The girls' basketball team from Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School completed two impressive feats on Thursday. Not only did the Panthers win their second consecutive league championship by defeating Rachel B. Noel 43-28, they also concluded their second straight undefeated season. The Panthers are now 23-0 in their last two seasons.

Merrill Middle School's boys' basketball team pulled off a 56-50 overtime upset of Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, denying the Panthers a repeat feat in the boys' division. The Jaguars entered the playoffs as the Eastern Division's third seed, and defeated top-seeded Hamilton Middle School and the second-seeded Panthers on their way to the league title.

The Denver Nuggets/Colorado Avalanche Prep League has been a success since its inception in 1997. By creating a sports league (volleyball, basketball, soccer, hockey, baseball, softball and flag football) for boys and girls in 23 DPS middle schools, more than 3,000 middle school students who maintain a C average or better in each class participate in 1,560 games in the league annually. The existence of this academic requirement helps students develop good study habits and appreciate the importance of maintaining good grades in order to have the privilege of playing organized sports.

The participating middle schools are: Baker, Cole, Gove, Grant Ranch K-8, Grant, Hamilton, Henry, Hill, Horace Mann, Kepner, Kunsmiller, Lake, Martin Luther King Jr., Merrill, Moore K-8, Morey, Noel, Place, Randolph, Rishel, Skinner, Slavens K-8 and Smiley.

The League is funded primarily by grants from the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche Community Funds, funds of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, IKON Office Solutions, and the Denver Public Schools Foundation.

For more information, contact the Athletics Department at 720-423-3645.