Denver, CO
Colorado murder victim’s family raises alarm as co-defendant is up for parole just months after receiving 6-year sentence
The family of a Jefferson County man who was murdered almost five years ago is alarmed that a woman who helped dispose of the victim’s dismembered body is being considered for parole just months after she was sentenced to six years in prison.
Lila Atencio, 22, is scheduled to go before the Colorado State Board of Parole on Wednesday, five years almost to the day after Joseph Brinson was shot to death at his rural Jefferson County home on Jan. 16, 2019.
Atencio, who was 17 at the time, was not present during the slaying but helped two men load Brinson’s dismembered body into trash bags and then dump the remains in a remote part of eastern Arapahoe County.
“Justice has not been served for Joe when it comes to Lila,” said Amy Frost, Brinson’s aunt. “The other two perpetrators, they’re in prison. One is spending life in prison; one has 46 years in prison. That is all good. That is not what keeps me up at night. What keeps me up at night is Lila. And the fact no one is holding her responsible for what she has done and she can continue to break the law.”
The killing
In the winter of 2018, tensions were rising between Joseph Brinson, 28, and his roommate, William Irvine, then 26. The pair rented a single family home on Mica Mine Gulch Road, in the foothills southwest of Littleton.
A simmering argument between the two grew until Irvine began to make comments to his friends — Atencio and Blake Quinlan, who was 18 at the time — about killing his roommate. The teenagers frequently hung out at Brinson and Irvine’s home.
Atencio would later tell police she initially thought Irvine’s comments were jokes. He spoke about poisoning Brinson, or shooting him with his own gun and staging the scene to look like a suicide, according to an affidavit filed in the case. Then, in the weeks before the killing, Irvine, Quinlan and Atencio went to Home Depot and bought sheets of plastic, latex gloves and a hand saw.
Atencio and Quinlan covered the home’s basement in plastic from floor to ceiling a couple days before the killing. They later told police they were going to use the materials to set up a marijuana grow. But that never happened.
On Jan. 16, 2019, the two roommates argued again. When Brinson stepped outside to smoke a cigarette, Irvine told Quinlan to “do it,” according to an affidavit. Quinlan took Brinson’s gun, waited while Brinson used the bathroom, and then shot Brinson in the head when he emerged from the toilet. Brinson died immediately.
Irvine and Quinlan dragged Brinson’s body to the plastic-covered basement, where Quinlan said he chopped the body up with the hand saw.
Around 3 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2019, Quinlan called Atencio and told her “it happened,” she told investigators. He asked her to come help him clean up, and to bring trash bags. Atencio stopped by a Walmart in Westminster and purchased the “biggest, thickest” trash bags she could find, along with some drinks, and drove out to the home, according to an affidavit. There, she held the trash bags while Quinlan put other bags — full of Brinson’s body parts — into the bags she held. She helped to tie up the bags.
Later that day, Quinlan and Atencio drove out to an area south of Byers, east of Denver, and ditched the bags under a large pine tree. That night, the pair went to an Applebee’s restaurant and paid with Brinson’s credit card, court records show.
Later, Atencio grew concerned that Brinson’s head could be used to identify him. She returned to the dump site and removed Brinson’s head from the trash bags. She tried to pull out his teeth with pliers, and then ran over the head with her car before moving it alone to a new site about a half-mile away from the rest of Brinson’s body, court records show.
Brinson’s family reported him as missing a few days after the killing. On Feb. 7, 2019, Quinlan and Atencio were pulled over for a traffic stop in Texas. Quinlan gave the officer a fake identity and then drove away, leading police on a pursuit that ended when he crashed. Investigators later found Brinson’s blood and a pistol in the vehicle.
A Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigator interviewed Quinlan while he was in jail in Texas on April 3, 2019, and he confessed, claiming he acted alone, according to an affidavit.
“I did it, I killed Joe,” he said, according to an affidavit filed against him.
The fallout
All three — Quinlan, Atencio and Irvine — eventually were arrested in connection with Brinson’s slaying. After significant delays because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Quinlan was convicted of first-degree murder at a jury trial in 2021 and sentenced to life in prison. Irvine pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2022 and was sentenced to 46 years in prison.
