Pikes Peak area rankings: 5A top spots up for grabs in league openers

PIKES PEAK AREA RANKINGS

BOYS' BASKETBALL

5A

1. Fountain-Fort Carson (6-6), No. 1 last week
2. Liberty (6-5), No. 2
3. Rampart (9-4), No. 3

4A

1. Sand Creek (11-0), No. 1
2. Lewis-Palmer (11-2), No. 2
3. Wasson (12-1), No. 3

3A

1. CSCS (8-2), No. 1
2. James Irwin (8-3), No. 2
3. TCA (6-3), No. 3

2A

1. Peyton (7-2), No. 1
2. Calhan (5-3), No. 2
3. The Vanguard School (7-4), No. 3

NOTES: Finally, 5A Metro League plays begins Tuesday with two intriguing matchups right off the bat. Fountain-Fort Carson, which has lost three straight, hosts Liberty, in the midst of a three-game winning streak. The Trojans scored a 60-48 victory at Liberty on Dec. 14 in a tournament game. Doherty, off to a 9-4 start and owners of a four-game winning streak, travels to Rampart on Saturday. … Sand Creek remained undefeated with wins over Cheyenne Mountain and Air Academy. Next up is 12-1 Discovery Canyon on Tuesday. Don’t look now, but Lewis-Palmer travels to Sand Creek on Feb. 5. Wasson has third place to itself after Cheyenne Mountain dropped off. The one-loss Thunderbirds could get a test from Widefield (9-4) Tuesday. … James Irwin bounced back from its first 3A Tri-Peaks East loss to La Junta on Jan. 18 with a 61-43 win over then-unbeaten Dolores Huerta Prep the next day. Now, all three have one loss heading into the second half. … At 3-7, Evangelical Christian Academy isn’t about to crack the top three, but its season isn’t without highlights. On Jan. 19, JD Kohl tied a school record with nine 3-pointers. In the final minute, the senior had No. 10 in his sights, then dished to brother Jacob, a freshman, who hit a trey for his first varsity points.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

5A

1. Palmer (11-2), No. 1 last week
2. Rampart (8-5), No. 3
3. Liberty (7-4), No. 2

4A

1. Mesa Ridge (13-0), No. 1
2. Sand Creek (9-3), No. 2
3. Palmer Ridge (11-2), No. 3

3A

1. St. Mary’s (10-0), No. 1
2. TCA (10-0), No. 2
3. Manitou Springs (7-5), No. 3

2A

1. Vanguard (11-0), No. 1
2. Peyton (8-1), No. 3
3. ECA (7-3), No. 2

NOTES:  Rampart plays host to Palmer on Tuesday, looking to break a six-game losing streak to the Terrors. The Rams last knocked off Palmer on Jan. 24, 2009, just days after a presidential inauguration. In case you forgot, the latest inauguration took place Monday, and the Rams are hoping for a repeat of history. Palmer’s Jenn Urbaniak and Shanah Leaf remain one of the top 1-2 punches in all of girls’ basketball with averages of 15.4 and 14.1 points, respectively. … With 94 blocks, Mesa Ridge 6-4 freshman Kylee Shook leads the state in all classes with 19 more than the closest competitor. The Grizzlies’ undefeated record briefly took a hit Jan. 16 when their junior varsity loss at Denver North was reported on the wrong page. By the next morning, all was well again. … Manitou Springs will have its five-game winning streak put to the ultimate test Wednesday with a road game at TCA. Either CSCS or Fountain Valley will end a five-game skid Tuesday when the teams meet on the Danes’ home court. Three of the Lions’ losses have been by single digits. … Vanguard continues to dominate its opponents to the average score of 65-14 in four games played in 2013. Clashes with ECA (Feb. 9) and Peyton (Feb. 16) are still weeks away. Peyton downed ECA 63-41 on Jan. 18 to switch places behind the Coursers.

HOCKEY

1. Fountain Valley, No. 2 last week

2. Doherty (8-3), No. 1

3. Air Academy (8-2-1),  No. 3

Fountain Valley moves into the top spot for the first time this season. How long can they hold on to it? The answer comes very soon, as the Danes host Peak Conference front-runner Heritage on Friday, then take on No. 2 Doherty on Saturday ... Doherty hadn't lost a game since Dec. 17. Then the Spartans ran into league leader Heritage and suffered a 9-0 dismantling. The Spartans can show they belong back at the top with a win over the Danes this week. ... Maybe Air Academy belongs higher up on this list. The Kadets are third in conference in points but lost to Doherty in an epic game. Kadets need to win both games this week and not look ahead to next week's matchup with Heritage. ... Don't sleep on Lewis-Palmer. The Rangers may be .500 (5-5-1), but they always schedule tough early. They're 3-2-1 in conference with games against Doherty and Air Academy slated for next month.