Preps: Hitting refresh on the winter season as 2025 play gets underway
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
The winter high school sports season is set to return from holiday break with the first games of 2025 beginning on Friday. Here’s a quick look back at the early part of the schedule to get you up to speed before teams begin their postseason pushes.
Aspen boys basketball is streaking
Aspen boys basketball will get 2025 underway on Friday afternoon against Peak to Peak, a game hosted by Holy Family in Broomfield. The Skiers will also play the host school on Saturday.
After losing 72-64 in overtime to Middle Park to open the season on Dec. 5, the Skiers won six straight to reach 6-1 overall at the break. Wins have come over Rifle (56-41), Coal Ridge (50-40), Valley (62-17), Lamar (45-40), Sterling (58-38), and most recently, Florence (60-19).
Aspen will play at home for only the second time on Jan. 10 when Rifle visits the AHS gymnasium. Moffat County comes to town the next day.
The Basalt boys exit the break at 3-4 overall. The Longhorns started hot, jumping out to 3-0 with wins over North Fork (57-40), Grand Valley (66-51), and Roaring Fork (55-46). It’s been a rough ride since, with consecutive losses to Banning Lewis Academy (67-48), Wheat Ridge (65-53), Forge Christian (79-46), and Peak to Peak (65-52).
Roaring Fork is 5-2 overall. The Rams beat Rifle (70-64) and Banning Lewis Academy (57-54) to begin 2-0 before back-to-back losses to Basalt (55-46) and Plateau Valley (48-39). The Rams have since won three straight over Weld Central (72-28), Regis Groff (65-42), and Brush (60-27).
Saturday’s 4 p.m. game at Basalt will open 2025 play for the Rams.
Roaring Fork girls are rolling
Roaring Fork continues to pave the ways for girls basketball in the valley, as the Rams jumped out to a 7-0 start prior to the holiday break. All wins have come by double digits outside of a 61-59 nail-biter over Palisade on Dec. 7. This includes a 68-27 win over Basalt on Dec. 5 at the Brenda Patch tournament in Carbondale.
The Longhorns are 2-5 overall and will resume play on Friday with a 5:30 p.m. non-league home game against Grand Junction (4-5). BHS will then host Roaring Fork at 2:30 p.m. Saturday for their second matchup of the season. Basalt started 0-5 overall but finished 2024 with back-to-back wins over Wheat Ridge (41-29) and Forge Christian (33-29 OT) to get things moving on the right track again.
Aspen is 0-2 with losses to Moffat County (53-26) and Cedaredge (58-14) before the break. The Skiers return to play on Jan. 10 with a trip to Olathe.
Aspen hockey hopes to heat up
Aspen hockey’s return to varsity play this winter after a two-year hiatus has been slow in gaining traction, as the Skiers have limped out to an 0-4 start. The season began with a 6-3 loss at Liberty, followed by a 2-1 loss to Crested Butte, a 9-1 loss to Glenwood Springs, and a 6-1 loss to Pueblo County. This is the first year with coach Jay Miller at the helm.
The Skiers don’t return to the ice until a Jan. 10 game at Durango (4-2-1). Durango first plays twice against host Glenwood Springs this Friday and Saturday. Glenwood, 6-0-1 overall, is again looking like a state title contender.
Wrestlers back on the mat
Basalt wrestling has hit the mat plenty of times already this season, with senior Emely Mejia-Garcia, the team’s lone returning state qualifier, again leading the girls team. There are tournaments on Saturday at both West Grand and Grand Junction to get 2025 underway.
After a trip to Eagle Valley on Wednesday, the Longhorns will then host their own invitational for both boys and girls on Saturday, Jan. 11.
Swimmers head to the pool
Aspen girls swimming is in its first season under coach Connor Capes. The Skiers haven’t posted any official results from the early part of their campaign.
They are scheduled to get the 2025 portion of their season underway on Jan. 11 in Glenwood Springs. Aspen has a home meet scheduled for Jan. 17, also with Glenwood, at the Aspen Recreation Center pool.
Ski season finally arrives
The high school ski season is finally ready to get underway. Aspen’s Alpine team will race for the first time on Jan. 9 at Loveland. The Skiers don’t have a home regular-season Alpine race this season, as instead they will host the 2025 Alpine state championships on Feb. 20-21 at Aspen Highlands.
The AHS Nordic team, under first-year coach Greg Bodkins, will open its season on Friday, Jan. 10, with its first home race in three years. The race will be held at Upper Moore Field, near the high school, with varsity girls racing at noon and the varsity boys at 1 p.m. There will also be a middle school race at 11 a.m.
Monday’s Aspen, Snowmass road conditions were worst ‘seen in 30 years,’ sheriff says
Not one, not two, but eight Pitkin County weather-related traffic alerts were issued between 7:20 a.m. and 5:40 p.m. Monday.
