Basketball season in Colorado began in late November, and in the three months since, the Centaurus basketball teams have played 14 and 17 games respectively.
These games started with tournaments like the Boulder Valley Invitational, an in-season tournament that provides a great litmus test for all the teams involved due to its placement within the season. The boys team, coming into the tournament with a 2-2 record, already had tournament experience, with the Paul Davis Classic at Green Mountain High School. The boys picked up a win against Colorado Springs school Cheyenne Mountain. Prior to that, the boys secured an opening-day win in a thrilling game against local rival Erie, winning 60-56. Meanwhile, the girls gained their first two wins at the Boulder Valley Invitational, defeating Smoky Hill and Palmer. Both teams play in the Northern Colorado Athletic Conference, one of the toughest leagues in all of Colorado.
As of the time of writing this, both teams have beaten Greeley West twice; two gritty wins for the girls, and two comfortable wins for the boys. The rest of league play has not gone so well, but there are reasons for optimism. Both teams had Longmont on their heels, and the boys lost to 4A Number 3 Silver Creek in triple overtime.
Obviously losses like these hurt, but they provide room to grow. “Our want to compete for sure increased,” said Matthew Mammarappallil (’25) following the recent stretch of tough losses. He knows that the team should’ve figured things out earlier in the season, but “We’re not a bad team or bad players, we just have to clean up some stuff.” This sentiment was echoed by senior starter Jameson Love, who said that staying connected leads to greater success.
On the girls side, Ingrid Lorton (’25), the team’s leading scorer, believes that their hard work will soon start to pay off. Both teams have played much better at home, posting winning records at Tom Sutak gymnasium, showing that the student section and other fan support really does make a difference. This is great news, as the majority of their next games are at home. If there is any reason to show up, the team’s home record fits the description.
Both teams were away at Silver Creek on January 31, and are set to host Holy Family on Saturday, February 3.
For both girls and boys, the opponents of the week are top 10 in the state in their respective classifications. A win for either team this week could mark a turning point, especially as both are on the outer fringes of the 32 team playoffs that start at the end of February.
