State and regional competitions will begin soon as area athletes prep for the road to a championship.

Here are the notable contests and happenings in the Pikes Peak region this week. The below information is official as of Wednesday afternoon.

Compelling contests

Boys basketball

Lewis-Palmer at Discovery Canyon, 6 p.m. Thursday

After Lewis-Palmer’s 74-59 victory against then-13-2 Lutheran on Tuesday night, the Rangers can break a first-place tie in the 5A/4A Pikes Peak League with a road victory against the Thunder.

Discovery Canyon will enter the matchup having lost two of its last three games after an 11-1 start and hopes to change its luck against the Rangers.

In 24 all-time meetings, the Thunder is 1-23 against the Rangers with the lone win, a 66-55 victory, coming Jan. 25, 2024.

Falcon at Sand Creek, 1 p.m. Saturday

The Falcons will conclude a three-game road trip against a Scorpions team that boasts a 6-1 home record this season.

Falcon’s game against Sand Creek will also wrap up a stretch of three games in four days as the Falcons also travel to Mitchell and Sierra this week.

Prior to Wednesday’s games, Falcons’ last road loss came at Discovery Canyon, 64-57, on Dec. 17.

The Scorpions, who also play three games in four days, last lost at home on Dec. 20, 75-72, to Rampart. Since then, Sand Creek is 3-0 and has earned victories by at least seven points in all three contests.

Girls basketball

Doherty at Vista Ridge, 7 p.m. Friday

The battle for supremacy in the Colorado Springs Metro League continues for two of the conference’s best teams.

Sans their game Wednesday night against Liberty, the Spartans have overcome a 3-4 start to the season to build a 10-4 record and head to Vista Ridge on a heater.

Doherty has a 5-1 road record this season and is 10-0 all-time against the Wolves. But Vista Ridge is 6-1 at home and its duo of Jasmine Byers and Brooklyn Kaiser continues to scorch teams on offense.

St. Mary’s at Colorado Springs Christian School, 6 p.m. Saturday

The Pirates and Lions have shaken off rough starts to the season after lengthy postseason runs in 2024.

CSCS, the two-time 3A defending state champs, started 0-2 and has won eight of its past nine games to improve to 9-3.

The Lions own a six-game winning streak against the Pirates, including a 53-8 victory in last season’s 3A semifinal matchup.

But the Pirates, winners of six in a row, have not lost on the road since Dec. 17 and expect Jaela Pedro’s 18.9 points and 9 boards per game to buoy them in this game.

Girls swimming and diving

League championships, Wednesday-Thursday

As the state girls swimming competition looms, area athletes will have a final attempt to shave time off their swims and perfect their dives ahead of the competition at Veterans Memorial Aquatics Center in Thornton next week.

Cheyenne Mountain opened the season ranked No. 1 in 4A in CHSAA’s 4A polls after a third-place finish at last year’s state event.

Pine Creek’s girls hope to remain dominant after a second consecutive title last season. They have won every dual and tournament this season.

Area rankings (official as of Wednesday afternoon)

Boys basketball

6A-4A

1) Mesa Ridge (12-1)

2) Discovery Canyon (13-3)

3) Cheyenne Mountain (13-3)

4) Sand Creek (12-3)

5) The Classical Academy (11-2)

3A-1A

1) Vanguard (8-3)

2) Banning Lewis (8-3)

3) Evangel Christian Academy (7-4)

4) St. Mary’s (7-4)

5) Pikes Peak Christian (6-3)

Girls basketball

6A-4A

1) Air Academy (16-0)

2) Pine Creek (13-2)

3) Vista Ridge (11-2)

4) Palmer Ridge (11-4)

5) Doherty (10-4)

3A-1A

1) Thomas MacLaren (12-2)

2) Ellicott (9-3)

3) Colorado Springs Christian (9-3)

4) Evangel Christian Academy (8-3)

5) St. Mary’s (8-3)

If you haven’t heard…

Former Mitchell football player to compete in Brazil

Jaylin Babers will continue his football career as a running back for Goianos FA, an American football club in Goiânia, Brazil.

In 2019, Babers graduated from Mitchell and recently wrapped his collegiate career at Lyon College, where he rushed for 1,538 career yards.

Babers is the nephew of former Syracuse football coach and current Arizona coach Dino Babers.

Doherty tabs new football coach

Mike Campbell recently took the reins of the Spartans football program after one season at Vista PEAK Prep in Aurora.

Campbell has coached for 22 seasons, with stops at Englewood and Arapahoe, but this will be his first foray in Colorado Springs.

The Spartans finished 5-6 last year and clinched a 4A playoff berth under coach Dwight Hale, who spent six seasons with the program.

Signing day Feb. 5

National Signing Day for high school football seniors is Feb. 5.

Those who plan to play college football next season and will sign next week, please reach out to the Gazette on social media or via email at sports@gazettedev.gazette.com.