Typically, deep postseason runs are unnerving because unfamiliar teams await in the final rounds. However, with Dove Creek abuzz about a return trip to state for the girls basketball team, and the historic trip to the 1A championships for the boys, a pair of recognizable names await the Bulldogs in their opening rounds in Greeley.
After blitzing through district and regional play, the Dove Creek girls (21-1, 6-0 2A/1A SJBL) earned the No. 6 seed and will face No. 3 seed McClave (20-1, 6-0 1A High Plains) at 7 p.m. Thursday at the University of Northern Colorado.
Last year, Dove Creek hosted McClave in the 1A round of 16 and won 53-33. The Bulldogs dominated the glass, and then-senior Grace Hatfield poured in 21 points as they put the Cardinals away early in the second half. Kalie Gatlin added 11 for coach Julie Kibel’s squad.
McClave looks like a different team.
Last year, McClave was without its leading scorer, senior Anna Beckett, and its second leading scorer, classmate Maggie Chase, was injured early in the game. Both have led the Cardinals in scoring this season. Since losing its season-opener, McClave has rattled off 20 consecutive victories, including a regional title win over South Baca, 35-25.
The Bulldogs hope their familiarity with head coach Brianne Howe’s Cardinals pays off, but they continue to demonstrate their own offensive balance. Junior Lexi Gray leads the team in scoring, with 13 points per outing, while the Bulldogs have amassed a 19-game winning streak.
Bulldogs junior Kylie Gatlin averages 11 points per game, while juniors Trista Barnett and Rylee Hickman, averaging nine points, will help the Bulldogs protect the basketball from a tough Cardinal defense.
The winner of the Dove Creek-McClave matchup will face No. 2 Flatirons Academy or No. 7 Cheyenne Wells in the state semifinals Friday, March 11, at 4 p.m. A semifinal victory would propel Dove Creek to the state title game and a change of scenery on Saturday, when the 1A and 2A games move to the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland. The 1A girls championship game is slated for 4 p.m.
Riding a wave of momentum after stunning defending champion Westminster Belleview Christian in the regional finals, Dove Creek’s boys continue their history-making run. Head coach Aaron Hankins’ Bulldogs (13-10, 5-4 2A/1A SJBL) earned the No. 8 seed in the bracket, and face top-seeded Sierra Grande, which the Bulldogs faced Jan. 29.
The Panthers (23-0, 6-0 1A Southern Peaks) earned the No. 1 ranking with an undefeated season that included a 67-48 win over Dove Creek in the San Luis Valley. Based in Blanca, a short drive east of Alamosa, Sierra Grande burst back onto the scene under longtime head coach Matt Lucero, after a few lean seasons.
Much of the Panthers’ success surrounds 6-foot-1 senior guard Isiah Chairez, who scored 32 points against Dove Creek and ranks second in the 1A classification with 21 points per game.
The reason Chairez doesn’t lead the state in scoring, however, is because the Bulldogs possess the No. 1 scorer – junior Kade Hankins, whose 23 points per game have helped lead Dove Creek to uncharted waters.
Senior Ryan Jarmon scored eight points in the January loss to the Panthers but has come on strong in the past few weeks, including a 14-point outburst against Westminster Belleview Christian. Junior Tanner Williams added one of his best games of the season, scoring 10 points in the regional final, and Dove Creek will hope that a second chance against Sierra Grande will provide the key to an upset.
Dove Creek and Sierra Grande tip off at UNC Bank of Colorado Arena at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10. A victory would propel Dove Creek to face No. 4 Caprock Academy or No. 5 McClave in the semifinals. The title game, like the girls game, will be played in Loveland, with tip time projected for 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 12.
