CHSAANow

Category: History

  • Dove Creek claims 1A baseball title in final act of resilience

    Dove Creek Granada baseball
    Dove Creek won 1A baseball on Saturday by beating Granada. More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    DENVER — He shook his catcher off in the bottom of the seventh inning, with the bases loaded, one strike away from winning a title.

    It was a moment born from dreams: Two strikes, two outs, in the final inning. And Colin Hobbs, a junior from Dove Creek, knew exactly what he wanted to do.

    “I like my curveball a lot,” Hobbs said on Friday night. “It’s my strikeout pitch so I like to throw it with two strikes.”

    Dove Creek Granada baseball
    Colin Hobbs. More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    “I gave him the fastball,” said Alex Ogas, Hobbs’ catcher, “and he shook his head and he just started laughing. I knew, right then. Once I gave him the signal, I knew.”

    Hobbs got Granada’s Jose Rodriges to strike out swinging. Moments later, he, Ogas and the rest of the Dove Creek Bulldogs were throwing their gloves into the crisp Denver air. They’d won the Class 1A baseball title, defeating Granada 8-5 at All-City Field.

    “They hung tight,” said Curtis Garver, Dove Creek’s coach.

    See, Dove Creek had a singular focus this season. It was almost exactly one year ago to the day that they’d lost the 1A title game to Caliche, and watched another team throw their gloves into the air.

    As the 2015 season opened, they struggled somewhat, starting 1-4, and finishing the regular season 8-11.

    “All throughout the season, we took our lumps, we took our lumps, and we identified what was wrong with our game,” Ogas said. “We were able to adapt it right at the beginning of the playoffs.”

    Dove Creek qualified for the regional bracket by placing second in District 1, then beat Holly and Community Christian to return to the title game.

    “We were a little sour after last year,” Garver said. “We wanted to come back and prove that we belonged here.”

    Saturday was a day some in Dove Creek thought might never come — not only because of the road the Bulldogs took to get here, but because of multiple reschedules and headaches due to weather. It was only on Thursday that the title game was formally rescheduled for Saturday night.

    The uncertainly didn’t faze Dove Creek one bit.

    “This is the state championship, so everybody was really focused,” Ogas said. “It was really easy for us to stay prepared. It didn’t take too much out of us. It really didn’t. We were mostly scared about it raining today.”

    “We were ready all day long,” said Dove Creek’s Jordan Ernst.

    The rain, mercifully, held off on Saturday. And Dove Creek soon seized control of the title game. The Bulldogs grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the third, and just kept adding to it. Soon, it was 7-0 going to the bottom of sixth.

    Ernst, Dove Creek’s star who earlier this season threw a five-inning perfect game in which he struck out every batter he faced, was magnificent to that point. He didn’t allow a hit until the bottom of the fourth, and ended up with eight strikeouts in five-plus innings of work.

    But, in the sixth, Granada loaded the bases, and finally pushed a run across on a walk.

    Dove Creek turned to Hobbs, who has been their go-to reliever this season. He struck out the first two batters he faced, but then walked two others. It was 7-3 at that point.

    Then, Granada’s Davey Reyez lined a ball that seemed destined for the right-center gap, but Dove Creek second baseman Kyle Schultz snared the liner to end the threat.

    Dove Creek Granada baseball
    More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    The Bulldogs added a run in the top of the seventh, but Granada would not go quietly into the night. The Bobcats got one back in the bottom half, then loaded the bases. Soon, the score was 8-5 with just one out.

    With Granada’s Dalton Harris up, Hobbs threw a breaking ball in the dirt, but Ogas made a great block to keep it in front of him — and keep the runners where they stood. Hobbs went on to strike Harris out.

    With two outs, and the title in sight, Hobbs quickly got two strikes on Rodriges. It was then that Ogas called for the fastball, which, of course, Hobbs shook off. He threw his curveball instead. And ended the game.

    Hobbs was asked afterward if the two bases-loaded jams from which he escaped got to him. “A little bit,” he said. “It was not too bad.” Then he added with a wry smile, “I got out of them.”

    The title is Dove Creek’s third. The school also won Class A (West) championships in 1977 and 1975 when it was then Dolores County. But this one was sweeter than most because of the loss last year.

