A look at each of the Class 4A Great 8 matchups set for Wednesday at the Denver Coliseum:
BOYS
No. 1 Kent Denver (22-3) vs. No. 25 The Academy (14-11)
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Players to watch: KD — Caleb Fay, 6-5, jr. (22.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.1 bpg); Elvis Lloyd, 6-2, sr. (13.8 ppg, 3.8 apg, 3.3 spg); Gil Schayes, 6-5, sr. (10.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.1 bpg). TA — Trey Boychuk, 5-10, sr. (17.5 ppg, 3.3 spg, 3.2 apg); Dominik Konarski, 6-1, jr. (12.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg); Aydon Austin, 6-0, jr. (8.6 ppg, 6.9 apg, 2.5 spg).
What to know: Kent Denver enters this week’s Great 8 as the favorite. The 4A runners-up a year ago, the Sun Devils’ unique brand of blitzkrieg basketball has produced four 100-point games and wins over 5A (Mullen) and 6A (Smoky Hill, Arapahoe and Douglas County) powers. The Academy, based out of Westminster, reached its first Great 8 in recent memory after upsetting No. 8 Denver West and No. 9 Holy Family in succession. This would be its biggest upset yet.
No. 5 Fort Lupton (21-4) vs. No. 4 Prospect Ridge Academy (19-6)
Time: 10:15 a.m.
Players to watch: FL — Javon Gonzales, 5-10, jr. (16.9 ppg, 6.5 apg, 6.1 spg, 5.8 rpg); Isaiah Garcia, 5-10, sr. (13.3 ppg, 3.8. apg); Guillaume Nkiadiambu, 6-7, sr. (13.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.0 bpg). PR — Travis Agbosse, 6-3, sr. (14.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 3.3 apg); Liam Schilling, 6-0, sr. (14.0 ppg, 3.0 spg); Jackson Brandt, 6-4, so. (13.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.5 apg).
What to know: Fort Lupton has lost just once in 2025, and that was to undefeated 3A juggernaut Resurrection Christian. Since a 5-4 start, the Bluedevils have won 16 in a row, just three of which have come by single-digit margins. The streak began with an 83-82 win over Prospect Ridge that came down to the wire after a last-gasp fourth-quarter rally by the Miners. All told, Prospect Ridge played five games against 4A Great 8 qualifiers, going 3-2.
No. 15 University (18-7) vs. No. 10 Colorado Academy (16-9)
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Players to watch: UN — John Elbe, 6-4, jr. (15.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg); Coehn Nitzel, 6-3, jr. (15.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 4.6 apg, 3.5 spg); Gage Schminke, 6-2, sr. (13.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.5 apg). CA — Clyde Love, 6-2, sr. (19.5 ppg, 2.6 apg); James Claypool, 6-8, sr. (12.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg); Mikel Miller, 6-8, sr. (9.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.6 bpg).
What to know: Visits to Denver Coliseum are getting to be old hat for Colorado Academy, which is making its third consecutive 4A Great 8 trip. Last year’s squad reached the Final Four, and this year’s edition survived a rigorous schedule and regional final at No. 7 Sterling to return to the final week of the season. Next up is Greeley’s University Bulldogs, who pulled off an overtime stunner of No. 2 Peak to Peak to reach the Great 8 for the first time in more than 20 years.
No. 6 Coal Ridge (19-6) vs. No. 19 Timnath (18-7)
Time: 1:15 p.m.
Players to watch: CR — Ben Simons, 6-2, sr. (15.5 ppg, 10.9 rpg); Alex Cornejo, 6-1, jr. (8.4 ppg, 4.5 apg, 4.3 rpg); Diego Gamez, 6-2, jr. (8.3 ppg, 3.1 spg, 1.0 bpg). TN — Max Roselle, 6-7, jr. (15.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg); Jack Hemme, 6-1, jr. (12.5 ppg, 2.5 apg); Luke Jacobson, 6-4, jr. (8.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.9 spg).
What to know: Since a 3-4 start that included a pair of overtime losses, the Timnath Cubs have caught fire. Competing in the rugged 5A/4A Longs Peak League, all but one of the Cubs’ losses this winter came against 5A or 6A competition (63-60 vs. Prospect Ridge). Three of Coal Ridge’s losses came in 4A Western Slope League play to Aspen, the same No. 3 seed that Timnath upset, 58-55, in last weekend’s regional final to qualify for its first Great 8.
