Season Preview: 4A Jeffco League
The 4A JeffCo League has hosted one of the best 1-2 battles of any in the state the past two years. Golden and Valor Christian have been locked in an epic rivalry the past two years, bringing out the best…
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Continue ReadingThe 4A JeffCo League has hosted one of the best 1-2 battles of any in the state the past two years.
Golden and Valor Christian have been locked in an epic rivalry the past two years, bringing out the best in each other at the top of the standings.
Spoiler alert: It’s a pretty safe bet to say those two teams will be battling at the top again this season. But who will win? And how will the rest of the league pan out?
Here’s our predicted order of finish for the 4A JeffCo this season:
1. Valor Christian (Last season: 25-3, 13-2 JeffCo)
The Eagles have the conference’s best player in Jalen Sanders, a versatile 6-6 forward who does a bit of everything. Of course, it is depth that makes Valor tick under second-year coach Troy Pachner, who guided the team to the state title-game in his first season. There’s a steady point guard duo in seniors Keisan Crosby and Austin Remus, off-guard is a strength with brothers Josh Randle and Jeremy Randle, and the Eagles have strength at forward with Kayle Knuckles and Dylan McCaffrey. The Eagles are loaded with seniors, have athletes galore and have the experience of falling just short in a championship game. Valor is hungry and that will make it a bear to deal with.
2. Golden (19-6, 14-1)
Golden, which split a pair of games with Valor last season, is also loaded with experience. Kayden Sund, a 6-6 Chadron State-bound small forward, will be a team leader, but he’s got plenty of help. Adam Thistlewood, a 6-5 junior, could be one of the state’s breakout players regardless of league and classification. Joe Madsen and Jack Moore got good experience as sophomores last season and should be ready for bigger roles. Like Valor, depth is a strength for this team.
3. Evergreen (18-7, 11-4)
Mike Dillon had a big season as a junior, averaging 11.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. The 6-5 forward can play multiple positions, is athletic and handles the ball well. We saw Dillon play quite a bit during the spring and summer for the Shining Stars, and it’s clear he’s ready to take a big leap as a senior. Bridger Tenney, a 6-2 guard, averaged 8.5 points and 4.1 rebounds as a sophomore last season.
4. D’Evelyn (15-10, 10-5)
The Jaguars were impressively balanced last season. The team was often 10 players deep, and it had a strong close to the season that included a victory over Valor Christian late in the season and a win over D’Shawn Schwartz and Sand Creek in the first round of the 4A playoffs. Dan Zinn has a good group returning, including senior Josh Brinkerhoff, the team’s leading scorer last season at 8.5 points per game.
5. Wheat Ridge (15-9, 8-7)
The Farmers return their top scorer from a season ago in 5-11 guard Travis Cowan, who averaged 13 points per game as a junior. One player to watch for Wheat Ridge this season: 6-11 sophomore Zeke Van Tuyl, who appears to have really benefitted from playing this past grassroots season with Colorado Connect, a program well-regarded for its work with big men.
6. Standley Lake (7-16, 4-11)
The Gators have a chance to make a big leap in large part because they return one of the league’s top players in 6-2 guard Garrett Martin. He averaged 15 points and seven rebounds as a sophomore and had four 20-point games. The Gators return some other good talent, including senior Terrell Starks, who averaged 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds last season. Standley Lake could be on the rise.
7. Green Mountain (11-13, 7-8)
Replacing one of the league’s top players, Austin Fritts, will be no easy task, but the Rams have some promising young talent that could be ready to step in. Junior guard Alex Telles averaged six points per game last season and can get hot from long distance.
8. Conifer (14-9, 6-9)
The Lobos lose their top four scorers from a season ago, including Jack Studer, a first-team all-league player who averaged 18.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. The good news: Coach Eric Valerio had a lot of young players earn playing time last season, and that could pay dividends. Among them: 5-11 guard Abe Martin, who chipped in five points per game last year.
9. Littleton (2-21, 2-13)
Littleton has a good tool to begin its rebuilding process. That comes in the form of 5-10 senior guard Sam Kail, who was among the league’s scoring leaders last season at 13.6 points per game. Kail was an intriguing performer when we saw him in the spring playing for the Colorado Cardinals, holding his own against strong competition at the Prep Hoops Spring Kick Off.
10. Arvada (0-23, 0-15)
Coach Brandon Pritzer has worked to improve the culture at Arvada, and he will have some players with some experience that now have a year in his system.