CHSAANow

Category: Boys Basketball

  • Reiter leads Chatfield boys hoops to win over Lakewood

    Chatfield senior Darius Reiter glides to the basketball for a layup during the second half Thursday night. Reiter scored a team-high 28 points for the Chargers in their second league victory of the season. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Chatfield senior Darius Reiter glides to the basketball for a layup during the second half Thursday night. Reiter scored a team-high 28 points for the Chargers in their second league victory of the season. (Dennis Pleuss)

    LITTLETON — It was a mixed bag for Chatfield senior Darius Reiter in the opening minutes Thursday night.

    Reiter scored the Chargers’ first seven points of the Class 5A Jeffco League game against Lakewood in the first few minutes, but with 4:38 left in the first quarter he picked up his second foul. Even with Reiter being a spectator for the remainder of the first quarter, Chatfield (6-2, 2-0 in league) kept things on track. And the Chargers scored a 77-67 home victory heading into the holiday break.

    “It wasn’t necessarily the flow I wanted, but it came out well,” said Reiter, who finished with a team-high 28 points. “I was able to get some stuff going.”

    Chatfield coach Stephen Schimpeler was encouraged with how his team responded with some adversity in the opening half.

    “That whole first half we were in foul trouble. I really liked how we handled the situation,” Schimpeler said. “It’s important that your bench performs because there are times you are going to need them.”

    Sophomore Riley Welch led Chatfield’s bench players with 14 points. Starters Alec Wray (14 points) and Andrew St. Germain (11 points) also had strong games in the Chargers’ fourth straight win.

    Reiter did plenty of damage at the free-throw line, making 12-of-13 shots from the charity stripe. The second conference game for both teams turned into a physical affair with a total of 56 fouls being called.

    Lakewood (4-4, 0-2) only led once in the game at 2-0. Chatfield extended its lead to as much as 21 points late in the third quarter, but the Tigers turned it on offensively in the fourth quarter, scoring 31 points to make a game of it.

    Chatfield sophomore Riley Welch, left, and Lakewood freshman Kolton Peterson scramble after a loose ball Thursday night at Chatfield High School. Welch and Peterson both had strong games coming off the bench for their teams. Welch had 14 points, while Peterson threw in 16 points. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Chatfield sophomore Riley Welch, left, and Lakewood freshman Kolton Peterson scramble after a loose ball Thursday night at Chatfield High School. Welch and Peterson both had strong games coming off the bench for their teams. Welch had 14 points, while Peterson threw in 16 points. (Dennis Pleuss)

    “We had the opportunity to shoot instead of handing it to Chatfield,” Lakewood coach Daryl Johnson said of the fourth quarter. “We actually got shots up instead of turning it over.”

    Lakewood senior Evan O’Dorisio led all scorers with 32 points. Senior Irhad Kozic found his shooting touch with a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and freshman Kolton Peterson came off the bench to score 16 points for the Tigers.

    “It’s a matter of execution and trust,” Johnson said after the Tigers’ second straight league defeat. “We’ve got to weave our strengths together. We’ll get it together.”

    Lakewood will get back into action after winter break with a 2 p.m. game Saturday, Jan. 4, when it hosts Ralston Valley.

    Chatfield has a long road ahead to defend its conference championship it grabbed with an undefeated 16-0 mark last season. Each of the nine 5A Jeffco teams faces their league foes twice (home and away) during the conference schedule.

    “We aren’t necessarily aiming for that, but we know it’s there and we want to repeat it,” Reiter said of Chatfield attempting to match last year’s undefeated run in the conference.

    Schimpeler stated that he believes the 5A Jeffco league is “getting better” and it will be no easy task in repeating as league champs.

    “It’s going to be really hard this year when everyone is gunning for you being league champs and you are Chatfield,” Schimpeler said. “We told these guys it’s going to be tougher this year than last year. I think that was evident tonight.”

    After playing eight games in 17 days since the start of the basketball season, Chatfield will get back to action after the holidays by hosting Pomona at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4.

