LAKEWOOD — It was one final time to play basketball with your friends and even some old foes on the hardwood Thursday night at the Gold Crown Fieldhouse.
“Getting to play with my teammates (McKenna Nichols and Brooklyn Seymour) one more time and play with people who have been competitors for four years was nice,” Ralston Valley senior Sydney Bevington said after the conclusion of the girls’ Jeffco High School Senior Basketball game. “We needed redemption from that last game. It felt good to get out there one last time.”
Columbine senior Adrienne Harnum tries to get a shot up over Littleton senior Avery Bergscheider during the Jeffco HS Senior Basketball Games on Thursday night at Gold Crown Fieldhouse. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Bevington didn’t what her final memory of her stellar prep basketball career be Ralston Valley’s Class 5A state quarterfinal loss to Highland Ranch on March 16. The versatile Mustang led the White squad to a 70-58 victory.
Bevington scored a game-high 24 points. Green Mountain’s Courtney Hank, Columbine’s Adrienne Harnum and Nichols each had 10 points in the victory that was coached by Green Mountain’s girls basketball coach Darren Pitzner.
Golden senior Erika Dowell had a huge final quarter for the White team. The Demon scored all of her seven points in the final quarter.
It wasn’t an easy victory for the White squad that had a solid height advantage on the Blue squad. The White led 28-13 early in the second quarter, but the Blue team coached by Arvada West’s girls basketball coach Brady Meeks chipped away at the lead to keep within striking distance.
“The White team was good. They definitely had the height,” Arvada West senior Alexis Folks said. “I think we did a good job battling with them.”
Folks led the Blue squad with 12 points, all on 3-pointers. She was the only player in double-digits for the Blue team, but the squad had 10 different players score as they tried to rally from the double-digit first-half deficit.
“It was great having the team come together even a lot didn’t know each other,” Folks said. “We came together and worked hard.”
Littleton senior Avery Bergscheider goes up against Columbine senior Adrienne Harnum (10) and Ralston Valley senior Brooklyn Seymour (15) on Thursday night at the Gold Crown Fieldhouse. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
The White team buckled down defensively in the final minutes holding the Blue scoreless for the final two minutes after the White’s lead was trimmed to 63-58 with 2 minutes to play.
“They knocked down a lot of 3-pointers and then we kind of stopped playing defense,” Bevington said. “We figured it out and got the win.”
Bevington and Folks were named the MVPs of the game.
“It was a great experience. Especially being able to play with my teammate (A-West senior Madison Manson) one last time and to have (Meeks) coach us one last time,” Folks said. “It was really fun and a great experience.”
The annual senior basketball games that have been put on by the Gold Crown Foundation since 2018 was canceled last season right as the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown all sports around the world.
The crowd was limited this year and everyone inside the Gold Crown Fieldhouse wore masks, but being back on the court was the most important thing for these seniors to close out their high school careers.
“It was the best four years of my life playing with my teammates,” said Bevington, who will continue her basketball career at Santa Clara University. “My coaches and teammates were always there for me. I’m headed off, but I’ll be back. I’m maintain those friendships for the rest of my life.”
Green Mountain senior Courtney Hank is able to split Chatfield seniors Madison Shepard and Keyana Sande (14) during the Jeffco HS Senior Basketball Games hosted by the Gold Crown Foundation on Thursday night. The White squad took a 70-58 victory. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
LAKEWOOD — Valor Christian senior Amondo Miller’s final dunk finished off a fun night Thursday at the Gold Crown Fieldhouse.
The Blue squad took a 130-124 victory in the boys’ Jeffco High School Senior Basketball Game. The annual game featuring the top seniors in the Class 5A and 4A Jeffco Leagues didn’t take place last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While dunks and optional defense was in full force, the 3-point shooting was particularly sharp by the co-MVPs. Columbine senior Garrett Rogers and Wheat Ridge senior Westin Miller poured in seven 3-pointers each to lead both of their teams in scoring.
Valor senior Amondo Miller goes up for a dunk Thursday night. Miller had 25 points for in the Blue’s 130-124 victory. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“I was just shooting and having a good time,” said Rogers, who had a game-high 29 points. “I appreciate Gold Crown for putting this on. It was amazing.”
The Blue squad actually trailed 97-91 heading into the final 10-minute quarter. However, the Blue team scored 39 points in the final quarter to win going away. Green Mountain senior Austin Peterson got hot from 3-point range hitting a trio from long range in the final quarter.
Valor’s Miller and AJ Kula combined for 14 points in the final quarter and Rogers canned a pair of 3-pointers for good measure to pull out the come-from-behind victory.
“It was just really fun playing with all the guys. You play them during league and you know them because of club,” Rogers said. “It is always a great time getting out there and playing together.”
