LAKEWOOD — It was a Class 4A girls basketball top-10 battle between to undefeated teams Monday night at Green Mountain High School.
Green Mountain — No. 3 in the latest CHSAANow.com 4A girls hoops rankings — grabbed sole possession of the lead in 4A Jeffco with a 61-24 win over previously undefeated No. 9 D’Evelyn (7-1, 5-1 in league).
“This game is one of our favorite games to play,” said Green Mountain sophomore Jayda Maves, who led all scorers with 14 points. “We showed what we can do against a good team.”
Green Mountain senior Courtney Hank (33) goes up for a shot against D’Evelyn sophomore Rebecca Taylor on Monday night. Hank had 13 points in the Rams’ 61-24 victory. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
The Rams (8-0, 6-0) are now two wins away from repeating as conference champs. Green Mountain travels to Littleton High School to face the Lions on Wednesday before wrapping up conference play on Friday this week at home against Standley Lake.
“That would be awesome,” Green Mountain senior Courtney Hank said of having the chance to close out her prep career with 28 straight league wins. “We work really hard in the offseason and we have a lot of good team chemistry. I think plays a big part in how successful we are.”
Green Mountain is on an impressive run in the 4A Jeffco League. The Rams have won 26 consecutive conference games dating back to the 2018-19 season. The last league loss for the Rams was against Evergreen on Jan. 16, 2019.
“The secret is definitely good, hardworking talented kids,” Green Mountain coach Darren Pitzner said. “Credit to our feeder programs that have helped develop these kids. Well-coached teams like Littleton, D’Evelyn and Evergreen will get a little more experience they will be right on our tails. Our girls have to keep the standards high.”
Green Mountain went 12-0 in league play last year on its way to a berth in the 4A state semifinals. The Rams won their final eight league games two years ago and are 6-0 in conference play this season.
“We keep it in our heads,” Maves said of the conference winning streak. “We always try our best to keep our poise and always play our best.”
While D’Evelyn had its struggles Monday night scoring through the first three quarters against Green Mountain’s defense that hasn’t allowed a conference opponent to score more than 26 points in a game this season, the Rams had their issues offensive early on.
Green Mountain held an 11-2 lead with a minute left in the first quarter. Hank, who finished with 13 points, scored 5 points in the final 60 seconds of the quarter to extend the Rams’ lead to 16-2.
Green Mountain junior Avery Oaster, left, attempts to get a shot off around the arms of D’Evelyn junior Chloe Klataske in the first half Monday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“D’Evelyn is so disciplined with its (defensive) pressure,” Pitzner said. “You really have to be composed and disciplined with the gaps and keep your eyes up. Once we took a deep breath and was a little smarter with how we were attacking it then our girls were able to get the looks they wanted.”
Maves got hot from 3-point range knocking down four 3-pointers as Green Mountain pushed its lead to 43-12 through three quarters. Juniors Morgan Falconer, Desi Russell and freshman Taylor Ellington each came off the bench to hit a 3-pointer for the Rams.
“It’s exciting to see our bench come in for a few minutes and take care of the ball,” Pitzner said. “Our starters need those breaks. We need to be a full team that is 11 players deep. That’s the kind of depth we need to make a run (at state).”
Juniors Olivia Sears and Avery Oaster each had eight points each for Green Mountain.
“It was a great combination with inside and outside,” Pitzner said of the Rams’ offense.
Green Mountain will play D’Evelyn again in a non-league game in the final weeks of the regular season. The Rams have won every game by double-digits and have an average margin of victory of just over 46 points per win.
“It was good to see where we are lacking and what we need to do to get better going into playoffs against good competition,” Hank said.
D’Evelyn will try to regroup in closing out its conference play at home against Evergreen on Wednesday before traveling to Littleton on Friday.
D’Evelyn freshman Macy Scheer, middle, tries to dribble past Green Mountain junior Morgan Falconer (15) and sophomore Jayda Maves (23) during the second quarter Monday night. The No. 3-ranked Rams improved to 8-0 on the season after the 61-24 victory over the previously undefeated Jaguars. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Belleview Christian (1A) and St. Mary’s (3A) each moved up to No. 1 in their respective boys basketball rankings this week.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.