Atencio cooperated with authorities. She led investigators to Brinson’s head and testified against Quinlan during his jury trial as part of a plea agreement. She pleaded guilty to two felonies in 2020: being an accessory to a crime and conspiring to tamper with a body, and her sentencing was delayed until after she testified against the two men.
As part of the plea deal, she was sentenced in May 2022 to serve two years of work-release as well as six years of probation, court records show.
However, she went on to violate the terms of her work-release and probation, and this fall returned to court to be re-sentenced. Prosecutors with the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office requested she be sentenced to six years on each count to run consecutively, for a total of 12 years in prison, spokeswoman Brionna Boatright said.
Jefferson County District Court Judge Meegan Miloud instead sentenced Atencio to six years in prison on Sept. 8. Just weeks after the sentencing, prison officials alerted Brinson’s family that Atencio was coming up for parole.
Most prisoners in Colorado are eligible for parole after serving 50% of their sentence. Atencio had more than two years worth of pre-sentence confinement credit when she was sentenced in September, and that time served counted as part of her six-year sentence.
It’s common for defendants to receive credit for time served when they are sentenced, though the large amount of credit Atencio received is a bit out of the ordinary and reflects the two-year delay between her plea and her sentencing, Boatright said.
Because of that credit, Atencio is eligible for parole in April, just seven months after the re-sentencing.
The attorneys who represented Atencio did not return requests for comment.
Brinson’s relatives feel she should not be released from prison, and Boatright said the district attorney’s office shares their concern.
“For the family, it’s just been devastation all over again, every single time,” Frost said. “It just seems as if she is never punished for anything.”
She remembered Brinson as a “sweet, kind guy,” who enjoyed riding dirt bikes, hiking and music. He’d been having a rough time before he was killed, she said, in large part because his brother died about 18 months earlier.
She plans to speak against Atencio’s release on parole at the Jan. 17 hearing.
“She should definitely not be in public at all,” she said. “Someone who is capable of doing this, who has zero remorse — it’s not like she did this and then just broke down in tears and said, ‘I’m sorry, I was messed up on drugs and alcohol and I made a horrible decision.’ Nothing.”
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PHOENIX — Tonight is yet another crucial contest for the 2024-25 Phoenix Suns – who potentially found new life on Tuesday night with another key victory.
The Suns now sit at 29-33 – and every game becomes more crucial as they look to make a run to the play-in tournament that is set to be held just five weeks from now.
The Denver Nuggets are the next challenge in the path to salvage what appeared to be a lost season just days ago – fortunately the Suns will have their full array of starters at the disposal of head coach Mike Budenholzer tonight.
The unit that will start the game tonight:
Beal returns tonight after missing the second half of Tuesday night’s game with a flare up of previous tightness in his calf.
Booker put together a playmaking clinic in the previous game – with four assists in the final quarter. He will look to continue the streak of being an efficient offensive hub in a favorable matchup tonight.
Durant bounced back from a rough first half with a complete takeover in the scoring department in the victory Tuesday – finishing with 34 points and clearly having the upper hand on Kawhi Leonard.
Bol and Richards will both be potentially tasked with containing Nikola Jokic – the pair will have a much simpler time if the Nuggets’ star center is unable to go.
Suns-Nuggets is set to tip-off shortly after 8 P.M. local time – the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN and locally on Arizona’s Family
The Denver Nuggets, and every other team in the NBA, are in the thick of the stretch run. For the Nuggets that means trying to secure the two seed in the West. For their opponents, the Phoenix Suns, that means hanging on by a thread just hoping at a chance for the play-in. Phoenix has taken over as the most disappointing team in the NBA this season. A roster loaded with “superstars,” all its really been is a roster loaded with a bloated payroll and poor team chemistry. Kevin Durant looks to be on his way out and Bradley Beal might be the worst contract in the entire NBA. All of this happens while Devin Booker is in his prime. To say Phoenix is a mess right now would be a massive understatement.