    “We’ve been fighting through — even like Little League, we’ve been going to the state tournaments, and we always come up short,” Ernst said. “We finally made it. After probably 10 years, we finally made it to the top.”

  • Aspen claims first-ever boys lacrosse championship in winning 4A

    Aspen Valor Christian boys lacrosse
    More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    DENVER — Trailblazers, always.

    Aspen won the school’s first boys lacrosse championship on Friday evening by virtue of a 17-12 victory over Valor Christian in the Class 4A title game.

    It was a fitting cap for a group of seniors who have been role models for countless youths in the region.

    “They were the first kids to have lacrosse sticks in Aspen,” said Mike Goerne, Aspen’s coach who helped bring the game to the region. “We’ve been telling these kids, since they first picked up lacrosse sticks when they were in fourth and fifth grade: ‘You’re going to win a state championship. You’re going to bring the title home to Aspen.’

    “They’ve been fighting for this the last 10 years. This is the final piece.”

    Friday, it was a barrage of goals spanning the first and second quarters that proved to be the difference. Aspen, the top seed, went on a 7-0 run in the first half to build a 9-1 lead. They led 9-2 at halftime.

    “It was huge,” said the Skiers’ John Heaphey of the run, “but it’s pretty dangerous to be up by that much because you become complacent.”

    And, in fact, No. 2 Valor opened the second half with a 5-0 run of its own to make it 9-7 with 2:38 to play in the third quarter.

    But, as it turned out, that only served to set the stage for the game’s defining moment. Heaphey scored with 1:07 to play to give Aspen some breathing room — and then served up a dagger with a goal 1 second before the quarter ended.

    It was Heaphey’s fifth and final goal of the game, which led all players.

    Aspen Valor Christian boys lacrosse
    More photos. (Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)

    “Momentum is just so important, such a key part of this game,” Heaphey said. “They really had a little momentum at that point, so I just knew if I could get a couple of goals, I would stop that momentum.”

    Added Goerne, now in his seventh season: “They rattled us a little bit. They took away that momentum in the beginning, and we just held strong and took that momentum back up. We knew that our bunch of goals was going come. And when it came, it came right when we needed it to.”

    Tyler Tick added four goals for the Skiers, while Matt Gregory, Jonathan Wells and Trey Robinson each added a pair. Arthur Kelso was stellar in net, as well.

    Valor Christian was led by Don Provost’s four goals. Ryan Russell had three.

    The title is the Aspen’s first in boys lacrosse, and 17th overall. Thirteen of those previous championships have been thanks to the school’s prestigious ski team — seven boys and six girls. Two were cross country titles.

    It is the school’s second championship in a so-called team sport, following hockey in 2007. So this is rare territory for Aspen, which has an enrollment of 563 students.

    “I’m just extremely proud that small little Aspen High School can come and compete at the state level for the title and take it away,” Goerne said. “These boys have built up for this, and they captured it.”

    “It’s huge, not just for us, but for our region,” Heaphey said. “A mountain team’s never even been to the state championship, so it’s just awesome. I hope that this legacy keeps up.”

    Aspen went unbeaten (14-0) against 4A schools. It was 17-2 overall, but the losses were to 5A’s Arapahoe and Grandview — both playoff teams.

  • In fourth-straight trip, Cherry Creek boys lacrosse gets its title

    Regis Jesuit Cherry Creek boys lacrosse
    More photos. (Matt Minton/JacksActionShots.com)

    DENVER — On the eve of a fourth-straight championship appearance, the weight of the past could have been crushing.

    Cherry Creek boys lacrosse had been to the boys lacrosse championship game the past three seasons, including the past two in Class 5A. They’d lost all three times.

    But not this time. Not Friday night.

    The Bruins, top-seeded in the playoffs, beat No. 2 Regis Jesuit 13-10 to claim 5A’s crown at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. And the past three seasons only made this title, the program’s fifth, all the sweeter.

    “It really does,” said Cherry Creek senior Michael Morean, who had two goals on Friday. “I’ve been on the team for four years, and for three years, walking off the field, losing the state championship — there’s nothing worse than that.

    “To finally get one my senior year, with these group of guys, there’s nothing like it. It makes it all the better.”