Fairview 46, Smoky Hill 35, Rock Canyon 31, Douglas County 24, Vista PEAK 19, Silver Creek 18, Gateway 16, Mullen 15, Ralston Valley 14, Mountain Range 8, Columbine 8, Fountain-Fort Carson 7, Arapahoe 5, Grandview 3, Boulder 3, Legend 2, Highlands Ranch 2, Horizon 1, Far Northeast Warriors 1
Dropped out
Ralston Valley (11), Smoky Hill (14), Rock Canyon (15)
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Mead (13)
5-0
333
1
2-0
2
Windsor (6)
6-0
287
2
3-0
3
Longmont (2)
6-0
275
3
4-0
4
Lewis-Palmer
4-1
253
4
3-0
5
Pueblo Central (1)
7-1
203
6
3-1
6
Evergreen
6-1
182
7
1-1
7
Montrose (1)
7-0
172
10
5-0
8
Erie
4-1
144
5
2-0
9
Pueblo South
6-1
131
8
3-0
10
Centaurus
3-3
125
8
2-2
11
Golden
6-2
102
11
2-0
12
Aurora Central
6-1
74
14
6-1
13
Pueblo East
2-2
72
13
1-1
14
Steamboat Springs
5-0
71
–
0-0
15
Green Mountain
5-2
70
12
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Thompson Valley 37, Canon City 32, Frederick 30, Palisade 25, Roosevelt 20, Severance 20, Sand Creek 19, D’Evelyn 19, Mountain View 16, Harrison 15, Denver North 7, Thomas Jefferson 7, Cheyenne Mountain 5, Wheat Ridge 5, Weld Central 4, Holy Family 2, Pueblo Centennial 1, Falcon 1, Durango 1
Dropped out
D’Evelyn (15)
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
St. Mary’s (9)
7-0
351
2
3-0
2
Lutheran (15)
5-1
331
1
2-0
3
Manitou Springs
7-0
276
3
3-0
4
Sterling
6-1
244
7
3-0
5
Centauri
6-0
214
5
2-0
6
Faith Christian
4-3
187
4
2-1
7
Colorado Academy
4-0
164
8
0-0
8
Resurrection Christian
4-2
155
6
1-1
9
Manual
4-2
149
11
2-0
10
Kent Denver
6-1
134
8
2-0
11
Coal Ridge
5-1
116
13
3-0
12
Highland
6-1
107
12
2-0
13
Englewood
5-1
82
14
2-0
14
The Pinnacle
8-0
66
–
3-0
15
Strasburg
5-1
61
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Buena Vista 48, Colorado Springs Christian 46, Eaton 44, Salida 35, Brush 31, Aspen 21, University 20, Alamosa 18, Estes Park 17, The Vanguard School 10, Bishop Machebeuf 9, Gunnison 9, Bennett 8, Pagosa Springs 8, DSST: Byers 8, DSST: Conservatory Green 6, Arrupe Jesuit 5, Basalt 5, Platte Valley 4, Moffat County 4, Woodland Park 2, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 1, Frontier Academy 1, Liberty Common 1, Fort Lupton 1, Roaring Fork 1
Dropped out
Eaton (10), Buena Vista (15)
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Limon (20)
7-0
349
1
2-0
2
Wray (2)
6-0
319
2
3-0
3
Mancos
6-0
271
3
1-0
4
Denver Christian (1)
4-1
216
5
1-0
5
Sanford
5-2
210
7
2-1
6
Yuma
4-3
208
6
2-0
7
Peyton
4-1
197
12
3-0
8
Holly
7-1
188
8
3-1
9
Fowler
4-3
143
4
1-2
10
Wiggins
5-1
111
14
1-1
11
Sedgwick County
5-3
107
8
2-1
12
Meeker
4-1
106
10
1-1
13
Ignacio
4-2
75
11
3-0
14
Crested Butte
3-1
70
13
1-0
15
Soroco (1)
5-1
48
–
2-1
Others receiving votes:
West Grand 40, Monte Vista 34, Holyoke 29, Gilpin County 22, Byers 19, Clear Creek 19, Del Norte 18, Thomas MacLaren 14, Lyons 13, Vail Mountain 11, Dayspring Christian Academy 10, Center 8, Vail Christian 5, Golden View Classical 4, Dolores 4, Rye 4, Cedaredge 3, Atlas Prep 2, South Park 1, Heritage Christian 1, Swallows Charter Academy 1
Dropped out
West Grand (15)
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Belleview Christian (16)
7-0
298
2
3-0
2
De Beque (2)
5-1
255
1
0-1
3
Cheraw
7-0
237
6
2-0
4
Primero
7-0
219
5
3-0
5
Merino (1)
4-2
160
4
2-1
6
Evangelical Christian
6-1
157
12
2-0
7
Mile High Academy (2)
0-1
123
3
0-1
8
Haxtun
5-2
118
7
1-1
9
Granada
5-1
111
8
1-1
10
Denver Jewish Day
4-1
94
15
1-0
11
Flatirons Academy
4-1
80
13
1-1
12
Sangre de Cristo
4-1
79
11
1-1
13
Eads
4-1
73
–
1-1
14
Briggsdale
5-2
68
8
2-1
15
Caprock Academy
5-1
66
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Cheyenne Wells 61, Simla 61, Genoa-Hugo 52, Denver Waldorf 49, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 38, Kit Carson 28, McClave 17, Kim/Branson 11, Springfield 10, Longmont Christian 10, Sierra Grande 8, Creede 8, Ouray 7, Walsh 7, Elbert 4, Fleming 3, Idalia 3, Dove Creek 2, Prairie 2, Arickaree/Woodlin 1
Sanford (2A) and The Vanguard School (3A) each moved up to No. 1 in this week’s girls basketball rankings.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.