The Essentials
Who: Denver Nuggets (40-22) vs Phoenix Suns (29-33)
When: 7PM MST
Where: The Can. Denver, CO
How to watch/listen: Due to popular demand, we are reiterating that we do not support piracy…except the romanticized 17th century type. Altitude TV, Altitude+, ESPN, Altitude Radio 92.5FM. Show up in a tweed blazer with thick glasses and a corn cob pipe and tell security you are the Suns newest team therapist.
Rival blog: Bright Side of the Sun
The Matchup
| Position | Nuggets | Suns | Advantage |
| PG | Jamal Murray | Devin Booker | Suns |
| SG | Russell Westbrook | Bradley Beal | Even |
| SF | Christian Braun | Kevin Durant | Suns |
| PF | Michael Porter Jr. | Bol Bol | Nuggets |
| C | Nikola Jokic | Nick Richards | Nuggets |
| Bench | Jalen Pickett, Peyton Watson, Zeke Nnaji, Rotation Player X | Royce O’Neale, Mason Plumlee, Tyus Jones, Grayson Allen, Colin Gillespie | Even |
Injury report: Zeke Nnaji – probable (ankle), Nikola Jokic – questionable (ankle), Aaron Gordon – questionable (ankle), Julian Strawther – out (knee), DaRon Holmes II – out (achilles), PJ Hall – out (G-League); Bradley Beal – questionable (calf), Monte Morris – out (back), Cody Martin – out (hernia), Jalen Bridges – out (G-League).
The Three Things
The thing to watch for: Bench Scoring
The Nuggets have dealt with nagging injuries all season and seem to always be missing at least one piece of their rotation. Right now that person is their best shooter off the bench, Julian Strawther, who is out for at least a month. Compounding that issue is Aaron Gordon’s latest lower body injury, a left ankle sprain, which kept him out of Denver’s last couple games. When AG is out, Michael Malone has inserted Russell Westbrook into the starting lineup lately. Westbrook is the best scorer on Denver’s bench when they are fully healthy. With him starting and Strawther sitting it leaves the Nuggets with a bench of Jalen Pickett, Peyton Watson, Zeke Nnaji and a 4th situational player who is not a scorer. Against the Sacramento Kings it was Nnaji providing points off the bench but it would be foolish to expect any of these guys to give you consistent offensive production. Malone is going to have to coach his ass off in the bench minutes with getting the right lineup combinations and getting those combinations into good sets to create easy buckets.
The thing to remember: Phoenix ain’t quite out of it yet
It’s easy to look at the Suns, say they are done and chalk this game up as a win. Listen, things aren’t going well and no one is denying that but this team is still extremely talented. They also definitely have not given up. Look no further than the Suns last game when they played the Los Angeles Clippers and rallied back from twenty-three points down in the second half to secure a victory. They also remain just two games back in the loss column from the final play-in spot. Who knows what happens if they get-in. Thanks to the Durant trade, Phoenix has no 1st round pick this year so there’s no motivation for tanking at any level of the organization and everyone should be all in on getting a chance at a title run no matter how improbable it is. Denver has to approach this game like they are playing a very talented team who is more desperate than anyone.
The thing to bet: Jamal Murray over 23.5 points (+100)
Not exactly sure who Phoenix is planning on defending Murray with. They’ll likely rotate Grayson Allen or Royce O’neal onto him when those guys check in but Phoenix’s current starting unit is bereft of guard defenders (plus, Allen & O’Neal are solid but not lockdown defenders). Murray put up thirty points on Phoenix a month ago and has topped 23 points in two of the three contests this season. At even money I like this bet quite a bit.
A look at each of the Class 6A Great 8 matchups set for this weekend at the Denver Coliseum:
BOYS
Class 6A
Saturday at Denver Coliseum
No. 1 Rangeview (25-0) vs. No. 9 Regis Jesuit (19-6)
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Players to watch: RV — LaDavian King, 6-2, sr. (16.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.4 apg); Marceles Duncan, 6-5, fr. (14.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.1 bpg, 2.6 apg); Archie Weatherspoon, 6-3, so. (13.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.5 apg). RJ — Eric Fiedler, 6-8, jr. (23.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg); Lucas Dickinson, 6-5, sr. (15.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.0 apg); Alec Roumph, 6-4, sr. (10.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.4 apg).