    Chatfield sophomore Riley Welch, right, drives toward the basketball against Lakewood senior James Hofmann on Thursday night at Chatfield High School. Welch threw in 14 points off the bench for the Chargers in a 77-67 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Chatfield sophomore Riley Welch, right, drives toward the basketball against Lakewood senior James Hofmann on Thursday night at Chatfield High School. Welch threw in 14 points off the bench for the Chargers in a 77-67 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Lakewood senior Guy Young, left, is able to get a hand in the face of Chatfield senior Grant Haines during the first half Thursday at Chatfield High School. The Chargers won the Class 5A Jeffco League game 77-67 to head into winter break with a 6-2 record. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Lakewood senior Guy Young, left, is able to get a hand in the face of Chatfield senior Grant Haines during the first half Thursday at Chatfield High School. The Chargers won the Class 5A Jeffco League game 77-67 to head into winter break with a 6-2 record. (Dennis Pleuss)

  • Liberty Common basketball coach wins No. 400

    Liberty Common players celebrate coach Jim Altergott's 400th win last Saturday. (Courtesy photo)
    Liberty Common players celebrate coach Jim Altergott’s 400th win last Saturday. (Courtesy photo)

    Liberty Common boys basketball coach Jim Altergott knew he was sitting at 399 career wins last Saturday. So did athletic director Dan Knab, who had a cake and celebratory posters waiting.

    “I think he kind of put the cart before the horse, because we hadn’t had the win yet,” Altergott joked on Friday. “What if we would’ve lost that and he had everything ready to go?”

    Fortunately, for the celebration’s sake, the Eagles beat Conifer 61-56. It was Altergott’s 400th win.

    “It’s more about the kids than it is me, winning 400,” said Altergott, who has been coaching since 1973. “We knew it was at 399, and we had a couple of other chances to get it, but it didn’t materialize.”

    Liberty Common started the 2013-14 season 2-1. The second win came over Highland, one of Altergott’s prior posts, and put him at 399. But the Eagles lost their next three games.

    Finally, at 2-4, Liberty Common returned to Fort Collins for its first home game of the season. The Eagles led 32-23 at halftime, and 46-36 after three quarters. Andrew Jones had 17 points, Arjun Gill had 14, and Josh VanVleet added 13. It was time for cake and posters.

    “It was just another game, I guess,” Altergott said. “I just kind of approached it as the next game on the schedule, and when it was over, everyone else was probably more excited than I was about it.

    “The kids also knew how close I was,” he added. “I never said anything to them about it, but I guess other people must have said something to them. They played really well in that last game.”

    Altergott had been tracking his career record since he started.

    “I used to have it written out from the time I started, year-by-year,” he said, “but through the different moves over the year, I lost the paper it was on. I have a cumulative total from resumes, so that’s how I knew where we were at.”

    The bulk of the wins came at Roosevelt, where he spent 25 seasons as coach. He also spent seven at Highland. Now in his first year at Liberty Common, Altergott has been a head coach for 36 seasons.

    Asked if he’s taken a moment to reflect on his career, Altergott said, “I haven’t yet. It’s the next practice. I haven’t thought about going backwards and looking at that. Someone did ask me about my very first win, and that was too long ago. I don’t remember that one.”

  • Photo gallery: Standley Lake boys basketball beats Legacy

    BROOMFIELD — Standley Lake had a one-point lead going into the fourth quarter but beat Legacy by a score of 50-43.

    Legacy’s Trenton Johnson was the high scorer for Legacy with 14 points.

  • Notebook: Arapahoe wrestling granted a weight allowance

    Arapahoe’s wrestling team has been granted a two-pound weight allowance for this weekend’s tournaments due to an inability to practice created by last week’s tragic shooting.

    In an email to Arapahoe, Cherokee Trail and Gateway high schools, assistant commissioner Harry Waterman wrote, “Due to the tragic event that took place at Arapahoe High School last week, it has created a hardship on the ability for the Arapahoe wrestling team to conduct practice.”

    In fact, Arapahoe has practiced just once since last Thursday.

    “This has made it very difficult to have structured work-outs and maintain their weight,” Waterman wrote. “As a result, I am permitting a (two-pound) allowance for all wrestlers in the following tournaments this Saturday: Cherokee Trail dual tournament, Gateway JV tournament.”