Denver South 40, Fruita Monument 36, ThunderRidge 29, Eaglecrest 21, Lakewood 15, Arvada West 14, Broomfield 13, Ponderosa 11, Fountain-Fort Carson 9, Pueblo West 8, Columbine 7, Mountain Vista 6, Fairview 5, Rocky Mountain 4, Pine Creek 4, Denver East 2, Horizon 1
Dropped out
Fruita Monument (11), Denver South (15)
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Mullen (19)
5-1
368
1
2-0
2
George Washington (4)
7-0
341
4
3-0
3
Green Mountain (1)
7-0
339
3
2-0
4
Windsor
6-0
307
6
2-0
5
Falcon (4)
7-0
303
5
3-0
6
Holy Family
5-1
296
2
2-0
7
Erie (1)
5-1
212
7
2-0
8
The Classical Academy
7-1
211
8
3-0
9
D’Evelyn (1)
7-0
179
10
3-0
10
Berthoud
5-1
154
12
2-0
11
Canon City
5-1
111
13
2-0
12
Mead
4-1
100
15
2-0
13
Severance
5-1
92
11
2-0
14
Grand Junction Central
4-2
75
8
0-2
15
Palmer Ridge
6-2
74
–
3-0
Others receiving votes:
Northridge 71, Evergreen 49, Roosevelt 48, Coronado 45, Lewis-Palmer 40, Thornton 25, Battle Mountain 25, Weld Central 18, Thompson Valley 14, Littleton 13, Grand Junction 12, Durango 10, Thomas Jefferson 9, Longmont 7, Cheyenne Mountain 7, Sand Creek 6, Northfield 6, Mesa Ridge 6, Rifle 5, Discovery Canyon 5, Harrison 4, Pueblo County 4, Centaurus 3, Palisade 3, Pueblo East 1, Aurora Central 1, Pueblo Centennial 1
Dropped out
Roosevelt (14)
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
The Vanguard School (7)
6-0
319
2
2-0
2
Lutheran (6)
6-1
308
1
2-1
3
Centauri (7)
7-0
301
4
2-0
4
Eaton (4)
6-0
278
3
2-0
5
The Academy
4-0
210
5
2-0
6
Platte Valley
5-1
201
8
3-0
7
Pagosa Springs
6-1
183
6
1-1
8
Delta
6-1
173
8
3-0
9
St. Mary’s
6-1
134
7
2-1
10
Brush
4-2
130
10
1-1
11
Kent Denver
5-1
90
–
2-0
12
University
4-4
79
11
2-1
13
Basalt
7-0
64
–
2-0
14
Manitou Springs
4-2
60
12
3-0
15
Coal Ridge
5-0
59
14
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Peak to Peak 51, Ellicott 48, Lamar 38, Resurrection Christian 29, Faith Christian 25, Colorado Academy 25, Alamosa 22, Moffat County 13, St. Mary’s Academy 10, Sterling 8, Machebeuf 5, Valley 4, Colorado Springs Christian 3, Fort Lupton 3, Bennett 2, Prospect Ridge 1, Stargate School 1, La Junta 1, DSST: Byers 1, Middle Park 1
Dropped out
Resurrection Christian (13), Ellicott (15)
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sanford (8)
7-0
228
2
3-0
2
Rye (7)
5-1
220
1
1-0
3
Holyoke
7-0
193
3
1-0
4
Rocky Ford
6-0
188
6
3-0
5
Wray
5-1
168
4
1-1
6
Sedgwick County (1)
8-0
162
13
3-0
7
Cedaredge
7-1
137
5
2-1
8
Heritage Christian (1)
6-0
128
8
3-0
9
Limon
6-1
127
7
2-0
10
Soroco
6-0
87
8
3-0
11
Paonia
5-1
81
11
1-1
12
Lotus School for Excellence
7-0
71
10
2-0
13
Ignacio
3-1
56
12
2-0
14
Burlington
5-2
38
–
2-1
15
Del Norte
5-3
36
14
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Peyton 19, Fowler 15, Front Range Christian 15, Center 12, Meeker 12, Gilpin County 11, Olathe 11, Akron 7, Sargent 5, Dayspring Christian 4, Monte Vista 3, Mancos 2, Rangely 2, Calhan 1, Swink 1
Dropped out
Peyton (15)
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Briggsdale (11)
7-0
240
1
3-0
2
Kit Carson (4)
7-0
229
2
2-0
3
McClave (1)
4-1
174
6
2-0
4
Sangre de Cristo (1)
4-1
172
3
1-1
5
Flatirons Academy
5-1
167
5
2-0
6
Kim/Branson
7-0
161
8
2-0
7
Simla
5-1
156
4
1-1
8
South Baca [Campo/Vilas/Pritchett]
5-1
114
14
3-0
9
Elbert
5-1
105
8
2-1
10
Shining Mountain
5-1
86
12
2-0
11
Sierra Grande
5-1
79
–
2-0
12
Dove Creek
6-0
54
–
3-0
13
Fleming
2-2
52
7
0-1
14
Springfield
3-2
49
13
0-2
15
Haxtun
4-3
45
11
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Cotopaxi 43, Kiowa 35, Lone Star 27, Eads 22, Longmont Christian 19, Merino 18, Cripple Creek-Victor 15, Caliche 14, Beth Eden Baptist 13, Cheraw 11, Cheyenne Wells 9, Wiley 9, North Park 7, Idalia 7, Belleview Christian 6, Denver Waldorf 5, Front Range Baptist 5, Moffat 4, Antonito 3, Centennial 3, Creede 2
LAKEWOOD — Evergreen is officially the front-runner in the race for the Class 4A Jeffco League boys basketball title.