What to know: The last time Rangeview entered the Coliseum unbeaten, COVID cut its bid for perfection short. Now, the Raiders are back to finish the job with a new cast, including transfer guard LaDavian King, who was on the wrong end of a Final Four heartbreaker last year with Eaglecrest. The other Raiders in this matchup are no strangers to the big stage. Ken Shaw’s Regis Jesuit program reached the Final Four two years ago and is in the Great 8 for the sixth time since 2015. Four of those previous five teams lost in the quarterfinals.
No. 5 Valor Christian (21-4) vs. No. 4 Ralston Valley (23-2)
Time: 10:15 a.m.
Players to watch: VC — Cole Scherer, 6-2, sr. (26.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.0 apg); Brady Wynja, 6-6, sr. (14.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.2 apg); Ryan Mandes, 6-3, sr. (8.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.0 spg). RV — Tanner Braketa, 6-1, sr. (18.7 ppg, 5.5 apg); Caiden Braketa, 6-3, jr. (16.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.4 apg); Zeke Andrews, 6-6, jr. (10.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.9 apg).
What to know: The defending champion Eagles return with 2024 Mr. Colorado Basketball Cole Scherer on a heater since the start of February (22.5 ppg on 58.5% shooting). The Eastern Washington commit’s one off game during that span? A 5-for-15 night vs. Ralston Valley that ended with Scherer banking in a game-winner. Those heroics ended R.V.’s 19-game win streak to start the season — a run that included a 65-58 win over Valor. Northern Colorado commit Tanner Braketa and brother Caiden have R.V. in the Great 8 for the first time in 17 years and ready to win the rubber match.
No. 2 Eaglecrest (23-2) vs. No. 7 ThunderRidge (20-5)
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Players to watch: EAG — Anthony Nettles, 6-0, sr. (15.8 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.3 spg); Garrett Barger, 6-9, sr. (12.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg); Lucas Kalimba, 6-5, sr. (12.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg). TR — Drew Paine, 6-8, jr. (18.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.4 bpg); Kael Carney, 5-11, sr. (10.8 ppg, 1.1 spg); Ulysses Brown, 6-5, sr. (9.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg).
What to know: A year ago, these two produced an instant classic in the Final Four decided on a last-second T-Ridge putback. Both teams have retooled since, with transfer guard Anthony Nettles playing the role of LaDavian King for Eaglecrest, and junior big man Drew Paine taking the baton from a talented senior class to lead ThunderRidge back to the Great 8 for the fourth time in five seasons. The Raptors are 23-1 since losing their opener at Regis Jesuit, but played just two games (1-1) against Great 8 qualifiers.
No. 6 Mountain Vista (20-5) vs. No. 3 Chaparral (21-4)
Time: 1:15 p.m.
Players to watch: MV — Cal Baskind, 6-0, sr. (20.4 ppg, 2.2 apg, 2.0 spg); Oliver Junker, 6-8, jr. (15.3 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 2.7 bpg); Carlos Arocho, 5-11, sr. (7.8 ppg, 5.6 apg, 4.2 rpg). CH — Christian Williams, 6-2, so. (19.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.6 apg); Luke Howery, 6-5, so. (17.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 5.6 apg); Luke Williams, 6-9, jr. (8.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.4 bpg).
What to know: Mountain Vista returns to the Coliseum looking for redemption after last year’s buzzer-beater loss to Smoky Hill in the Great 8. Cal Baskind and Oliver Junker, who were both on the court for that heartbreaker, combined for 50 points in a double-overtime win over Overland in the Sweet 16. Now they get a date with the most talented sophomore duo in the state in guards Christian Williams and Luke Howery. They were also on the losing side of a Great 8 matchup with Valor last winter.
Class 5A
Friday at Denver Coliseum
No. 16 Green Mountain (16-9) vs. No. 25 Sand Creek (20-6)
Time: 10:15 a.m.
Players to watch: GM — Simon Lunsford, 6-4, sr. (17.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg); Sam Mielenz, 6-3, so. (13.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg); Jake Swanson, 6-4, jr. (10.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg). SC — Elijah Brotherns, 6-1, sr. (13.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.4 spg); Mathew Starks, 6-2, sr. (9.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.6 spg); Josh Kotto, 6-3, sr. (8.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.7 apg).