    Program helps Gambian national team

    USA Volleyball’s Leave a Ball Behind program at the state volleyball tournament helped provide volleyballs for the Gambian national team.

    “They were very excited to receive them and are using two at a time so that they can last through the next year,” reports a peace corps volunteer who works with the team.

    Here’s a picture of the team with the items which were donated via USA Volleyball:

    (Courtesy photo)
    (Courtesy photo)

    Short stuff

    • You may notice a slight difference in how public address announcers are handling basketball games. Due to a new rule from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), announcers can no longer make announcements during play. The goal, according to the rule, “is to remove play by play commentary.” Thus, they are no longer permitted to announce information such as “assist by,” “rebound by,” and so on. Announcing fouls, scorers, and free-throw shooters is still allowed.
    • Changes out of the tennis committee meeting earlier this month: Teams will only be eligible to compete for the team championships if they qualify for four or more positions at the state championships. This is a move toward something golf already has in place. Additionally, regional hosts for the 5A girls this spring will not be determined until after the final league standings.
    • This season’s winter break, meaning no practice, is Dec. 24-Dec. 27, and Jan. 1. Voluntary winter practices are Dec. 28, 30 & 31.
    • Next year’s Championship Saturday (the Class 5A, 4A, 3A football title games) again falls just after Thanksgiving. It is Nov. 29.
    • Football can begin 2014 practice on Aug. 11. Zero Week is Aug. 21; Week 1 is Aug. 28.
    • We have published a database of coaching changes in football.

  • Late 3-pointers lift Dakota Ridge over Highlands Ranch boys basketball

    Dakota Ridge senior Ian MacDonald, left, drives on Highlands Ranch Jack Fiddler during boys hoops action Monday at Dakota Ridge High School. The Eagles won their home opener 62-55. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Dakota Ridge senior Ian MacDonald, left, drives on Highlands Ranch Jack Fiddler during boys hoops action Monday at Dakota Ridge High School. The Eagles won their home opener 62-55. (Dennis Pleuss)

    LITTLETON — Two timely 3-pointers in the fourth quarter Monday night propelled Dakota Ridge to a 62-55 victory against Highlands Ranch in boys basketball.

    “I loved the way we responded to adversity,” said Dakota Ridge coach Curi Yutzy, referring to his Eagles squandering a 10-point lead in the first half. “With the league games coming up, teams will make runs. We are going to have to respond like we did tonight.”

    Dakota Ridge senior Cambrian Antrillo glides toward the basket for an uncontested layup Monday in the Eagles' 62-55 victory over Highlands Ranch. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Dakota Ridge senior Cambrian Antrillo glides toward the basket for an uncontested layup Monday in the Eagles’ 62-55 victory over Highlands Ranch. (Dennis Pleuss)

    The non-league game was tied at 39-39 with 5:39 left in the fourth quarter at Dakota Ridge, Yutzy called a timeout to design a 3-pointer for senior Cambrian Antrillo. The initial 3-pointer was off the mark, but the Eagles grabbed the rebound and kicked it out to junior Mason Grothuemann for a 3-pointer in the corner, which he buried.

    After a failed possession by the Falcons, Antrillo sank a 3-pointer in transition to push Dakota Ridge’s lead to 45-39 with 4:50 left in the game.

    “Those definitely changed the game,” Grothuemann said. “We got on a roll after that.”

    Dakota Ridge (4-1) sealed the victory by making 15-of-22 free throws in the fourth quarter. Grothuemann made 9-of-10 free throws in the final quarter to accumulate a team-high 16 points. Antrillo finished with 13 points and senior Jake Flores had a big second half, scoring all 10 points after halftime.

    Senior Zach Braxton led Highlands Ranch (2-3) with a game-high 31 points. The 6-foot-9 post player for the Falcons had to carry much of the load with senior Evan Motlong and junior Keith Coleman missing the game due to injuries.

    “We’ve got some guys out with varsity experience, but we expect guys to step up. I think they did for the most part tonight,” Braxton said. “We showed a lot of effort and we can only go up from here.”

