The top-seeded Eagles (23-4 record) defeated rival Golden for the third time this season in the first of four boys 4A and 5A state semifinal games Friday night at the Denver Coliseum. Valor took a double-digit lead midway through the second quarter and didn’t look back winning 85-55.
Valor senior Jalen Sanders had a complete game leading the way with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks.
“Our motto has been ‘refuse to lose’. We have to be willing to do anything and everything to win the game,” Sanders said. “We just want to win.”
(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Sanders, and fellow seniors Kayle Knuckles (16 points) and Dylan McCaffrey (15 points) were all in double-digit points through three quarters as the Eagles stretched their lead to 59-35 headed to the fourth quarter.
Valor also got strong play from guards Keisan Crosby (8 points), Austin Remus (8 points) and Michael Karsten (7 points)
“When everyone is scoring it’s just fun basketball,” Sanders said. “It’s a better way to play.”
McCaffrey didn’t play the entire second quarter after suffering a cut above his left eye when trying to take a charge on Golden junior Adam Thistlewood. The University of Michigan-bound quarterback had no fear taking it inside after getting patched up and having his bloody jersey changed to #23. He finished 9-of-10 from the free-throw line busting it inside and getting to the charity stripe.
“I guess it kind of made me mad,” McCaffrey said. “We were prepared and ready. We knew (Golden) would come out and fight. It doesn’t get any better than playing your biggest rival in the Final 4.”
Valor swept 4A Jeffco League rival Golden during the home-and-away conference games during the regular season. Sanders scored 48 points in the previous two victories over the Demons.
(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Golden’s duo of senior Kayden Sund (16 points) and Thistlewood (18 points) just wasn’t enough against the depth and determination of Valor.
“This is their third year here and (Valor) is definitely on a mission,” Golden coach John Anderson said. “They weren’t celebrating. This isn’t the one they wanted. They want the next one (championship game Saturday).”
Valor returns to the 4A championship game for the second straight season under second-year coach Troy Pachner. The Eagles will face the winner of Lewis-Palmer/Pueblo South at 3 p.m. Saturday back at the Coliseum.
“Last year we couldn’t finish it off. I think we have it this year,” Sanders said. “Lewis-Palmer and Pueblo South are both really good teams, but I think we’ll win.”
The Eagles are 0-2 in championship games with losses in 2016 and 2013.
Valor came into the state semifinal game riding a 14-game winning streak. The Eagles have also been motivated from its loss in the 4A state championship game to Pueblo West last season.
“It’s still fresh in our minds,” McCaffrey said of last year’s title loss. “We are just going to work to make it different this year.”
Golden (19-8) had playoff success against teams it had lost to during the regular season. The Demons lost to Holy Family in a non-league game before winter break and dropped a pair of 4A Jeffco League games against Evergreen.
However, Golden defeated Holy Family 57-31 on the Tigers’ home court in the Sweet 16 and knocked out rival Evergreen in the Great 8 last Saturday.
Despite finishing fourth in the toughest 4A conference — including back-to-back losses to Evergreen and D’Evelyn entering the state tournament — Golden advanced to its first Final 4 in 12 years.
The Demons last appearance in the state title came was in 1954. Golden has never won a boys basketball title.
Golden should be right back in the mix next season after graduating just one senior. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
GREELEY — The Heritage Christian girls basketball team boasts a 23-2 record.
The two losses? Both came against Fleming, a scrappy group with ample amounts of championship experience from winning the Class 1A volleyball state crown in the fall. A 39-37 1A girls basketball semifinals sneak-by pushed the Wildcats into a volleyball finals rematch against undefeated Kit Carson.
“I’ve been to two state championships in volleyball, but have never been to one in basketball,” junior forward Alli Keisel said. “Kit Carson is such a good team and I’m so glad we get to play them again.”
After pulling through against Heritage Christian 67-55 in the District 4 championship game on February 25, the Eagles came out with plenty of momentum in round two. The offensive prowess of senior Sarah McGinley (20.6 points per game, 6.4 assists, 9.8 rebounds, 3.8 steals, 1.9 blocks) was evident. She started the game with 12 of her team’s 14 points as Heritage Christian took a two-point lead after the first quarter.
Then, Fleming tied it at 20 at halftime. Point guard Kalyn Serrato breathed life into her team throughout, as she does so often in games, with two three-pointers in the opening quarter and 11 points in the first half.