    The funny thing was, Cherry Creek wasn’t too focused on the previous championship games. And that’s probably why the past wasn’t a problem.

    “We talked about that all season long: ‘Don’t start thinking about what happened. Stay in the now. Stay here. Stay focused on this game, this play, right now,’” said Cherry Creek coach Bryan Perry. “Because we can’t control anything that’s happened in the past.”

    On Thursday, the day before this season’s title game — which happened to be a rematch of last season’s game with Regis Jesuit — “I don’t think we thought about it at all,” said Creek star Max Tennant, a senior.

    “The last practice was just like any other practice,” he said. “We didn’t think about the last three years at all. We came out for this game like we did at any other.”

    Well, they came out on fire Friday. The Bruins (18-1) led 4-0 after the first quarter, and it was 7-2 at halftime.

    Regis Jesuit Cherry Creek boys lacrosse
    More photos. (Matt Minton/JacksActionShots.com)

    The cushion proved to be a huge advantage later as Regis tried to claw its way back into the game.

    The Raiders (16-3) cut it to 8-6 at one point, and looked to have all the momentum, but Cherry Creek quieted the storm with a few answer goals. It was 11-8 just before the end of the third quarter when Tennant scored with 9 seconds remaining.

    It was the second last-second goal of the game for the Bruins, who also got a goal from Dylan Johnson with 2 seconds remaining before the half.

    “Going in off a half on a goal, or going in off a quarter with a goal,” Morean said, “that really gives you the momentum coming into the next quarter, and that’s huge.”

    As the fourth quarter opened, Regis Jesuit scored just 20 seconds in to make it 11-9, but Cherry Creek’s Asher Nolting responded 20 seconds after that.

    “They kind of kept getting goals, and their offense started to click, and we would just match them,” Perry said. “It was a nice cushion, 4-0. That gives you the cushion to withstand that run — we went on our run early — but we knew they were going to make that run.

    “Our guys have persevered all year, and they were able to do that again tonight.”

    With championship No. 5, Cherry Creek ties Kent Denver for the most championships in the sport’s sanctioned history. It also adds to what’s been a banner year for the Bruins, having won boys tennis, football and hockey.

    “I know that I would like to set a standard to be followed for years to come now that I’m leaving,” Morean said.

    “We were able to continue what’s gone on with hockey and football and it’s just an incredible feeling,” added Tennant, who led his team with four goals.

  • Fairview’s Shen takes 5A girls tennis’ No. 1 singles title in dramatic fashion

    Girls tennis 5A Gates
    Fairview’s Amber Shen. More photos. (Ray Chen/arrayphoto.com)

    DENVER — The No. 1 singles final match at the girls’ Class 5A state tennis tournament had all the makings of a Hollywood script. There was passion, drama and the underdog came away with the victory.

    Fairview’s Amber Shen defeated Cherry Creek’s Kalyssa Hall 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6) on Wednesday in the best match of the tournament.

    “I felt like she was being tentative; I told her to be aggressive,” Fairview coach Susan Stensrud said. “She’s a great player. She just had to play her game.”

    The road to the championship was anything but easy for Shen. She dropped the first set 6-3 to Hall, who won two 4A No. 1 singles titles while playing at Cheyenne Mountain. (Hall transferred to Creek this season.)

    Shen then dropped three of the first four games in the second set, only to win four in a row to take a 5-3 lead.

    The match soon grew charged with emotion when the chair official overruled several of Hall’s out calls. But Hall was able to overcome it and take a 6-5 lead in the set.

    With a chance to serve for the match, the duo were locked at deuce and with advantage out, Hall double-faulted on the serve to send it to a tie-breaker.

    Shen cruised through the tie-breaker to win it 7-3. In between sets, Hall was advised by the official that she was being corrected too many times and gave her an official caution.

    “I’ve been in matches where similar things have happened,” Shen said. “There have been issues with line calls and stuff so I had some experience with that and it definitely helped me.”

    In the third and deciding set, Hall and Shen traded games back and forth with neither one able to break the other’s serve. That changed when Hall was up 4-3. She was able to break Shen and take a 5-3 lead, once again putting her in a position to win the match.

