GLENWOOD SPRINGS (2/20/11) — So how did winning the Western Slope League championship for the third straight season exactly help the Glenwood Springs boys basketball team?
The Demons (18-5) received a number 20 seed, directly behind teams (17-Coronado, 13-10; 18-Greeley Central, 12-11; 19-Silver Creek, 13-10) that barely won more than half their games, AND get to travel to Pueblo to play number 13 Thomas Jefferson (13-10) next Friday, Feb. 25.
If that opponent sounds familiar, it should. After winning their first playoff game last season, 72-63 over Arvada, the Demons lost at home to Jefferson, 54-38. The Spartans lost their next game to eventual state champion Sierra, 65-43.
This season TJ finished first in the eight-team Denver Prep League with a 4-0 record. Glenwood did manage to avoid the regions containing the number one (Broomfield, 21-2), two (Lewis-Palmer, 20-3), and three (Sterling, 21-2) seeded teams in the 32-team 4A bracket. If Glenwood advances, they would play the winner of number four Pueblo West (21-2) and Frederick (29-seed, 14-9) in the Ron Shavlik Region.
The only other WSL team to make the field was 25-seed Steamboat Springs (15-7), which will travel to number eight Sierra (16-7).
GLENWOOD GIRLS PLAY GOLDEN IN BROOMFIELD FRIDAY
Even though the Glenwood girls (18-4) lost a chance to win their league outright by dropping a 47-39 home game to Moffat County (16-7, 17 seed) and wound up in a three-way tie for first with the Bulldogs and Delta (17-5, 19 seed), the Lady Demons were seeded number 15, above their co-title holders, and will play their first round game at Broomfield High School in the Tracy Hill Region Friday versus number 18 Golden (18-5), also known as the Demons.
Golden, which finished third in the Jeffco League, behind Conifer (10-seed, 19-3) and D’Evelyn (20-seed, 15-8), won a first-round game 52-47 vs. Niwot last year before losing 68-36 at Mesa Ridge. Both Demon squads have defeated Faith Christian this year, Glenwood beating the Eagles, 67-59, and Golden winning 51-39.
Last season, Glenwood won its first playoff game 59-54 at home against Cortez before losing 62-38 at Conifer.
Delta travels to Colorado Springs to play number 14 Thompson Valley (17-6) and Moffat County goes to Longmont to face number 16 Erie (18-5) on Friday. The Bulldogs are in the Lou Piel region with number one Longmont (22-1). Delta will face number three Air Academy (18-5) if the Panthers advance.
If Glenwood defeats Golden, the reward will be another game with four-time state champion Broomfield (20-3, two-seed), which defeated the Demons 78-40 in 2009, and 69-47 in 2008.