The Wildcats held a slim 29-28 lead after three frames. Defensive pressure intensified for Fleming and McGinley only scored five points after the first quarter, a major reason why the Wildcats were able to advance to the title game.
With two and a half minutes remaining, Serrato had a basket to give Fleming a 36-34 lead. McGinley made a deuce at the line to tie the game with 1:27 left. A well-executed inbounds play gave Shaylee Johnson a layup for Fleming with 41 seconds left. Jenn Stellingwerf (nine points) was fouled with 2.3 seconds left and made one of two free throws to pull the Eagles within 38-37.
A foul by Heritage Christian sent Keisel to the line and she made one and missed one. Keisel stole the full-court inbounds and Heritage Christian was knocked out of their first-ever Final 4 in girls basketball.
Serrato led the Wildcats with 15 points, while Keisel finished with eight.
Fleming will be appearing in their fifth girls basketball title game. They lost the A-II final to Ridgway in 1982 and the 1983 final to Norwood, but beat Ridgway in 1981 to claim the A-II crown. They also reached the final game in 1A in 2011, a narrow 40-37 loss to Simla.
Title No. 2 is on the line for Fleming against Kit Carson at 4 p.m. at Budweiser Events Center in Loveland on Saturday. The Wildcats (24-1) lost to Kit Carson 55-44 on February 4, but are confident they can avenge their only loss of the season.
“What killed us against them was our backside defense, but mostly we just need to play our game,” Keisel said.
Heritage Christian, led by Colorado Christian University commit McGinley and her 17 points, will face South Baca in the third-place game at noon.
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(1) Kit Carson 59, (4) South Baca 37
For the second consecutive season, Kit Carson girls basketball entered the Class 1A state tournament as a prohibitive favorite to claim the crown with an unblemished record.
In 2016, the Wildcats’ perfect season was spoiled by eighth-seeded South Baca in the Great 8. Again the top seed, Kit Carson was facing upset-minded South Baca in the semifinals on Friday at the University of Northern Colorado’s Bank of Colorado Arena.
This time, Kit Carson rode a 10-0 opening run all the way to a 59-37 victory over the Patriots to advance to their first state championship game in girls hoops.
The Wildcats are brimming with skilled underclassmen — seven of 10 players on the roster are sophomores or freshmen — and all four leading scorers from 2016 returned. On top of that, Kit has six players standing between five-foot-ten and six-foot-two, an unusually tall team in 1A.
While Kit Carson has a bevy of weapons, which includes the Isenbart sister trio of Micayla, Reyna and Olivia (all average nine points per game), one Wildcat topped the rest Friday as 6-foot sophomore Tess Hornung was a matchup nightmare.
Proving her worth as a top contender for 1A player of the year honors, Hornung finished with 25 points. Reyna Isenbart chipped in 12 as the tandem controlled the inside.
“We definitely have a really big team,” Hornung, averaging 14.2 points per game, said. “I know it intimidates some other teams.”
Kit Carson (24-0) has reached the state tournament four seasons in succession. They have a tremendous 72-2 record in the past three years combined. The school has claimed three state championships, one in volleyball and two in boys basketball.
History will be on the line for the girls hoops program on Saturday at 4 p.m. when they take on Fleming.
“I love being part of a legacy,” Hornung grinned. “Kit Carson for so long has gotten close. We finally get a chance to do it.”
For South Baca (20-4), senior guard Bree-ann Carwin entered Friday as 1A’s leading scorer (21.9 points per game) but was held in check with only four points. Backcourt mate Brittany Guthrie finished with 17 points with 14 of them coming after the break. The Patriots will face Heritage Christian in the third-place game at noon on Saturday.
DENVER — Don’t tell Drew Blomberg that it’s tough to shoot at the Denver Coliseum.
The senior point guard knocked down three clutch 3-pointers to spark Lewis-Palmer in its 58-45 win over Pueblo South in the Class 4A Final 4.
As a result, the Rangers have a hot Saturday date with Valor Christian, where the 4A boys basketball title will be on the line. The Eagles are looking for their first state title in program history while the Rangers are searching for their first since 2013.
Lewis-Palmer was able to pull away somewhat in the second half, but it was the Colts who started with a hot hand, jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead. Rangers senior Billy Cook ended the run with an inside bucket.