    Dakota Ridge seemed to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Braxton in attempt to slow him down. Junior Alden Erickson and senior Ian MacDonald shared the duty to cover Braxton for the majority of the game.

    Highlands Ranch senior Zach Braxton goes up for a shot over Dakota Ridge senior Cambrian Antrillo on Monday night. Braxton scored a game-high 31 points, but the Falcons came up on the short end with a 62-55 loss. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Highlands Ranch senior Zach Braxton goes up for a shot over Dakota Ridge senior Cambrian Antrillo on Monday night. Braxton scored a game-high 31 points, but the Falcons came up on the short end with a 62-55 loss. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Erickson and MacDonald both fouled out in the fourth quarter while making Braxton earn every point. Sophomore Devante Jones got his turn on Braxton after Erickson and MacDonald fouled out.

    “The team did a good job defending (Braxton),” Yutzy said. “The ball pressure on the perimeter was good and forced some turnovers. It was a good team effort.”

    It was the third straight victory for Dakota Ridge. The Eagles’ loss this season came to Class 5A’s No. 2 ranked and undefeated Fossil Ridge.

    Dakota Ridge tips off its 5A Jeffco League schedule when it hosts Pomona at 7 p.m. Wednesday before heading into winter break.

    The Eagles’ home crowd was happy to finally see its team playing at Dakota Ridge as the student section chanted “We want Chatfield” as the final seconds ticked off Monday in the home opener for the Eagles.

    Highlands Ranch hopes to break its three-game losing streak as soon as possible. The Falcons are scheduled to play in the Cherry Creek Tournament later this week. The Falcons will face Hinkley in the opening round of the holiday tournament at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, at Cherry Creek High School.

    “We’ve got to take care of things at Creek to get some momentum going,” Braxton said.

    Highlands Ranch senior Zach Braxton, left, looks for an open teammate while being covered by Dakota Ridge senior Ian MacDonald. Braxton had 31 points for the Falcons in their third straight loss. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Highlands Ranch senior Zach Braxton, left, looks for an open teammate while being covered by Dakota Ridge senior Ian MacDonald. Braxton had 31 points for the Falcons in their third straight loss. (Dennis Pleuss)

  • Arapahoe, Grand Junction join 5A boys basketball ranking

    Thomas Jefferson Pueblo County boys basketball
    Thomas Jefferson remained in the No. 3 spot in the 4A poll. (Pam Wagner)

    Unbeatens Arapahoe and Grand Junction have joined this week’s CHSAANow.com boys basketball rankings in 5A.

    The Warriors (3-0) are No. 9, while Grand Junction (5-0) is No. 10. Highlands Ranch, last week’s No. 5, and Chaparral, last week’s No. 10, both dropped out this week.

    Elsewhere, Denver East maintained its grip on the top spot, and Fossil Ridge continued its climb up the poll. The SaberCats are No. 2 this week, moving up two spots from No. 4. Fossil Ridge went 3-0 last week, including a 66-48 win over Highlands Ranch.

    Overland fell one spot to No. 3, and is followed by No. 4 Mountain Vista and No. 5 Regis Jesuit. Mountain Vista moved up from eighth; Regis up from No 6.

    Eaglecrest is sixth in this week’s 5A poll, Legend is seventh and Rangeview fell five spots to eighth.

    In addition to Denver East, the other four No. 1 teams remained the same this week: Valor Christian (4A), Holy Family (3A), Sanford (2A) and Caliche (1A).

