Tag: Golden

Green Mountain girls hoops climbs past Golden with big fourth quarter

Golden senior Haley Blodgett (51) drives on Green Mountain senior MacKenzie Schaller (22) on Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss)

LAKEWOOD — It’s not how your start, it’s how you finish.

That was the mantra for Green Mountain’s girls basketball team Friday night. The Rams started off slow, trailing rival Golden 23-22 at halftime. However, the second half was a totally different story as Green Mountain (16-3, 9-1) stormed to 67-46 victory to stay in the hunt for a Class 4A Jeffco League title.

“I think hitting some threes in the third (quarter) got us a little bit of a lead where we could relax a little bit,” Green Mountain coach Rudy Martin said. “I just think the strong suit of this team is we’ve got some tough kids and good mental toughness. I think we got better as the game went on.”

Green Mountain freshman Delaney Bernard (4) puts some defensive pressure on Golden senior Madison McFarlin (14) during the first half Friday night. Bernard had a strong shooting night with six 3-pointers in the Rams’ 67-46 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)

Freshman Delaney Bernard (22 points) sunk a trio of 3-pointers in the span of two minutes during the third quarter to get some separation from the Demons (10-9, 6-4).

“Delaney hit some really big threes at the beginning of the half that really started us and got us going,” said Green Mountain senior Kelli Van Tassel said.

Golden closed the third quarter strong with senior Jessica King scoring eight of her 13 points. The Demons actually closed to within 43-42 in the final seconds of the third period.

In danger of dropping a game at home for only the second time this season, the Rams turned it on in the fourth quarter. Offensively and defensively, the Rams were superb in the final quarter.

Green Mountain outscored Golden 22-4 in the final eight minutes. Van Tassel led the way pouring in 11 points in the quarter. She finished with a game-high 23 points, which included going 14-of-17 from the free-throw line.

“Anytime Kelli gets to the line that much she is having a good game,” Martin said. “When she plays well we are pretty good.”

Golden senior Haley Blodgett was the only Demon to score in the fourth quarter. The 6-foot-3 senior finished with a team-high 14 points, including three 3-pointers.

“We played pretty well the whole game, but that last quarter was kind of rough,” Blodgett said. “We’ve just got to stick together as a team and put it behind us.”

King (13 points) and Madison McFarlin (12 points) both had solid games for the Demons before fouling out.

Golden and Green Mountain will both get a shot next week against defending league champion D’Evelyn. The Jaguars (14-4, 9-1) had won 37 straight conference games dating back to the 2010-11 season. However, Evergreen (13-6, 8-2) upset the Jaguars 61-57 on Friday night to end D’Evelyn’s league-winning streak.

Green Mountain senior Kelli Van Tassel (23) beats Golden junior Grace Carlson (34) to a rebound during the first half Friday night during the Class 4A Jeffco League game. Van Tassel led the Rams with 23 points in Green Mountain’s 67-46 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)

Golden hosts D’Evelyn at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 11 in the first game of a girls/boys varsity doubleheader. The Demons gave the Jaguars a tough league game Jan. 10. D’Evelyn edged Golden 34-27 in a defensive battle.

“I’m definitely leaning on that last game and how much better I can play and show (D’Evelyn) what I’m made of,” said Blodgett, who had just six points in the loss to D’Evelyn. “It’s our coaches vs. cancer event so we should bring a pretty big crowd. It will be spirited and a good event. There will be a lot of excitement and energy in our gym.”

Green Mountain gets it second chance to knock off the No. 8th-ranked team in 4A at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 on the Rams’ home court. The game Thursday at Green Mountain will likely determine the conference champion.

First, the Rams hit the road to face Evergreen at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 11.

“It’s going to be a good week,” Martin said of facing Evergreen and D’Evelyn. “We are really looking forward to it.”

Golden senior Mariah Fluitt, far right, eyes a layup while being chased down by a trio of Green Mountain defenders Friday night at Green Mountain High School. (Dennis Pleuss)

February 8, 2014
Golden clutch in final minute to edge Green Mountain in boys hoops

Golden sophomore Ryan Blodgett (33) tries to get around Green Mountain senior Mitch Schafer (34) while Green Mountain’s student section looks on during the second half Friday night. Blodgett had 18 points and 17 rebounds in the Demons’ 70-66 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)

LAKEWOOD — Golden sophomore Ryan Blodgett could still crack a smile despite missing everything on a free throw attempt and with the game on the line Friday night.

“(Blodgett) was laughing about it coming to the bench,” said Golden boys basketball coach John Anderson about taking a timeout after Blodgett’s first of two free throws didn’t find the rim. “I felt pretty good he was going to make the next one.”

With the Demons holding a three-point lead with 3 seconds to play in the Class 4A Jeffco League showdown with Green Mountain, Blodgett sealed the win by hitting nothing but net on his second attempt from the charity stripe to give the Demons (15-3, 8-1 in league) a hard-fought 70-66 road victory.

