Three-point shooting highlights inaugural boys Jeffco HS Senior Basketball Game
LAKEWOOD — Three-pointers rained down at the Gold Crown Field House on Monday night.
A total of 37 3-pointers were made during the inaugural boys Jeffco High School Senior Basketball Game put on by the Gold Crown Foundation, Jeffco Public Schools and 1stBank.
“Nobody guarded at all,” Arvada West coach Jeff Parriott said with a laugh. “I thought both of the teams shot the heck out of the ball.”
After 40 minutes of a furious pace that didn’t feature much defense … the Blue team coached by Parriott came away with a 136-126 victory.
“I was just kind of feeling my shot early,” said Lakewood senior Jordan Sandoval, who poured in five 3-pointers on his way to 23 points and being named the MVP for the Blue team. “Coach (Parriott) told me to ‘do you’. I said thank you and that is what I did.”
Littleton senior Jason Levy was unbelievable in the fourth quarter as the Blue squad pushed its lead to 20+ points. Levy finished with 26 points, including six 3-pointers. He scored 16 points in the final 10 minutes.
Not to be out done, Golden senior Adam Thistlewood nearly brought the White squad all the way back in the final six minutes.
“We were up 22, then suddenly it’s down to eight points. I was worried about substitutions and making sure everyone gets their time in the game,” Parriott said of the final quarter. “Thistlewood took over.”
The future Drake University player poured in 19 points in the fourth quarter on his way to a game-high 31 points and being named the White squad MVP.
“It was a blast,” said Thistlewood, who helped the Demons to a Class 4A Final 4 appearance his junior season and a 4A Jeffco League title this season. “Seeing all the seniors and playing with and against these guys the past four years … it was great to get out here.”
The White team has a good balance of scoring with Standley Lake’s Garrett Martin, Jefferson’s Nehemiah Baustian and Columbine’s Mat Bergeman all pouring in 14 points each. Chatfield’s Keland Rumsey poured in 13 points and Golden’s Jack Moore also hit double-digit points with a dozen.
Besides Levy and Sandoval, the Blue squad was led in scoring by Valor’s Jeremy Randle (18 points), Bear Creek’s Manuel Perez (13 points), Arvada West’s James Pelon (12 points) and Bear Creek’s Jovan Dodig (11 points).
“It was terrific. What a great opportunity for these kids to come out and play in probably the last game of their career,” Parriott said. “They can showcase their talent a little bit and play with some guys who they played against. Unbelievable experience for these guys.”
The White team was coached by longtime Evergreen coach Scott Haebe. Nearly every Jeffco League boys basketball coach was in attendance to watch the inaugural Jeffco all-star game that featured the top seniors from the 5A and 4A Jeffco League and Jeffco schools.
“It was definitely fun with all the competition out here,” Sandoval said. “Getting this together and celebrate these players were really fun.”
