Pikes Peak Area rankings: F-FC boys' hoops team surges to the top

PIKES PEAK AREA BASKETBALL RANKINGS

BOYS' BASKETBALL

5A

1. Fountain-Fort Carson (5-2), No. 2 last week

2. Liberty (3-3), No. 1

3. Rampart (3-2), No. 3

4A

1. Lewis-Palmer (6-0), No. 1

2. Sand Creek (6-0), No. 2

3. (tie) Wasson (6-1), No. 3

Cheyenne Mountain (7-0), NR

3A

1. CSCS (4-1), No. 1

2. James Irwin (4-2), No. 2

3. TCA (2-2), NR

2A

1. Peyton (6-1), No. 1

2. Calhan (2-2), No. 2

3. Pikes Peak Christian (3-3), NR

NOTES: The top two 5A teams changed places after Fountain-Fort Carson’s 60-48 win at Liberty on Friday in the Fairview Festival’s third-place game. … Defending 4A state champion Lewis-Palmer hosts Liberty on Tuesday in a battle of the area’s best. Liberty’s week concludes with another stiff test, this one at home against 7-0 Mountain Vista. ... Cheyenne Mountain stayed undefeated at the Collins-Poudre Shootout in Fort Collins with comebacks against Fort Collins and in a double-overtime thriller against Poudre. ... Wasson’s DJ Hanes is fourth in the state among 4A scorers, averaging 23.2 points. … CSCS has won four in a row since dropping its season opener. Last week, the Lions knocked off five-time defending 3A state champion Faith Christian, then nipped 4A Air Academy on Saturday on a last-second free throw. … Peyton, winners of six straight, will meet Calhan on Wednesday in final-day action of the inaugural Mountain Lion High School Holiday Shootout at UCCS.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

5A

1. Palmer (6-1), No. 1 last week

2. Rampart (5-2), No. 2

3. Doherty (4-3), No. 3

4A

1. Sand Creek (4-3), No. 1

2. Mesa Ridge (5-0), No. 2

3. Palmer Ridge (5-1), No. 3

3A

1. St. Mary’s (4-0), No. 1

2. TCA (4-0), No. 3

3. Ellicott (3-1), NR

2A

1. Vanguard (6-0), No. 1

2. ECA (5-1), No. 2

3. Peyton (4-1), No. 3

NOTES: Palmer rebounded from an ugly loss to Broomfield on Thursday with a 19-point victory over Fairview on Saturday. Wednesday’s tilt against Castle View will be highlighted by an alumni game. ... Rampart rebounded from consecutive setbacks to Chaparral and Pueblo South with victories over Ponderosa and Bear Creek, allowing just 44 points in each game. The Rams have allowed an average of 36.2 points in their victories but gave up 60 in their two losses. … Sand Creek fell in the championship game of the Grandview Tournament to the host school. Grandview went deep into the 5A playoff last season. ... Mesa Ridge puts its undefeated record on the line this weekend with three games at the Heritage Tournament. First up on Thursday is Monarch, which lost in the 5A championship game last season. … Ellicott takes a three-game winning streak into Thursday’s clash at Pikes Peak 2A No. 1 The Vanguard School.

HOCKEY

No. 1 Doherty (5-2), No. 1 last week

No. 2 Fountain Valley (2-1), No. 2

No. 3 Air Academy (2-1-1), No. 3

Doherty retains the top spot, despite a 7-1 loss to Mountain Vista on Monday. Why? Because Mountain Vista is 3-0 and won its three games by an average of five goals. ... Danes had no games last week. Unlike with the BCS standings, it's hard for you to fall during an idle week here. But when they return, they open with Lewis-Palmer on Jan. 4. ... Kadets went from what looked to be a stellar rally to settling for a tie. They'll take aim at No. 1 Doherty on Wednesday at Sertich Ice Center... Lewis-Palmer is waiting in the wings for someone to stumble.