Golden junior Ryan Thistlewood (21) passes the ball while being guarded by Green Mountain senior Alex Erickson (3). Thistlewood had a key bucket in the final minute to help propel the Demons to a 70-66 road victory. (Dennis Pleuss)

“The game was over if I make this shot,” said Blodgett of his mindset stepping back to the line after his first arrant free throw. “I emptied my head and took the crowd out of it. I went up there and used my legs like I’m always told. I was pretty nervous.”

Blodgett had a monster game with a team-high in points (18) and rebounds (17).

“It’s every night with him,” Anderson said. “Ryan is so explosive and so fast. He is relentless after the ball.”

The sophomore’s only struggles were at the free-throw line where he finished 2-for-8, but he wasn’t alone. Golden finished the night 8-for-22 from the charity stripe, but had enough to run its winning-streak to seven games.

The important conference win over Green Mountain (10-8, 7-3) overshadowed a tough night at the line for the Demons.

“We’ve obviously got to do better than that,” Anderson said of the struggles at the line. “Also, giving up a big lead like that. Our defense got stagnant and we were just standing around. You’ve got to guard, especially when Green Mountain has weapons like that.”

Golden held what seemed to be a comfortable 15-point lead midway through the third quarter. However, Green Mountain chipped away and eventually took a 66-65 lead with a minute to play in the fourth quarter with a bucket from senior Daniel Brughelli.

Brughelli finished with a game-high 21 points.

“We started rebounding and we started playing better, plain and simple,” Green Mountain coach Derek Van Tassel said. “We didn’t play well at all in the first half and that is uncharacteristic for us. Against a team like (Golden) you have to play the whole time.”

The Demons retook the lead at 67-66 with 47 seconds left on a left-handed runner in the lane from junior Ryan Thistlewood (14 points). After a missed 3-pointer from the Rams, Golden junior Cole Greff was fouled with 17 seconds left. Greff (14 points) made both to extend the lead to 69-66.

Green Mountain sophomore Austin Fritts (11 points) launched a 3-pointer from the corner in an attempt to send the game into overtime, but his shot fell short and was rebounded by Blodgett. The made free throw by the sophomore sealed the win.

Green Mountain senior Will Zeiner (52) has his shot blocked Friday night. The Rams rallied from a 15-point deficit in the third quarter, but eventually lost 70-66. (Dennis Pleuss)

Next week is critical in determining how the 4A Jeffco League will shake out.

After facing Alameda at 4 p.m. Saturday, Golden will host conference-leading D’Evelyn (15-3, 10-0) at 7 p.m. Feb. 11. The Jaguars handled Evergreen (10-9, 6-4) on Friday night with a 70-49 victory.

It will be the third meeting between the Demons and No. 4th-ranked Jaguars.

Golden defeated D’Evelyn 77-67 in the championship game of the D’Evelyn/Golden Preview Classic before winter break. However, the Jaguars got some revenge with a 68-50 win over the Demons in their first of two league meetings.

“It’s going to be exciting in our home place,” said Blodgett of the rubber match against D’Evelyn. “Hoping for a huge crowd and the schools show up. It’s going to be a great environment to play in.”

Green Mountain has a pair of key road games next week. The Rams face Evergreen at 7 p.m. Feb. 11, before taking on D’Evelyn at 7 p.m. Feb. 13.

“They are all big. We want to play well every game,” Van Tassel said of facing two more top teams in the conference. “It’s going to be a fun week and a half.”

Green Mountain sophomore Austin Fritts (1) fires a no-look pass through the Golden defense Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss)

February 8, 2014

Centennial, Continental teams rule 5A boys hoops poll

Eaglecrest is up to No. 3 in this week’s 5A poll. (Brock Laue)

The Centennial League is perhaps the strongest Class 5A boys basketball conference in the state. This week’s CHSAANow.com boys basketball poll continues to reflect that.

A poll-best four Centennial teams are ranked in the top-10 this week, led by Eaglecrest. The Raptors moved up to No. 3 following their fourth-consecutive win.

Cherry Creek is No. 6, Overland is No. 7 and Arapahoe is No. 8. Grandview, another Centennial team, also received votes.

"I’ve seen all of the teams in our league now," Arapahoe coach Dan Snyder said as Centennial League play was getting underway in early January, "and I can unequivocally say, without a doubt, this is the strongest the league has been — top-to-bottom — since I’ve been coaching at Arapahoe."

Still, the Continental has something to say when it comes to the strongest league this year. That league has three teams in this week’s 5A poll, led by No. 4 Mountain Vista. No. 5 Regis Jesuit and No. 10 Highlands Ranch — a newcomer this week — also hail from the Continental. So does Legend, which received votes this week.

Denver East stayed atop the 5A ranking, just ahead of No. 2 Fossil Ridge. The Angels got 12 first-place votes to Fossil’s eight.

Likewise, the other No. 1 teams also stayed put: Valor Christian in 4A, as well as Holy Family (3A), Ignacio (2A) and Caliche (1A).

Golden joined the 4A ranking at No. 10, while 3A added two new teams in No. 9 Moffat County and No. 10 St. Mary’s.