    But Shen returned the favor in the next game to once again level the field. With Shen serving and Hall leading the third set 5-4, the official once again corrected a Hall claim that Shen’s shot landed out.

    After giving a point to Shen earlier in the match, the official awarded the game to Shen for this latest correction, tying the third set at 5-5.

    “I’m not 100 percent sure that was the right call,” Shen said. “The next game, I was tight and shaken by that and Kalyssa was definitely pumped by that.”

    Hall came back to win the next the game, getting her third chance to seal the match.

    “I think that shows how much she wanted it and how much of a competitor she is,” Cherry Creek coach Chris Jacob said. “I think there were opportunities where she could’ve been (mentally taken out of the match) but she was able to refocus herself.”

    Shen came back to win the next game, putting the match into another tie-breaker.

    A see-saw affair saw Hall get corrected two more times at that point. Rather than awarding Shen the match — which by rule he could have done — the official allowed top singles players to decide the championship on the court.

    Shen won the tie-breaker to 8-6 to give her a No. 1 singles title as a freshman.

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    Cherry Creek won the team title. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    “Even now, I don’t believe I won,” Shen said. “Even at match point I wasn’t sure if I was going to win or not.”

    All was not lost for the Bruins however as they came away with their 19th consecutive team title.

    “Every girl on the team gets to know that they were a part of that,” Jacob said. “There’s pressure going for 19 in row. That’s what our boys’ record is, so there’s pressure we try not to talk about. But it’s there.”

    [divider]

    Notables

    Rock Canyon has historical

    Rock Canyon’s Sydney Boyle and Caroline Skibness had the best showing in Rock Canyon history as they placed fourth overall.

    Rock Canyon also came away with the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award.

    Ralston Valley duo wins state in final match together

    The Ralston Valley duo of Haley Weidemann and Adrien Horowitz have played every match at the state tournament together. Their journey this year ended with a state championship in No. 1 doubles.

  • Steamboat Springs freshman Burger captures No. 1 singles title in 4A girls tennis

    PUEBLO — Freshman are supposed to bide their time. They need seasoning, both physical and mental, to compete against 18-year-olds.

    Tatum Burger of Steamboat Springs has the appearance of a first-year high school student, but the savvy play of a veteran.

    Steamboat's Tatum Burger. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)
    Steamboat’s Tatum Burger. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

    And now she has something to show for it with a Class 4A state championship in No. 1 singles in her first taste of prep tennis.

    Burger, coming off victories over fellow title favorites Tara Edwards of Colorado Academy in the quarterfinals and Payton Fielding of Cheyenne Mountain in the semis, was cruising through the tournament in impressive fashion Monday and Tuesday at the City Park Complex in Pueblo.

    But Alex Weil of St. Mary’s Academy, a senior who finished third in No. 1 singles in 2013 and was the state runner-up in 2014, was waiting in the finals. Weil, who greatly outsized Burger, overpowered the freshman 6-4 in the first set with her big serve and forehand.

    Burger adjusted and began using her superior agility to her advantage. She won the second set 6-1.

    “Once we started extending the rally and having her make plays, it was in Tatum’s favor,” Steamboat Springs coach John Aragon said.

    From then on, it was all Burger as she secured the 4A crown with an easy 6-0 win in the third and final set. The freshman joined Kacey Bernard as the only Steamboat girls to ever win No. 1 singles at the 4A state championships.

    Burger capped off her season with an unblemished record at 17-0.

    Aragon knew he had something special in Burger, but also respected the caliber of players in the field.

    “From the start, when we looked at the draw the big one was the CA girl,” he said. “She is a player. Tatum came up against CA and played tough and took it to her.”

    Then came Cheyenne Mountain’s Fielding, a big hitter, and finally Weil, an equally big hitter.

    “When she made them play to extend the points, it was in Tatum’s favor,” Aragon said. “She’s like a little pitbull. She’ll fight to the end.”

    Burger, a quiet competitor on the court, was never rattled on the state’s biggest stage. But, she was thankful to have the support of her own built-in fan section. Five siblings, four of which were able to make it to Pueblo for finals, were in her corner.

    “I’m really lucky to have my whole family here,” she said.

