After the dust settled from the final week of the regular season, Colorado High School Activities Association released the postseason brackets for the 4A, 3A, 2A, and 1A fields. Both M-CHS and Dove Creek earned representation from their boys and girls programs, and here’s a look at their postseason paths.
The Panthers dropped a few pegs in the 4A standings after their regular season finale loss to Bayfield, but still have hopes of a special postseason run. Their path to Denver will take them through Aspen, beginning with their first-ever meeting with the Cubs.
M-CHS finished second in the Intermountain League and will take on the 5A/4A Longs Peak League runners up, led by dangerous 6-foot-7 post man Max Roselle.
The Panthers seek their first postseason win since 2019 when they face off with Timnath on Friday night. The winner will advance to Saturday’s Sweet 16 matchup with either regional host No. 3 Aspen (20-3) – the 4A Western Slope League champs – or No. 30 Pagosa Springs (7-16).
Coincidentally, the Panthers will also face off against Timnath in the Round of 32 of the girls 4A tournament, but their contest will be a true road game, as the Cubs posted their best regular season since the school came back into existence in 2022 (Timnath HS existed from the 1920s until 1964, when it consolidated with the Poudre School District).
M-CHS bounded into the postseason with their big win over Bayfield on Friday night, qualifying for their second straight playoff appearance. Their sizable senior class will look to extend their careers just a little bit longer as they look to travel to north central Colorado in search of an upset.
The Panthers will face a balanced Cubs attack, led by sophomore Olivia Zadeh, who paced Timnath to a runner-up finish in the 5A/4A Longs Peak League. The winner from Friday night’s game will face either No. 15 Berthoud (13-10) or No. 18 Valley (14-9) on Saturday with a spot in the Denver Coliseum’s Great 8 on the line.
The Bulldogs boys made the 2A field courtesy of their strong upperclassmen leaders, and now DC looks to make some noise in the playoffs when they travel to Simla to take on the Gore Rangers on Friday.
Vail Mountain finished third in the 2A/1A Western Slope League, and they’ll turn to senior Charlie Vidal to try to unlock a tough Bulldogs defense. The ‘Dogs will look to return to the Round of 16 for the third time in the past four years
No. 1 seed Simla (20-2) hosts the region, and they’ll take on No. 32 Burlington (7-16) in the opening round, with the winners set to duel on Saturday with a spot in Loveland and the 2A state tournament hanging in the balance.
Dove Creek seeks a fifth straight appearance in the Great 8, and their first since jumping to the 2A classification, and their journey will take them through Sanford this upcoming weekend. The ‘Dogs will open up with a matchup against the 3A/2A/1A Mile High runners up in a contest played at Sanford High School on Friday.
The Eagles boast a pair of double figure scorers, led by senior Faith Ramsey, while Dove Creek’s quartet of seniors look to continue another incredible season after claiming second place in the San Juan Basin League.
The winner from Friday will take on either the regional host No. 2 Sanford (21-2) or No. 31 Holyoke (4-19) in the regional final on Saturday. Local radio station 98.7 FM KRTZ will carry coverage of the postseason for Montezuma-Cortez and Dove Creek basketball.