    The 4A poll added Air Academy at No. 10 this week. That ranking also saw Thompson Valley jump from fifth to second following wins over three 5A teams. Thomas Jefferson is third.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Denver East (22) 5-0 220 1 2-0
    2 Fossil Ridge 6-0 186 4 3-0
    3 Overland 2-2 155 2 1-0
    4 Mountain Vista 4-0 126 8 3-0
    5 Regis Jesuit 4-1 125 6 2-1
    6 Eaglecrest 6-1 118 7 3-0
    7 Legend 4-0 66 9 2-0
    8 Rangeview 4-1 60 3 2-1
    9 Arapahoe 3-0 31 – 0-0
    10 Grand Junction 5-0 23 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Fairview 20, Chaparral 16, Grandview 16, Monarch 15, Highlands Ranch 14, Chatfield 6, Cherry Creek 5, Ralston Valley 4, ThunderRidge 4.
    Dropped out
    Highlands Ranch (5), Chaparral (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Valor Christian (16) 6-0 177 1 4-0
    2 Thompson Valley (2) 6-0 135 5 3-0
    3 Thomas Jefferson 3-0 129 3 3-0
    4 Longmont 5-0 109 6 3-0
    5 Pueblo East 5-2 99 4 3-1
    6 Sand Creek 3-0 85 7 1-0
    7 Golden 6-1 55 10 3-1
    8 D’Evelyn 4-2 46 9 2-1
    9 Cheyenne Mountain 3-1 45 2 2-1
    10 Air Academy 6-1 40 – 4-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Falcon 35, Greeley Central 11, Lewis-Palmer 8, Mountain View 7, Frederick 6, Mesa Ridge 2, Palmer Ridge 2, Glenwood Springs 1, Ponderosa 1, Pueblo South 1.
    Dropped out
    Denver South (8).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Holy Family (8) 5-0 98 1 2-0
    2 Colorado Academy (1) 4-0 81 3 2-0
    3 Brush (1) 2-0 77 2 1-0
    4 Jefferson Academy 4-0 69 9 4-0
    5 Bishop Machebeuf 4-0 67 6 3-0
    6 Faith Christian 4-3 36 4 3-1
    7 Moffat County 3-1 29 7 3-1
    8 The Pinnacle 3-1 22 – 1-0
    9 Kent Denver 3-1 20 10 2-0
    10 Colorado Springs Christian 1-2 19 5 1-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Denver Science & Tech 10, St. Mary’s 6, Valley 6, Aspen 4, Monte Vista 4, Cedaredge 2, Sterling 1.
    Dropped out
    Aspen (8).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sanford (12) 4-0 155 1 4-0
    2 Yuma (3) 3-0 125 2 2-0
    3 Akron 2-0 110 4 1-0
    4 Lutheran 2-1 106 3 1-0
    5 Ignacio (1) 5-0 101 5 2-0
    6 Resurrection Christian 4-2 75 6 3-0
    7 Limon 3-1 39 9 2-0
    8 Simla 3-1 31 10 2-0
    9 Rye 4-1 30 – 1-1
    10 Denver Christian 1-3 24 7 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Swink 23, Peyton 22, Haxtun 13, Alexander Dawson 11, Sedgwick County 6, Crowley County 3, Front Range Christian 3, Custer County 1, Paonia 1, Rangely 1, Sierra Grande 1.
    Dropped out
    Peyton (8).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Caliche (6) 4-0 60 1 2-0
    2 Hi-Plains 3-1 50 2 1-1
    3 McClave 4-0 49 3 2-0
    4 Shining Mountain 4-0 42 5 2-0
    5 Vail Christian 3-1 37 6 2-0
    6 Norwood 2-2 25 4 1-1
    7 Prairie 3-1 21 7 2-0
    8 Holly 2-1 14 8 1-0
    9 Cheyenne Wells 3-0 10 – 1-0
    10 Jim Elliot Christian 2-1 8 9 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Fleming 5, Stratton 3, Cheraw 2, Granada 2, Walsh 2.
    Dropped out
    Granada (10).

  • Top-10 boys basketball schedule for the week of Dec. 16

    A complete schedule and scoreboard for boys basketball’s top-10 teams this week.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A
    [divider]