The Cougars — No. 7 in this week’s CHSAANow.com 4A boys hoops rankings — took a 1-game lead in the conference with a 54-41 victory over No. 12 Green Mountain on Wednesday night on the Rams’ home court.
“It’s a huge game. This puts us in a good spot to run the table the rest of the way,” Evergreen senior Jackson Mott said of the Cougars winning the conference title.
Evergreen senior Jared Stiller (13) had a solid night with 13 points against Green Mountain on Wednesday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
It has been awhile since Evergreen has claimed a boys basketball league title. The 2003-04 season was the last time the Cougars won a conference crown.
“It was kind of revenge. We had these guys and Golden marked on our calendars,” Evergreen senior Griffin Lauritano said. “This is a really tough place to play against a really well-coached team. To get a win like this was good. Now we control our own destiny. We just have to take care of business the rest of the way.”
Evergreen finished tied for fourth in 4A Jeffco last season. The senior-laded Cougars had a clear focus this season on ending the league championship drought. Evergreen has four more league games — Littleton, Conifer, D’Evelyn and Alameda — that count toward the conference standings.
“We are looking forward to the next four (league games) and hopefully see what happens in the state tournament,” Evergreen coach Jeff Dolan said.
The Cougars (5-1, 4-0 in league) grabbed its fifth straight victory of the season after an opening season loss at home against No. 3 Longmont. Evergreen’s defense has been remarkable. The Cougars haven’t allowed an opponent over 45 points in any game this season.
“That has really been our identity,” Mott said of the Cougars tireless defensive effort. “It gives us a chance to win every game.”
No. 12 Green Mountain (4-2, 3-1) came in averaging nearly 70 points per game, but were held to 24 points through three quarters. Senior Austin Peterson caught fire for the Rams in the fourth quarter scoring 14 of his game-high 20 points in the final quarter, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Evergreen’s 20-point lead.
Green Mountain junior Luke Davis (3) had 8 points off the bench for the Rams, but it wasn’t enough as Green Mountain’s 4-game winning streak came to an end Wednesday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
The Cougars had a 15-0 run that spanned from late in the third quarter until a few minutes into the fourth quarter that gave Evergreen the cushion it needed. Green Mountain saw its 4-game winning streak come to an end.
“It’s great. We are excited about the rivalry win over Green Mountain,” Dolan said. “In the third and beginning of the fourth we started to turn it up.”
Lauritano (14 points) and senior Jared Stiller (13 points) dominated the inside offensively for the Cougars. Mott (14 points) and senior Aaron Browne (9 points) canned three 3-pointers each to jumpstart Evergreen from the outside.
“Mott struggled a little early, but that kid works out every single day,” Dolan said. “Same thing with Aaron, he is a shooter. They hit them in a big, big game. They are seniors and are experienced. They have played in games like this before.”
Evergreen heads to Littleton (3-3, 2-2) on Friday to face the Lions in an attempt to extend its winning streak to six.
Green Mountain is on the road Friday against Wheat Ridge (4-3, 3-2).
Evergreen senior Griffin Lauritano, left, is guarded by Green Mountain senior Dylan Green during the first quarter Wednesday. The Cougars grabbed a big 54-41 victory against the Rams to take a 1-game lead in the race for the Class 4A Jeffco League title. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
This week’s boys basketball rankings added eight new teams across the five classes.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.
Denver East 49, Fairview 40, Fountain-Fort Carson 31, Chatfield 29, Vista PEAK 28, Mullen 27, Rampart 23, Silver Creek 22, Highlands Ranch 10, Mountain Range 8, Gateway 7, Denver South 7, Legend 6, Arapahoe 4, Grandview 3, Poudre 3, Douglas County 3, Boulder 3, Skyline 2, Heritage 2, Air Academy 1, Columbine 1, Horizon 1