What to know: A pair of Cinderellas meet in a Great 8 matchup few saw coming. Green Mountain clinched its first Great 8 trip in 16 years with a 55-42 upset of No. 1 Lutheran in the Sweet 16. Sand Creek beat eighth-seeded Severance (47-40) and ninth-seeded Cheyenne Mountain (59-57) in succession after emerging from the play-in round. The Scorpions’ last win came on a frantic finish that saw Jaylen Brantley sink the go-ahead bucket on one end and Elijah Brotherns make the game-saving block on the other.
No. 21 Falcon (17-8) vs. No. 4 Montrose (19-6)
Time: 1:15 p.m.
Players to watch: FA — Tyler Cox, 6-4, sr. (12.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg); Jeremiah Potts, 5-10, sr. (11.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.3 apg); Aiden Wood, 6-3, jr. (8.5 ppg, 2.4 apg, 2.2 spg). MO — Kaleb Ferguson, 6-5, sr. (16.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.1 spg); CJ Rocco, 6-4, jr. (8.2 ppg, 1.3 bpg); Brody Cooling, 6-2, sr. (4.4 ppg, 3.9 apg).
What to know: The other pair of glass slippers in a topsy-turvy 5A bracket belong to Falcon, which turned a 4-4 December into its first state quarterfinal trip in seven years with wins over No. 12 Eagle Valley (62-56) and No. 28 Mountain View (63-56). Now they face a Western Slope power in Montrose — a program that’s reached the Great 8 three times in five seasons. The Red Hawks allow just 36.68 points/game and appeared to have righted themselves after closing out the regular season 3-4.
No. 2 Mesa Ridge (24-1) vs. No. 7 Standley Lake (20-5)
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Players to watch: MR — Bryce Riehl, 6-1, sr. (17.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.6 spg); Zander Iwanski, 6-3, sr. (11.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg); J’marius Jones, 5-11, jr. (6.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.8 apg). SL — Derrek Sims, 6-1, sr. (15.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.7 apg, 3.0 spg); Asher Serlen, 6-8, so. (14.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.9 bpg); Titus Schrecengost, 5-11, so. (11.9 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.7 spg).
What to know: Mesa Ridge’s 5A three-peat bid is alive and well, with the Grizzlies entering the Coliseum on a 24-game win streak behind the talents of all-everything guard Bryce Riehl. Only two of those wins came against Great 8 qualifiers, however. Up next is a Stanley Lake squad that’s entering uncharted territory. The Gators have had just two winning seasons since 2012 (the other was last year’s 14-10 campaign) and this is their first trip to the Great 8 in at least two decades. Might as well start against the best.
No. 6 Windsor (19-6) vs. No. 3 Dakota Ridge (19-6)
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Players to watch: WI — Madden Smiley, 6-3, jr. (20.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.3 apg); Brady Kingsley, 5-9, jr. (12.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg); John Backhaus, 6-4, sr. (11.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg). DR — Ethan Berninger, 6-5, sr. (22.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.7 apg); Nathan Esau, 6-4, sr. (14.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.7 apg); Cody Rominger, 6-2, sr. (8.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg).
What to know: Windsor is looking to go one step further after falling just short in the 5A title game against Mesa Ridge last winter. Junior Madden Smiley has scored in double-figures in all but one of the Wizards’ 25 games and reached the 20-point plateau in both of their playoff wins. Dakota Ridge has a deadly scorer of its own in senior Ethan Berninger, who’s reached 30 points three times in the Eagles’ last five games and is shooting 40% (70 of 176) from 3-point range. The Eagles have lost in the Great 8 two years in a row.
GIRLS
Class 6A
Saturday at Denver Coliseum
No. 1 Grandview (22-3) vs. No. 8 Denver East (17-8)
Time: 4 p.m.
Players to watch: GV — Sienna Betts, 6-4, sr. (23.8 ppg, 17.0 rpg, 5.1 apg, 3.3 bpg); Ava Chang, so. (14.8 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.3 spg); Deija Roberson, 5-11, sr. (8.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg). DE — Evelina Otto, 6-5, sr. (16.5 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 2.5 bpg); Grace Hall, 5-7, so. (12.1 ppg, 4.2 apg, 4.0 spg); Mairead Hearty, 6-3, jr. (10.0 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.3 bpg).