The 2A poll added Denver Christian (No. 9), and 1A added South Baca (No. 7).

Complete polls 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 (12)	12-3	192	1	1-0
2	Fossil Ridge (8)	15-0	187	2	3-0
3	Eaglecrest	12-3	138	5	2-0
4	Mountain Vista	14-1	131	6	2-0
5	Regis Jesuit	13-2	125	3	1-1
6	Cherry Creek	11-4	79	4	0-2
7	Overland	10-5	60	8	1-1
8	Arapahoe	10-3	55	7	1-1
9	Monarch	13-2	52	10	3-0
10	Highlands Ranch	10-5	24	–	2-0
Others receiving votes:
Chatfield 18, Grandview 12, Rangeview 11, Legend 10, Grand Junction 5, Dakota Ridge 1.
Dropped out
Dakota Ridge (9).

Class 4A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Valor Christian (14)	13-3	149	1	0-0
2	Thompson Valley (1)	14-1	127	2	3-0
3	Pueblo South	13-2	110	4	2-0
4	D’Evelyn	11-2	95	5	2-0
5	Sand Creek	11-2	75	3	1-1
6	Pueblo East	12-3	67	7	1-0
7	Thomas Jefferson	10-5	64	6	1-1
8	Air Academy	12-3	63	9	2-0
9	Longmont	11-3	27	10	1-1
10	Golden	12-3	20	–	2-0
Others receiving votes:
Denver South 14, Cheyenne Mountain 4, Glenwood Springs 4, Frederick 3, Greeley Central 2, Vista Peak 1.
Dropped out
Denver South (8).

Class 3A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Holy Family (12)	13-0	120	1	1-0
2	Colorado Academy	11-0	107	2	1-0
3	Jefferson Academy	12-2	92	3	2-1
4	Faith Christian	9-4	75	4	2-0
5	Colorado Springs Christian	7-3	62	5	2-0
6	Brush	8-4	42	6	2-0
7	Aspen	8-2	41	7	1-0
8	The Pinnacle	8-2	38	8	2-0
9	Moffat County	8-2	18	–	2-0
10	St. Mary’s	10-1	15	–	2-0
Others receiving votes:
Bishop Machebeuf 14, Kent Denver 14, Denver Science & Tech 9, Platte Valley 6, Alamosa 5, Monte Vista 3, Centauri 1.
Dropped out
Centauri (9), Bishop Machebeuf (10).

Class 2A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Ignacio (9)	11-0	140	1	2-0
2	Sanford (1)	11-1	124	2	2-0
3	Lutheran (3)	7-4	116	4	2-0
4	Akron	9-1	103	5	2-0
5	Yuma (1)	10-3	81	3	2-2
6	Resurrection Christian (1)	11-2	79	6	2-0
7	Peyton	10-2	51	9	2-0
8	Rye	11-2	37	10	2-0
9	Denver Christian	7-3	26	–	1-0
10	Haxtun	8-2	25	7	0-1
Others receiving votes:
Simla 11, Alexander Dawson 9, Holyoke 8, Swink 6, Dayspring Christian 2, Paonia 2, Sangre de Cristo 2, Sedgwick County 2, Telluride 1.
Dropped out
Simla (8).

Class 1A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Caliche (9)	11-0	90	1	2-0
2	Hi-Plains	10-1	80	3	2-0
3	McClave	10-2	65	2	2-1
4	Holly	9-3	53	5	2-0
5	Cheyenne Wells	9-2	52	8	2-0
6	Vail Christian	8-2	49	4	2-1
7	South Baca	9-4	22	–	4-0
8	Norwood	7-3	19	7	1-1
9	Shining Mountain	9-3	17	6	0-1
10	Briggsdale	6-3	14	10	2-1
Others receiving votes:
Primero 13, Cheraw 10, Jim Elliot Christian 7, Peetz 3, Denver Jewish Day 2.
Dropped out
Cheraw (9).

January 27, 2014

Top-10 boys basketball schedule for the week of Jan. 27

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	15-3
	Tues: W 86-69 at Denver West
	Thurs: W 85-63 vs. Lincoln
	Sat: W 76-51 at Montbello
2	Fossil Ridge	17-0
	Tues: W 49-46 at (9) Monarch
	Fri: W 72-36 vs. Mountain Range
3	Eaglecrest	14-3
	Wed: W 59-58 at (7) Overland
	Fri: W 66-33 vs. Grandview
4	Mountain Vista	16-1
	Tues: W 60-58 vs. (5) Regis Jesuit
	Fri: W 75-59 at Douglas County
5	Regis Jesuit	14-3
	Tues: L 58-60 at (4) Mountain Vista
	Sat: W 67-50 vs. Legend
6	Cherry Creek	11-6
	Wed: L 61-67 vs. Grandview
	Fri: L 50-54 vs. (8) Arapahoe
7	Overland	11-6
	Wed: L 58-59 vs. (3) Eaglecrest
	Fri: W 67-53 vs. Mullen
8	Arapahoe	13-3
	Mon: W 61-45 vs. Dakota Ridge
	Wed: W 61-53 vs. Cherokee Trail
	Fri: W 54-50 at (6) Cherry Creek
9	Monarch	14-3
	Tues: L 46-49 vs. (2) Fossil Ridge
	Fri: W 53-32 vs. Rocky Mountain
10	Highlands Ranch	12-5
	Tues: W 48-37 vs. Castle View
	Sat: W 66-49 vs. ThunderRidge

