I know you read the 5A previews because the site visits always spike shortly after they go up. That makes me a little nervous to write these, knowing that there's a whole bunch of people out there who are likely to remind me of foolish things I wrote in August should I miss the mark with certain teams.

Oh well, here we go...

Fort Collins is the reigning champion. While acknowledging that the Lambkins will run into some serious competition along the way, I'm inclined to think they go in as pre-season favorites. Erin Hooker is back, older and wiser. Marci Witczak is back, and probably with healthier legs than she had last fall. Two more return from the #3 team in the nation, and Chris Suppes has a way of filling in the pieces. Great history typically trumps a great freshman class. Great history and great coaching almost always trumps a great freshman class. And who's to say Fort Collins doesn't have a great freshman class?

The challenges that Fort Collins will face in repeating for a third time will, however, depend somewhat on who brings in the best freshman class. While Fort Collins has the best recent history in 5A girls, there are a few other schools that have a little history and solid coaching in their corners as well. Certainly, Pine Creek, Boulder, Loveland, and Highlands Ranch each have the potential to be serious players. Throw in Monarch, Palmer, and Mountain Vista and I think you have completed the circle of obvious contenders.

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