    Class 5A
    1 Denver East 7-2
    Mon: W 55-54 at (6) Eaglecrest
    Wed: L 61-90 vs. Neumann-Goretti (Pa.)
    Thurs: W 62-42 vs. Bishop Verot (Fla.)
    Sat: L 65-75 vs. St. John Bosco (Calif.)
    2 Fossil Ridge 8-0
    Tues: W 67-40 at (4A 2) Thompson Valley
    Thurs: W 77-26 vs. Poudre
    3 Overland 6-2
    Tues: W 98-55 vs. Gateway
    Thurs: W 62-26 vs. Palmer
    Fri: W 73-42 vs. Aurora Central
    Sat: W 86-36 vs. Fruita Monument
    4 Mountain Vista 8-0
    Tues: W 85-76 at Columbine
    Thurs: W 94-65 vs. Pueblo West
    Fri: W 83-72 vs. Smoky Hill
    Sat: W 72-38 vs. Widefield
    5 Regis Jesuit 6-1
    Fri: W 66-51 at Fort Collins
    Sat: W 69-54 at Cherokee Trail
    6 Eaglecrest 6-2
    Mon: L 54-55 vs. (1) Denver East
    7 Legend 4-1
    Fri: L 40-42 vs. (4A 3) Thomas Jefferson
    8 Rangeview 5-2
    Tues: L 74-80 vs. Smoky Hill
    Fri: W 74-60 at Vista PEAK
    9 Arapahoe 6-0
    Thurs: W 56-38 vs. Aurora Central
    Fri: W 54-53 vs. Rock Canyon
    Sat: W 66-40 vs. Palmer
    10 Grand Junction 6-2
    Thurs: W 62-49 vs. Kennedy
    Fri: L 59-63 vs. (4A 6) Sand Creek
    Sat: L 45-48 vs. Bear Creek

    Class 4A
    1 Valor Christian 8-1
    Tues: W 78-75 vs. Doherty
    Thurs: W 67-65 vs. Long Beach Poly (Calif.)
    Fri: L 53-63 vs. Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
    2 Thompson Valley 7-1
    Tues: L 40-67 vs. (5A 2) Fossil Ridge
    Thurs: W 91-44 vs. Loveland
    3 Thomas Jefferson 7-0
    Tues: W 60-41 vs. Cherokee Trail
    Thurs: W 64-51 vs. Denver West
    Fri: W 42-40 vs. (5A 7) Legend
    Sat: W 70-36 at Hinkley
    4 Longmont 5-1
    Thurs: L 41-45 vs. Denver South
    5 Pueblo East 9-2
    Tues: W 66-43 at Widefield
    Thurs: W 49-42 vs. Montbello
    Fri: W 52-49 vs. Horizon
    Sat: W 72-52 vs. Falcon
    6 Sand Creek 5-1
    Thurs: W 67-57 vs. Mountain View
    Fri: W 63-59 vs. (5A 10) Grand Junction
    Sat: L 60-69 vs. Mullen
    7 Golden 7-1
    Tues: W 65-49 vs. Kennedy
    8 D’Evelyn 5-2
    Thurs: W 79-70 vs. Lewis-Palmer
    9 Cheyenne Mountain 5-1
    Tues: W 66-65 at Pine Creek
    Thurs: W 67-56 at Palmer Ridge
    10 Air Academy 7-1
    Mon: W 55-41 vs. Pueblo County

    Class 3A
    1 Holy Family 7-0
    Mon: W 78-33 vs. The Academy
    Fri: W 54-41 at Broomfield
    2 Colorado Academy 6-0
    Mon: W 86-42 vs. Jefferson
    Fri: W 88-72 vs. Englewood
    3 Brush 3-1
    Tues: W 59-52 vs. Holyoke
    Fri: L 47-56 at Fort Morgan
    4 Jefferson Academy 5-0
    Thurs: W 65-22 vs. The Academy
    5 Bishop Machebeuf 5-0
    Thurs: W 58-35 at Florence
    6 Faith Christian 5-3
    Tues: W 69-43 at (8) The Pinnacle
    8 The Pinnacle 3-2
    Tues: L 43-69 vs. (6) Faith Christian
    9 Kent Denver 4-1
    Thurs: W 71-56 vs. Eaton
    10 Colorado Springs Christian 1-3
    Tues: L 66-69 at Falcon