    Burger not only won the crown for herself, but also for Steamboat, a program that has long been relevant statewide with a dozen regional titles in a row. The Sailors know success, but Wednesday was something special. Aragon hopes they can feed off the breakthrough.

    “I think it’s going to get more kids out there playing,” he said. “We have a good junior program. We have a pro in there now working with them. I think Steamboat is going to come back on top like the old days. We were always a threat. Hopefully that’ll happen again.”

    As for the team race, the first two days were dominated by Cheyenne Mountain as the Indians qualified for semifinals in all seven positions, reached five finals, and captured their seventh consecutive girls tennis state title and 20th in school history.

    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)
    Cheyenne Mountain won the 4A team title. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

    The Indians closed well by winning No. 1 doubles (Casey Ahrendsen and Ally Arenson), No. 2 doubles (Tory Louis and Claire Dibble), and No. 3 doubles (Megan Dibble and Chelsey Geisz). Each pair also won the 2014 state titles in the same positions and went undefeated this year. Coach Dave Adams has 25 total team championships to his name at Cheyenne Mountain, 17 on the boys side and eight on the girls side.

    He’s already looking forward to the future.

    “We’ve got a nucleus of a pretty good team coming back, but we’ll have to retool some things,” he said. “We’re losing half of two, half of three, and half of four doubles. It’s the same thing everybody goes through.”

    “I’m just happy for these girls and I’m trying to stay dry for the moment,” he said with a laugh right before getting the traditional Gatorade bucket dumped on him.

    As much as the 4A tennis championships continued to be monopolized by the team in maroon and white, Cheyenne Mountain finished with 73 points to Kent Denver’s 46 and Colorado Academy’s 37, Wednesday was a chance for individuals to fight back.

    Kent Denver’s Caroline Kawula defeated the Indians’ Daniela Adamczyk 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 in a near-three-hour match for the No. 2 singles championship.

    In No. 3 singles, Maeve Kearny, a Kent sophomore, took down another Cheyenne Mountain girl by beating Jessica Metz 6-3, 6-1.

    Trinity Payne and Cammy Lee won No. 4 doubles for D’Evelyn over Holy Family’s Brianna Bartlett and An Tran.

  • Pagosa Springs girls hoops closes out perfect season with first title

    Pagosa Springs Sterling girls basketball
    Pagosa Springs won the 3A girls basketball championship on Saturday. More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    GOLDEN – This wasn’t just about capping off an undefeated season with the program’s first-ever state championship.

    For the Pagosa Springs girls basketball team, Saturday evening’s crowning moment was – in the words of one individual – vindication.

    One year after falling in the Class 3A state championship game, the Pirates returned to Lockridge Arena and finished off what they started last winter. Pagosa Springs broke open a close game in the final two minutes of play on its way to a 39-36 victory over Sterling to claim the 3A crown.

    “It feels absolutely amazing. I’ve been to the state tournament every year since I can remember with my Dad,” Pirates senior Shannel Wilson said. “Seeing those other teams go win the state tournament and have these great games, it’s an indescribable feeling. Winning the state tournament, a perfect season with people doubting us, it just felt great.”

    Pagosa Springs (26-0) rebounded nicely from its offensive struggles through the first three quarters. The Pirates had only 19 points headed into the fourth, but poured in 20 points in the final quarter alone.

    Taylor Lee Hammer led the way with 15 points, all of which came in the second half. She hit two big 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter and added two key layups in the final two minutes of play.

    “We freed her up a little bit and we got her open,” Pagosa Springs coach Wes Lewis said. “She’s a great shooter, and shot the ball with confidence. Big players make big-time plays in big games.”

    Pagosa Springs Sterling boys basketball
    More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    A first half that was sloppy at times ended with a 10-10 tie and a combined 17 turnovers. Sterling’s Jenna Knudson and Kylie Chavez opened the second half with a quick 6-0 run, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Madison Lewis and Hammer tied it back up.

    Even after Hammer’s consecutive treys to open the fourth, the Tigers (26-1) surged back to take a 28-27 lead with 2:32 remaining on a Chavez bucket. But Wilson knocked down a 3-pointer for Pagosa Springs and Hammer picked off a pass and went the length of the court for a layup to make it 32-28.

