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DENVER COLISEUM - It is Final Four week, people. The Denver Coliseum will be popping this week/weekend as basketball fans from all over Colorado descend on Denver for the climax of the long season.

Unfortunately, most of our Colorado Trust for Local News boys and girls basketball teams have seen their seasons come to an end. But wait! Three challengers still stand tall in 5A and 6A and are scrapping for one more shot at a state championship.

🔍 The Lead: Two COTLN girls basketball squads are still fighting in the Class 5A state tournament. Standley Lake joins Jeffco League rival Green Mountain in the 5A Final Four. Neither program has ever won a state title. A lone COTLN boys basketball team — Ralston Valley — also plays in the Final Four this week.

Plus, the lower-class tournaments are in the Great 8 with a couple of COTLN teams hanging on. Otherwise, it is time for spring sports! Catch the first of the action only in Sportland. Miss any recent coverage? Visit TheGoldenTranscript.com/Sports and catch up!

Here’s your COTLN basketball schedule for the week:

GIRLS 5A - FINAL FOUR - MARCH 12

BOYS 6A - FINAL FOUR - MARCH 13

GIRLS 4A - GREAT 8 - MARCH 11

BOYS 2A - GREAT 8 - MARCH 12

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While other news stations prioritize Denver’s professional and college sports teams, we keep our eyes on the high school athletics landscape, providing key updates and legislative news from CHSAA, hard-hitting feature stories and connecting generations of families through sports.

🐶 — Head Coach Greg Rau has turned around the Brighton boys basketball program in just three years. The Bulldogs finished 23-2 and 12-0 in the 6A/5A Rocky Mountain League in the 2025-26 season — that’s the first league title in over 40 years.

Despite losing in the Sweet 16 of the Class 6A boys basketball tournament to No. 1 Chaparral, Brighton enjoyed its best season in years, including a first-round playoff win over No. 17 Chatfield, 67-61.

But it took some building for Rau, who says it takes a while for the culture you’ve put in place to catch on.

Brighton’s records — last 3 years:

“We haven't had a league title in over 40 years,” Rau said. “I know the last time Brighton won a state championship in basketball was 1952. So, from my understanding, it's been 40+ years.”

Now the Bulldogs lose all six seniors — Trey Miller, Austin Sickler, Isaiah Vega, Jackson Burke, Isaac Vigil and Joshua Mavinga.

The toughest fill will be replacing Sickler, Rau said, as he’s the floor general point guard who gets everything started. Sickler had a team-high 31 points against Chatfield in the round of 32. He’s also a member of the 1,000 points club.

But a few key returners, plus a crop of young talent, will likely keep the Bulldogs on their winning trajectory. Rau is eying juniors Aidan Wanrow (who I saw throw down a nasty one-handed dunk in the Bulldogs’ 87-6 win over Westminster in January), John Beauprez and sophomore Nico Holt as a strong core for next season.

Defense will always be the program’s main principle, Rau said. That’s the only thing that won’t change.

“When it comes to the offensive side, we always have to tweak it to what our players are,” Rau said. “I'm not the type of coach that will run what I want. It's what best fits my team and my players.”

The question now: Can the Bulldogs continue to reinvent themselves to sustain their recent success? A promising new crop of freshmen won’t hurt.

⚽ ON THE PITCH — I know it’s felt like spring for literal months. It’s like the Twilight Zone or something outside, with snow dumping several inches one day, and then it’s nearly 80 degrees the next. It’s disorienting!

Thank goodness we have the spring sports schedule to keep us sane. While basketball teams flood to the Denver Coliseum this week to wrap up winter sports, COTLN girls soccer squads have already been putting the work in on the pitch.

Columbine’s girls soccer team already has five goals and two wins on the year (2-0 over Heritage and 3-0 over Highlands Ranch) as the Rebels waste no time chasing another successful season. Finishing 10-4-3 last season, the Rebels finished second in the 5A Jeffco League. But they only scored 24 goals all year?

“I think we have a chance to be more offensive and produce more goals this year,” Columbine coach Brian Todd said. “If I can give my team an excuse, a lot of schools are going through a flu bug right now. We are starting to get past it, but we just don’t have our lungs yet.”

HISTORY: The Rebels haven’t claimed the conference title since winning five in a row from 2014 to 2018. Ralston Valley is looking for a third straight league title. The Mustangs haven’t lost a league game since the 2023 season. 

Bear Creek also started 2-0 on the season after victories over Roosevelt and Elizabeth, combining for eight goals in two matches to start the 2026 season.

The hot start shows a glimmer of hope for a better season than last year, as the Bears finished 4-10-1 and 2-8 in the 4A/3A Jeffco League. The real test, as always, will come in league play as the Bears fight to compete in a loaded Jeffco field.

⛹ Grandview stuns Arvada West boys hoops in Class 6A Sweet 16: One of the more eye-popping upsets in all the state basketball tournaments came in the boys 6A Sweet 16. No. 13 Grandview rallied in the final minute to stun No. 4 Arvada West and end the Wildcats state title hopes. Read the full story ➡

🤼 Fort Lupton, Brighton wrestlers remember coach Tom Cortez: A legendary figure in our north areas passed away at age 71 this year. Hear from the wrestling figures in Brighton and Fort Lupton about Cortez’s lasting impact on Colorado high school wrestling. Read the full story ➡

🏀 Both Colorado School of Mines basketball teams fall in quarterfinals: The Colorado School of Mines’ men’s and women’s basketball teams kept up the trend of COTLN-area teams losing in the postseason. See Corinne Westeman’s full recap of the games and the team’s seasons. Read the full story ➡

🚘 Staunton State Park sees 52% increase in car traffic: While it’s not the most visited, or even the newest in Colorado, its fast-growing visitor numbers show Staunton is a favorite destination — particularly among Front Range weekend warriors. Read the full story ➡

We want to hear from you!

Last week’s poll: How do you think the shot clock will affect high school basketball this time next season?
Won’t make much difference (50%)

All records are current as of March 9

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