CHSAANow

Month: March 2014

  • 3A girls basketball semifinal roundup: Defense leads Pagosa Springs

    AIR FORCE ACADEMY — The Pagosa Springs girls basketball team struggled mightily to find the bottom of the net in the first half of Friday’s Class 3A state semifinal game.

    Fortunately for the Pirates, according to coach Wes Lewis, their defense kept it close against Sterling.

    That allowed Pagosa Springs to creep back in the third quarter and overtake the Tigers in the fourth en route to a 41-29 victory.

    “I felt our defense kept us in the game,” Lewis said.

    While the Pirates hit just three of 19 field goal tries through the first two quarters, they held Sterling to just 17 points to stay within striking distance, trailing by six at the half.

    Then Taylor Strohecker took over.

    The Pirates’ 6-2 senior post went to work underneath, scoring three quick baskets to help Pagosa Springs pull to within one.

    “My mind-set was, we are not going to lose this game,” Strohecker said.

    When Emily Bryant hit a jumper 35 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Pirates had their first lead since early in the first.

    Back to that defense, it held Sterling to just four field goals in 20 tries  in the second half.

    Or, as Lewis implored his team, “Get a stop, get a score – get a stop, get a score.”

    That allowed the Pirates top slowly pull away.

    “We just held our composure,” said Strohecker, who finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.

    “We had some kids step up and make plays,” said Lewis, who feels confident going eight deep in his rotation.

    For the Pirates, it’s all about taking home the gold bold, symbolic of the state title. They get their chance at 4:30 Saturday evening.

    [divider]

    Holy Family 54, Lamar 45

    The Tigers had their hands full in their quest for the school’s sixth state title in seven years.

    The Savages were within four points with 1:18 remaining before Holy Family, which had struggled from the free throw line, began hitting charity shots.

    Lamar stayed close when Tigers point guard Katie Chavez got in foul trouble in the second quarter. That’s when her sister Lindsey took over.

    “That’s one good thing about Katie and I,” Lindsey said. “When one of us isn’t working right the other picks it up.”

    The senior point guard did so to the tune of 22 points, including four crucial free throws in the final quarter.

    Katie Chavez stayed out of foul trouble in the second half long enough to chip in 17.

    Lamar got a solid effort from Taylor Wertz, who scored 16 points.

    The style of Lamar kept the Tigers off balance.

    “It caught us off guard how physical it was,” Lindsey Chavez said.

    “We found a way to keep our lead,” Holy Family coach Ron Rossi said.

    That was due in part to Claudia Pena, who pulled down eight rebounds and, more importantly, helped bring the ball up the court with Katie Chavez sidelined for half the game in foul trouble.

  • 3A boys basketball semifinal roundup: Holy Family steps up to challenge

    AIR FORCE ACADEMY — The Holy Family boys basketball team knew it had a tall challenge — literally — against Colorado Springs Christian in Friday’s Class 3A boys semifinal.

    The Tigers stepped up to the challenge, mainly by hitting their outside shots as they defeated the Lions 59-51 to advance to Saturday evening’s state championship game.

    “We shot well from the outside,” Holy Family senior forward Devlin Granberg said, understating the case.

    He was among the chief contributors, hitting a trio of 3-pointers en route to 11 points.

    The game plan wasn’t to avoid the Lions’ tall front line.

    “We just took what they gave us,” Granberg said. “I’m just fortunate they fell.”

    He got some help. Luke Golter had three trifectas, all coming in the second quarter as the Tigers pulled away, on the way to 15 points.

    “Luke’s been filling it,” Tigers coach Pete Villecco said.

    “Coach says we have good shooters in the gym,” Granberg said, and they have the green light to shoot from the outside when open.

    The Tigers realize any championship opponent will be a challenge.

    “They’ll be ready to go (Saturday) night,” Villecco promised.

    [divider]

    Colorado Academy 66, Faith Christian 46

    The Mustangs ran away with the game in the second quarter, extending a 16-9 lead to 30-12 in a 3 1/2-minute span.

    Colorado Academy was especially effective from beyond the arc, connecting on 11 3-pointers. Jack Buckmelter and Justin Bassey tied for game-high scoring honors with 20 points apiece.

