It’s been a perfect start for Broomfield’s girls basketball team, which has been a wrapper caught in an updraft, blowing through its first seven games with little resistance.
On Saturday, the local Eagles will catch back up with the Eagles of Valor Christian, the team that handed coach Mike Croell’s team its lone loss in last year’s regular season, 79-62.
In that meetup, Peyton Jones scored a career-high 45 points to power Valor Christian. She’ll be back for the rematch.
But so will blossoming superstar Reece Gilpatrick for Broomfield. The sophomore and recent Team USA U16 gold medalist is averaging 17.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.3 blocks so far this winter.
Broomfield is currently second in the CHSAA 6A rankings and already owns impressive double-digit wins over No. 6 Denver East and 5A No. 3 Lutheran.
Valor Christian (5-2) lost to a couple of East Coast teams last month but has wins over both reigning champ Grandview and runner-up Legend.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. Saturday at Valor Christian’s gymnasium.
Niwot at Longmont girls basketball, Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Here are a couple nice early-season stories out of St. Vrain.
Combining to go just 17-31 a season ago, 5A No. 18 Niwot (6-2) and No. 30 Longmont (6-4) have started strong.
The Cougars had their four-game road winning streak snapped Tuesday in a loss to 6A No. 15 Horizon. Their only other loss of the season was to 5A No. 2 Standley Lake on Dec. 13.
Longmont improved to 3-0 on the road Tuesday with a 42-31 win over 6A No. 36 Fairview. The Trojans have beaten Niwot nine straight times dating back to 2019.
Monarch vs. Denver East ice hockey, Friday at Big Bear Ice Arena at 7:30 p.m.
Class 5A No. 7 Monarch is looking for what would be its best win of the season when it faces No. 6 Denver East late Friday night.
The Coyotes have had mixed results through a 2-4-1 start but have remained inside the 5A’s top 10 due to a fierce schedule that has already pitted them against each of the classification’s current top five (Poudre, Cherry Creek, Regis, Valor Christian and Ralston Valley).
Goalie Joshua Ringoen is 2-0-1 with a save percentage of .921 so far this winter. Benjamin Zelio is 0-3, but he has faced the most shots (104) on roster as well as arguably the tougher slate of opponents (Poudre, Regis and Ralston Valley).
Isaiah Saunar (six goals, three assists) and Arno Bergstrom (one, eight) lead the Coyotes with nine points apiece.
Last year, Monarch knocked the Angels out in the 5A quarterfinals.
Smile E. Coyote: Monarch hockey goalie Joshua Ringoen all grins after stellar performance in quarterfinals win
Golden Eagle Invitational for boys wrestling, all day Saturday at Frederick High School
Local teams Boulder, Erie, Frederick, Niwot, Silver Creek and Skyline will be in attendance, meaning nine state-ranked kids from the area could be as well.
Erie currently has four wrestlers inside the top 10 of their weight bracket per On The Mat, including Tyler Muir (5A No. 7 at 190 pounds), who won his bracket at the Niwot Invite last weekend, and No. 8 Noah Bridgewater, who recently won his 100th career match. Wyatt Walston (215s) and Landon Hammond (157s) are each ranked sixth for the Tigers.
Frederick has three — Nacoa Meisinger (4A No. 6 at 285s), Troy Meisinger (ninth 215s) and Bowen Kaiser (14th 190s) — but could soon have a fourth with the way Dominick Abeyta is wrestling. The junior finished runner-up at 138 pounds at the Niwot Invite.
Legacy wrestling’s Clifton does expected at Niwot Invite; Frederick’s Abeyta surprises
Boulder’s Isaac Wing is seventh at 5A 157s (one spot behind Erie’s Hammond) but wrestled at 150s last weekend. Skyline’s Cody Smith is 10th at 4A 106s.