“They weren’t letting us get easy looks in the paint,” Rangers coach Bill Benton said. “We just kind of stuck with and continued to attack.”
Recognizing the ebb and flow of the game, Benton knew that that his guys needed something – just that little spark – to swing the momentum in their direction.
It was Cook who got the Lewis-Palmer crowd rowdy after a back door alley-oop that put a charge into the Rangers offense.
“It’s not necessarily our go-to play when we need a bucket,” Cook said. “But coach realizes the game goes up and down with energy so if we need a little energy he usually calls it.”
Cook ended his night with 12 points. It was Eli Burkett who led the Rangers overall with 14 points.
For most of the game, South had to lean on the athleticism of Marcell Barbee. The junior ended his night with 13 points for the Colts. He scored nine in the first half and continued to produce early in the second half with two more early baskets.
Deshiloh Stanley led all scorers with 18 points on the night.
There was one key difference in scoring methods between the two teams. The Rangers were able to connect from the behind the arc while the Colts couldn’t.
Blomberg made three triples in the first half, the last of which came at the halftime buzzer, giving Lewis-Palmer a 26-22 lead. He finished with 13 on the night, shooting just under 50 percent from the field in a building that can give even the most accurate sharpshooters fits.
“I have heard that,” Blomberg said. “I had my open shots and I took them. The way their zone was set up, they compacted it inside so I knew we were going to get open looks from the perimeter.”
Tonay Aragon finally ended the Pueblo South long range drought with a 3-pointer midway through the third quarter, but the Rangers were able to maintain their scoring pace and lean on their defense, which they’ve successfully done since Jan. 11.
The Colts came into the Final 4 averaging 61 points per game on offense. But through the entire playoff run, the Rangers have proven to be a tough team to score against consistently.
“Our goal is to hold teams to 11 points per quarter,” Benton said.
They missed that goal by a point, but they’ll take it as long as they have the opportunity to follow through tomorrow.
They extended the lead to six points several different times in the third quarter before finally getting over the hump and pulling away in the fourth.
And as long as they’re able to play that lockdown defense that has plagued their opponents for the back half of the season, the school trophy case might be a little more full come Monday morning.
“(It’ll be a) big test tomorrow for our defense,” Cook said. “It’s going to be a physical game, but we’re excited. We’re just going to stick to what we’ve done all year, just focus on us.”
DENVER — Tre Pierce had possibly the biggest block of his life in the Class 5A Final 4.
With about a minute left in the game, Pierce blocked a shot, then ran the floor to get an offensive rebound and the putback lay-in to give George Washington a three-point lead.
“Tre was huge,” coach Reggie Hammons said. “He was the reason we won this game.”
The Patriots rode the momentum from Pierce to a 61-56 win. He ended with 17 points and four rebounds.
“We just had to stay poised and trust each other,” Pierce said.
The points for George Washington came in the paint. The Patriots had 26 points in the paint to ThunderRidge’s eight. Pierce guarded the hoop and altered numerous Grizzly shots on the defensive end. On the offensive end, Pierce followed up missed shots with putback buckets and rebounds.
“Head fake, bounce pass was the key,” Hammons said. “When we start bounce passing, that’s when we start getting the ball to the middle and we can attack.”
George Washington played a chippy brand of defense, pressuring ThunderRidge at all times, forcing nine turnovers.
ThunderRidge was held to 19.2 percent shooting in the first half. Two players besides Kaison Hammonds made a field goal in the half.
Every time George Washington looked to be making a run, ThunderRidge found a way to answer. Hammonds went toe to toe with Jon’il Fugett during the first quarter to quell a Patriot run. The two traded threes right in the face of each other.
George Washington closed out the first quarter on a 5-0 run. They broke through again to stretch the lead to 22-12 with 6:32 after a three point basket swished through the net, forcing a ThunderRidge timeout at the end of an 11-3 run.
“We stayed aggressive and used our advantage in how quick and athletic we are,” Pierce said. “I used my height and length.”
Hammonds swished a three right out of the timeout. His 13 in the first half kept ThunderRidge in the game. He ended with a game-high 27.
ThunderRidge just wouldn’t go away.
“That was exciting. I knew coming in they could be very disciplined,” Hammons said. “They’re a second half team and we had a couple turnovers to let them back in the game and change the momentum.”
Casey Fowler hit a buzzer beater jumper to cut the lead to 44-39 and extend an 11-0 ThunderRidge run after Calvin Fugett fouled out with four seconds left in the third quarter.
