I hope you all had a wonderful and heartwarming Christmas. I am exhausted and ready to get back our regularly-scheduled programming. Maybe that makes me old? I need the sports back! But I’m definitely enjoying watching the Broncos compete for the No. 1 seed, and if Nikola Jokic is still going to drop 55-point triple-doubles, I suppose that’ll work.
Winter Break rolls on! There’s not a lot going on this week on the high school front. So, enjoy your families and get those New Year’s Resolutions ready. If you could only pick one for Denver pro sports in 2026, what would it be? See our options in the poll of the week below. Thanks always for reading!
-John
🏆 WEEKEND WINNERS — Your top scores of the week!
NFL Football
12/25 -Christmas win! Denver Broncos 30 - Kansas City Chiefs 23
UP NEXT: Los Angeles Chargers @ Denver Broncos on Sunday, Jan. 4 at 2:25 p.m.
NHL Hockey
12/27 - Win! Colorado Avalanche 6, Vegas Golden Knights 5
12/29 - Colorado Avalanche 5, Los Angeles Kings 2
UP NEXT: St. Louis Blues @ Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 7 p.m.
NBA Basketball
12/25 - Christmas win! Denver Nuggets 142- Minnesota Timberwolves 138
12/27 - Bah hum bug! Denver Nuggets 126 - Orlando Magic 127
12/29 - Denver Nuggets 123, Miami Heat 147
UP NEXT: Denver Nuggets @ Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 5:30 p.m.
🤩 SPORTSLAND WEEKLY SPOTLIGHT
Nuggets star Peyton Watson helped gift new bikes to local kids at Northglenn’s Raising Cane’s.
Nuggets’ Watson, A Precious Child give out 100 bikes
The season of giving 🎁 — Kids in Northglenn got a special treat this holiday season when Denver Nuggets star Peyton Watson partnered with Raising Cane’s to provide 100 bicycles and helmets to members of A Precious Child.
Read more about the nonprofit that provides opportunities to Colorado’s youth, plus more from Watson below!
📍 REGIONAL ROUNDUP
Ex-Brighton coach moves to Ravens’ softball program: Stricklett will replace Ray Garza at Riverdale Ridge
A new chapter — Replacing Ray Garza is near-impossible task for Riverdale Ridge softball and baseball. But a familiar name is stepping in to give it a shot.
Marty Stricklett was the former baseball and softball coach at nearby Brighton High School.
📣 Top stories from across the region
New Year’s Day Icefest, Lake Plunge called off: Warm temperatures have made the holidays feel weird. But now it’s altering some of the season’s most beloved traditions.
Evergreen skate parks gets contract, funding from park board: Close to $1 million has been approved to bring a state-of-the-art, 10,500-square-foot facility.
Stories that helped shape education in Colorado in 2025: See Suzie Glassman’s breakdown of all the big education news of 2025.
Mountain Vista teacher named Journalism Advisor of the Year: A south-area teacher is showing the next generation the best practices of evolving journalism.
🗳 POLL OF THE WEEK 🤔:
New Year's Resolution: Denver Pro Sports Edition.
📅 2025-26 WINTER SPORTS SCHEDULE:
Boys and girls basketball teams are back in action! Use the toolbar at the top of CHSAANow.com to search your sport and find this week’s best matchups!
Our Top-3 matchups of the week:
BOYS BASKETBALL:
Chatfield (5-0) @ Green Mountain (6-2) on Friday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m.
ThunderRidge (5-3) @ Cherry Creek (6-1) on Saturday, Jan. 3, at 2:30 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL:
Erie (5-1) @ Columbine (8-0) on Saturday, Jan. 3 at 1 p.m.
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