Pueblo East’s three-head scoring monster propels Eagles into 4A title game
BOULDER — As eighth-graders in 2010, the current senior class of basketball players at Pueblo East have been eyeing their shot at a state title.
“We’ve been dreaming about this ever since we were little growing up,” Pueblo East senior TJ Gradisar said. “We have it here now. We just want to get the job done.”
Pueblo East’s last trip to the Class 4A state hoops championship game came in 2010. The Eagles’ 59-51 victory over Sand Creek on Friday at the Coors Events Center advanced Pueblo East to the 4A title game Saturday back in Boulder.
“Another chance,” Pueblo East coach Dave Ryder said of his Eagles getting back to the title game. “It’s exciting. I’m happy for the kids. They were in eighth grade the last time we were up here. They watched and now they get the same opportunity.”
Sierra edged Pueblo East 61-56 in overtime four years ago. The Eagles will attempt to win their first basketball title in school history Saturday. Pueblo East was state runner-ups in 2010 and 1977.
“Ever since freshman year we knew we had the team that could do it,” Pueblo East senior Jimmy Valdez said. “We have been playing all these years. It’s time to put it together now. One more game tomorrow, it’s time to finish it.”
The three-headed scoring machine of Gradisar (18 points), Valdez (14 points) and senior Dylan Gavin (21 points) scored 53 of the Eagles’ 59 points.
“They have played together a long time,” Ryder said of Gradisar, Gavin and Valdez. “They feed off each other. They know what each other are going to do. One complements the other.”
The trio was also a remarkable 19-for-27 (70.3 percent) from the field shooting.
Sand Creek (21-6) actually held a 23-17 lead midway through the second quarter, but Pueblo East (22-4) buckled down defensively and went on an 11-0 to end the second quarter. The Eagles held a 28-23 lead at halftime.
“We just had to reinforce some things we had to do on the defensive end,” Ryder said.
Valdez was 4-for-5 from the field shooting, including a long 3-pointer by the 6-foot-4 center with 2:18 left in the second quarter. Gradisar and Valdez each had 10 points at halftime.
“Having a great basketball player like Dylan (Gavin) on your team everyone is going to be eyeing him throughout,” Valdez said. “We had TJ step up. The whole team stepped up.”
Gavin went on a tear early in the second half to push Pueblo East’s lead into double-digit. He made the only two field goals in the fourth quarter for the Eagles, who used the clock to their advantage and made 9-of-14 free throws in the final quarter to seal the victory.
The Scorpions drained nine 3-pointers in the loss. Senior Dylan Clark led the way with four 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 24 points. Clark started the game 4-for-4 from the field, but was held scoreless in the second quarter.
“Obviously he (Clark) is a great player. He is going to play at the D-I level,” Ryder said. “He is going to get his. We just wanted to control it and not let him get on those big runs. The guards were solid on defense.”
Seniors Alex Jara and Jordan Cruz had the task for the Eagles of trying to keep Clark in check.
Pueblo East will face the winner of Denver South/Cheyenne Mountain in the 4A championship game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Coors Events Center in Boulder.
“We just want to get the job done,” Gradisar said.
