NoCo at the Coliseum: What to know about Fossil Ridge, Windsor basketball teams in Final 4
What a championship weekend for Fort Collins-area high school basketball teams.
The Fossil Ridge boys are back in the Class 6A championship, while the Windsor girls squad is in a third straight title game.
We were already treated to an all-Fort Collins Great 8 game with Fossil Ridge vs. Fort Collins last Saturday. Now, there's a Northern Colorado doubleheader on Championship Saturday in the Denver Coliseum.
Here's what you need to know about the Fossil Ridge and Windsor Final 4 games:
Class 6A: No. 3 Fossil Ridge boys vs. No. 4 Denver East (finals)
FINALS: Denver East dominated the second half en route to a record-tying 12th state championship, as the Angels outdueled the SaberCats in the 6A state championship game.
Full story Too big a hurdle: Fossil Ridge falls to Denver East in Colorado 6A championship game
SEMIFINALS: Fossil Ridge found a way in its Final 4 win over No. 7 Regis Jesuit, advancing to a second straight state championship game with a 66-62 victory.
Full storyGoing to the ship: Fossil Ridge returns to state title game with hard-fought Final 4 win
With the win: Fossil Ridge will face No. 4 Denver East winner in the 6A boys championship (Saturday, March 11, 4 p.m.)
How they got here:
Fossil Ridge: beat No. 30 Chaparral 60-51 in 6A first round, beat No. 19 Doherty 72-43 in Sweet 16, beat No. 6 Fort Collins 72-58 in Great 8, beat No. 7 Regis Jesuit 66-62 in Final 4
Denver East: beat No. 29 Arapahoe 72-47 in 6A first round, beat No. 20 Eaglecrest 80-65 in Sweet 16, beat No. 5 Smoky Hill 77-71 in Great 8, upset No. 1 Mountain Vista 86-67
Recent finals history: The SaberCats (24-2) are defending state runner-ups and it's Fossil Ridge's third state finals appearance since 2014. Though Denver East has the second most state titles in Colorado history, the Angels haven't won made a state title game since 2014, when they beat Fossil Ridge to claim their 11th championship.
Coaches:
Fossil Ridge's Matt Johannsen is in his 19th season as the SaberCats' head coach with a record of 324-45. He has 362 career wins overall.
Denver East's Rudy Carey is in his 31st season as the Angels head coach and has 896 career wins, most in Colorado coaching history. He also his nine all-time titles (tied for most in Colorado), six of them at Denver East.
Class 5A: No. 4 Windsor girls vs. No. 2 Roosevelt (finals)
FINALS: Windsor couldn't get past local rival Roosevelt in Saturday's 5A girls championship game, as the Rough Riders turned a halftime deficit into a double-digit win.
Full story Second-half surge pushes Roosevelt past Windsor in 5A girls basketball title game
SEMIFINALS: Windsor dominated its 5A Final 4 game Thursday night, crushing No. 8 Glenwood Springs 65-35 to reach a third consecutive state championship game.
Full story:No stopping Windsor: Wizards overwhelm Glenwood Springs to reach 3rd straight state title game
With the win: Windsor will face No. 2 Roosevelt in the 5A girls championship
When: Saturday, March 11, at 5:45 p.m.
Where: Denver Coliseum
How they got here:
Windsor: beat No. 29 Northfield 83-22 in 5A first round, beat No. 13 Centaurus 62-33 in Sweet 16, beat No. 5 Mead 44-41 in Great 8, beat No. 8 Glenwood Springs 65-35 in Final 4
Roosevelt: beat No. 31 Dakota Ridge 74-34 in 5A first round, beat No. 15 Montrose 58-37 in Sweet 16, beat No. 7 Air Academy 51-47 in Great 8, beat No. 3 Durango 59-39 in Final 4
Coaches:
Windsor's Karin Nicholls is in her third season as the Wizards' head coach, with a 62-10 record.
Roosevelt's Enoch Miller is in his first season as the Rough Riders' head coach, with a 25-2 record. He has an overall record of 105-40 in six seasons as a girls head coach in Colorado.
Class 5A: No. 3 Windsor boys fall to No. 2 Mesa Ridge
The Wizards' best season in a dozen years ended with a loss to an unbeaten on a mission, as Mesa Ridge rolled 79-52 Friday night in the 5A semifinals.
Full story:Windsor boys basketball's best season since 2011 ends in 5A Final 4 loss to Mesa Ridge
How they got here:
Windsor (22-4): beat No. 30 Falcon 85-53 in 5A first round, beat No. 19 Palmer 72-60 in Sweet 16, beat No. 11 Longmont 62-56 in Great 8
Mesa Ridge (26-0): beat No. 31 Adams City 74-50 in 5A first round, beat No. 15 Silver Creek 79-50 in Sweet 16, beat No. 7 Dakota Ridge 65-55 in Great 8
Final 4 history: This is Windsor's first Final 4 appearance since 2011. It's Mesa Ridge boys basketball's first-ever semifinal appearance since the school opened in 1997.
Coaches:
Windsor's Jon Rakiecki is in his seventh season as the Wizards' head coach, with a record of 111-55.
Mesa Ridge's Joel Babbitt is in his first season as the Grizzlies' head coach, with a record of 26-0. Babbitt was a Lewis-Palmer assistant last season when the Rangers won the Class 4A state title.
Heritage Christian girls, Windsor Charter Academy boys reach Final 4
The smaller classifications (1A-3A) had a different playoff format, with quarterfinals through finals running three consecutive days.
Two Fort Collins-area teams remained in their respective classification's draws, but both bowed out Friday in the semifinals.
CLASS 3A: WINDSOR CHARTER ACADEMY BOYS
In their first season as a CHSAA-sanctioned team, the Firebirds won a home regional and made the 3A Final 4.
Great 8: No. 6 WCA beat No. 3 Centauri 51-39
Final 4: Windsor Charter Academy lost to No. 2 Salida 57-49
CLASS 2A: HERITAGE CHRISTIAN GIRLS
The Eagles made the quarterfinals for the first time since 2018 and won, reaching the 2A Final 4.
Great 8: No. 12 HCA won 45-41 vs. No. 13 Limon
Final 4: Heritage Christian lost to No. 1 Merino 48-36
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado Final 4 basketball: Tickets, how to watch Fossil Ridge, Windsor