    “We’ve always believed that if we want to be a good team we have to dig down and dig through all those holes we’re put in,” Wilson said. “That’s exactly what we did. We’ve been preparing for this game all season. We dug down, came out of it and got on a roll there.”

    Pagosa Springs’ boys team captured the 3A state championship in 2013, a feat their counterparts on the girls side had been trying hard to match.

    “Last year, it was absolutely horrible. We all broke down crying because we thought we had it,” Hammer said. “This year it’s just bubbling over with joy.”

    Lewis said the championship wasn’t just about the girls celebrating in the locker room Saturday night.

    “It’s hard to put into words right now. We’ve worked so hard for this, this is our eighth year with the program on the girls side,” Lewis said. “I want to give a lot of

    credit to the girls who came before these that kind of helped build our tradition and our program. We have a ton of them out there tonight that came up here to support us.”

    Payton Shahan and Lewis scored eight points each for the Pirates. Knudson led Sterling with 16 points and Chavez added eight.

    The Tigers graduate four seniors off a team that went to the semifinals a year ago before making the title game this season. Two of them started Saturday – Kenzie Chrisman and Maggie Adney.

  • Idalia claims 1A girls basketball crown

    (Logan Borgmann/CHSAANow.com)
    (Logan Borgmann/CHSAANow.com)

    LOVELAND — After visits to the Class 1A state tournament the previous two years with no hardware to show for it, the Idalia girls basketball team had a different outlook this time.

    This year, “We came with a purpose,” junior wing player Reagan Shaffer said.

    She and her teammates completed a 21-2 season by capturing the state title with a 59-50 victory over Sangre de Cristo.

    The Wolves entered the tournament as the fourth seed. With most of the team having experienced a state tournament atmosphere, Idalia came into the tournament confident but relaxed.

    The Wolves held the lead through most of the first half, but the Thunderbirds turned a five-point deficit into a five-point lead.

    Idalia used free throw shooting, inclucing a pair from Susana Herrera with no time on the clock, to retake the lead 27-26 by halftime.

    They maintained a slim edge through most of the third quarter

    Despite foul trouble by a couple of key players, the Thunderbirds inched back to tie the game at 48 with just under three minutes remaining.

    Idalia’s Susana Herrera responded with a 3-pointer to give the Wolves the momentum again.

    “She is a big-game player,” Idalia coach Cory Zion said.

    It was Shaffer playing a large role. In addition to her 19 points, she had five blocks, all in the first half, to take control in the lane, and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds. She also handled Sangre de Cristo’s full-court press.

    “She can play all five positions,” Zion said of the 5-10 Shaffer.

    “We never came in with the mind-set that we weren’t going to win,” Shaffer said of knocking off the top seed, which came into the game with just one loss, to Trinidad, during the regular season.

    Shaffer was joined for team-high scoring honors by Herrera. Jennay Terrell capped of a balanced scoring effort with 13.

    The Wolves helped their cause by capitalizing on their free throw opportunities, converting 27.

    Sangre de Cristo was led by point guard Karleigh Cooley, who had 14 points.

    Four Idalia starters return next year for their senior seasons. Shaffer, for one, said the team won’t rest on its laurels.

    “It’s back at it (during the offseason),” she vowed.

    Kit Carson took the third-placed trophy with a 58-33 victory over Flagler. Norwood won the consolation title, defeating Plateau Valley for the third time this season, this time 34-27.

  • Akron girls basketball wins third state title in four years

    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
    Akron claimed the 2A girls basketball championship on Saturday. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    PUEBLO — With a possible state championship slipping away, Akron’s Karli Christensen and Jordan Baer saved the day.

    The seniors combined to make four free throws in the final 45.8 seconds, vaulting the Rams to a 53-48 win over Yuma in the Class 2A state championship game Saturday before a capacity crowd at Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Massari Arena.

    “I was really nervous,” said Christensen about when she stepped to the line with 32 seconds left. “After practice we work on our free throws and I just thought I was at practice and I got my arm under the ball and followed through straight. This is the best feeling in the world.”

    Baer concurred with her teammate.

    “We have always been taught to play hard defense and make free throws at that’s what we did,” Baer said. “This is definitely the best state championship yet, and we did this as a team.”

