Games of the Week: Week 9

<p>Week 9 has some intriguing matchups as we are finishing up league play with some conferences having a close race and this week determining who is deemed league champs. While not all leagues are determined this week, there are some and it makes this week a difficult one to determine what is the games of the day but here are some that stand out for me. </p> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Monday</strong></h3> <pre><em><strong>Pueblo West v. Pueblo East</strong></em></pre> <p>There is a 4A South Central battle between the two top teams in the conference and this is a game that means a lot as Pueblo East is undefeated in the conference at 5-0 and with the win will become champions of the conference most likely. But it will be no easy task as Pueblo West will be ready to show why they are a team that must be taken seriously this season.</p> <p>I do not hide the fact that I am biased when it comes to <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/taylor-harris/">Taylor Harris</a>. He is my favorite player in the state. He is a high IQ guard that can score in bunches, he is a playmaker and great decision-maker that gets it done on the court and in the classroom. He is putting up 15 points a game but is also rebounding well (6.4 rpg) and also hitting open teammates (4.3 apg) as well to help his team in any way that he could. Alongside him is Jimmy Wardle (12.4 ppg) and Nicolas Hanenburg (8.2 ppg) and Junior big man Makai Funaki (6.6 rpg) ready to prove that they belong and compete each time out.</p> <p>Pueblo East is deep and their depth separates them from the bunch. Sr. wing Darnell Kindred is having an impressive year that has not been talked about much with a stat-stuffing 17 points and 5.4 rebounds a game and when he is on, this is a tough team to beat. Junior standouts Jaxson Herring (12.4 ppg &amp; 6.4 rpg) and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kyle-miller/">Kyle Miller</a> (11.7 ppg &amp; 4.6 rpg) both are players that can get themselves going. This is a team with size and when all are attacking the basket as they do it is a difficult team to slow down. Size might be the difference-maker in this game and Pueblo East has plenty of it.</p> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Tuesday</strong></h3> <pre><em><strong>Longmont v. Centaurus</strong></em></pre> <p>Tuesday’s game should be a fun one as <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/owen-koonce/">Owen Koonce</a> (17.5 ppg &amp; 6.9 rpg), Mario Everett (9.3 ppg) and Carson Hill (8.5 ppg) will be tested against one of the best teams that they will face all year in Longmont. Centaurus will have to be scrappy, rebound well and buy-in on the defensive end as Longmont presents a three-headed monster that is capable of exploding at any moment.</p> <p>Longmont is 15-3 on the season and had an upset loss to Silver Creek last week so they are looking to get the bad taste out of their mouth when they go up against another good team in Centaurus. Longmont is led by 6’8 junior forward Eddie Kurjak who is taller but also very athletic. He is averaging 14.6 points and 6.4 rebounds a game and just so happens to be one of the most efficient players in the state shooting 70% from the field. Senior forward Dallas Dye is the team’s most consistent player at 13.9 points and 7.9 rebounds a game and is a forward that makes it difficult for the opposing team to get on the boards or keep him out of the paint. He is a rim-runner that goes inside and has his way down low but every so often steps out and knocks down perimeter shots. Ryan Schneider is putting up 11.7 points a game and also is a player that teams have to make sure that they slow down as all can get going and cause chaos.</p> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Wednesday</strong></h3> <pre><em><strong>Green Mountain v. Golden</strong></em></pre> <p>Wednesday’s game features two team’s that were just recently in the Top-10 but Green Mountain dropped out after their loss to D’Evelyn so they are on the outside looking in but are a team that is capable of taking down plenty of teams in the Top-10, they have to be on and playing altogether as a team.</p> <p>Golden is the No.7 team in CHSAA’s newest rankings and have Senior guard Kevin Mulligan (11.9 ppg), freshman standout <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/alan-acevedo/">Alan Acevedo</a> (11.8 ppg) and Senior combo-guard Ben McLaughlin all ready to go off of big games. This Golden team gets after it and are a highly entertaining bunch that scores the basketball. Nathan Wiggins is an X-factor that is able to give a spark off of the bench and all of them will have to have a good game if they plan on beating a pretty good Green Mountain team that will be up for this game.</p> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Thursday</strong></h3> <pre><em><strong>Fort Lupton v. Englewood</strong></em></pre> <p>Fort Lupton is tied for first place in the Colorado 8 conference with a 5-0 record and they have a matchup against Conifer on Tuesday to settle who will have the chance to be crowned champions at seasons end and that sets this up for a pretty good game as it will shake things up out there depending on who wins the game.</p> <p><br /> For Fort Lupton, it has been the Elijah Mullet show as the Senior guard has the Bluedevils playing their best basketball of the season as they are on a nine game winning streak. Mullet is putting up 16.2 points and also boarding from the shooting guard spot at 5.8 boards a game. He is playing really well and helping his team come up with wins and Antonio Marquez (10.9 ppg) is helping him in the scoring department with X-factors like Kobe Roedel and Dante Villarini both impacting the game in various ways. All will have to play well for them to show Englewood that they are the team to beat.</p> <p>Englewood is off to a great start to the season as they are 11-2 on the year. They are led by junior wing Nate Gravagno (17.0 ppg &amp; 5.6 rpg) as he is one of the underrated standouts this season who has helped his team rack up victory after victory and sophomore brothers Gunner Johnson-Labbe (14.3 ppg) and Hunter Johnson-Labbe (12.7 ppg) have been a great source of scoring, energy and versatility alongside him. Englewood also has Josh Jones and Josiah Hazard who is close to averaging a double-double and is a team that can prove that they belong with big wins like this one. I expect this to be a very high-scoring game where whoever gets the last stop of the game wins. It should come down to the wire.</p>