Girls
No. 1 University (25-0) vs. No. 9 D’Evelyn (22-3)
Time: 4 p.m.
Players to watch: UN — Addison Harding, 6-1, sr. (10.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.7 bpg); Janay Kravig, 6-0, sr. (9.8 ppg, 2.7 apg, 2.2 spg); Allizzey Madrigal, 5-7, sr. (7.4 ppg, 4.2 spg, 2.6 apg). DE — Colleen Monahan, so. (14.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.4 spg); Ellie McMann, 5-5, sr. (9.1 ppg, 6.2 apg, 5.7 rpg, 4.1 spg); Lyla Nagy, so. (8.8 ppg, 3.6 spg).
What to know: The unbeaten Bulldogs return to the Coliseum for the third year in a row looking for revenge. On the other side of the court? The D’Evelyn program that’s eliminated University each of the past two seasons. The Jaguars are back in the Great 8 despite graduating a talented senior class that made two straight 4A finals. If they are going to get back there again, they’ll have to upset a University team that won all but two of its games by double digits.
No. 5 Alamosa (19-6) vs. No. 4 Holy Family (16-8)
Time: 8:45 a.m.
Players to watch: AL — Morgan Ortega, 5-5, sr. (9.5 ppg, 4.1 apg); Aubrey Rothermich, 6-0, jr. (8.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.3 bpg); Jaelin Garcia, 5-7, jr. (7.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg). HF — Gracie Ward, 5-5, jr. (14.4 ppg, 2.6 spg); Alexcia Oaxaca, 5-8, jr. (11.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.2 spg); Enyiah Contreraz, 5-6, jr. (6.7 ppg, 2.0 apg).
What to know: First-year Holy Family coach Mike Quintana has taken the baton from the since-retired Ron Rossi and run with it, guiding the Tigers to their sixth straight Great 8. Holy Family has advanced to at least the Final Four each of the previous five trips but will have to knock off an Alamosa team that’s won 10 of 11. The Mean Moose are in the quarterfinals for the first time in six years and already won more games than any Alamosa girls team since 2007.
No. 2 Timnath (22-3) vs. No. 7 Pagosa Springs (18-7)
Time: 11:45 a.m.
Players to watch: TN — Olivia Zadeh, 5-10, so. (11.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg); Tiana Guzman, 5-9, jr. (10.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg); Izzy Schimmelpfennig, 5-6, so. (7.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.8 spg). PS — Elizabeth Currier, 5-7, sr. (13.0 ppg, 2.9 apg, 2.2 spg); Karsyn Shahan, 5-10, sr. (9.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.0 spg); Kylie Ketchum, sr. (8.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg).
What to know: Like their male counterparts, the Timnath Cubs needed just three seasons to reach the program’s first Great 8. They did so after a 14-2 run through the 5A/4A Longs Peak League in which both losses came against 5A Great 8 qualifier Roosevelt. They will face a Pagosa Springs program making its second straight appearance with last year’s leading scorers — Elizabeth Currier and Karsyn Shahan — back leading the charge.
No. 6 Delta (17-6) vs. No. 19 Colorado Academy (13-12)
Time: 7 p.m.
Players to watch: DE — Taylor Somers, 5-9, sr. (12.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 3.4 spg); Breezy Huff, sr. (9.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 4.1 spg, 3.8 apg); Paige Kehmeier, sr. (8.2 ppg, 3.6 spg). CA — Anna Johnson, 5-8, sr. (15.9 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 2.8 spg); Hannah Smith, jr. (11.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.5 spg); Sam Clevenger, 6-4, so. (9.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.0 bpg).
What to know: Colorado Academy is back in the Coliseum for the second straight March after taking down No. 14 Sterling (54-28) and No. 3 Eaton (38-35) in succession. The sophomore duo of Sam Clevenger (13) and Mira Leon (12) combined for 25 points vs. Eaton to pick up senior leader Anna Johnson on a rare off night. The Mustangs will need more of the same to upset a Delta team that’s won 14 straight after rolling to the 4A Western Slope League title.
* All stats taken from MaxPreps.com
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