    Akron, which also won state in 2012 and 2013, finished the season with a 25-2 record. The Rams also finished the season with a 3-1 record against Yuma, winning the last three in a row.

    “This has been an unbelievable year and very emotional,” said Akron coach Alan Baer, Jordan’s father. “I’m so proud of our kids. We have a bunch of seniors that wanted it from Day 1 and they bought into a system a long time ago and I’m so happy for them.”

    Baer is serving as Akron’s interim coach. He took over the program when Rick Agan, who had a 94-11 record guiding the Rams, left the team right before the season began.

    While Akron was celebrating another state crown, Yuma was dealing with its third-consecutive loss in the state title game.

    The Indians (21-5) lost to Akron (2013), Lutheran (2014) and Akron in the finals the last three years. The Indians were trying to win their first girls state basketball championship since 1997.

    Yuma was trailing 49-42 with 3:28 to play and then it made a frantic comeback.

    When Logan Hixon made three free throws at the 1:03 mark, the Indians cut the deficit to 49-48, but could get no closer.

    “The girls worked hard and we knew we had to try and get some shots up and score,” Yuma coach Mike Neill said. “We also knew we had to get some steals and then foul them and have them try and make free throws and it was working, and we ended up having to foul one too many times, and we ran out of time.

    “Akron has a great team and this was a good game and they were a little better than us (Saturday night). I told the girls there is nothing wrong with second place. They are winners in my mind.”

    With 1 minute left, Yuma had the ball, but couldn’t get off a shot before Akron senior Lizzie Holtorf got a steal. With 45.8 seconds showing on the clock, Hixon fouled Baer and fouled out. Baer made one free throw to put the Rams up 50-48.

    Yuma’s next time down the court the Indians fumbled the ball, which resulted in a tie up and the possession arrow went to Akron at 36.4 seconds. Christensen was fouled at 32 seconds and she proceeded to nail her two attempts.

    “I probably delayed too early, and I was a little nervous, but we shoot free throws really well and it paid off,” Coach Baer said. “I’m so proud of Karli Christensen. She is the ultimate role player and without our role players we don’t win state.”

    When Yuma’s Tara Traphagan missed a jumper with 11 seconds left, Baer was fouled and made one more free throw to ice the game.

    In the first half, Yuma jumped out to an early 9-1 lead after Traphagan’s inside bucket at 3:53 of the first quarter. Moments later, the Indians went up 14-5 following Mallory Noble’s basket with 1:58 left in the first.

    The lead didn’t last.

    Akron came storming with a 24-9 run to end the half and went to the locker room with a 29-23 edge.

    The Rams’ charge was fueled by A.J. Miller and Jordan Baer, who finished the half with 13 and 11 points. Miller, a junior, had a trio of treys, including back-to-back 3-pointers on the Rams’ final two possessions of the second quarter.

    Miller finished with a game-high 23 points and Baer added 21. Katrina Terrell (15 points) and Hixon (12) paced Yuma in the loss.

  • Holly boys basketball wins 1A, first title in 64 years

    (Logan Borgmann/CHSAANow.com)
    (Logan Borgmann/CHSAANow.com)

    LOVELAND — It had been 64 years since a Holly boys basketball team had won a state title.

    The school will get another gold ball in its trophy case after Saturday’s thrilling 33-32 win over Fleming in Saturday’s Class 1A state championship game.

    “We did it,” coach Dusty Heck said as he hugged his point guard, Yaniel Vidal.

    It took everything the team had.

    Though Holly led through most of the game, Fleming would not go away.

    With four minutes remaining and nursing a two-point lead, Holly went spread with its offense, hoping to get an open basket underneath. Fleming stayed packed in the lane.

    Tristan Nelson finally had a layup opportunity but missed it.

    His team up by four after two Vidal free throws, Nelson got another chance. This time he powered his way to the layup.

    “I told myself if I got another chance I’m not going to miss,” he said.

    He didn’t. With his team up by four after two Vidal free throws, Nelson got another chance. This time he powered his way to the layup.

    Still, Fleming battled back, getting a three-point play from Alex Vandenbark and a steal in the backcourt to pull to within 33-32.