    “We’ve got four great shooters,” Mustangs coach Steve Hyatt said, counting his son Christian and Chris Kuelling among them.

    “We just thought if we do what we do we’d be OK,” said Buckmelter.

    It was Colorado Academy’s third victory over Faith Christian this season.

    “I’ve got all the respect in the world for them,” Steve Hyatt said of the Eagles’ program.

    Colorado Academy and Holy Family met once during the regular season, with the Tigers winning by four at their house.

    “I think we’re going to be a lot better prepared,” Buckmelter said.

  • Photos: 5A boys basketball semifinals at CU

    BOULDER — The Class 5A boys basketball final four was held at the University of Colorado’s Coors Events Center on Friday.

    Go to:

    [divider]

    Denver East 77, Overland 65

    Fossil Ridge 79, Mountain Vista 62

  • 1A girls basketball semifinal roundup: Caliche moves to title game

    (Brock Laue)
    (Brock Laue)

    LOVELAND — The Caliche girls basketball team, the No. 1 seed in the Class 1A state tournament, has lived by a quote by the greatest baseball player in history this season.

    Babe Ruth once said, “It’s hard to beat a team that never gives up.” The Buffaloes embodied that mindset this season and it’s led them all the way to the state championship game after a 54-36 semifinal victory over Briggsdale on Friday evening.

    The game was a rematch of a contest on Jan. 25.

    Caliche won that one 49-42, a game the Falcons controlled the tempo in. Similarly, Briggsdale slowed the game down Friday night and took Caliche out of what they do best, push the pace and score in transition.

    “That’s what they did earlier this year when we played them,” junior forward Jessica Taylor said of Briggsdale’s pace.

    Caliche led 22-17 in a hard-nosed first half full of defense. The Buffaloes pulled away slowly but surely in a grind it out game with solid free-throw shooting and their great defensive guards forcing numerous turnovers.

    Caliche coach David Huss was pleased with his team’s poise in the semifinals.

    “I think they did a heck of a job defensively of getting us out of our game,” Huss said about Briggsdale. “The thing that I was happiest with for our girls, even though we weren’t playing the up-tempo pace, we never really got rattled. We maintained that lead all the way through and never allowed them any big runs.”

    “They’re a very similar team to us and we battled with them earlier in the season in a very similar game to that,” Huss added. “They’re a well coached team, they’re hard playing, they’ve got good big girls, and they’ve got great guards.”

    Huss was the coach last time the girls program at Caliche reached the title game back in 2001 when they finished as state runner-up.

    “It’s a good feeling and a great opportunity for our team,” Huss said.

    Caliche will seek their fourth state title in girls basketball and their first since 1986 when they take on No. 2 seeded Norwood on Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m.

    If the Buffaloes keep displaying the toughness the Great Bambino once talked about, they could earn that 1A crown.

    “We use that quote by Babe Ruth all the time,” Huss said. “’It’s hard to beat a team that never gives up.’ That’s kind of our motto and that’s how we play.”

    [divider]

    Norwood 53, Eads 32

    Norwood held a 14-9 first quarter lead in the first final four game of the night at the Budweiser Events Center and never looked back.

    Lucia Vlukova, a talented junior with size and scoring ability, tallied 18 points and Tracee Campbell and Jordan Williams chipped in 11 points each.

    Eads will face Briggsdale in the third-place game at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.

    The Mavericks will look to earn their second girls basketball state title. Their last one came in 1983. Norwood has also been state runner-up twice, 1986 and 2012. They will play Caliche in the title game on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

  • 1A boys basketball semifinal roundup: Caliche beats McClave

    (Logan Borgmann)
    (Logan Borgmann)

    LOVELAND — The expectations for the Caliche boys basketball program are as sky high as any boys program in Colorado. They are used to claiming the Class 1A title.

    The Buffaloes placed fourth last season after winning four consecutive state championships, but looked hungry to start another run in a 60-22 thrashing of McClave, the defending state champions, on Friday evening in the semifinals.