“It hurt us big time,” Hammons said on Fugett fouling out. “But the bench came in, Shawn’Trell stepped up and guarded him.”
A technical foul was called with 6:05 in the fourth quarter. ThunderRidge sent Kaison Hammonds to the line.
Hammonds nailed both free throws and suddenly the lead was just one for George Washington.
The Grizzlies were able to briefly take the lead in the fourth quarter, but as was the case all night, the Patriots fought back. An alley-oop to Pierce gave George Washington enough of a cushion to hang on and advance to Saturday’s championship game.
It will be George Washington’s first appearance in a state title game since 2009.
“We’re just focused on state now,” Pierce said.
Quick highlights: George Washington boys basketball wins a thriller over ThunderRidge to advance to the 5A championship. #coprepspic.twitter.com/f35SMBOnpv
GREELEY — Three was the magic number in a barn burner of a game between Holly and Kit Carson.
Holly was looking for a third win this season over Kit Carson. On Friday in the Class 1A Final 4 at the University of Northern Colorado’s Bank of Colorado Arena, a pair of free throws by sophomore forward Kobe Davis with 44 seconds left tied the game at 42 and forced overtime after a three-point miss by Kit.
Then, the game passed one overtime with neither team scoring. Holly’s Marshall Pierce had a look at three that fell short at the buzzer. In the second overtime, each team tallied two points, Brad Johnson had a two for Kit and Yaniel Vidal made both free throws, as the game went to a third overtime.
In triple overtime, Holly gained possession and stalled for the final few minutes with the contest still knotted at 44. Then, setting up a play out of a timeout, the Wildcats found Sigi Avalos open in the corner. The senior did the rest.
“We honestly just wanted to look for the best shot,” Avalos said. “We stalled for about three minutes, then coach called a play. We were hoping to hit the shot and we hit it.”
“A couple shots didn’t feel good, but that one did.”
Avalos’ game-winning trifecta earned Holly (24-0) the opportunity to play for a second state title in three years. In a grind of a game, with defenses forcing each team out of their comfort zones, the group in red and black was able to win three-of-three times this season over Kit Carson (18-6).
The 47-44 semifinals victory came one season after falling to Shining Mountain in the semis. Holly’s two other appearances in a boys basketball title game came in 2015, a 33-32 win over Fleming, and 1951, a Class B victory over Sanford. Holly has claimed 15 overall state championships in sports.
Yaniel Vidal was the high-point man for either side with 20, but he was mostly cold after halftime with only seven after the break. Vidal (20.9 points per game this season) was already the leading scorer for Holly as a sophomore for the title team. Avalos, who averages 11.9 points, has been a key piece for three years as well and contributed 15 points. Chandler Rushton chipped in eight.
When Kit was going offensively, runs were typically led by Jaxon Crawford (19 points) and Brad Johnson (13), the only two in double figures.
Holly will face Cheyenne Wells in the title game Saturday at 5:30 p.m at Budweiser Events Center in Loveland. Kit Carson will play Fleming in the third-place game.
From 1953-55, Cheyenne Wells reached three consecutive Class B state title games in boys basketball. They lost to Fort Lupton the first season, then won back-to-back crowns over Fort Lupton and Palisade.
On Friday evening at the University of Northern Colorado’s Bank of Colorado Arena, the Tigers took out defending champion Fleming 49-34 in a stifling defensive effort in the 1A semifinals.
After all these years, if Cheyenne Wells defeats Holly on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, they will claim their first boys basketball state championship since 1955.
Talk about a monumental opportunity.
Against Fleming, the Tigers were relentless defensively against star guard Jaxon King. Last season’s 1A player of the year could barely find breathing room as Cheyenne Wells contested perimeter looks and drives throughout.
“Jaxon King is a great player,” senior Peyton Halde, a physical presence in the paint, said. “We just had to limit him as best we could. That was really the key to the game for us.”
King only scored three points the first three frames before tallying seven in the fourth quarter when the game was just about out of reach. For Fleming, after overcoming a stretch of six consecutive losses in the regular season to still become one of the four remaining teams in 1A, the Wildcats finally buckled. Cheyenne Wells knocked Fleming back early and applied pressure throughout.