    Class 2A
    1 Sanford 6-0
    Fri: W 64-33 at Monte Vista
    Sat: W 70-23 at Sierra Grande
    2 Yuma 4-1
    Thurs: L 45-47 at Chase County (Neb.)
    Fri: W 91-36 vs. Wray
    3 Akron 5-0
    Thurs: W 80-32 vs. Otis
    Fri: W 65-58 at Stratton
    Sat: W 65-35 at Frontier Academy
    4 Lutheran 2-3
    Wed: L 38-54 at St. Dominic (NY)
    Fri: L 32-68 at Long Island Lutheran (NY)
    5 Ignacio 7-0
    Tues: W 65-48 at Bloomfield (NM)
    Fri: W 56-33 vs. Pagosa Springs
    6 Resurrection Christian 6-2
    Tues: W 75-39 vs. Longmont Christian
    Fri: W 75-56 at Lyons
    7 Limon 3-3
    Fri: L 65-73 vs. Merino
    Sat: L 50-58 vs. Strasburg
    8 Simla 4-1
    Thurs: W 71-50 at (1A 9) Cheyenne Wells
    9 Rye 6-1
    Thurs: W 63-46 vs. Hoehne
    Fri: W 89-84 at Swink
    10 Denver Christian 2-3
    Sat: W 101-39 vs. Evangelical Christian

    Class 1A
    1 Caliche 5-0
    Fri: W 84-40 at Potter-Dix (Neb.)
    2 Hi-Plains 5-1
    Wed: W 61-37 vs. Arickaree
    Thurs: W 77-44 at Genoa-Huge
    3 McClave 7-0
    Thurs: W 69-42 vs. Eads
    Fri: W 50-45 vs. Walsh
    Sat: W 49-48 vs. (8) Holly
    4 Shining Mountain 5-1
    Thurs: W 59-57 vs. Cornerstone Christian
    Fri: L 49-67 at (5) Vail Christian
    5 Vail Christian 4-1
    Fri: W 67-45 vs. (4) Shining Mountain
    6 Norwood 3-2
    Fri: W 60-28 at Plateau Valley
    7 Prairie 3-2
    Sat: L 68-73 at Peetz
    8 Holly 4-2
    Thurs: W 54-34 vs. Kit Carson
    Fri: W 44-39 vs. Springfield
    Sat: L 48-49 vs. (3) McClave
    9 Cheyenne Wells 3-1
    Thurs: L 50-71 vs. (2A 8) Simla
    Sat: at South Baca
    10 Jim Elliot Christian 3-2
    Fri: W 48-40 at KIPP Denver Collegiate
    Sat: L 47-48 vs. Platte Canyon

  • Ralston Valley escapes rival Arvada West to claim tournament title

    Arvada West junior Thomas Neff (15) scramble after a loose ball as Ralston Valley junior Andrew Wingard hits the floor Friday night during the Ralston Roundup tournament championship game. The host Mustangs beat the Wildcats 48-45. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Arvada West junior Thomas Neff (15) scramble after a loose ball as Ralston Valley junior Andrew Wingard hits the floor Friday night during the Ralston Roundup tournament championship game. The host Mustangs beat the Wildcats 48-45. (Dennis Pleuss)

    ARVADA — Ralston Valley boys basketball team prides itself on defense, but in facing Arvada West junior Thomas Neff on Friday night, the Mustangs were realistic.

    “Our main focus was to contain (Neff), not stop him or shut him down,” Ralston Valley senior Zac Stevens said of the Mustangs’ defensive mindset. “(Neff) is going to score points.”

    Neff, who game in averaging 23 points per game, had a game-high 22 points. However, Ralston Valley held on for a 48-45 victory in the championship game of the Ralston Roundup tournament. It was the third title for the host Mustangs over the past four years.

    “We knew were we going to win it on our defense and how we guarded (Neff),” Ralston Valley coach Mitch Conrad said. “He is a great player. We made it difficult for him. He had to earn it.”