Class 4A
1	Valor Christian	14-3
1	Sat: W 68-45 vs. (5) Sand Creek
2	Thompson Valley	16-1
	Tues: W 70-49 vs. Mountain View
	Fri: W 70-58 vs. Niwot
3	Pueblo South	15-2
	Tues: W 58-40 vs. Pueblo West
	Fri: W 76-74 at (6) Pueblo East
4	D’Evelyn	13-2
	Wed: W 66-60 at Green Mountain
	Fri: W 94-49 vs. Alameda
5	Sand Creek	12-3
	Tues: W 61-45 at Palmer Ridge
	Fri: vs. Vista Ridge
	Sat: L 45-68 at Valor Christian
6	Pueblo East	14-4
	Tues: W 59-54 vs. Pueblo Central
	Fri: L 74-76 vs. (3) Pueblo South
	Sat: W 73-54 vs. Broomfield
7	Thomas Jefferson	11-6
	Tues: W 63-42 vs. Kennedy
	Fri: L 64-71 vs. Denver South
8	Air Academy	13-3
8	Wed: W 88-54 at Falcon
9	Longmont	13-3
	Tues: W 52-45 vs. Silver Creek
	Fri: W 67-52 at Greeley Central
10	Golden	14-3
	Wed: W 58-46 at Evergreen
	Fri: W 65-44 at Conifer

Class 3A
1	Holy Family	15-0
	Mon: W 77-60 at Denver Science & Tech
	Fri: W 87-26 vs. Manual
2	Colorado Academy	13-0
	Tues: W 72-66 vs. (4) Faith Christian
	Fri: W 73-63 vs. Bishop Machebeuf
3	Jefferson Academy	13-2
3	Fri: W 50-45 vs. Kent Denver
4	Faith Christian	10-5
	Tues: L 66-72 at (2) Colorado Academy
	Fri: W 66-51 at (2A 3) Lutheran
5	Colorado Springs Christian	9-3
	Mon: W 60-38 vs. (10) St. Mary’s
	Tues: W 77-18 vs. Salida
6	Brush	9-4
6	Tues: W 65-56 vs. Eaton
7	Aspen	10-2
	Tues: W 61-46 vs. Grand Valley
	Sat: W 70-46 at Cedaredge
8	The Pinnacle	10-2
	Wed: W 85-68 vs. Fort Lupton
	Thurs: W 78-41 at Arrupe Jesuit
9	Moffat County	9-2
9	Tues: W 68-54 at Roaring Fork
10	St. Mary’s	12-2
	Mon: L 38-60 at (5) Colorado Springs Christian
	Fri: W 82-62 vs. Dolores Huerta
	Sat: W 64-43 at Ellicott

Class 2A
1	Ignacio	12-0
1	Thurs: W 87-21 vs. Dolores
2	Sanford	12-1
2	Sat: W 64-23 vs. Sargent
3	Lutheran	8-5
	Tues: W 67-42 at Peak to Peak
	Fri: L 51-66 vs. (3A 4) Faith Christian
4	Akron	11-1
	Tues: W 77-41 at Burlington
	Fri: vs. Holyoke
	Sat: W 80-62 at Sedgwick County
5	Yuma	11-3
5	Tues: W 63-45 at Wiggins
6	Resurrection Christian	13-2
	Tues: W 67-62 at Union Colony
	Thurs: W 62-52 at (9) Denver Christian
7	Peyton	11-2
7	Tues: W 89-41 vs. Pikes Peak Christian
8	Rye	12-2
8	Fri: W 70-66 vs. Swink
9	Denver Christian	8-4
	Tues: W 61-34 vs. Denver Academy
	Thurs: L 52-62 vs. (6) Resurrection Christian
10	Haxtun	8-3
	Tues: L 29-62 at Chase County (Neb.)
	Sat: at Wiggins

Class 1A
1	Caliche	12-0
1	Sat: W 66-57 vs. Holyoke
2	Hi-Plains	11-1
2	Thurs: W 75-33 at Bethune
3	McClave	11-2
3	Fri: W 46-33 vs. Cheraw
4	Holly	10-3
4	Fri: W 66-59 at Springfield
5	Cheyenne Wells	9-2
5	Off this week.
6	Vail Christian	10-2
	Tues: W 52-27 at De Beque
	Sat: W 75-32 at Gilpin County
7	South Baca	9-4
7	Sat: vs. Manzanola
8	Norwood	8-3
	Fri: W 70-68 at Mancos
	Sat: vs. Dolores
9	Shining Mountain	10-4
	Tues: L 37-71 at Kent Denver
	Sat: W 62-45 vs. Rocky Mountain Lutheran
10	Briggsdale	7-4
	Thurs: L 42-53 at Dayspring Christian
	Sat: W 46-36 vs. Fleming

January 27, 2014

D’Evelyn girls hoops extends league streak to 31 wins after edging Golden

D’Evelyn senior Rachel Olson (15) looks for an open teammate while being guarded by Golden junior Alex Ambrozic (22) on Friday night at D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School. The Jaguars extended their 4A Jeffco League winning streak to 31 games with a 34-27 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)

DENVER — It’s 31 and counting for D’Evelyn’s girls basketball team.