Dropped out
Denver East (12)
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
1
Mead (17)
1-0
386
1
2
Windsor (5)
1-0
305
5
3
Longmont (3)
1-0
302
3
4
Lewis-Palmer
1-1
290
2
5
Erie
1-0
218
6
6
Pueblo Central (1)
2-0
209
7
7
Evergreen
2-0
189
8
8
Pueblo South (1)
2-0
152
13
9
Centaurus
1-0
148
11
10
Montrose
0-0
145
8
11
Golden
1-2
138
4
12
Green Mountain
3-0
104
–
13
Pueblo East
1-1
76
10
14
Aurora Central
0-0
66
15
15
D’Evelyn
1-1
42
–
Others receiving votes:
Frederick 38, Sand Creek 37, Harrison 36, Palisade 35, Wheat Ridge 33, Roosevelt 32, Palmer Ridge 30, Steamboat Springs 28, Coronado 22, Cheyenne Mountain 21, Thompson Valley 20, Canon City 19, Mountain View 14, Discovery Canyon 13, Holy Family 13, Thomas Jefferson 11, Eagle Valley 10, Denver North 9, Fort Morgan 9, The Classical Academy 9, Summit 8, Northfield 7, Severance 7, Weld Central 4, Falcon 2, Widefield 1, Pueblo Centennial 1, Lincoln 1
Dropped out
Frederick (12), Harrison (14)
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
1
Lutheran (18)
3-1
414
1
2
St. Mary’s (10)
4-0
399
2
3
Manitou Springs
4-0
299
4
4
Faith Christian
2-2
273
3
5
Centauri
4-0
262
5
6
Resurrection Christian
3-1
258
6
7
Sterling
3-1
241
8
8
Colorado Academy
4-0
189
10
9
Kent Denver
4-1
125
–
10
Eaton
2-2
120
7
11
Manual
2-2
117
11
12
Highland
4-1
116
12
13
Coal Ridge
2-1
91
8
14
Englewood
3-1
78
14
15
Buena Vista (1)
3-0
70
–
Others receiving votes:
Salida 50, University 49, Bishop Machebeuf 47, The Pinnacle 44, Colorado Springs Christian 36, Alamosa 35, Moffat County 31, DSST: Byers 22, Strasburg 22, DSST: Montview 22, Platte Valley 18, Aspen 17, Bennett 16, The Vanguard School 14, Middle Park 12, Brush 11, Estes Park 11, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 11, Arrupe Jesuit 11, Stargate 10, Liberty Common 9, Peak to Peak 8, SkyView Academy 7, Gunnison 7, Banning Lewis 6, Jefferson Academy 5, Basalt 5, DSST: Conservatory Green 3, Fort Lupton 2, Woodland Park 2, Prospect Ridge Academy 1, Pagosa Springs 1, William Smith 1, Lamar 1, Roaring Fork 1
Dropped out
University (13), Bishop Machebeuf (15)
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
1
Limon (25)
5-0
430
1
2
Wray (2)
3-0
381
2
3
Mancos
5-0
316
5
4
Fowler
3-1
283
3
5
Denver Christian
3-1
262
8
6
Yuma (1)
2-3
261
4
7
Sanford
3-1
231
6
8
Holly
4-0
203
8
9
Sedgwick County
3-2
174
7
10
Meeker
3-0
133
11
11
Ignacio
1-2
126
10
12
Peyton
1-1
111
13
13
Crested Butte
2-1
84
12
14
Wiggins
4-0
79
–
15
West Grand
3-0
53
–
Others receiving votes:
Monte Vista 41, Vail Mountain 35, Holyoke 33, Gilpin County 25, Soroco 23, Del Norte 22, Clear Creek 22, Swallows Charter Academy 20, Thomas MacLaren 19, Byers 17, Vail Christian 16, Sargent 12, Atlas Prep 10, Rocky Ford 9, Dayspring Christian Academy 6, Olathe 6, Telluride 5, Cedaredge 5, Rye 4, Lake County 4, Golden View Classical 4, Dolores 3, Front Range Christian 3, Addenbrooke Classical 3, Center 2, Lyons 2, Crowley County 1, Swink 1
Dropped out
Holyoke (14), Monte Vista (15)
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
1
De Beque (14)
5-0
358
1
2
Belleview Christian (7)
4-0
302
3
3
Mile High Academy (3)
0-0
243
2
4
Merino (1)
2-1
220
6
5
Primero
4-0
217
7
6
Cheraw
5-0
215
10
7
Haxtun (1)
4-1
182
8
8
Granada
4-0
179
11
9
Briggsdale
3-1
177
5
10
Cheyenne Wells
4-0
139
–
11
Sangre de Cristo
3-0
131
8
12
Evangelical Christian
4-1
114
12
13
Flatirons Academy
3-0
100
14
14
Kit Carson
2-3
75
4
15
Denver Jewish Day
3-1
67
13
Others receiving votes:
Rocky Mountain Lutheran 49, Genoa-Hugo 45, Eads 44, McClave 36, Simla 35, Denver Waldorf 32, Hi-Plains 19, Kim/Branson 18, Caprock Academy 16, Fleming 14, Walsh 12, Caliche 12, Longmont Christian 11, Springfield 11, South Baca 11, Idalia 10, Prairie 10, Sierra Grande 8, Cotopaxi 3, Dove Creek 3, Arickaree/Woodlin 2
A total of 11 new teams joined this week’s girls basketball rankings, and Lutheran moved up to No. 1 in Class 3A.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.
