Boys Basketball: Victory tunnel for @raptorathletics after big 77-75 win @WeAreEaglecrest #copreps #aurora pic.twitter.com/Oo8WRyPOcU
— Aur. Sentinel Sports (@aurorasports) December 3, 2016
CENTENNIAL | The calendar says December, but it felt a lot like March in the Eaglecrest gym Friday night.
Eaglecrest, the preseason No. 1-ranked team in Class 5A, welcomed highly-regarded Chatfield to the Nest and trailed for the majority of the night, only to come through in the clutch for a 77-75 victory in a playoff-like charged atmosphere.
Senior Colbey Ross poured in a game-high 30 points and senior Josh Walton struck for 19 as coach John Olander’s Raptors won a game in which neither team held more than a five-point lead and improved to 2-0 on the season ahead of another showdown coming on Tuesday at Rock Canyon. The Chargers, who had five players score in double figures, dropped to 1-1.
“That a great game against a great team, it felt like a playoff game to be honest,” Ross said. “That win is just going to make us play harder and expect more from other teams.
“We all expected them to be good, but they really pushed us.”
Eaglecrest — which made it to last season’s 5A state championship game — came into the season with a target on its back and the Chargers, with several key components back from last season’s semifinal team, took great aim.
Chatfield led for large portions of the game, but good decision making by Ross and Walton’s performance on the inside kept the Raptors in position to make a move in the final quarter.
A pull-up jumper and four straight free throws by Ross gave Eaglecrest a 69-64 advantage midway through the period, but that lead shrank to one again on several occasions.
Senior Austin Forsberg drained a big 3-pointer and junior Victor Garnes and Ross came through at the free throw line in the final minute to give the Raptors a five-point cushion that they needed with another late Chargers 3-pointer.
“We beat a very, very good basketball team and I knew that is how it would be,” Olander said. “They had a lot of guys who played in the Final Four last year like us.
“I’m just glad we had them at home.”
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
EAGLECREST 77, CHATFIELD 75
Score by quarters:
Chatfield 24 15 21 15 — 75
Eaglecrest 20 21 18 18 — 77
CHATFIELD (75)
Lucas St. Germain 3 8-8 15, Joe Miks 3 2-2 11, Mike Vrabel 3 5-6 12, Isaiah Reed 6 0-1 15, Liam Mann 5 2-3 12, Landon Rogers 1 0-0 2, Titus Reed 1 1-2 4, Keland Rumsey 2 0-0 4. Totals 24 18-22 75.
EAGLECREST (77)
Colbey Ross 10 9-10 30, Austin Forsberg 3 2-2 11, Xaiv’ion Jackson 2 1-2 5, Josh Walton 9 1-1 19, Nate Bokol 1 1-4 3, Victor Garnes 1 1-2 4, Jalen Talbott 0 0-1 0, Kenny Thrower 0 1-2 1, Jamie Rich 0 2-2 2, Elijah Anderson-Taylor 1 0-0 2. Totals 27 18-26 77.
3-point field goals — Chatfield (9): Joe Miks 3, Isaiah Reed 3, Titus Reed, Mike Vrabel, Lucas St. Germain; Eaglecrest (5): Austin Forsberg 3, Victor Garnes, Colbey Ross. Total fouls — Chatfield 22, Eaglecrest 22. Fouled out — Chatfield: Vrabel. Technical fouls — None.
