Pikes Peak area rankings: Top 4A boys' teams go head to head

PIKES PEAK AREA RANKINGS

BOYS

5A

1. Fountain-Fort Carson (10-6), No. 1 last week
2. Liberty (8-7), No. 2
3. Doherty (11-6), NR

4A

1. Sand Creek (16-0), No. 1
2. Lewis-Palmer (15-2), No. 2
3. Wasson (15-1), No. 3

3A

1. CSCS (12-2), No. 1
2. James Irwin (12-3), No. 2
3. (tie) Manitou Springs (8-7), No. 3
    St. Mary’s (8-7), NR

2A

1. Peyton (12-2), No. 1
2. Calhan (7-4), No. 2
3. The Vanguard School (8-5), No. 3

NOTES: The 5A Metro League’s second half starts Friday with the third installment of Fountain-Fort Carson vs. Liberty. The Trojans won up north in December as part of the Fairview Festival, at home Jan. 25 and now head back to Liberty. F-FC rallied from a double-digit deficit in the last meeting. Before that, Liberty travels to Doherty on Tuesday in a battle of 2-2 teams. … Last Feb. 10, Lewis-Palmer traveled south to play an undefeated Sierra team in the first of two epic battles, the latter staged in the 4A state final. On Tuesday, the Rangers (8-0 4A Pikes Peak Athletic Conference) travel to undefeated Sand Creek for the first of two regular-season showdowns. … CSCS ran its winning streak to eight with wins over Salida and Manitou Springs. On the East side of the Tri-Peaks, a pair of streaking teams meets at James Irwin on Thursday when the Jaguars host St. Mary’s. Both have won five straight.  … Peyton carries a seven-game winning streak into the week, while Calhan has won two straight after a nonleague loss at Peyton on Jan. 23. The two teams meet in Calhan on Saturday in a key Black Forest League contest.

GIRLS

5A

1. Palmer (15-2), No. 1 last week
2. Rampart (10-7), No. 3
3. Liberty (9-6), No. 2

4A

1. Mesa Ridge (17-0), No. 1
2. Sand Creek (13-3), No. 2
3. Palmer Ridge (14-3), No. 3

3A

1. St. Mary’s (13-1), No. 1
2. TCA (13-1), No. 2
3. Manitou Springs (9-6), No. 3

2A

1. Vanguard (14-0), No. 1
2. Peyton (12-2), No. 2
3. ECA (11-3), No. 3

NOTES:  Although Palmer knocked off Doherty by 17 points on Saturday, don’t be deceived by the final score; it was a 30-30 game entering the fourth quarter. Rampart downed Liberty 61-41 on Feb. 1 to leapfrog the Lancers. Meanwhile, Liberty (2-2 in Metro League) hosts surging Doherty on Tuesday, a team that holds sole possession of second place with a 3-1 league mark. … With a 19-point margin Jan. 12, Sierra has given Mesa Ridge its closest game in league play thus far. The 11-5 Stallions have rolled off seven straight league wins since a 55-39 loss last month and get their shot at redemption on the road Tuesday. … TCA and St. Mary’s continue to bring the defense, allowing an average of just 26.6 and 27.1 points, respectively. The Pirates travel to 13-2 Trinidad on Saturday. … The 2A Black Forest League will definitely take shape this week as Vanguard plays at 13-0 Simla on Friday, then at ECA on Saturday. All three enter the week undefeated in league play.

HOCKEY

1. Fountain Valley (12-3), No. 2

2. Doherty (13-4), No. 1

3. Air Academy (12-4-1), No. 3

NOTES: Fountain Valley looked every bit like a Peak Conference contender with its 3-2 overtime victory over Air Academy on Monday night. Maybe the most important aspect of the victory was that Trevor Shott — third in the state in points and tied for first in the state in goals — was held off the scoresheet. That win has the Danes tied for first in Peak Conference with a game in hand on Heritage and two in hand on Air Academy and Mountain Vista. ... Doherty falls out of the No. 1 spot for the second time in three weeks following a 5-2, nonleague loss to Monarch. Not a bad score when you figure Monarch is 14-1 and yielded more than one goal in just five of their 15 games. ... Poor penalties will kill you. And the last one did Air Academy on Monday. Set to head to overtime, the Kadets took a penalty with 10.2 seconds left in regulation. That led to Fountain Valley's game-winning, power-play goal and has the Kadets tied for first rather than out front on their own.