ThunderRidge 32, Eaglecrest 31, Arvada West 30, Westminster 24, Broomfield 21, Mountain Vista 20, Lakewood 19, Columbine 19, Fountain-Fort Carson 18, Monarch 15, Ponderosa 12, Fairview 9, Loveland 8, Air Academy 6, Pine Creek 5, Cherokee Trail 3, Pueblo West 3, Denver East 2, Liberty 1
Dropped out
ThunderRidge (13), Broomfield (15)
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
1
Mullen (15)
3-1
310
1
2
Holy Family (2)
3-1
304
4
3
Green Mountain (1)
5-0
301
2
4
George Washington (3)
4-0
300
3
5
Falcon (5)
4-0
276
7
6
Windsor (1)
4-0
257
5
7
Erie
3-1
191
6
8
The Classical Academy
4-1
159
11
9
Grand Junction Central
4-0
154
12
10
D’Evelyn (1)
4-0
133
–
11
Severance
3-1
112
8
12
Berthoud
3-1
107
10
13
Canon City
3-1
86
–
14
Roosevelt
4-0
81
15
15
Mead
2-1
77
–
Others receiving votes:
Evergreen 74, Lewis-Palmer 64, Palmer Ridge 49, Northridge 43, Coronado 34, Durango 27, Thomas Jefferson 25, Sierra 22, Sand Creek 21, Thompson Valley 21, Montrose 14, Battle Mountain 14, Grand Junction 14, Littleton 12, Pueblo Centennial 12, Cheyenne Mountain 11, Palisade 9, Longmont 9, Riverdale Ridge 7, Denver North 6, Wheat Ridge 5, Rifle 4, Weld Central 3, Centaurus 3, Aurora Central 2, Mesa Ridge 2, Steamboat Springs 2, Eagle Valley 1, Conifer 1, Mountain View 1
Dropped out
Thompson Valley (8), Sierra (13), Durango (14)
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
1
Lutheran (8)
4-0
299
2
2
The Vanguard School
4-0
286
4
3
Eaton (5)
4-0
282
6
4
Centauri (7)
5-0
278
1
5
The Academy (1)
2-0
216
5
6
Pagosa Springs (1)
5-0
178
8
7
St. Mary’s
4-0
161
8
8
Platte Valley
2-1
143
10
9
Delta
3-1
141
7
10
Brush
3-1
128
12
11
University (1)
2-3
127
3
12
Manitou Springs
1-2
78
11
13
Resurrection Christian
3-1
50
–
14
Coal Ridge
4-0
42
–
15
Ellicott
4-1
39
–
Others receiving votes:
Moffat County 30, Colorado Academy 28, Faith Christian 27, Alamosa 25, Colorado Springs Christian 24, Basalt 24, Kent Denver 22, Jefferson Academy 14, Lamar 13, Peak to Peak 13, Grand Valley 13, St. Mary’s Academy 10, Frontier Academy 10, Valley 9, Buena Vista 8, Sterling 8, Arrupe Jesuit 8, La Junta 6, Middle Park 5, Bayfield 4, The Pinnacle 3, Fort Lupton 3, Denver West 3, Prospect Ridge 1, Stargate School 1
Dropped out
Moffat County (13), Grand Valley (14), Alamosa (15)
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
1
Rye (10)
4-1
251
1
2
Sanford (4)
4-0
237
2
3
Holyoke (1)
6-0
221
3
4
Wray
4-0
194
5
5
Cedaredge (3)
5-0
181
6
6
Rocky Ford
3-0
174
7
7
Limon
4-1
134
4
8
Heritage Christian
3-0
104
11
9
Soroco
3-0
94
8
10
Lotus School for Excellence
5-0
84
15
11
Paonia
4-0
83
–
12
Ignacio
1-1
77
8
13
Sedgwick County
5-0
69
12
14
Del Norte
4-2
62
10
15
Peyton
2-1
39
13
Others receiving votes:
Meeker 23, Burlington 17, Front Range Christian 14, Gilpin County 11, Denver Christian 9, Yuma 8, Olathe 8, Holly 8, Addenbrooke Classical 7, Vail Christian 6, Fowler 6, Sargent 6, Dayspring Christian 5, Crested Butte 5, Center 4, Hotchkiss 3, Akron 3, Hoehne 2, Wiggins 2, Mancos 2, Rangely 2, Lake County 2, Dolores 1, Swink 1, Dawson 1
Dropped out
Yuma (14)
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
1
Briggsdale (14)
4-0
311
1
2
Kit Carson (2)
5-0
270
2
3
Sangre de Cristo
3-0
217
3
4
Simla
4-0
212
5
5
Flatirons Academy (1)
3-1
194
7
6
McClave (1)
2-1
188
4
7
Fleming
2-1
146
6
8
Kim/Branson
5-0
142
11
9
Elbert (2)
3-0
116
13
10
Cotopaxi
3-1
97
8
11
Haxtun
3-2
95
8
12
Shining Mountain
3-1
83
10
13
Springfield
3-0
70
–
14
South Baca [Campo/Vilas/Pritchett]
2-1
61
12
15
North Park (1)
3-1
56
–
Others receiving votes:
Lone Star 44, Kiowa 42, Sierra Grande 31, Eads 30, Dove Creek 26, Genoa-Hugo 21, Longmont Christian 21, Idalia 20, Antonito 16, Wiley 15, Arickaree/Woodlin 14, Primero 13, Prairie 11, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 9, Cheraw 9, Liberty/Stratton 9, Merino 8, Centennial 7, Ouray 6, Moffat 5, Cheyenne Wells 5, Belleview Christian 5, Norwood 4, Granada 3, Hanover 3, Pawnee 2, De Beque 2, Denver Waldorf 1
GOLDEN — Fourth-quarter magic seems to be the winning formula for Green Mountain’s boys basketball team so far this season.
After an opening season loss to Chatfield, the Rams stormed back against area-rival Lakewood last week with a 32-point fourth quarter to pull out a 68-64 before jumping into Class 4A Jeffco League play this week.
“We practice hard late in our practices,” Green Mountain junior Corbin Jantzer said after the Rams rallied to a 63-50 road victory Wednesday night over Golden. “We talk about the fourth quarter a lot. It’s a big priority.”