To say D’Evelyn has dominated the Class 4A Jeffco League in recent years is an understatement. The Jaguars extended their conference-winning streak to 31 games Friday night with a 34-27 home victory against rival Golden (5-6, 1-1 in league).

“We’ve talked about having a target on our back,” D’Evelyn coach Chris Olson said. “We are a lot of other teams’ measuring stick.”

The last league loss for D’Evelyn came to Wheat Ridge nearly three years ago on Jan. 21, 2011. Mallory Seemann was a freshman playing varsity for the Jaguars three years ago and still remembers the loss to the Farmers.

“We know we are going to get every team’s best,” said Seemann, who had seven points in the defensive struggle Friday night against Golden. “Hopefully we can keep it up and keep winning.”

The Jaguars — 4A state runner-up the previous two years — ended the 2010-11 season with a five-game league-winning streak. D’Evelyn racked up conference marks of 10-0 and 14-0 the last two seasons.

Despite losing standout Laura Tyree to graduation, D’Evelyn (7-3) is ranked No. 8 in the CHSAANow.com 4A girls basketball poll this week and are off to a 2-0 league record.

D’Evelyn senior Mallory Seemann, left, drives toward the basket as Golden senior Haley Blodgett closes in Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss)

Tyree was a key component in D’Evelyn’s success and hasn’t missed a beat at the Division II level. The true freshman is averaging 11.5 points and 3.2 assists per game for Colorado School of Mines.

It was a struggle at times against Golden in the first game of a girls/boys varsity doubleheader Friday. The Demons jumped out to any early 11-4 lead early in the first quarter.

A slight change in D’Evelyn’s full-court pressure defense allowed the Jaguars to go on a 9-0 run to take a 13-11 lead late in the second quarter. Senior Emily Garnier scored on three layups off turnovers during D’Evelyn’s run and senior Rachel Olson hit a 3-pointer for the Jaguars.

“One thing I’ve learned this year is you have to make those little adjustments,” Coach Olson said. “Everyone is really prepping for us. We’ve really worked on a couple of different (defensive) zones. We might not score in the 60s and make 10 3-pointers. We’ll rely on our defense.”

It was a tough shooting night for the Jaguars. D’Evelyn’s leading scorer, senior Malia Shappell, was held scoreless in the first half. Shappell rebounded with a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter and was 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to finish with a team-high 10 points.

Golden pulled within a point midway through the fourth quarter, but could never manage to take the lead.

“We were right there,” Golden’s first-year coach Shea Scarlett said. “We missed some layups and had our chances. We can play with (D’Evelyn) and we know it. We’ll see them again.”

Golden’s 6-foot-3 senior Haley Blodgett, who has signed to play at Montana State University, was held in check scoring four points. Senior Jessica King led the way for the Demons with 10 points.

“I’m thinking big picture,” Scarlett said. “We just have to get better each game. I’d much rather win a bunch of games in March then this one.”

Golden hits the road for a conference game at 7 p.m. Jan. 14 at Conifer.

D’Evelyn attempts to keep its league-winning streak alive with a home game at 7 p.m. Jan. 14 against Alameda.

D’Evelyn senior Emily Garnier goes up for a layup in the second quarter Friday night against Golden. Garnier scored six points, all off turnovers, during a key 9-0 run for the Jaguars. (Dennis Pleuss)

January 11, 2014
D’Evelyn gets revenge on Golden in top-10 boys hoops showdown

D’Evelyn senior Brian Smith (2) elevates over Golden sophomore Nick Capaul during the second half Friday night during the Class 4A Jeffco League showdown at D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School. The Jaguars pleased the home crowd with a 68-50 victory over the rival Demons. (Dennis Pleuss)

DENVER — D’Evelyn’s one-two punch of junior Grant Witherspoon and senior Ty McGee was enough to win Round 2 with rival Golden on Friday night in boys hoops action.

Witherspoon and McGee combined for 37 points in a 68-50 victory in a Class 4A Jeffco League showdown of two teams ranked in the top-10 of the 4A boys basketball CHSAANow.com poll on D’Evelyn’s home court.

“When we got off Christmas Break we didn’t look ahead from anyone we had to play, but we’ve been talking about Golden for three weeks straight,” Witherspoon said. “We worked our butts off for this moment.”

Golden scored a 77-67 victory from D’Evelyn in the championship game of the 2013 D’Evelyn/Golden Preview Classic back on Dec. 7.

