Ball Fever: Boys basketball season hits the break
Welcome back, Fever fans! Our midweek report captured some solid local action as well as the start to numerous CO squads heading to Vegas.
Let’s see how it all finished up!
The Look Back
Thursday, Dec. 21
- Overland, at the Tark Classic in Vegas, was surely the best win-less team on the docket. Seniors Daijon Smith and Goy Wang ensured they didn’t remain that way scoring 23 and 21 respectively in the Blazers in the 17-point win over Wilson out of our nations capital, DC.
- Bingham, Utah has been a perennial contender nationally but George Washington wasn’t impressed as they earned the win 59-54 in Las Vegas. Confidence building win for the Patriots and 6’10 D’Auntray Pierce stepped up in the clutch with a huge block, rebound, and late score to help seal it.
- Junior Abdul Locke’s 11 points helped Thomas Jefferson get the Cherry Creek Holiday Classic off on the right foot with 4-point win over Fossil Ridge.
- Young sophomore K. Maltbia puts up 28 points for Fountain Fort Carson but Connor Staib scored 29 for the victorious Eagles as Mountain Vista takes their first win by 19 at the Creek Tourney.
- Five players ran it up and scored in double figures from Sierra Vista (NV) and they pulled away from Valor Christian by more than 20 in Vegas.
- Junior stand out Dayne Prim was feeling it and scored 24 points where Grandview put a hurting on Durango (NV) in Vegas 75-43.
- Whoa! Cherry Creek was an extremely unkind tournament host busting Pine Creek by 42 points in the tourney opener!
- Is there a such think as Coach Carey’s Angels quietly trucking along? Two local tourney titles under their belt and they start the Vegas Tourney 60-43 over Desert Pines with Daylen Kountz scoring 21.
- Senior Devin Collins led three Raiders in double figures with 14 but not enough to slow hot Smoky Hill who hasn’t lost in the state and big John Harge again turned up his play late in the fourth quarter in this win and is averaging 15 per game. Smoky wins by 9 on the road for A-Town “braggin rights!”.
- No. 9 Pueblo West held Windsor to a 4-point second quarter and that was a big part of the 7 point win with Nigel Smeyer-Williams scoring 21.
- A top 5 4A match did not disappoint! Holy Family and Pueblo South battled until the last minute with South pulling out the 67-63 win.
- Cherokee Trail stunned No. 5 ThunderRidge early, up 5 on the road but the Grizzlies jumped on senior Kaison Hammonds back and rode to a 51-41 win. Hammonds led all in scoring with 13.
Friday, Dec. 22
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- The first quarter started off close but that was the only thing close about Regis Jesuit’s rout of Hinkley!
- Grandview’s in and out of state hot streak came to an end but they were in it “til the end” falling 62-59 to Rancho Christian CA in Las Vegas. Daijon Smith carried a heavy load again scoring 21 in the loss.
- Senior Tyler McGinnis scored 19 for WIndsor who seems to always be in it late but not enough as Pueblo South gets an impressive 8-point win on back to back nights!
- Dynamic duo of Daylen Kountz and Kwane Marble were magic again for the Angels who knocked off Salem Hills Utah and this time Marble led with 26 points. The Angels are balling.
- Devin Carter, a good looking sophomore, is leading the Patriots at 10 points per game but not enough in Vegas vs. Pasadena CA who beat the Patriots by 12.
- Chaparral was the victim of a mysterious late call that gave the Vegas opponent 3 free throws with no time left in the previous game and that lit an absolute fire in Ronnie DeGray III who scored 32 points leading the Wolverines to a 20-point statement over Marantha from CA. Wolverines win = DANCING!!
Good bounce back win today with a 78-58 win over Maranatha from California. @Ronnie_DeGray23 with 32 points. Winning = Dancing. Seniors, show us what you’re working with…oh and @tannergiles22 wanted to get in there too ⏸ pic.twitter.com/qmu03eNRpR
— Chap Hoops (@Chap_Hoops) December 23, 2017
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- Rangeview went into our beloved Sitting Eagle gym and got the win, never easy! The best part of this December day this is Coach Jansen’s tradition of the annual alumni game…Continuing to build that Warrior tradition!
Alumni game #4. 8 teams. Class of 80-2017. Great night being with old players, reconnecting, and seeing the men they have become! Why you coach! Relationships. pic.twitter.com/dKwyJ5icQH
— Brad Jansen (@coachjansen) December 23, 2017
- Mountain Vista playing well again and this time Ben Grusing scored 19 as the Eagles destroyed T. Jefferson by 30 in the Creek tourney.
- Darius Price led four Bruins in double figures with 15 but didn’t get Creek in the title game of their tourney as they lost to Legend by 4.
- Smoky HIll, No. 2 5A, closed out their early season with a home floor party and Vista Peak was the unwanted guest losing by 27.
- Senior Ben Boone’s 17 points helped Grandview to continue streaking with an overtime win over Sheldon CA by a tight 2 points.
- Feels like a repeat from the previous day and those two East Angels, Kountz & Marble, both score in the 20’s again and roll our states No. 4 squad into the Tarkanian Classic Silver Title game with 4 point win over Desert Vista Arizona!
Saturday, Dec. 23
- Nice 21 point effort from Valor’s Hunter Shkapich but the Eagles took a few lumps on this Vegas trip losing again by 21 to Bountiful out of Utah.
- Chap caught two Vegas heart breakers early but bounced back with two impressive wins, the last of which was over Carver AL by 9.
- FRESHMAN ALERT: Cherry Creek took their anger of not being in the Holiday Classic title game out on Thomas Jefferson pounding them by 30 and class of 2021 Chase Penry scored 10 points and added 8 rebounds.
- Soph Caleb McGill stepped up with 10 points for Grandview but their run in Vegas came to an end with a close 2-point loss to Southwind of Memphis TN.
- Conner Staib was the picture of consistency averaging 15 points per game and helped Mountian Vista win the title of the Cherry Creek Holiday Classic, winning by 10 over Legend.
- In our end of the week finale Denver East ran into a tough kid, Cyrus Johnson from Culver City CA, who scored 25 points and pulled down 5 rebounds to deny the Angels a Silver Division title of The Tarkanian Classic and handing East it’s first loss of the season. The Angels are back, strong as usual.
Thoughts at the break
Wow! What a start to the early season. No doubt that the growth of Colorado hoops has been on display in and out of state.
Our Fever Crew is heavily involved in club ball and we couldn’t help but notice that many of the players who are performing well in Las Vegas, Utah, California are doing so because this is nothing new to them! Our young men have played on the Bishop Gorman floor, Tarkanian Academy, Desert Pines, etc…on a very high/competitive level and it warms our heart to see the high school programs investing in this travel which exposes our teams to elite competition in a different and unique way.
We’re not even halfway through but if the post season started today give us Rock Canyon, East, Smoky Hill, and Chaparral as the four “1 seeds” and let’s get it on!
In 4A Lewis-Palmer still looking like the cream but Pueblo South won’t forget that early loss and Holy Family/Golden will have a lot to say before it’s all said and done as well.
Stay safe and warm out there, folks. Our Fever Crew can’t wait to get out to more games and will return in 2018! Peace.