The home crowd from Cheyenne Wells, making the over 200-mile drive from the eastern edge of Colorado, had plenty to cheer about in a game mostly controlled by the Tigers. Halde (12 points) and fellow senior Jaime Huerta (nine) led the way in the first quarter, but everyone who checked in contributed.
Quade Pelton (eight), Kendall Pelton (10) and Craig Smith (five) all helped in the scoring department as Cheyenne Wells held a 17-10 lead after the opening quarter. The Tigers rode a 26-20 halftime lead, but junior guard Matthew Tanner (19 points) kept Fleming within striking distance.
The only problem for the Wildcats was as soon as Fleming would garner momentum, Cheyenne Wells (22-2) would snatch it right back. The second-seeded Tigers pushed the lead to 34-23 going into the fourth and never let Fleming back in the game.
The last time Cheyenne Wells reached the state tournament, back in 2014 when they lost to eventual champion Hi-Plains in the Final Four, Kendall Pelton was a freshman already averaging over double-figures. He was named second team all-state as a junior. Peyton Halde had to bide his time just a touch longer.
“This was my first time playing here,” he said. “We made it my freshman year, but I wasn’t good enough yet to get in.”
Now the team is good enough to get into the final game. Cheyenne Wells lost at home to Holly 60-50 on February 9. Holly is perfect on the season with a 24-0 record. The only other time Cheyenne Wells has reached a boys hoops title game since 1955 was 2002 when Jefferson Academy won 2A.
Fleming (16-10), seeded sixth, will face Kit Carson in the third place game on Saturday.
DENVER — At this time each year, John Olander can’t help but watch ESPN 30 for 30’s Survive and Advance. He can’t help it.
But Saturday night, he lived it.
After failing to take the lead in the final seconds of regulation, Eaglecrest took to overtime and erased a four-point Rock Canyon lead. With five seconds remaining, an inbounds pass went to Josh Walton, who was fouled on his shot attempt. With 0.8 seconds left, he had two chances to take the lead.
He missed the first free throw, but drained the second and the Raptors came away with a 61-60 win.
“That first one was off by six inches to the left,” Walton said. “I couldn’t miss the second one. I’m usually a pretty good free throw shooter.”
All he needed to be at that moment was 50 percent.
The Raptors survived and now they advance to Saturday, where a showdown with George Washington looms in the Class 5A state championship game.
“I sat the other night, up late, because I saw (the 30 for 30) was on,” Olander said. “Every year when I see it on, I watch it because it reminds you that anything can happen. And tonight is an indication of that. You think you’re down and you’re out and you have some guys make some plays for you.”
It was going to take some time, but it would eventually happen.
The early flow of the game was very much not in Eaglecrest’s favor. After narrowly beating Grandview last Saturday, the Jaguars looked to prove that they belonged. And Sam Masten was the guy leading that charge.
He scored a game-high 34 points and did everything humanly possible to will his team to the championship game.
“I’ve been so impressed with them and I’m so proud of them,” Rock Canyon coach Kent Grams said. “It takes a lot to get to where these guys are and nothing should be taken away from them. Eaglecrest is a good team.”
The early shooting spree from Masten and Tyson Gilbert put the Raptors in a quick hole.
Gilbert’s two first-half 3-pointers came early, but were they ever so timely. The last of which came as the clock was running out in the first quarter, opening up a five-point point lead.
They went into halftime with an eight-point lead, but the Raptors came out in the second half knowing they had to find a way to counter Masten’s dominance.
“Sam Masten is a great player and attacks the basket well,” Colbey Ross said. “The moments we needed to show up, we did.”
Late in the fourth quarter, in the most clutch of situations, it wasn’t a big guy who made a play. It wasn’t a role guy that made a play. It was the guy who made the play.
Walton had broken free on a fast break and was able to sink his shot while getting fouled. His free throw was off, but a hustle play by Eaglecrest got the ball into the hands of Ross. The senior guard drained a 3-pointer to give Eaglecrest a two-point lead, sending the student section into a frenzy.
But the Jaguars weren’t going to just sit by and watch. They got the ball into the hands Masten. He tied the game, Eaglecrest had a chance to win but couldn’t convert and off to overtime they went.
“It was survivor’s instinct,” Ross said. “I never panicked. I knew me and my teammates would step up.”
Ross got the Raptors a quick basket from Ross, but Masten again proved to be problematic. He continued to attack the basket and scored five of the Jaguars’ six points in the extra period.
