The Round of 16 brackets of the Class 5A state girls basketball championship playoffs may as well have been the Continental League playoffs.

In the last 10 years, Highlands Ranch and ThunderRidge High School girls basketball have been no stranger to the Final Four bracket of the state playoffs. This year, the cross-town rival Falcons and the Grizzlies face each other in the the semifinals.

Five of the Continental League’s best teams reached the Sweet 16, and four had to face each other to stay alive including Chaparral, Heritage, Ranch and T-Ridge. The Wolverines and the Eagles had to head home for the year.

Chaparral

Chaparral made the Sweet 16 of the Carol Callan Region after beating Overland in the first round and No. 4-seeded Ralston Valley in Round 2. The No. 5-seeded Wolverines then headed to rematch with the Grizzlies March 1 at ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch.

There, Chaparral missed a shot at the Great 8 after ThunderRidge won 55-42. During the regular Continental League season, the relatively young Wolverines lost to the Grizzlies 49-42.

Given Chaparral’s youth, the season became something special for the program, especially ending with a Sweet 16 appearance.

“This group really came together and grew as a unit,” Wolverines coach Tony Speights said. “Through Christmas, we were 3-5, and after Christmas we were 13 and 5. We lost so much from the past year that we essentially had to become a new basketball team due to lack of experience.

“I could not be more happy for a group of girls to make the Sweet 16 in the state tournament. Of course as competitors we expected more, and we will be back for more next season.”

Chaparral finished the season with a 16-10 overall record.

Heritage

After an appearance in the Final Four last season, Heritage returned for a respectable run in this year’s playoffs, including a Sweet 16 appearance. The Eagles reached the Round of 16 after beating Bear Creek in the first round and No. 4-seeded host Prairie View in Round 2.

Heritage faced the No. 1 seed of the Sharon Welch Region, Highlands Ranch in the Sweet 16 March 1 at Highlands Ranch High School. There, the Eagles saw the end of their hoops season against the Falcons’ post-season momentum. Ranch won 52-33.

During the regular season, the Eagles lost to Ranch 56-48 in league play. This time around, Heritage had trouble stopping Katelyn McDaniel from scoring nearly 20 points and stop Michaela Neuhaus from drilling outside shots. Ranch’s defense kept any Heritage player from scoring in double digits.

Amanda Ikard scored nine points for the Eagles including two outside drops. Lauren Huggins finished with seven points with one from beyond the arc.

Heritage finished the season with a 16-10 overall record.

Highlands Ranch

It’s full-speed ahead for Highlands Ranch girls once again. With a ton of momentum and a win over No. 9 Rocky Mountain in the second round, No. 1 seeded Ranch, of the Sharon Welch Region, faced No. 5 Heritage March 1 at home in Highlands Ranch and beat the Eagles once again, this time with a 52-33 final.

The Falcons’ Katelyn McDaniel finished with 19 points in the Sweet 16 round. Michaela Neuhaus had 15 including four drops from outside the perimeter. Lindsay Mallon had nine points.

With the win, Highlands Ranch advanced to the Great 8 March 4 at the Denver Coliseum in Denver where it faced No. 2 seed Fairview for a trip to Boulder. Ranch started gasing up the bus after a 54-39 final over the Knights. Neuhaus was on fire outside with five buckets for three, finishing with 20 points. McDaniel had 16 points, and Mallon once again wrapped up with nine.

The Falcons (23-3) returned to Boulder for the Final Four March 9 at University of Colorado’s Coors Events Center to face cross-town rival and No. 1 seed of the Carol Callan Region ThunderRidge (22-4). During the regular season, when the two met for Continental League action, Ranch won 72-42. Results of the Final Four rematch between the Falcons and Grizzlies were unavailable by press time.

ThunderRidge

ThunderRidge has done quite a few special things this season and making another trip to the Final Four is now one of them. The Grizzlies defeated No. 8 Rangeview in the second round to reach the Sweet 16 bracket as the No. 1 seed of the Carol Callan Region March 1 at ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch to face No. 5 Chaparral.

T-Ridge won 52-44. Led by University of Florida-bound Carlie Needles, the senior finished with an impressive 34 points against the Wolverines. Needles hit four buckets from the outside. Taylor Williams wrapped up with 10 points.

The win sent the Grizzlies to the Great 8 March 4 at the Denver Coliseum in Denver against No. 3 seed Grand Junction. ThunderRidge earned its spot in Boulder having beaten Junction 60-46.

In the Great 8, Needles hit another 28 points. Senior Samantha Rusk finished with 10 points including two from outside the perimeter.

The Grizzlies were rematched for the Final Four with cross-town rival Highlands Ranch, the No. 1 seed of the Sharon Wilch Region. T-Ridge lost to Ranch during Continental League action 72-42 earlier this season.