3A girls basketball: Platte Valley wins title in dominant fashion to cap unbeaten campaign

DENVER — To say Platte Valley’s girls basketball team never let up doesn’t really cut it.

The Broncos never flinched, never even blinked.

They never wilted under the pressure. They never looked past a single opponent. They never cut corners, never passed on an opportunity to get in a few more reps in the gym or spend a couple extra minutes studying game film of opponents.

And when the Class 3A girls hoops season reached its climax Saturday afternoon at the University of Denver’s Hamilton Gymnasium, Platte Valley — predictably — was at its best.

The top-seeded defending champion Broncos were dialed in from the first through fourth quarters — just like they were dialed in from December-March — in a dominant 70-50 3A title game victory over second-seeded University.

“They wanted it,” Platte Valley coach Tonya Schissler said. “They were just on a mission to prove they are the best. I was really proud of them today. We’ve always wanted a game where it feels like everybody is on. We got that today.”

The Bulldogs — playing in just their second title game in program history — ended their season at 22-5. Three of their five losses were against this Broncos team.

Platte Valley capped its perfect campaign at 26-0. This is the Broncos’ fifth state title in program history, but their first back-to-back championship.

Platte Valley has won 40 consecutive game, dating back to the 2020-21 season.

After an explosive start to Saturday’s title game, the Broncos’ pursuit of another state championship was never really in jeopardy.

They led 21-8 after one quarter and 41-19 by halftime.

Perhaps none of Platte Valley’s 14 competitive players better personified the Broncos’ desire to get off to a fast start than did senior point guard Cora Schissler.

Schissler had been mired in a self-described shooting slump. And on Friday — in Platte Valley’s 52-33 semifinals win against Grand Valley — she was plagued with foul trouble, finishing with just six points.

She matched that point total in less than seven minutes of action Saturday.

Schissler finished with 19 points — second on the team to only her sister, junior Andi Schissler’s 22 points. Cora scored 17 points in the first half alone, when the game was still somewhat up for grabs.

“I definitely wanted this bad,” Cora Schissler said. “We’ve worked for (the championship) this entire season, and even since we were little — like, fourth grade. The hard work has really paid off.”

Cora Schissler and two other key seniors — Cassie Ridings and Brooke Bunting — will graduate from this Broncos’ squad.

But, a terrifying proposition for the rest of a 3A classification that has been overmatched by the Broncos the past two seasons: a year from now, Platte Valley will bring back 10 of 13 members of this season’s varsity roster. 

Among those returning, Andi Schissler, who dominated Saturday’s title game in every way imaginable.

And, though Andi Schissler and her teammates will take the requisite amount of time to celebrate this title, they won’t waste much time before shifting focus toward what it’s going to take to three-peat next winter. 

“We are going to be very focused when we get in the gym this spring, this summer and even the fall,” said Schissler, who also plays volleyball in the fall, like much of the Broncos’ roster. “It’s all about putting in that behind-the-scenes work.”