Wheat Ridge senior Westin Miller watches the ball after releasing a 3-pointer Thursday night. Miller had seven 3-pointers on his way to MVP honors for the White squad. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Wheat Ridge’s Miller started the game off with a 3-pointer in the opening seconds. The Farmer has being getting ready for the upcoming high school baseball season, but getting one last chance on the hardwood with fellow Wheat Ridge teammate Dominic Cross was special.
“It was awesome. I got to play one more basketball game,” said Miller, who has signed to play baseball next school year at Regis University. “I’ve been practicing baseball, so it was nice to get back out on the court. Most of us are competitors, but when it comes to this they are your teammates now.”
There were more than 40 3-pointers made in the game. Almost every time down the court it was either a bomb from long range or a driving dunk.
“It was a good shooting night for both of us,” Miller said of him and Rogers combining for 14 3-pointers. “I had no idea who he was at first, but he was ripping every shot he took.”
Green Mountain senior Austin Peterson tries to beat Evergreen senior Griffin Lauritano (13) off the dribble Thursday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Lakewood’s Michael Bennett, Dakota Ridge’s Gino Corridori, Bear Creek’s Liam Franks, Evergreen’s Griffin Lauritano and Jared Stiller, Cross along with Westin Miller were all in double-digits for the White squad coached by Evergreen’s boys basketball coach Jeff Dolan.
Rogers and Amondo Miller combined for over 50 points. Ralston Valley’s Blake Butvidas, D’Evelyn’s Luke Kjellsen, Kula and Peterson all reach double-digit points for the victorious Blue team.
It marked the end of the prep basketball season in Jeffco that had its challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It shows how much we have progressed through this tough time,” Rogers said of having the game return to close out the basketball season.
Columbine senior Garrett Rogers was the leading scorer pouring in 29 points, including seven 3-pointers, during the boys’ Jeffco High School Senior Basketball Game on Thursday night at the Gold Crown Fieldhouse. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Familiar faces walked out of the World Arena with state championship trophies in hadn’t during the early session of the state spirit championships.
Coal Ridge claimed the 2A/3A Co-Ed Cheer championship for the third straight season. The Titans won the same category back in 2018 and also claimed the championship a year ago.
Bayfield finished as the runner-up in the category.
Thompson Valley also repeated as a state champion, claiming the 4A Co-Ed title. The Eagles finished with a score of 82.45, just over two points better than runner-up Falcon.
Castle View won the 5A title after after a sound performance that netted a score of 86.25.
Vista Ridge was the runner-up, jumping four spots from their finish last season.
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2A, 3A Poms
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
For the first time in nearly two decades, West Grand is leaving state spirit with championship in hand.
The Mustangs claimed the 2A Poms title, holding off Hotchkiss by just eight-hundredths of a point. The last time they claimed a championship at state spirit was in 2003 when they took the 2A Poms championship.
Sanford finished third in the event while Clear Creek finished fourth.
University kept their pattern of winning every other year intact as the Bulldogs claimed the 3A Poms title. They won the same event in 2016 and 2018. If the COVID-19 pandemic hadn’t pushed state back, this year’s title would’ve been the 2020 championship.
It’s the fifth overall title for the Bulldogs as they also claimed 3A Cheer in 2015 and 3A Poms in 2007.
SkyView Academy finished second, Aspen finished third and Grand Valley finished fourth.
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4A and 5A Poms
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
For the second time in the two-day event, Erie is taking home gold. The Tigers won the 4A Poms title to get their first championship is that specific discipline.
They have two 4A Cheer titles to their name and also won the 2A/3A Co-Ed Cheer championship back in 2007. They are the only team that has won more than one championship in 2021.
The score of 87.73 was more than a full point better than second-place Evergreen. Roosevelt finished third while Mullen took fourth.
Rock Canyon took the 5A title with a score of 91.15. It’s the first spirit title since 2016 for the Jaguars, who claimed the 5A Cheer championship. It’s the first Poms title for them since 2008 when they won it in 4A.
They fended off defending champion Cherry Creek who finished with 90.38 points. Grandview took third place and Ponderosa finished fourth.
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Jazz
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)Add another one for Mountain Vista. The Golden Eagles put on a championship worth performance and earned the hardware to prove it. They advanced to the Jazz finals after the top preliminary score and rode that momentum to a Jazz state championship, the first since 2018.
This is the 11th overall spirit championship for Mountain Vista and the fourth Jazz title. They previously won the discipline in 2010, 2015 and 2018.
The Golden Eagles finished with a score of 86.58. Cherokee Trail finished second while Valor Christian took thrid.
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Hip-Hop
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)Broomfield’s performance was the final performance of the two-day state spirit championships. And the Eagles certainly saved their best for last.
After taking third a year ago, Broomfield once again claimed the Hip-Hop state title, capturing their second crown in three years. Their performance netted them a score of 90.80, seven-tenths of a point better than second-place Fruita Monument.
This is the ninth overall spirit championship for Broomfield and its third state title in the last four years.
The Wildcats’ runner-up finish is their second in as many years. Fossil Ridge finished third while Horizon took fourth.
