-1 with 11 wins via pin.

Area rankings

Boys basketball

6A-4A

1) Discovery Canyon (8-1)

2) Liberty (8-1)

3) Mesa Ridge (6-1)

4) Palmer (5-3)

5) Sand Creek (6-2)

3A-1A

1) The Classical Academy (7-0)

2) Vanguard (4-2)

3) Banning Lewis (4-2)

4) Fountain Valley (3-0)

5) Evangel Christian Academy (4-2)

Girls basketball

6A-4A

1) Air Academy (9-0)

2) Pine Creek (9-0)

3) Vista Ridge (6-1)

4) Palmer Ridge (7-2)

5) Lewis-Palmer (7-1)

3A-1A

1) Thomas MacLaren (5-2)

2) Ellicott (5-1)

3) Colorado Springs Christian (3-2)

4) Evangel Christian Academy (5-1)

5) Peyton (4-4)

In case you missed it…

Boys basketball

Bryce Riehl’s unbelievable performance

In Mesa Ridge’s final game before winter break, the Grizzlies trailed Lewis-Palmer 47-37 with 40 seconds left in the contest.

Riehl finished the game on an 11-0 run including two 3-pointers, three free throws and a mid-range jumper to help the Grizzlies defeat the Rangers 48-47 in an incredible finale.

The reigning, two-time defending state champion Grizzlies improved to 6-1 with Riehl’s heroics and the Mesa Ridge senior finished with a game-high 23 points and added nine steals in the matchup.

Girls wrestling

Doherty’s Katey Valdez returns to form in wrestling

It’s hard to tell the Spartans senior spent a chunk of her junior year with a torn ACL and meniscus.

Valdez missed most of last season due to the injury in her right knee, but has returned with vengeance this year.

Also, Valdez holds the top rank in Colorado girls wrestling at 105 and, per Flowrestling, ranks No. 2 in the nation at 100 pounds.

Sans the Spartans tri-meet Wednesday evening, Valdez holds a 13-0 record and has won 10 matches by pin. Of those 10 pin-fall victories, Valdez has scored six of those in 35 seconds or less.

Boys wrestling

Sand Creek dominant on the mat

The Scorpions own the No. 3 spot in Tim Yount’s On The Mat Rankings and have a bevy of ranked competitors this season.

Tristan Pino, 18-0 at 106 pounds and Brandon Dean, 20-2 at 157, both hold the top spot in their respective weight classes.

Both Pino and Dean’s records do not reflect their matches against Sierra on Wednesday evening.