The first round of the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) Boys Basketball State Championship concluded for both 5A and 6A classifications, with several lower-seeded teams advancing in surprising results.
Out of the 16 games played in each classification, there were six upsets—three in each bracket. In the 5A tournament, No. 39 Dakota Ridge defeated No. 26 Pueblo East by a score of 56-40, marking the most significant upset of the round. Other notable results included No. 36 Coronado overcoming No. 29 Thomas Jefferson, 73-58, and No. 33 Pueblo County narrowly beating No. 32 Aurora Central, 57-51.
In the 6A bracket, No. 34 Heritage secured a win over No. 31 Fountain-Fort Carson with a final score of 74-62. Additionally, No. 35 Erie beat No. 30 Rocky Mountain, 70-66, and No. 33 Fairview edged out No. 32 Legend, finishing at 58-55.
All second-round games are scheduled for Friday, February 27 and will take place at the home sites of the higher-seeded teams. Winners from these matches will advance to the Sweet Sixteen on Tuesday, March 3 at home venues as well.
Looking ahead in the tournament schedule, the Great Eight round will be held at Denver Coliseum—6A games on Friday, March 6 and for the 5A classification on Saturday, March 7. The semifinals are set for Thursday, March 12 with championship games following on Saturday, March 14.
The first round scores in Class 6A saw victories from Broomfield over Fort Collins (57-29), Doherty over Legacy (55-42), Centaurus over Vista PEAK Prep (62-53), Pueblo West over Bear Creek (53-45), Valor Christian over Prairie View (72-47), Fairview over Legend (58-55), Heritage over Fountain-Fort Carson (74-62), and Erie over Rocky Mountain (70-66).
In Class 5A action: Evergreen beat Mountain View (64-46), Palmer won against Montbello (93-59), Palmer Ridge overcame Thompson Valley (54-37), Pueblo Central defeated Grand Junction Central (50-47), Discovery Canyon triumphed against Glenwood Springs (56-44), Pueblo County won versus Aurora Central (57-51), Coronado bested Thomas Jefferson (73-58) and Dakota Ridge took down Pueblo East (56-40).
Second-round matchups feature top seeds hosting lower-ranked teams based on their performance in this opening stage.