    Heck called a timeout. During the entire game, his team had played a zone defense. This time, he called a man-to-man to try and confuse Fleming.

    “Thank god we did,” he said as Fleming’s attempt to set up a play resulted in the ball rolling past the end line as time expired.

    “We have a lot of heart on this team,” Vidal said.

    Heck, a Holly grad, set the bar high during his first season as a head coach.

    “We sure did,” he said with a smile, relishing the challenge.

    “We just made history,” Nelson said.

    Sangre de Cristo bounced back from Friday’s loss to Fleming to earn the third-place trophy, downing Jim Elliot Christian 57-43. South Baca County came back to take the consolation title, defeating Ouray 61-52.

  • CS Christian emerges from deep 3A boys hoops field with first title in 11 years

    (Brian Miller/CHSAANow.com)
    (Brian Miller/CHSAANow.com)

    GOLDEN – Walking around with a piece of net around his neck, the smile on the face of Colorado Springs Christian senior Chris Hildenbrand could not have grown any bigger.

    It was simply that kind of night for every member of the Lions program. Having come up empty so many times, Colorado Springs Christian put the past to rest Saturday night at Lockridge Arena in a big way. Samuel Howard scored 21 points and the Lions withstood a late surge from Colorado Academy to emerge with a 55-52 victory and the team’s first Class 3A state championship since 2003.

    “I’m just beyond belief,” Hildenbrand said. “We worked so hard for this and it’s unbelievable. I just thank God for blessing this team and keeping us healthy. I’m so thankful – I wouldn’t want to win this with any other guys.”

    After four consecutive years of seeing its season come to an end at the hands of a Metro League opponent – including last season in the state semifinals – Colorado Springs Christian had to knock off a pair of Metro foes in two nights for the right to lift the championship trophy.

    “After losing to Holy Family last year, we knew we had to be more mentally tough,” Hildenbrand said. “Coming out here (Friday) and beating Lutheran – a great team that shoots lights out – we knew it wasn’t over. Defense wins championships, and that’s what we practice day in and day out.”

    The Lions (26-1) seemed to have the game well in-hand after taking an 11-point lead midway through the fourth quarter. But much as it did Friday night in a semifinal victory over top-seeded Faith Christian, Colorado Academy (20-7) fought back.

    The Mustangs closed the gap to five points on a couple of occasions, but the Lions hit a few key free throws and did enough to hold Colorado Academy at bay.

    “We saw what they were able to do firsthand when I was a freshman. We were up seven points in the regional championship game with a minute left, and they came back and won,” Howard said. “Our coach told us ‘they’re not going to quit … we’ve got to keep our heads and execute to the very end.’”

    Justin Engesser added 13 points for Colorado Springs Christian, which did a solid job of holding Colorado Academy junior Justin Bassey in check for much of the night. Bassey had only two points in the first half and drew three charging fouls, but he did finally get untracked with 12 points in the fourth quarter.

    Bassey finished with 16 points and Christian Hyatt added 15, including a deep 3-pointer that made it a two-point game with one second to go. Howard closed out the scoring with a free throw and the Mustangs were unable to get a final shot off.

    Hildenbrand drew the task of trying to mark Bassey for much of the night.

    “(Justin) is one heck of a player. I just trusted my help, and if he got by me, I knew we had our ‘twin towers’ in the back,” Hildenbrand said in reference to the 6-foot-7 Howard and the 6-9 Nic Doherty. “I just tried my best and trusted my teammates.”

    On the other end of the floor, Colorado Springs Christian did a good job of working the ball inside to Howard. When the Lions tried to converge on the junior, his teammates hit some big shots from the perimeter.

    “We always like to get the ball inside because that makes it easier to get open shots for the outside guys,” Howard said. “I don’t know what their gameplan was, but we executed ours.”

    Colorado Academy, which advanced to the 3A state title game for the second year in a row, graduates only two seniors in Chris Kuelling and Grant Sapkin. The Lions lose four, but Hildenbrand said he’s confident the players coming back will make another deep run.

    “I’m so proud of every single guy on our roster, from the 12th man to our top guy. They just worked so hard to get back. They worked so hard in practice, they worked so hard in the offseason,” CSCS coach Mark Engesser said. “I’m very proud of every single one of our guys.”