What to know: The Grandview girls juggernaut is back at the Coliseum after a year away looking to reclaim the 6A state title it won in 2023. McDonald’s All-American Sienna Betts is less than 50 points shy of becoming the fourth Colorado prep girls basketball player to record 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds. Three more wins, and the UCLA commit will have a third state title, too. First up is Denver East, which has the size in Evelina Otto and Mairead Hearty to give Betts problems. Since starting the season 1-7, the Angels have lost once.
No. 5 Pine Creek (23-2) vs. No. 4 Cherry Creek (18-7)
Time: 7 p.m.
Players to watch: PC — Brooklyn Stewart, 6-3, sr. (19.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 1.3 bpg); Alli Dreessen, 6-1, jr. (12.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg); Leekaya Burke-Perryman, 5-3, sr. (11.7 ppg, 5.6 apg, 2.7 spg). CC — Braelynn Barnett, 6-1, sr. (11.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg); Molly Dorighi, 5-8, sr. (11.1 ppg, 3.1 spg); A’Neya Chambers, 5-10, sr. (9.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.3 spg).
What to know: Led by Oklahoma commit Brooklyn Stewart, the Eagles are in the Great 8 for the first time in program history. If they’re to advance, they’ll have to get past a Cherry Creek program with plenty of big-game experience. In fact, this is Great 8 trip No. 4 for Braelynn Barnett and A’Neya Chambers, who’ve started since their freshman seasons. Even with classmate and Alabama commit Tianna Chambers unavailable this winter, the Bruins have proven themselves dangerous with a 5-4 record vs. 5A/6A Great 8 teams.
No. 2 Valor Christian (23-2) vs. No. 7 Legend (20-5)
Time: 11:45 a.m.
Players to watch: VC — Peyton Jones, 5-11, jr. (24.1 ppg, 3.4 spg); Quinn VanSickle, 5-8, sr. (18.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 5.4 apg); Camryn Gunter, 6-2, jr. (11.5 ppg, 9.6 rpg). LEG — Mason Borcherding, 6-1, sr. (13.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg); Grace Stanley, 5-4, sr. (10.1 ppg, 4.0 apg, 3.2 spg); Maley Wilhelm, 5-7, sr. (9.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.8 spg).
What to know: Valor enters the weekend riding a 30-game win streak against Colorado competition that dates back to last year’s 6A title run. The Eagles are 5-0 against fellow 6A Great 8 qualifiers this winter, including a 69-42 thrashing of Legend in December. Blue chip prospect Peyton Jones and Pepperdine commit Quinn VanSickle combined for 50 points in that rout. If the Titans are going to reverse that result, they’ll need someone other than Boise State commit Mason Borcherding (24 points, 13 rebounds) to step up.
No. 6 Highlands Ranch (22-3) vs. No. 14 Riverdale Ridge (20-5)
Time: 8:45 a.m.
Players to watch: HR — Ezra Simonich, 5-10, sr. (15.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.8 apg); Jayda Rogers, 6-0, fr. (12.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg); Tori Baker, 5-7, sr. (9.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.7 apg). RR — Brihanna Crittendon, 6-3, jr. (26.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.3 spg); Chloe Parker, 5-8, jr. (11.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg); Shay Vigil, 5-4, jr. (11.3 ppg, 3.0 spg, 2.7 apg).
What to know: A year after leading Riverdale Ridge to its first state title in Class 4A, five-star phenom Brihanna Crittendon has the Ravens back at the Coliseum in the program’s first 6A season. Her last-second block sealed a Sweet 16 win over No. 3 Broomfield. Now comes a date with Caryn Jarocki’s Eagles, who are making their 10th Great 8 appearance in 11 seasons. DU commit Tori Baker is the floor general, but a talented trio of freshmen Jayda Rogers and Kimora Banks-Thomas and sophomore Addie Moon gives HR depth.
