Fall sports have finished and champions have been crowned. From March 10th through the 12th, the CHSSA basketball state tournament was held at the Denver Coliseum. The tournament featured the 1A-6A playoff teams from all over the state.

This year’s tournament featured several teams from Colorado Springs, including the four finalists from both girls 3A and boys 5A, with CSCS emerging victorious over Vanguard in the girls 3A state championship and Mesa Ridge winning in a close battle against Air Academy, taking home the 5A trophy.

Throughout the entire regular season, both Air Academy and Mesa Ridge swapped back and forth, competing for the number one seed, but ultimately Air Academy entered the tournament as the one seed with Mesa Ridge right behind them as the two seed.

Coronado’s basketball team played Mesa Ridge twice, losing both times. Jaxon Gutowski, starting point guard for Coronado, spoke on Mesa Ridge’s level of play and team dynamic saying that, “They were always on the same page and that most likely comes from them all playing on the same club team.” When asked about playing against them personally he stated: “They’re just [fluid]… there was a time we were down [when playing Mesa Ridge] just two [points]…and then just a few minutes later we were down twenty.”

Gutowski praised Mesa Ridge for their dynamic playing style and team chemistry, which ultimately paid off with Mesa Ridge bringing the state trophy back to Colorado Springs.