    “We knew they lost some players and they probably weren’t as strong as last year, but they’re the defending champions,” Caliche coach Derek Weingardt said after the game. “We knew that stood in our way and we wanted to take them down.”

    (Logan Borgmann)
    (Logan Borgmann)

    Caliche jumped on the Cardinals 7-0 early and McClave didn’t score the first five minutes of the contest. Before they knew what hit them, the Buffaloes roared to a 34-9 halftime lead with smothering defense.

    “Nine points at halftime was an awesome achievement in a semifinal matchup,” Weingardt said.

    Caliche’s high-paced style and defensive guards led a powerful attack that cruised to the state championship game. Weingardt said they are extra hungry for a victory Saturday.

    “They know what it was like to lose last year and losing a state championship football game (this past fall),” Weingardt noted. “They’re sick of losing, so they are out to get it. They’ve got some fire underneath them.”

    McClave will play Cheyenne Wells in the third-place game on Saturday at 4 p.m.

    Caliche, now 23-2, moves on to face 22-2 Hi-Plains for all the marbles Saturday night at 7 p.m.

    [divider]

    Hi-Plains 58, Cheyenne Wells 51

    In a fast-paced one, Hi-Plains jumped on Cheyenne Wells from the get go with a barrage of three-pointers and held a 22-18 halftime lead.

    Cheyenne Wells held tough throughout, but Justin Miltenberger (17 points), Avery Marzolf (15 points), and Alex Nelson (12 points) were too much for the Tigers to overcome.

    The Patriots claimed the 1A state championship in 2006 and 2008 and were runners-up in 2007. They will face the top boys program in the classification, Caliche, in the final game on Saturday at 7 p.m.

  • Denver East shows depth in 5A boys semifinal win over Overland

    Denver East Overland boys basketball
    More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    BOULDER — Denver East needed all hands on deck Friday night at the Coors Events Center in Boulder to advance to its second straight Class 5A boys basketball title game.

    Playing a young but talented Overland squad, the Angels took a 77-65 victory to advance to the 5A title game scheduled for an 8:30 p.m. tipoff Saturday in Boulder.

    “Biggest game of our lives so far,” Denver East senior Ronnie Harrell said of the Angels getting back to the title game. “Everyone knows what happened last year. We don’t want that feeling again.”

    Denver East will attempt to atone for last year’s disappointment of losing in the 5A championship game to Eaglecrest by 19 points.

    “When we lost last year we heard it from everybody that we are a talented team, but we can’t win a championship,” Denver East senior Dominique Collier said. “That was our motivation. We want to tell everybody we can win.”

    Collier, who officially signed in November to play basketball at the University of Colorado next school year, should have plenty left in the tank for his final prep basketball game. The four-year starter had to rely on his teammates to keep the Angels dreams live for the schools first hoops title since 2004.

    Collier picked up this fourth foul with 6:14 left in the third quarter and spent the next nine minutes as a spectator on the bench.

    “It was real frustrating, but I knew our team had it,” said Collier, who reentered the game with 5:11 left in the fourth quarter. “We just played well as a team.”

    With Collier on the bench, Denver East was able to extend its lead to double-digit points. Junior Brian Carey tied a season-high 23 points for the Angels. Senior Ronnie Harrell, who is headed to Creighton University next season, pitched in 20 points.

    Denver East did have to battle foul trouble with not just Collier. Senior Tyre Robinson picked up his third foul early in the second quarter and eventually fouled out with 5:37 left in the fourth quarter.

    Denver East Overland boys basketball
    More photos. (Pam Wagner)

    “We haven’t had a game like that when almost everyone is in foul trouble in the first half,” Harrell said. “I just knew we had to pull through.”

    Carey came up big scoring six points during the final minutes before halftime with the 6-foot-6 Robinson and Collier on the bench, but Carey picked up his fourth foul on an offensive charge 10 seconds before halftime.

    Carey, who is the nephew of Angels’ coach Rudy Carey, played the entire second half with four fouls. He sealed the victory with 10 points in the fourth quarter, including going 6-for-7 from the free-throw line in the final eight minutes.