Class 5A
Friday at Denver Coliseum
No. 1 Air Academy (24-0) vs. No. 8 Durango (19-6)
Time: 4 p.m.
Players to watch: AA — Tatyonna Brown, 6-2, sr. (19.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg); Lydia Flowers, 6-0, sr. (13.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.3 spg); Kinley Asp, 5-11, jr. (13.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.3 apg). DU — Claire Goodwin, jr. (13.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.0 spg); Mariah Maestas, 5-7, sr. (8.1 ppg, 2.3 spg); Ellie White, sr. (6.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg).
What to know: The Coliseum has been a site of heartbreak for Air Academy, with the Kadets squandering double-digit leads in season-ending losses to Northfield (2024) and Roosevelt (2023) the last two years. Now they enter the penultimate weekend eyeing redemption, with Kansas commit Tatyonna Brown and D-I recruit Kinley Asp leading 5A’s lone unbeaten. Durango survived a rock fight against Montrose (32-23) to reach the Great 8 for the second time in three years, but needs to hit another level vs. the Kadets.
No. 5 Green Mountain (23-2) vs. No. 4 Roosevelt (22-3)
Time: 8:45 a.m.
Players to watch: GM — Kantyn Pearson, 5-9, jr. (13.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.7 apg); Ella Cockrum, 5-6, so. (12.2 ppg, 2.2 spg); Addie Evans, 5-11, so. (8.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.2 spg). RO — Kyla Hollier, 6-1, jr. (26.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 3.8 spg); Ryanne Bahnsen-Price, 6-0, sr. (17.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 3.0 apg); Payton Terry, 5-7, sr. (6.9 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.3 spg).
What to know: Two-time defending 5A champion Roosevelt, led by the D-I tandem of Kyla Hollier and Ryanne Bahnsen-Price, brings its suffocating defense back to the Coliseum eyeing a three-peat. Each of the Riders’ three losses this season came to teams playing in the Coliseum, the last a 65-44 setback at No. 6 Mullen on Jan. 6. Nobody has come within single digits of them since. Although Green Mountain, winners of 22 straight and in the Great 8 for the fourth time in six years, is almost certain to test that.
No. 2 Mead (22-3) vs. No. 7 Frederick (19-6)
Time: 11:45 a.m.
Players to watch: MD — Madi Clark, 5-8, so. (12.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg); Darby Haley, 5-6, sr. (10.6 ppg, 2.8 apg); Elena Gomez, 5-10, jr. (9.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.5 spg). FR — Zoe Wittler, 5-6, sr. (13.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.3 spg); Rylee Gallegos, 5-3, sr. (7.9 ppg, 3.3 spg); Izzy Howard, 5-9, so. (7.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.3 spg).
What to know: Mead is back in the Great 8 for the fourth straight season, and this might be the Mavericks’ best shot at a title yet. Madi Clark has gone up a level since last year’s breakout freshman season, and the Mavs are 21-1 against Colorado competition. The lone setback was a Granite Peaks League loss to 6A No. 3 Broomfield. The last time these two teams met, Mead dominated from start to finish in a 54-19 home victory on Jan. 17. Translation: the Frederick Golden Eagles have their work cut out for them.
No. 6 Mullen (16-9) vs. No. 3 Windsor (21-4)
Time: 7 p.m.
Players to watch: MU — Makenzie Jones, 5-11, so. (16.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.1 spg); Tatum Jones, 6-2, sr. (10.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg); Keaton Arangua-Egbert, 5-8, sr. (6.9 ppg, 2.5 apg). WI — Reyleigh Hess, 6-0, sr. (15.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.7 bpg); Nola Greenwald, 5-11, so. (11.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg); Gracie Worlsey, 5-11, so. (10.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg).
What to know: Few teams are more battle-tested in 5A than the Mullen Mustangs, who went 6-3 in the rugged 6A Centennial League and 1-4 in games against 6A/5A Great 8 qualifiers. The last time the Mustangs were one classification below the largest in Colorado, they won three straight contested state titles — the last two capped by wins over Windsor in the championship round. Karin Nicholls’ Wizards have reached the Great 8 in the three seasons since, and now they have the size to match up with Mullen.
* All stats taken from maxpreps.com.
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