Golden sophomore Alan Acevedo (3) takes an off-balance shot against Green Mountain junior Corbin Jantzer (25) during the Class 4A Jeffco League game. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
The Rams trailed rival Golden 40-39 heading to the fourth quarter. It seemed the Demons — No. 4 in the CHSAANow.com Class 4A boys basketball rankings — were primed to extend its lead and take control of the 4A Jeffco League game. However, Green Mountain had other plans.
With no cheering student sections on either side, the Rams (3-1, 2-0 in league) went on a 24-10 run in the fourth quarter to grab a huge conference win over the defending 4A Jeffco League champs.
Jantzer poured in 11 of his team-high 19 points in the final eight minutes. His 3-pointer from the top of the key with 2:45 left in the fourth quarter gave the Rams a 53-45 lead.
“He (Jantzer) is tough and we coach him hard,” Green Mountain coach Mike Puccio said. “He is a super-talented kid. He hasn’t had a great start offensively, but his rebounding and defense he is one of the best in the league. He is so versatile.”
Green Mountain’s leading scorer Austin Peterson had a fairly quiet 8-point night offensively, but the Rams got plenty of contributors. Senior Blake McKibbin had 14 points off the bench and senior Allen Ortiz poured in 9 points.
“I’ve got faith in every one of our guys being able to go out there and score,” Jantzer said. “Anybody can drop 15 points.”
Green Mountain senior Dylan Green pulls up for a 3-pointer attempt Wednesday night at Golden High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
The Rams made six free-throws in the final minute to ice the victory and remain undefeated early in conference play with Wheat Ridge (3-1, 2-0) and Evergreen (2-1, 1-0).
“This is a huge win. This was a preview to a playoff match-up,” Jantzer said. “It’s a huge rivalry in the league. Coming into this game we took it as a game for the league championship. We’ve got to get past Golden. We thought we had to prove ourselves.”
Golden sophomore Aliou Diallo led the Demons (3-1, 1-1) with 20 points, but the guard suffered a lower leg injury to end the third quarter. He was on the bench being treated before returning to the court midway through the final quarter.
Junior Richie Pruett had 9 points in the second half before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Alan Acevedo pitched in 8 points, but was also limited in minutes because of foul trouble. A total of 47 fouls were call on the night.
“Golden is a three-headed monster (Pruett, Diallo and Acevedo) and also has some great role players,” Puccio said. “We just wanted to contain those three and make someone else beat us.”
Golden junior Richie Pruett (1) glides past Green Mountain junior Cameron Storm (21) for a layup during the second quarter Wednesday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Golden has a big conference showdown Friday night on the road against No. 8 Evergreen (2-1, 1-0). It might be a must-win situation for the Demons if they hope to repeat as league champs. The Cougars actually had a league bye Wednesday night after taking a 50-32 victory over Standley Lake on Monday.
Green Mountain is back in action at home against Alameda on Friday night.
Puccio admitted he really didn’t know what to expect this year after Green Mountain graduated 90 percent of his players from last year’s squad. A 23-point loss to open the season against Chatfield might have been a bad sign, but the Rams have bounced back with 3 straight victories.
“I’m hard on these guys. We’ve got a shoot-around at 6:30 am tomorrow morning,” Puccio said. “We’ll go get ready for Alameda on Friday and then have a practice on Saturday. We (coaches) are relentless on them. We don’t let up.”
Jantzer knows the job isn’t nearly complete for Green Mountain.
“We still have a lot to prove,” Jantzer said. “There are still a lot of teams up there. We are just going to continue to keep working.”
Green Mountain junior Corbin Jantzer (25) had a huge game for the Rams with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals in Green Mountain’s 63-50 victory Wednesday over No. 4 Golden. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
This week’s girls basketball rankings saw Centauri move up to No. 1 in Class 3A, as well as 13 new teams join the polls across five classifications.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.
