The Roaring Fork High School boys and girls basketball teams both find themselves with a chance to secure the second seed going into next week’s 3A Western Slope District Tournament, but a stout opponent looms for the regular season home finale Friday night.
After three straight wins for the girls, including a 59-30 senior night win at home over Aspen on Tuesday, the Rams face the undefeated Grand Valley Cardinals to close things out ahead of the postseason.
Grand Valley has secured the regular season league title, but a win would certainly improve the Rams’ all-important state ranking headed into the postseason.
Coming into the week, the 13-5 Roaring Fork girls were ranked No. 10 among 3A teams by Maxpreps and held the 12th spot in Colorado High School Activities Association’s RPI (rating percentage index) power ranking, while Grand Valley, at 18-0, ranked second and third, respectively.
Tuesday’s game showcased seniors Lelaney Gardesani and Avery Smith, who saw ample playing time against the 1-16 Skiers. Gardesani finished with five points, while Smith had three. Junior Carly Crownhart paced the team with 23 points and freshman Riley Bevington had 16.
The Lady Rams also defeated Olathe 72-47 on Friday night and Gunnison, 54-42, on Saturday and now stand at 10-3 in league play.
At 8-10 overall and 7-4 in league play, the Roaring Fork boys will need a win Friday against Grand Valley (7-11, 6-5) to remain among the state’s top-32 3A teams going into the district tournament.
The boys beat Olathe 81-33 on Friday, powered by sophomore Lucas Carballeira’s 19 points and sophomore Kiko Pena’s 16 points and 13 rebounds. Senior Noel Richardson scored 15.
On Saturday, the Rams held on to beat Gunnison 50-48, with Carballeira scoring another 15 and Richardson 13. Pena had 14 rebounds.
A win Friday keeps the Rams in second place in the league behind regular season champ Meeker.
Both Rams teams are likely to host a first-round District Tournament game on Tuesday, with a win earning them a trip to Grand Junction next Friday-Saturday for the semifinals and championship games.
Varsity game times on Friday are 5:30pm for the girls and 7pm for the boys.
State swimming results
Competing at the 3A State Swimming Championships this past weekend, Colorado Rocky Mountain School senior Amelie Ogilby, representing Glenwood Springs High, placed second in both the 200 Individual Medley and the 500 Freestyle.
Ogilby was the defending state champion in the 500 Free, but her time of 5:05.14 was off the blistering pace of 5:00.91 set by Evergreen sophomore Tallaby Riddle.
St. Mary’s Academy senior Caitlin Crysel won the 200 Individual Medley in a new state record time of 2:03.11, ahead of Ogilby’s 2:06.42.
Ogilby was also on the second-place 200 Medley Relay team with Adelyn Newton, Emma Lindstrom and Sadie Hoiland, finishing in 1:51.30.
Freshman sister Laia Ogilby was 11th in the 100 Free in 56.77, while teammate Emma Lindstrom took third in that event (53.14).
The younger Ogilby was also on the second-place 200 Free relay team, with fellow CRMS student Rowan Wolfson, Newton and Hoiland (1:43.56), and the third-place 400 Free relay, with sister Amelie, Sophie Price and Lindstrom (3:39.68).
The Demons took third place at state as a team with 287.50 points, behind 3A champion St. Mary’s Academy (384) and Evergreen (373).
State wrestling qualifier
Competing at the Girls North Region 3 wrestling tournament this past weekend, Basalt High School had one individual qualify for the single-classification Girls State Wrestling Championships this weekend.
Junior Emely Mejia Garcia took second place at regionals, dropping an 8-5 decision to Grand Junction Central’s Marissa Martinez-Quezada in the championship match. Garcia won her semifinal and quarterfinal matches by pinning her opponents at 3:10 and 1:13, respectively, over Bayfield’s Leilani Ramos and Calhan’s Kayleigh Reese.
Garcia enters the state tournament at Ball Arena in Denver on Thursday with 21 match wins and four losses on the season.