    “He played smart down the stretch,” Coach Carey said of his nephew. “He took care of the ball and he has got a motor. He is a tough little guy.”

    Carey never fouled out and Collier scored five points after his return to the court in the fourth quarter to finish with 16 points on the night.

    Denver East got quality minutes from junior Jordan Willis and senior Randal Jones off the bench.

    “The guys who came in did a good job,” said Coach Carey, who will coach in his 12th championship game Saturday. “We rotated some kids in that didn’t hurt us. Jordan Willis came in and did a decent job and RJ (Randal Jones).”

    The Angels (23-4) have four losses on the season, but all to out-of-state teams.

    “We’ve played the best teams across the country. We’ve lost to some very good teams,” Coach Carey said. “Our scheduled prepared us for down the stretch and that is what it was meant to do.”

    Overland (20-7) will have plenty left to build from after advancing to the state semifinals.

    The Trailblazers started a pair of juniors and sophomores Saturday night. Junior Austin Conway led Overland with 21 points. Despite foul trouble, sophomore De’Ron Davis finished with 11 points.

  • Unbeaten Fossil Ridge races past Mountain Vista in 5A boys semis

    Fossil Ridge Mountain Vista boys basketball
    More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    BOULDER — The only thing that was missing from the start of the 5A semifinal match-up between Fossil Ridge and Mountain Vista was a celebrity telling everyone to start their engines.

    The battle for the last remaining spot in the state championship game had a feel that was more like a NASCAR race than a basketball game.

    Both teams liked to get out and run in the open court and neither was shy when it came to pulling the trigger on a shot. But in the end, it was the SaberCats who really opened up the throttle and took a step closer to finishing a perfect season. Fossil Ridge walked away with a 79-62 victory over the Golden Eagles, earning a date with the Denver East Angels Saturday night for the state championship game.

    Fossil Ridge Mountain Vista boys basketball
    More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    In the early minutes of the game, the two teams found themselves locked in a see-saw battle that saw the Golden Eagles take a three point lead at the end of the first quarter as freshman Issac Phillips put up an off-balance shot that rolled around the rim and dropped just as time expired.

    Senior Jake Pemberton, who finished with a game high 24 points, scored the first bucket of the second quarter to extend the Mountain Vista lead to five points.

    And then the SaberCats took the inside track and stepped on the gas. Evan Smith’s eight points on three consecutive possessions highlighted a 16-0 run that gave Fossil Ridge a 12-point lead and total control of the game.

    “We made some defensive adjustments and I though we really did well with that,” SaberCats coach Matt Johannsen. “We just try to worry about what we’re doing and try to be as efficient as we can. I don’t know what we shot for the game, but I thought the kids shot the ball well and the moment wasn’t too big for them.”

    What had been a three point lead for the Golden Eagles after the first quarter had turned into an 11 point deficit at halftime. The SaberCats kept their momentum in the third quarter as they were able to extend their lead to 20 points, which created problems for the Golden Eagles’ up-tempo style of play.

    “In the first quarter they kind shocked us honestly,” senior Alex Semadeni said. “In the second quarter we really buckled down defensively and I think they only scored eight points in the second quarter compared to (24) in the first. So we really focused on the defensive end.”

    The SaberCats will have to continue to shine on the defensive end as they prepare to take on one of the top players in the state in East guard Dom Collier. The Angels have been potent offensively this entire season, averaging 72 points a game, with Collier leading the charge and netting an average of 23 points each time he steps on the floor.

    Fossil Ridge Mountain Vista boys basketball
    More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    When he steps on the floor tomorrow, it will be for a chance to win a state championship on the very floor that will house his college career. The added motivation of avenging last year’s state championship loss could make Collier even more difficult to stop.

    “I don’t know if (shutting him down) is possible,” Johannsen said. “We’re going to defend him as well as we can and we’re going to try and make him work for what he gets and let the chips fall where they may.”

    If the chips fall for the SaberCats, they will have completed an undefeated season, a feat almost unheard of in today’s sports landscape. But the focus for Fossil Ridge is far from finishing undefeated, they are only interested in winning the next game, a mentality that they have carried all year.