Golden junior Cole Greff (22) tries to get a shot off as D’Evelyn senior Ty McGee, left, goes for a block on Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss)

Early on Friday night it looked like it could be a repeat with Golden jumping out to an early lead just like it did a month ago.

“For some reason Golden always comes out so focused and we not really there. I’m not sure what it is,” D’Evelyn coach Troy Pachner said. “I think today it wasn’t lack of effort. We just were a little overhyped. It was a great crowd for the first time this year and guys were a little tight.”

After trailing 8-4 after the first quarter, D’Evelyn picked it up offensively with Witherspoon leading the charge. The junior scored 11 points in the second quarter as the Jaguars took a 25-24 lead going into halftime.

It was more of the same in the third quarter. McGee scored eight of his 17 points and Witherspoon added seven of his game-high 20 points in the third quarter. D’Evelyn outscored Golden 24-11 in the third quarter.

It wasn’t all McGee and Witherspoon. Senior Brian Smith finished with 11 points, including two 3-pointers. Seniors Nate Flack, Trent Walker and junior Christian Denton finished with five points each.

“We have two exceptional players (McGee and Witherspoon), but I think the fallacy is that is all we have,” Pachner said. “They might set the table, but we had other kids hit shots. I’m proud of how we played tonight.”

Sophomore Nick Capaul’s 17 points off the bench led Golden. Sophomore Ryan Blodgett had a quick start scoring all eight of the Demons’ first quarter points, but he cooled off and finished with 10 points.

“We could have had a pretty good lead in that first quarter,” Golden coach John Anderson said. “We just tried to force it inside too many times. We were too impatient.”

Another thing that hurt the Demons was the loss of junior guard Ryan Thistlewood, who didn’t play in the second half after suffering an injury. Thistlewood scored six points before leaving the game.

It’s highly likely Golden and D’Evelyn will be in the mix for the Class 4A Jeffco League title when the conference schedule winds down six weeks from now. Golden (8-3,1-1 in league) was ranked No. 7 in this week’s CHSAANow.com 4A boys basketball poll, while D’Evelyn (7-2, 2-0) sat in the No. 8 slot.

D’Evelyn junior Grant Witherspoon, right, drives on Golden junior Phil Katzman on Friday night. Witherspoon scored a game-high 20 points in the Jaguars’ 68-50 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)

Friday night was the second of what will for sure be at least three meetings on the hardwood between Golden and D’Evelyn.

The third meeting and second league battle will be Feb. 11 at Golden High School.

“Our goal is obviously a league championship,” Anderson said. “We’ve got to take care of business for that game to mean something toward the end of the year. The rubber match will be back at our place and we’ve got to be a lot better.”

Of course there is always a chance the two rivals could face each other in the 4A state tournament.

D’Evelyn continues its 14-game league schedule on the road against Alameda at 7 p.m. Jan. 15.

“It’s going to be a tougher league this year than last year, but we feel real good about ourselves,” Witherspoon said.

Golden gets back into action when it hosts Conifer at 7 p.m. Jan. 15.

Golden sophomore Ryan Blodgett rips down a rebound during the Class 4A Jeffco League game against D’Evelyn. (Dennis Pleuss)

January 11, 2014

5A boys basketball ranking adds three new teams

Regis Jesuit Fort Collins boys basketball — Regis Jesuit moved up one place to No. 4 this week. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

Grandview, Monarch and Cherry Creek all joined this week’s CHSAANow.com boys basketball rankings in 5A.

Combined, the three teams went 9-0 last week. Grandview, which went 4-0 at the Mission Prep Christmas Classic in California last week, joined at No. 8. Monarch is No. 9 and Cherry Creek is No. 10.

There was nearly a massive shakeup of the 5A poll this week. Fossil Ridge — which already owns impressive wins over Eaglecrest, Grandview, ThunderRidge, Highlands Ranch and Thompson Valley — received eight first-place votes, and was close to overtaking No. 1 Denver East for the top spot. But the Angels got 11 first-place votes in staying atop the ranking.

So Fossil Ridge remained at No. 2 spot. Overland stayed at No. 3, while No. 4 Regis Jesuit and No. 5 Mountain Vista switched places.

Eaglecrest is sixth and Arapahoe moved up to ninth this week.

The biggest mover in the 4A ranking was Air Academy, which went from No. 10 last week to No. 6 this week. Valor Christian stayed atop that poll, and continued to be followed by No. 2 Thompson Valley and No. 3 Thomas Jefferson. No. 4 Pueblo East and No. 5 Sand Creek each moved up one spot.

3A’s Holy Family, 2A’s Sanford and 1A’s Caliche all remained atop their respective rankings this week. That means the No. 1 teams in each classification have not changed since the preseason.

These polls will serve as the rankings over the winter break, and through the first part of January. The next poll will not come out until Jan. 13.

