DENVER | The Eaglecrest boys basketball team doesn’t have to be resilient anymore.
The job is finished.
The Raptors — whose remarkable season has been highlighted by a slew of comebacks and clutch play — came through one last time in the face of adversity with the biggest stakes on the line Saturday evening at the Denver Coliseum.
Eaglecrest knocked off megawatt postseason star Cole Scherer and defending state champion Valor Christian 65-63 in a rollercoaster ride that ended with the program’s first state title since 2017 and its third all-time.
Coach Jarris Krapcha’s Raptors erased an eight-point deficit late in the third quarter with a 24-point fourth quarter and overcame 14 missed free throws and some unnecessary drama at the end to finish the season 26-2.
While Scherer finished with a game-high 35 points, Eaglecrest got its scoring from a wide variety of sources as senior Anthony Nettles tallied 14 points, senior Garrett Barger had 12, senior Jason Noone 11 and senior Lucas Kalimba nine to lead the way.
Eaglecrest’s championship was the first for Krapcha, who took over on the bench for John Olander, who guided title runs in 2013 and 2017.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2025 CLASS 6A BOYS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
(2) EAGLECREST 65, (5) VALOR CHRISTIAN 63
Score by quarters:
Valor Christian 12 11 23 17 — 63
Eaglecrest 14 15 12 24 — 65
VALOR CHRISTIAN (63)
Ryan Oblachinski 2 0-0 5, Cole Scherer 10 9-12 35, Grant Stevens 2 0-0 5, Brady Wynja 5 4-6 12, Ryan Mandes 1 2-3 4, Drake Bebout 0 0-0 0, Titus Huard 0 0-0 0, Ryan Murray 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 15-21 63.
EAGLECREST (65)
Jason Noone 2 5-6 11, Anthony Nettles 5 3-6 14, Lucas Kalimba 3 3-10 9, Gavin Gallegos 1 1-1 3, Garrett Barger 6 0-2 12, Kris Coleman 2 4-5 8, La’Quince York 1 4-4 6, Demari Manns Davis 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 20-34 65.
3-point field goals — Valor Christian (8): Cole Scherer 6, Ryan Oblachinski, Grant Stevens. Eaglecrest (3): Jason Noone 2, Anthony Nettles. Total fouls — Valor Christian 20, Eaglecrest 22. Fouled out — Valor Christian: Ryan Mandes, Brady Wynja. Eaglecrest: Kris Coleman. Technical fouls — None.