Fossil Ridge boys hoops back for another title bid in 2022-23

Going into last year’s Class 5A state championship game, the Fossil Ridge boys basketball team didn’t feel it got the respect it deserved as a squad outside of the Denver metro area. The Sabercats, located in Fort Collins, took that collective chip on their shoulders all the way to that final contest, where they lost 58-49 to ThunderRidge.

That final loss, only their second of the season through 28 tries, left a bad taste in their mouths. They don’t want to feel that sting again this winter.

“They’re getting the ball in their hands as much as they can,” head coach Matt Johannsen said. “The work they put in this summer and as much as they’ve improved this summer has been pretty eye-opening to me and I’ve been doing this a long time. They put in the work and I’m excited to see what they put on the floor.”

The Sabercats’ road to the postseason through the 2022-23 season, however, won’t be easy. This year, they’ll have to deal with a gigantic, 16-team league as part of the new 6A classification, which only makes their push toward the postseason that much more difficult.

“We just deal with things as they come at us,” senior Matthew Boldt said. “We don’t get to choose who we play. We just played what was on our schedule.”

The Sabercats will undoubtedly enter the new year with a target on their backs, and they’ll have to figure out how to replace Brock Mishak (20 points per game) quickly. Luckily, they’ll have strong returning leaders with seniors Nick Randall (16.8 points per game), Colin Hayes (8.6 points per game) and Domenic Leone (7.2 points per game) to guide them.

That run to the state championship, even though it didn’t end the way they had hoped, provided invaluable experience and wisdom that the upperclassmen can impart on their younger teammates as they hope to come out on top in 2023.

The Fossil Ridge boys begin their campaign on Nov. 30 against George Washington.

“We’ve been there before so we’re used to it now,” Randall said. “Going back, I think we’re going to go on another run. It’s going to be a lot of fun. We got a great group of guys and we’re expecting to do great things this season.”