Mountain Vista 37, Chatfield 37, Westminster 36, Denver South 33, Lakewood 31, Eaglecrest 24, Arvada West 19, Cherokee Trail 17, Columbine 16, Ponderosa 13, Pine Creek 12, Fort Collins 10, Monarch 9, Denver East 8, Loveland 8, Pueblo West 7, Fountain-Fort Carson 5, Dakota Ridge 5, Fairview 4, Liberty 2, Palmer 1, Horizon 1
Dropped out
Denver East (10), Lakewood (14), Fountain-Fort Carson (15)
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Mullen (17)
1-1
275
1
1-1
2
Green Mountain (3)
2-0
274
3
2-0
3
George Washington (2)
3-0
243
7
3-0
4
Holy Family (1)
1-1
242
2
1-1
5
Windsor
2-0
205
–
2-0
6
Erie
1-1
197
4
1-1
7
Falcon (1)
2-0
178
8
2-0
8
Thompson Valley
2-0
137
15
2-0
9
Severance
1-1
122
8
1-1
10
Berthoud
1-1
106
5
1-1
11
The Classical Academy
2-0
98
–
2-0
12
Grand Junction Central
2-0
94
–
2-0
13
Sierra
1-0
88
10
1-0
14
Durango
3-1
78
11
3-1
15
Roosevelt (1)
2-0
71
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Palmer Ridge 63, Sand Creek 56, Mead 50, Lewis-Palmer 46, Canon City 45, Widefield 42, D’Evelyn 34, Evergreen 33, Montrose 27, Northridge 22, Coronado 22, Thomas Jefferson 20, Pueblo Centennial 16, Palisade 15, Battle Mountain 12, Glenwood Springs 12, Cheyenne Mountain 11, Northfield 10, Longmont 9, Discovery Canyon 9, Riverdale Ridge 8, Centaurus 7, Denver North 6, Wheat Ridge 5, Mesa Ridge 4, Greeley West 2, Eagle Valley 1, Littleton 1, Weld Central 1, Mountain View 1, Conifer 1, Steamboat Springs 1
Dropped out
Sand Creek (6), Evergreen (12), Canon City (13), Mead (14)
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Centauri (8)
2-0
284
2
2-0
2
Lutheran (8)
2-0
278
4
2-0
3
University (1)
1-1
256
1
1-1
4
The Vanguard School (2)
1-0
238
5
1-0
5
The Academy
0-0
206
3
0-0
6
Eaton (2)
2-0
198
10
2-0
7
Delta
1-0
182
6
1-0
8
Pagosa Springs
2-0
148
8
2-0
9
St. Mary’s
1-0
147
8
1-0
10
Platte Valley
2-1
141
7
2-1
11
Manitou Springs
0-1
87
11
0-1
12
Brush
1-1
70
12
1-1
13
Moffat County
1-0
56
15
1-0
14
Grand Valley
2-0
42
–
2-0
15
Alamosa
1-2
32
13
1-2
Others receiving votes:
Faith Christian 31, Arrupe Jesuit 29, Prospect Ridge 26, Jefferson Academy 23, Lamar 23, Coal Ridge 23, Colorado Academy 19, St. Mary’s Academy 19, Valley 18, Sterling 17, Kent Denver 16, Machebeuf 15, Bennett 14, Bruce Randolph 13, Resurrection Christian 11, The Pinnacle 11, Buena Vista 11, Basalt 10, Middle Park 8, Arvada 7, DSST: Montview 6, Colorado Springs Christian 6, La Junta 6, Frontier Academy 5, Jefferson 5, KIPP Collegiate 4, Peak to Peak 4, Bayfield 4, SkyView Academy 4, Fort Lupton 3, DSST: Byers 2, Salida 1, Manual 1
Dropped out
St. Mary’s Academy (14)
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Rye (10)
2-0
247
1
2-0
2
Sanford (3)
3-0
229
3
3-0
3
Holyoke
3-0
210
4
3-0
4
Limon (1)
2-0
181
2
2-0
5
Wray
2-0
174
5
2-0
6
Cedaredge (3)
2-0
161
10
2-0
7
Rocky Ford
1-0
141
6
1-0
8
Ignacio
0-1
96
7
0-1
9
Soroco
2-0
92
14
2-0
10
Del Norte (1)
2-1
75
8
2-1
11
Heritage Christian
1-0
72
12
1-0
12
Sedgwick County
2-0
69
–
2-0
13
Peyton
0-1
51
15
0-1
14
Yuma
0-2
48
11
0-2
15
Lotus School for Excellence
3-0
37
–
3-0
Others receiving votes:
Meeker 36, Paonia 31, Burlington 23, Rangely 22, Olathe 21, Front Range Christian 16, Hayden 15, Swink 12, Byers 12, Colorado Springs School 10, Holly 10, Denver Christian 9, Crested Butte 9, West Grand 8, Fowler 7, Lake County 7, Addenbrooke Classical 6, Wiggins 4, Dawson 4, Dayspring Christian 4, Thomas MacLaren 3, Center 2, Lyons 2, Hoehne 2, Akron 1, Crowley County 1
Dropped out
Meeker (8), Holly (13)
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Briggsdale (17)
2-0
297
1
2-0
2
Kit Carson (1)
2-0
221
6
2-0
3
Sangre de Cristo
1-0
216
3
1-0
4
McClave
2-0
212
5
2-0
5
Simla
2-0
191
8
2-0
6
Fleming
1-1
178
2
1-1
7
Flatirons Academy
2-0
164
10
2-0
8
Haxtun
2-0
153
–
2-0
9
Cotopaxi
2-0
126
8
2-0
10
Shining Mountain
2-0
118
12
2-0
11
Kim/Branson
2-0
104
–
2-0
12
South Baca [Campo/Vilas/Pritchett]
0-1
78
4
0-1
13
Elbert (1)
1-0
62
15
1-0
14
Centennial (2)
2-0
49
–
2-0
15
Lone Star
0-1
43
7
0-1
Others receiving votes:
Dove Creek 41, Eads 39, Longmont Christian 32, North Park 23, Kiowa 23, Sierra Grande 20, Wiley 15, Merino 15, Springfield 14, Moffat 12, Peetz 11, Idalia 10, Cheraw 10, Genoa-Hugo 10, Caprock Academy 9, Belleview Christian 6, Aguilar 5, Miami-Yoder 5, De Beque 4, Granada 3, Liberty/Stratton 1
