Chelsea Self / Post Independent file
Area high school basketball and other winter sports get underway starting today and into the weekend, including the annual Brenda Patch Memorial Tournament at Carbondale’s Roaring Fork High School.
The host Roaring Fork Rams boys and girls invite two other Garfield County varsity teams, the Coal Ridge boys and girls and the Rifle girls.
Also participating will be the top-ranked preseason 3A team in the state, Lutheran, and DSST: Byers on the boys side, and Steamboat Springs on the girls side.
Junior varsity teams begin play on Thursday afternoon, with most of their games taking place in the auxiliary gym.
Varsity action in the main gym begins Friday at 3 p.m. at RFHS when the Coal Ridge girls take on Steamboat. That will be followed by the Coal Ridge boys vs. DSST: Byers, the Roaring Fork and Rifle girls, and the nightcap featuring the Roaring Fork boys vs. Lutheran, with game time tentatively set for 7:30 p.m.
Games continue Saturday, with varsity games resuming at 2 p.m.
The Glenwood Springs boys and girls basketball teams open the season on the road at separate tournaments.
The Demon boys open the Grand Junction Warrior Challenge at 3:30 p.m. Thursday vs. Fruita Monument, with Horizon and Bear Creek on the slate for Friday and Saturday.
The Demon girls are at the Palmer High School Tip-Off Tourney, also Thursday through Saturday, starting with a game vs. Palmer at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
And, Grand Valley High School’s boys and girls teams are on the road at the Front Range Corridor Classic Tournament, also running Thursday through Saturday.
Thursday also marks the beginning of three other winter sports seasons — boys wrestling for Glenwood Springs, Coal Ridge, Rifle and Grand Valley; girls swimming for Glenwood Springs; and boys hockey for Glenwood Springs. For all the weekend schedules, see Scoreboard in the daily Sports section of the Post Independent print edition.
Today through Saturday is also the state cheer competition in Denver. Teams from Glenwood Springs, Coal Ridge and Rifle will be participating.