    Ralston Valley sophomore Dallas Walton, left, drive on Arvada West junior Thomas Neff during the championship game of the Ralston Roundup tournament Friday night at Ralston Valley High School. Ralston Valley edge its 5A Jeffco rival 48-45. Walton and Neff were both named to the all-tournament team. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley sophomore Dallas Walton, left, drive on Arvada West junior Thomas Neff during the championship game of the Ralston Roundup tournament Friday night at Ralston Valley High School. Ralston Valley edge its 5A Jeffco rival 48-45. Walton and Neff were both named to the all-tournament team. (Dennis Pleuss)

    The game came down to the final seconds where the Wildcats (3-1) weren’t able to give Neff the opportunity to hit a game-tying 3-pointer. A-West junior Dhillon Greene purposely missed a free throw with three seconds left and the Wildcats trailing by three.

    A-West was able to get the rebound, but the kickoff to Neff was off the mark and the ball sailed toward midcourt as time expired.

    “I just wish the outcome was a little different, but I’m glad we go to play them before league,” said Neff, who was named to the all-tournament team for the runner-up Wildcats.

    Greene was the only other A-West player to reach double-digit points. He finished with 10.

    Junior Andrew Wingard led Ralston Valley (5-2). The star tailback on the Mustangs’ football team finished with 15 points, including four 3-pointers.

    Ralston Valley senior Rane Hornecker, middle, drives on Arvada West senior Marcus Culhane, left and sophomore Luke Neff during the first half Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley senior Rane Hornecker, middle, drives on Arvada West senior Marcus Culhane, left and sophomore Luke Neff during the first half Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss)

    “Wingard, the last two games, has really big clutch for us,” Conrad said. “That’s really good to see from one of the young guys.”

    Steven pitched in nine points and senior Rane Hornecker had seven points, including a key free throw with 10 seconds left in the game to give the Mustangs a 48-44 lead.

    A-West and Ralston Valley will get very familiar with each other by the end of the hoops season.

    The Arvada-area rivals and Class 5A Jeffco League foes schools separated by 3.4 miles will square off against at least twice more this season in conference games. A-West and Ralston Valley are scheduled for league games Jan. 23 (at Ralston Valley) and Feb. 21 (at A-West).

    “We want to play the best to make ourselves better,” Conrad said of the quality of the tournament that featured 5A’s No. 3 ranked squad in Rangeview that placed fifth. “Three Jeffco teams in here and hopefully it will make us all better so Jeffco can make a deeper run in the state tournament.”

    The Wildcats and Mustangs will both dive into league play next Tuesday, Dec. 17. A-West will hit the road to face a strong Lakewood squad. The Mustangs host defending 5A League champion Chatfield. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m.

    [divider]

    D’Evelyn wins third place

    D'Evelyn senior Ty McGee, left, threads a pass over Montbello junior Troy Green (0) and Karamoka Cisse (10) during the third-place game of the Ralston Roundup tournament at Ralston Valley High School. D'Evelyn defeated Montbello 79-70. (Dennis Pleuss)
    D’Evelyn senior Ty McGee, left, threads a pass over Montbello junior Troy Green (0) and Karamoka Cisse (10) during the third-place game of the Ralston Roundup tournament at Ralston Valley High School. D’Evelyn defeated Montbello 79-70. (Dennis Pleuss)

    The D’Evelyn Jaguars won the third-place game with a 79-70 victory against Montbello.

    “Montbello is really talented. I think they will be really good later in the year,” D’Evelyn coach Troy Pachner said. “That was a great win for us.”

    Ty McGee (23 points) and Grant Witherspoon (20 points) led the way for the Jaguars.

    D’Evelyn, ranked No. 9 in this week’s CHSAANow.com 4A boys basketball poll, has had a rollercoaster of a season so far. The Jaguars slipped to 4A Jeffco rival Golden last week in the D’Evelyn/Golden Preview Classic championship game, but rebounded quickly with a victory against 5A’s No. 3-ranked Rangeview in the first round of the Ralston Roundup.

    A loss Thursday to A-West in the semifinals of the tournament moved the Jaguars into the third-place game.

    “It’s been peaks and valleys,” said McGee, who was named to the all-tournament team. “We’ve just need to keep going steady.”

    [divider]

    All-Tournament Team

    D’Evelyn senior Ty McGee
    Rock Canyon junior Mitchell Lombard
    Rangeview senior Jeremiah Paige
    Arvada West junior Thomas Neff
    Ralston Valley sophomore Dallas Walton

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