AURORA | It’s been a very happy new year thus for Rangeview senior guard Jeremiah Paige.
The Colorado State signee returned from winter break to help the Raiders go 3-0 to secure a second consecutive championship at the Aurora Public Schools Classic tournament, becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer along the way.
On Tuesday, Paige — currently ranked No. 4 in Class 5A in scoring average at 22 points per game — was among the 10 Colorado boys and girls players to receive nominations to the 2014 McDonald’s All-American games. He is the first McDonald’s All-American nominee in 11 seasons for head coach Shawn Palmer.
More significantly, Paige is the newly-minted leader in total points scored at Rangeview, which is now in its 31st season. With 16 points in an 86-36 blowout win over Hinkley on Jan. 4, Paige surpassed the previous record of 1,181 points set by Terry Taylor Jr. between 1983-85, and now has 1,194 according to Palmer’s records.
“We wanted to get it done with; not that it’s been a distraction, but we want our guys to embrace the history,” Palmer said. “They understand there have been a lot of good players here, so to break records of guys like Terry Taylor Jr., I encourage that. Hopefully if he continues to play well, Jeremiah will continue to distance himself.”
Paige has 13 regular season games and potentially multiple Class 5A state playoff games to build on his record with the Raiders, who sit 8-2 after sweeping past Aurora Central, Gateway and Hinkley to win the APS Classic.
The fact that Paige and Taylor Jr. — son of Rangeview’s first coach, Terry Taylor Sr. — sit atop the school scoring chart is notable for both players in different ways.
Taylor Jr., who won the prestigious Fred Steinmark Award previously given out by the now defunct Rocky Mountain News in 1985, set the previous scoring record in just two seasons after he moved in from Utah. Taylor Jr. also sits No. 2 on the school’s all-time assists list with 337, despite playing just under 50 games, including 24 in the 1985 season that he helped the Raiders to the 3A state title.
“Terry Taylor Jr. only played here for two years, so that’s a heck of a lot of points for two years,” Palmer said.
Paige had an advantage in setting the new record in that teams play more regular season games than they did in Taylor Jr.’s time and also can play more games in the postseason as well. Paige has had health on his side, as he hasn’t missed a game and suited up for 88 games thus far. Barring injury, Paige should finish with more than 100 for his career.
That longevity helped him overcome a slow start. As a freshman, Paige was the fourth or fifth scoring option on a Rangeview team that included Jeffrey Solarin (now at Idaho State), Marcus Holt (his future teammate at Colorado State), Jamal Wright and Gabe Solarin (Northwestern (Wyo.) College) and scored only 118 points.
He didn’t lead the Raiders in scoring as a sophomore either, though he more than doubled the previous season with 361 points, then upped it to 495 last season. Paige has accounted for 220 points thus far this season going into Friday’s contest against George Washington.
Paige could own a large chunk of the Rangeview record book by the time he’s through.
With 21 blocked shots this season, he also has a school-record 112 in his career — passing Jeffrey Solarin’s mark of 101 — and is in a race with senior Trey Bridges, another four-year varsity player, for the career marks in assists and steals.
“Jeremiah’s just getting started,” Palmer said.
Note: Former Regis Jesuit star Josh Perkins, who is now at Huntington Prep in West Virginia, also received a nomination to the McDonald’s All-American Game. Perkins is averaging 9.7 points and 5.1 assists through 16 games for Huntington Prep.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. Facebook: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2014 COLORADO MCDONALD’S ALL-AMERICAN GAME BOYS & GIRLS NOMINEES
Boys: Zach Braxton (Highlands Ranch); Dominique Collier (Denver East); Chase Foster (Valor Christian); Evan Motlong (Highlands Ranch); JEREMIAH PAIGE (RANGEVIEW); Ibrahim Sylla (Denver South); Girls: Ciera Morgan (Highlands Ranch); Tatum Neubert (Elizabeth); Mikayla Reese (Sand Creek); Lexy Thorderson (Rock Canyon)
RANGEVIEW ALL-TIME BOYS BASKETBALL RECORDS (per Rangeview records)
Scoring: 1. JEREMIAH PAIGE, 1,194 points (2010-2014); 2. Terry Taylor Jr., 1,182 (1983-85); 3. Lars Van Etten, 1,164 (1986-1989); 4. Curtis Cotton, 1,036 (2000-2004); 5. Andy Gurzick, 1,028 (1995-98); Assists: 1. Andy Gurzick, 352 (1995-98); 2. Terry Taylor Jr., 337 (1983-85); 3. TREY BRIDGES, 326 (2010-2014); 4. Marvin Jones, 299 (1991-94); 5. JEREMIAH PAIGE, 287 (2010-2014); Rebounds: 1. Jeffrey Solarin, 619 (2008-2011); 2. Tim Koralewski, 503 (2002-2006); 3. Lars Van Etten, 501 (1986-1989); 4. Yoshio Allen, 358 (2007-2010); 5. Tim Ealy, 349 (2010-2013); Blocked Shots: 1. JEREMIAH PAIGE, 112 (2010-2014); 2. Jeffrey Solarin, 101 (2008-2011); 3. Mike McNish, 90 (1998-2000); 4. Lars Van Etten, 76 (1986-1989); 5. Brian Mueller, 74 (1992-1994)