    “(The players) are the ones that have been driving this,” Johannsen said. “They’re the ones who are saying ‘one win at a time, one practice at a time’ and they haven’t let us look forward and that’s the maturity that they have.”

    Saturday’s 5A state championship game is scheduled to tip-off at 8:30 p.m. at the Coors Events Center in Boulder.

  • Photos: Mesa Ridge girls basketball wins 4A championship

    BOULDER — Mesa Ridge won the first championship in school history on Saturday with a 45-41 win over Broomfield.

  • Mesa Ridge girls basketball claims first-ever state title in any sport

    Mesa Ridge Broomfield girls basketball
    More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    BOULDER — Mesa Ridge made history Saturday afternoon at the Coors Event Center in Boulder.

    A 45-41 victory for the Grizzlies over Broomfield in the Class 4A girls basketball championship game gave the Colorado Springs school its first team state championship in school history. It was also the first time Mesa Ridge even played in a state title game in any sport.

    “Our girls made quite a statement here today,” said Mesa Ridge coach Jeff Beatty, who sported an all-purple suit on the sideline for the Grizzlies. “You can come in once and take care of business. All the hard work they put in paid off.”

    Defense was the driving factor in Mesa Ridge upsetting the favored Eagles. Broomfield shot just 15-for-53 (28.3 percent) from the field and also struggled at the free-throw line making just 8 of 19.

    Broomfield’s defense actually kept the Eagles in the game. Mesa Ridge was forced into 22 turnovers, including 14 in the first half.

    Mesa Ridge Broomfield girls basketball
    More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    “We’ve never had 22 turnovers before, but we overcame that,” Mesa Ridge senior Samantha Rudd said. “We made up for that with our defense. Defense wins championship and we played great defense today.”

    Rudd was able to jumpstart the Grizzlies’ struggling offense in the third quarter. The 6-foot-1 senior scored 11 points in the span of four minutes during the third quarter.

    After locked in a 14-14 tie at halftime, Mesa Ridge’s run opened up a 31-22 lead with two minutes to go in the third quarter.

    “I had to come out and help my team. I wasn’t doing anything,” said Rudd, who finished with 11 points and fouled out late in the fourth quarter. “We are a second-half team and we came out and played like we always do in the second half. It was great.”

    After losing in the 4A semifinals last season in overtime to eventual champion Pueblo South, the Eagles refused to fold against Mesa Ridge. Broomfield tied the game at 33-33 with 2:50 left in the fourth quarter on a 3-point play by sophomore Brenna Chase.

    However, Mesa Ridge broke Broomfield’s full-court press on back-to-back possessions. Layups by sophomore Kylee Shook and senior Tiffani Jackson put the Grizzlies up for good.

    “They were so focused on trying trap us there way no safety,” Mesa Ridge senior Gabby Purnell said. “We just threw the ball deep and finished.”

    Another breakaway layup by Purnell with 43 seconds left put the Grizzlies up 41-35. Mesa Ridge made 4-of-6 free throws in the final seconds to keep Broomfield at bay.

    “It was a very good team win,” Beatty said. “To do it defensively and share the ball the way we did is even more special for them.”

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    More photos. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Shook led all scores with 14 points and also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. The 6-foot-4 sophomore atoned for Thursday’s semifinal game where she was just 1-for-7 shooting for two points.

    “These last few games she (Shook) hasn’t come out as strong as she usually does, but today she showed us she was ready to play and came out strong,” Rudd said. “She really helped us get going in the beginning.”

    Shook had eight points in the first half and altered several Broomfield shots on the defensive end.

    “Shook had a sophomore-type game Thursday night,” Beatty said. “Tonight she came out and flat out took care of business.”

    After dominating Class 4A by winning five straight 4A hoops titles from 2007 to 2011, Broomfield had to settle for a runner-up finish.

    “I don’t think we choked or anything like that,” Broomfield coach Mike Croell said. “We had good looks at the basket. A couple of those shots — can’t believe they didn’t stay down. Very, very frustrating.”

    The Eagles will elevate to the 5A classification next basketball season and play in the Front Range League.

