AURORA | The Cherokee Trail and Eaglecrest softball teams both kept their season’s alive as they made it through Class 5A regionals Friday at the Aurora Sports Park, but in decidedly different ways.

For the top-seeded and Centennial League champion Cougars, it was business as usual, as they rode the outstanding pitching duo of seniors Emma Rice and Sydney Cobb plus a balanced and relentless offense to two wins that secured the Region 1 title.

Coach Caley Mitchell’s Cherokee Trail team will keep its spot atop the 16-team 5A state tournament bracket when it is put out by the Colorado High School Activities Association. It will be the sixth straight state tournament appearance for the Cougars.

Eaglecrest went a much different route to secure its third state trip in the past four seasons.

Coach Yvette Hendrian’s fourth-seeded Raptors — playing shorthanded without junior pitcher Alyssa Vallejos — were upset by 20th-seeded Rock Canyon in the Region 4 championship game, then had to outlast Centennial League rival Grandview 16-13 to secure the second state spot from the regional.

Grandview bounced back from an opening game loss to Rock Canyon to defeat Heritage and earn its chance to play for what would have been its fifth straight state trip, only to come up short against Eaglecrest. The Wolves finished 14-12 in their first season under coach Terrill Cameron.

Seeded 26th, Regis Jesuit finished 0-2 in Region 7 play hosted by Broomfield, but went down swinging. Coach Steve Kuptz’s team — which finished 8-14 — generated 15 runs in losses to the host Eagles (14-4) and Pine Creek (18-11).

Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at [email protected]. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports

Read more Aurora prep sports scoreboard, 10.19.26

Read more Softball: 2026 Class 5A state tournament bracket, schedule

Read more Boys Tennis: Prior to 5A team state final, Regis Jesuit claims four individual titles