Complete polls 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 (11)	7-2	181	1	2-2
2	Fossil Ridge (8)	8-0	176	2	2-0
3	Overland	6-2	141	3	4-0
4	Regis Jesuit	6-1	117	5	2-0
5	Mountain Vista	8-0	109	4	4-0
6	Eaglecrest	6-2	108	6	0-1
7	Arapahoe	6-0	48	9	3-0
8	Grandview	7-1	37	–	4-0
9	Monarch	6-1	30	–	3-0
10	Cherry Creek	4-2	27	–	2-0
Others receiving votes:
Fairview 26, Legend 18, Smoky Hill 5, Chatfield 4, Dakota Ridge 4, Fort Collins 3, Grand Junction 3, ThunderRidge 3, Chaparral 2, Rangeview 2, Highlands Ranch 1, Mullen 1.
Dropped out
Legend (7), Rangeview (8), Grand Junction (10).

Class 4A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Valor Christian (11)	8-1	133	1	2-1
2	Thompson Valley (2)	7-1	110	2	1-1
3	Thomas Jefferson	7-1	95	3	4-1
4	Pueblo East (1)	9-2	89	5	4-0
5	Sand Creek	5-1	68	6	2-1
6	Air Academy	7-1	55	10	1-0
7	Golden	7-1	54	7	1-0
8	D’Evelyn	5-2	48	8	1-0
9	Longmont	5-1	40	4	0-1
10	Cheyenne Mountain	5-1	38	9	2-0
Others receiving votes:
Pueblo South 20, Denver South 13, Mountain View 4, Glenwood Springs 2, Greeley Central 2, Pueblo Central 2.
Dropped out
None.

Class 3A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Holy Family (8)	7-0	89	1	2-0
2	Colorado Academy (1)	6-0	76	2	2-0
3	Jefferson Academy	5-0	71	4	1-0
4	Bishop Machebeuf	5-0	62	5	1-0
5	Faith Christian	5-3	46	6	1-0
6	Brush	3-1	44	3	1-1
7	Moffat County	4-1	26	7	1-0
8	Kent Denver	4-1	22	9	1-0
9	Colorado Springs Christian	1-3	21	10	0-1
10	The Pinnacle	3-2	19	8	0-1
Others receiving votes:
Centauri 4, Monte Vista 4, Aspen 3, Fort Lupton 3, Denver Science & Tech 2, St. Mary’s 2, Strasburg 1.
Dropped out
None.

Class 2A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Sanford (10)	6-0	118	1	2-0
2	Ignacio (1)	7-0	93	5	2-0
3	Yuma	4-1	88	2	1-1
4	Lutheran	2-3	69	4	0-2
5	Akron	4-1	66	3	2-1
6	Resurrection Christian	6-2	65	6	2-0
7	Rye	6-1	50	9	2-0
8	Simla	4-1	29	8	1-0
9	Peyton (1)	4-1	25	–	1-0
10	Haxtun	4-1	13	–	1-0
Others receiving votes:
Denver Christian 9, Swink 9, Alexander Dawson 6, Rangely 6, Limon 4, Custer County 3, Front Range Christian 3, Sedgwick County 3, Union Colony 1.
Dropped out
Limon (7), Denver Christian (10).

Class 1A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Caliche (6)	5-0	60	1	1-0
2	McClave	7-0	52	3	3-0
3	Hi-Plains	5-1	47	2	2-0
4	Vail Christian	4-1	36	5	1-0
5	Holly	4-2	32	8	2-1
6	Cheyenne Wells	4-1	29	9	1-1
7	Shining Mountain	5-1	24	4	1-1
8	Norwood	3-2	13	6	1-0
9	Peetz	3-3	10	–	1-1
10	Cheraw	3-1	7	–	1-1
Others receiving votes:
South Baca 5, Jim Elliot Christian 4, Primero 4, Prairie 3, Walsh 3, Ouray 1.
Dropped out
Prairie (7), Jim Elliot Christian (10).

December 23, 2013

Photo gallery: Girls swimming’s Coaches Invite

THORNTON — Fairview won girls swimming’s annual Coaches Invite at VMAC on Saturday. The Knights’ 271 total team points bested second-place Cherry Creek (238) and third-place Regis Jesuit (217).

Team results are below. Find complete results on MaxPreps.

Coaches Invite: Team scores
Place	Name	Dive Total	Total
1	Fairview		271
2	Cherry Creek		238
3	Regis Jesuit	31	217
4	Heritage		155
5	Ralston Valley		147
6	Fossil Ridge	9	145
7	ThunderRidge		125
8	Mountain Range	13	120
9	Mountain Vista		112
10	Chaparral		98
11	Niwot		83
12	Arapahoe		60
13	Broomfield		53
14	Monarch	6	45
15	Rock Canyon	7	39
T16	Highlands Ranch		36
T16	Grandview		36
T18	Silver Creek		35
T18	Boulder		35
20	Lakewood	2	33
21	Mullen	28	28
22	Brighton		26
23	Pine Creek	1	25
24	Windsor		24
25	Legend		20
26	Chatfield	19	19
T27	St. Mary’s Academy	17	17
T27	Smoky Hill		17
29	Castle View	15	15
30	Greeley West		14
31	Golden		9
32	Thompson Valley		8
33	Northglenn		7
34	Dakota Ridge		6
35	Fort Collins	3	3
36	Legacy		2
37	Skyline		1

[divider]

December 22, 2013

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).

