CENTENNIAL | Although he says he might be “the worst coach in the state,” for second round playoff basketball games, the end result is all that matters for coach John Olander’s Eaglecrest team.
The Raptors seem to win ugly in the second round of the postseason — in part due to a layoff from the end of the regular season and facing teams coming in off first round wins — but they still managed to find a way to move on.
Olander guided Eaglecrest into 5A’s Sweet 16 for the sixth straight season as the top-seeded Raptors topped seventh-seeded Highlands Ranch 66-50 on Feb. 27 in a game that stayed too close for comfort for quite awhile.
“Every year this round is struggle for us,” Olander said jokingly. “I must be the worst coach in the state in a second round game. But really give Highlands Ranch credit for coming out with a lot of energy and making it difficult for us.”
Eaglecrest won in the second round of last season’s playoffs by seven points over Fossil Ridge, by one in 2013-14 over Lakewood and by 17 in a somewhat sloppy game with Arvada West in the championship season of 2012-13.
This time, junior Colbey Ross paced Eaglecrest (23-2) with 17 points, while junior Ikenna Ozor had the majority of his 14 point in the fourth quarter when the team needed it. Austin Forsberg added 12 points for the Raptors, who will play host to fifth-seeded Denver East at 7 p.m. March 2 with a trip to the Great 8 at the Denver Coliseum on the line.
Eaglecrest beat the Angels (17-8) — who won at Grand Junction in the second round — by a 69-56 score in a non-league game on Jan. 25. Another win would put the Raptors into the Great 8 against either second-seeded Regis Jesuit or third-seeded Dakota Ridge.
To set up the meeting with Denver East, the Raptors had to withstand a challenge from Highlands Ranch (11-14), which hung around until the fourth quarter.
Ozor finished early and often for Eaglecrest in the final period — including several inside baskets set up by passes from Jalaughn Jackson — and scored 12 of his 14 points down the stretch to keep the Falcons at bay.
“I have teammates who control the ball and keep getting it to me inside,” Ozor said. “They kept giving it to me…We’re just a team. Whether I score 10 points or somebody else does, we’re just a team in the end.”
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
(1) EAGLECREST 66, (9) HIGHLANDS RANCH 50
Score by quarters:
High. Ranch 9 14 11 16 — 50
Eaglecrest 17 11 15 23 — 66
HIGHLANDS RANCH (50)
Jack Fiddler 5 1-2 12, McKale Williams 2 1-1 5, Brendan Sullivan 2 1-1 5, Tyson Gilbert 3 2-2 10, Max Holewinski 1 0-0 3, Holten Sparling 4 1-2 10, Matt Jeffords 1 0-0 2, Nick Rohacek 1 0-0 3. Totals 19 5-7 50.
EAGLECREST (66)
Colbey Ross 5 4-4 17, Elijah Wilson 2 2-2 7, Austin Forsberg 3 3-4 12, Ikenna Ozor 7 0-2 14, Nate Bokol 1 0-0 2, Victor Garnes 2 0-0 5, Joshua Walton 0 1-2 1, Jalaughn Jackson 0 4-8 4, Abanezer Alemneh 1 0-0 3. Totals 21 15-24 66.
3-point field goals — Highlands Ranch (7): Tyson Gilbert 2, Jack Fiddler, Max Holewinski, Nick Rohacek, Holten Sparling, Brendan Sullivan. Eaglecrest (9): Austin Forsberg 3, Colbey Ross 3, Abanezer Alemneh, Victor Garnes, Elijah Wilson. Total fouls — Highlands Ranch 19, Eaglecrest 15. Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None.