    “It was just one of those nights were we ran into a very, very tough team that played great defense,” Croell said. “They had a great game plan. We picked a bad night to go cold (shooting).”

    Broomfield junior Callie Kaiser was the lone Eagle to reach double-digit points with 10. Senior Bri Wilbur and junior Nichole Lehrer each scored nine in the first loss of the season for the Eagles (27-1 record).

    Mesa Ridge (28-0) completed its undefeated season.

    “That’s what happens when you have two teams undefeated,” Croell said. “Unfortunately, one team is going to go home not happy.”

  • Regis Jesuit girls cruise to second-consecutive 5A basketball title

    Regis Jesuit Fossil Ridge girls basketball
    Photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    BOULDER — If there was any question as to just how good the Regis Jesuit Raiders were, it was answered when they held a talented Fossil Ridge team without a field goal in the first quarter.

    Senior Diani Akigbogun’s 21 points paced the Raiders to their second consecutive state championship with a 60-34 win over SaberCats Saturday at the Coors Events Center. An early 10-0 run ignited the Raiders who also kept constant pressure on Fossil Ridge defensively.

    And they were good defensively.

    A punishing first half saw Regis hold the SaberCats to only 13 points and two field goals. Fossil Ridge also committed 12 turnovers in the first two quarters, paving the way for an 18-point lead for the Raiders that would only grow in the second half.

    “That’s been one of our biggest staples all year; everyone talks about how offensive these kids are and how talented they are, but our defensive unit is fantastic,” Raider coach Carl Mattei said. “We change our presses up and we work well together. We broke the game up into eight different quarters and little games and we wanted to win each game and contest each shot.”

    The state championship for the Raiders concludes a season of dominance against Colorado teams. The Raiders faced teams from outside the state while playing in the Nike Tournament of Champions in December where they suffered one of their two losses on the season, dropping their first game of the tournament to Long Beach Poly. Their second loss came in the Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout where lost to the Incarnate Word Academy out of St. Louis.

    Regis Jesuit Fossil Ridge girls basketball
    Photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    But they owned the competition inside the state of Colorado. Their toughest game proved to be a 13-point win over Horizon back on Dec. 13. But their average margin of victory totaled out to be over 40 points a game, cementing their status as one of the most dominant teams in Colorado history.

    “It feels great, it just feels so amazing to come out here and have played with so much heart and so much passion and to come out on top,” senior Justine Hall said. “We gave it our everything out on the court, we just came ready to play and we came out on top. We knew we had to key on Savannah (Smith), one of their best players, and we just had to play really tight (defense).”

    Saturday’s win completes a four-year journey for Hall, as well as Akigbogun, Anna Ptasinski, Neffie Lockley and Kelsi Lidge who all contributed greatly to the program in their time with the Raiders.

    Mattei couldn’t ask for a better ending for those seniors, who have put together a very memorable run in their time with the program.

    “They’re just incredible. To go 101-11 and play a national schedule and with every one of these kids to go play in college, it’s a special group,” Mattei said. “It’s like my 2009 group. We had seven and went to one state, it took five years to get back but I am so proud of these kids.”

    Regis Jesuit Fossil Ridge girls basketball
    Photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    For the SaberCats, their story is far from over. Though they lose plenty of talent in Smith, they return the bulk of their team next and should be in position to contend for a state title once again.

    And while the sting of Saturday’s loss will hurt, coach Chad Salz knows that there is no shame in losing to the Raiders.

    “With six Division I players, (Regis) is pretty darn good,” SaberCats coach Chad Slaz said. “We came out scared and timid and it showed in the first quarter score. We just dug ourselves a hole and it’s hard to dig out of it the all game against a team like that.”

    For Salz and the SaberCats there’s always next year, but Saturday is all about the accomplishments for the Raiders. Taking the early lead allowed them to control the pace of the game leave little doubt as to the outcome.

    Their dominance they showed through the course of the season will become the stuff of legends when enough time has passed for reflection. But there’s plenty of time to ponder how this team will be remembered. Saturday the Regis Jesuits Raiders got enjoy being the queens of basketball in Colorado for the second straight year. And nothing can take that feeling away from them.