December 16, 2013

Rangeview, Fossil Ridge move up in 5A boys basketball ranking

Rangeview and Fossil Ridge both made big jumps in this week’s CHSAANow.com 5A boys basketball poll.

Rangeview, ranked fifth last week, is up to No. 3 following a 2-0 week. Included was a 74-70 win over then-No. 9 Chaparral.

Fossil Ridge, meanwhile, went from sixth to fourth after going 3-0 last week. The standout win was a 58-51 win over then-No. 3 Eaglecrest.

The 5A ranking continued to be led by Denver East, which has also started 3-0 at the Great Western Shootout in Utah. Overland remained in the No. 2 spot despite going 1-2 at the same tournament.

Highlands Ranch rounds out the 5A top 5.

The other No. 1 teams also stayed the same this week: Valor Christian (4A), Holy Family (3A), Sanford (2A) and Caliche (1A).

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 (18)	3-0	180	1	3-0
2	Overland	1-2	137	2	1-2
3	Rangeview	2-0	125	5	2-0
4	Fossil Ridge	3-0	124	6	3-0
5	Highlands Ranch	1-0	95	4	1-0
6	Regis Jesuit	2-0	84	7	2-0
7	Eaglecrest	3-1	59	3	3-1
8	Mountain Vista	1-0	58	8	1-0
9	Legend	2-0	30	10	2-0
10	Chaparral	1-1	27	9	1-1
Others receiving votes:
ThunderRidge 23, Arapahoe 18, Cherry Creek 7, Fort Collins 6, Grandview 6, Monarch 6, Grand Junction 3, Chatfield 2.
Dropped out
None.

Class 4A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Valor Christian (11)	2-0	119	1	2-0
2	Cheyenne Mountain (1)	1-0	96	3	1-0
3	Thomas Jefferson	0-0	78	5	0-0
4	Pueblo East	2-1	76	2	2-1
5	Thompson Valley	3-0	58	8	3-0
6	Longmont	2-0	57	7	2-0
7	Sand Creek	2-0	51	9	2-0
8	Denver South	1-2	44	4	1-2
9	D’Evelyn	2-1	28	6	2-1
10	Golden	3-0	25	–	3-0
Others receiving votes:
Falcon 16, Ponderosa 7, Air Academy 3, Mesa Ridge 3, Lewis-Palmer 2, Greeley Central 1, Palmer Ridge 1, Pueblo West 1.
Dropped out
Lewis-Palmer (10).

Class 3A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Holy Family (7)	3-0	96	1	3-0
2	Brush (3)	1-0	90	2	1-0
3	Colorado Academy	2-0	73	3	2-0
4	Faith Christian	1-2	61	4	1-2
5	Colorado Springs Christian	0-0	55	5	0-0
6	Bishop Machebeuf	1-0	34	–	1-0
7	Moffat County	0-0	28	7	0-0
8	Aspen	0-0	23	10	0–1
9	Jefferson Academy	0-0	19	9	0-0
10	Kent Denver	1-1	16	6	1-1
Others receiving votes:
Sterling 11, Denver Science & Tech 10, Valley 8, Pagosa Springs 7, Eaton 6, The Pinnacle 4, Centauri 3, University 3, Platte Valley 2, Grand Valley 1.
Dropped out
Eaton (8).

Class 2A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Sanford (9)	0-0	108	1	0-0
2	Yuma (2)	1-0	93	5	1-0
3	Lutheran	1-1	81	2	1-1
4	Akron	1-0	74	7	1-0
5	Ignacio	3-0	67	6	3-0
6	Resurrection Christian	1-2	41	4	1-2
7	Denver Christian (1)	0-2	35	3	0-2
8	Peyton	1-0	34	–	1-0
9	Limon	1-1	24	8	1-1
10	Simla	1-1	22	9	1-1
Others receiving votes:
Swink 16, Rye 13, Haxtun 11, Sedgwick County 6, Alexander Dawson 5, Byers 5, Heritage Christian 5, Meeker 5, Paonia 5, Crowley County 4, Hayden 3, Dayspring Christian 2, Sangre de Cristo 1.
Dropped out
Swink (10).

Class 1A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Caliche (6)	2-0	69	1	2-0
2	Hi-Plains (1)	2-0	63	2	2-0
3	McClave	2-0	53	5	2-0
4	Norwood	1-1	48	3	1-1
5	Shining Mountain	2-0	32	4	2-0
6	Vail Christian	1-1	29	8	1-1
7	Prairie	1-1	17	–	1-1
8	Holly	1-1	13	6	1-1
9	Jim Elliot Christian	1-0	12	–	1-0
10	Granada	0-0	10	10	0-0
Others receiving votes:
Walsh 9, Fleming 8, Cheyenne Wells 6, Denver Jewish Day 5, Ouray 3, Primero 3, Stratton 3, Arickaree 1, Pawnee 1.
Dropped out
Fleming (7), Otis (9).

December 9, 2013