DENVER | Archie Weatherspoon V walked out of the Denver Coliseum disappointed March 13, but with healthy perspective.
Despite the end of dreams of winning the Class 6A state championship for a second straight season in the semifinals, the standout junior believes his Rangeview boys basketball team exceeded expectations and have shown staying power.
Indeed, the Raiders were the only member of this season’s Final Four that had been there the previous year.
“We were focused on one goal this whole year and that was to win a state championship,” Weatherspoon V said shortly after Rangeview’s 61-49 loss to No. 2 Ralston Valley. “At the end of the day, we didn’t get it done, but we can sit back and reflect on the things that we accomplished.
“A lot of people didn’t know how we were going to be this year. I think we earned a lot of respect.”
Rangeview graduated three starters from last season’s team that lost to Valor Christian in the Final Four, which left a few questionmarks despite the return of the dynamic duo of Weatherspoon V and sophomore Marceles Duncan.
Coach Shawn Palmer’s Raiders answered a lot of questions with how they looked immediately, as significant improvements from seniors Aidan Perez and Anthony Andrew combined with the evolution of the star duo gave them the appearance of a state title contender.
During the regular season, Rangeview’s only losses were sustained in the top bracket of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas prior to winter break — where it battled against a variety of nationally ranked opponents — and it was impressive in postseason wins over No. 35 Erie, No. 14 ThunderRidge in the Sweet 16 and eventually No. 6 Cherry Creek in the Great 8.
The struggles that appeared in the opening half of Rangeview’s first contest at the Denver Coliseum — in which it mustered just 13 points against Cherry Creek, though it still led after it allowed just 12 — reappeared against a more potent Ralston Valley club.
The Raiders faced just a four-point deficit to the Mustangs, but they lost the chance to set the tone for the game and play more comfortably in the second half of the most important game of the season.
“I didn’t like how we played the first half both times at the Coliseum and that’s on me,” Palmer said. “We’ve got to get them more prepared and ready to play with more energy from the start.
“It was a struggle for us in the first half of both games and then you’re just fighting uphill.”
That uphill fight became even tougher given the double-barreled threat presented by Ralston Valley, which featured a dynamic inside threat in senior Zeke Andrews along with a sharpshooter in senior guard Caiden Braketa.
Rangeview began to gain traction in the second half offensively, but so, too, did the Mustangs.
Much of Ralston Valley’s damage came in the paint from Andrews — whose buzzer-beating shot in the Great 8 lifted the Mustangs over George Washington and into the Final Four — who found some soft spots in the Raiders’ defense on his way to 19 points.
Palmer also noted the tremendous rebounding advantage enjoyed by Ralston Valley, which kept Rangeview from making serious overtures . The Raiders did make one early in the fourth quarter when sophomore Dario Washington attacked the rim for a layup that made it a one-point game (40-39) with just a minute gone.
Bracketa (who had made 15 3-pointers in three playoff games) then blew the game open and ended Rangeview’s championship hopes with a barrage from distance.
Three consecutive 3-pointers — answered only by a free throw from Weatherspoon V — by Bracketa (who tallied a game-high 26) opened up the lead and senior Frank Psaute added another that made it an 11-point game midway through the final period.
“They made a lot of tough shots, but these are the games we live for, to play great teams and great players,” Weatherspoon V said. “One team has to come out on top and unfortunately this time, it wasn’t us.”
In the closing minutes, the Raiders only got as close as seven points on a three-point play by Duncan, who finished with 16 points as the third double-digit scorer to go with Weatherspoon V (14) and Andrew (13).
Palmer (who got his 400th career victory earlier in the season when Rangeview won at Denver South) had hoped that players like Perez — who transferred from Overland prior to last season and played a key roll in the postseason — and Andrew would get the chance to play for a championship.
“I wanted it for our seniors to play one more day, but it was a great season and this was a really fun group to coach,” Palmer said. “Only one team really gets to be smiling at the end. You give everything you have and hope the ball bounces for you the way you need it. We didn’t have that happen.”
Rangeview heads into next season with the continued quest to win the program’s third all-time title.
On his way off the court, Weatherspoon V soaked in the Ralston Valley celebration on the other end of the Denver Coliseum.
“This the most packed, loudest its been since I’ve been coming, so I’m hungry to get back and hungry for what is to come,” Weatherspoon V said. “The way they celebrated definitely added fuel to the fire.”
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2026 CLASS 6A BOYS BASKETBALL FINAL FOUR
March 14 at the Denver Coliseum
(2) RALSTON VALLEY 61, (3) RANGEVIEW 49
Score by quarters:
Ralston Valley 6 12 22 21 — 61
Rangeview 6 8 21 14 — 49
RANGEVIEW (49)
Aidan Perez 1 1-2 4, Archie Weatherspoon V 5 2-4 14, Anthony Andrew 5 0-0 13, Marceles Duncan 6 2-3 16, Conrad Marshall Jr. 0 0-0 0, Dario Washington 1 0-0 2, Tyson Tuck 0 0-0 0, Darris Davenport Jr. 0 0-0 0, Kevin Hernandez 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 5-9 49
RALSTON VALLEY (61)
Quentin Hansen 1 0-0 3, Zeke Andrews 8 3-4 19, Frank Psaute 2 1-1 7, Caiden Braketa 10 0-0 26, Alec Sungy 1 1-2 3, Cole Spain 1 0-0 3, Samson Wright 0 0-0 0, Cole Pfeifer 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 5-7 61
3-point field goals — Rangeview (8): Anthony Andrew 3, Marceles Duncan 2, Archie Weatherspoon V 2, Aidan Perez. Ralston Valley (10): Caiden Bracketa 6, Frank Psaute 2, Quentin Hansen, Cole Spain. Total fouls — Rangeview 13, Ralston Valley 11. Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None.