Down 60-56, Eaglecrest needed another rally and Ross once again provided the spark. He scored two quick baskets to tie the game and a Rock Canyon turnover put the ball back the Raptors hands for the final fives seconds.
“The play was to get a couple of screens for Colbey,” Walton said. “They were just playing off me.”
Walton got the ball, got fouled and put his him team into the title game.
Which also means one last game for both the seniors and Olander who has said he won’t return to Eaglecrest next year.
But that’s not the focus that he wants for this team.
“We wanted one more game, but not for me,” Olander said. “I’m not even thinking about that. I’m just thinking about the next game and these guys deserve everything that I have this year and not think about being done.”
LOVELAND – David Reed and Bob Rahm met at mid-court for a handshake and an exchange of some friendly words that were likely tough to hear.
To say the two are familiar with one another would be an understatement. The Wray (Reed) and Yuma (Rahm) girls basketball coaches were playing each other for the fifth time this season on Friday night at the Budweiser Events Center, in a burning rivalry that had the added gasoline of the Class 2A state semifinals on the line.
It was Wray that improved its record within the rivalry this season, now 3-2, in a 46-44 thriller to knock off the defending champion Indians. Reed’s team and their fans were busy letting our ear-piercing screams of celebration when he was congratulated by Rahm.
“You have no idea how good this feels. Yuma-Wray is always something else. We’re close location-wise and performance-wise,” Reed said. “It’s an honor to play them. They’re a solid team with a great coach.”
All throughout the first half, it looked like Yuma (23-4) would be returning for a championship rematch from a year ago, as Paonia had already punched its ticket there earlier in the evening.
The Indians began dominant on defense, limiting the Eagles to just four points in the opening quarter. On the other end of the court, Yuma’s Cody Robinson couldn’t be slowed down as she finished leading all scorers and half of her team’s points, 23.
But Wray (19-6) returned with a strong second-half run that finally provided its first lead of the game midway through the third quarter.
“It was our aggression that started that change for us,” Reed said. “Once we started taking some of it out, we started knocking down shots and getting into the flow.”
The two teams went on to exchange leads four more times in the fourth quarter. And when Wray started to pull farther away, Yuma began fouling – which sent the Eagles to the line for a total of 16 free throws in the final frame.
Coming through under the circumstances was Wray’s Peyton Pecar, who sunk eight of her 11 free throws to finish with 12 points.
“She struggled early, but we trust her,” Reed said. “She started to come through really well at the end and really helped secure that one for us.”
Paige Beckman finished as Wray’s leading scorer with 16 points. Yuma’s Chasey Blach added to Robinson’s high-scoring performance with 12 points of her own.
Wray and Paonia will play in the championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday. Yuma will face Del Norte in the third-place game at noon.
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(2) Paonia 49, (3) Del Norte 48
(Quentin Sickafoose/CHSAANow.com)
The Eagles are back in a familiar spot.
For the second season in a row, Paonia (24-0) will be playing for a state championship title. But it took a nerve-wracking semifinal win before they could get there. The Eagles and Tigers never got too far away from one another, and the 1-point difference in the final score illustrates exactly how things played out coming down the final stretch.
After surrendering its first lead near the end of the third quarter, Paonia began to climb back thanks to the strong second-half performance from Sophia Anderson. Seventeen of her game-high 22 points were poured in after halftime, including nine in the final quarter.
“Last year we finished second in the state tournament. Since then, it’s been about ‘This is our year’, and we’re going for it,” Anderson said. “It’s been our drive all season.”
Although still undefeated and only one win away from finishing off a perfect season, Anderson said that her team’s push in the state tournament means much more. The possibility of revenge against the Yuma team that defeated them in the title game a year prior was what they had in mind, but things didn’t pan out that way.
“It’s the rematch we want,” Anderson said before the Yuma-Wray semifinal game later in the evening. “But if (Wray) pulls through, we’ll be ready for them, too.”
Emily Peiper added to the Eagles’ offensive effort with 13 points. Kendra Parra led Del Norte (16-9) in scoring with 14 points, while Bailey Jones and Kathleen Martinez also reached double figures with 13 and 12, respectively.
No matter the result of Saturday’s title game, it will be the final one for Anderson and the three other Paonia seniors.
“It’s going to be tough, that last game,” she said. “But if we give it all we’ve got when we walk off the floor, that’s all we can ask for.”
