DENVER | Jarris Krapcha reached the 200-win mark for his coaching career Saturday afternoon and it was yet another victory from his Eaglecrest boys basketball team this season that was far from stress-free.
The top-seeded Raptors continued their trend of coming through in the clutch this season, as they rallied past second-seeded Smoky Hill for a 56-52 win in front of a packed house at Mullen High School to seal the Centennial League Challenge championship.
Senior Lucas Kalimba scored five of his game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter, senior La’Quince York added 11 and senior Anthony Nettles tallied eight of his 10 in a 20-point final period as Eaglecrest (21-2 overall) improved to 10-0 against Centennial League teams this season.
The Raptors are the first team to finish without a blemish in league play since Cherry Creek finished 13-0 (when Centennial League teams played each other twice a season) in the 2020-21 season.
Coach Anthony Hardin’s Smoky Hill team — which won the tournament in 2024 — got 17 points from senior Lorenzo Contreras, plus 15 from junior Carter Basquez and 11 from senior Kaylan Graham. The Buffaloes finished the regular season 13-10.
The first meeting between the local rivals ended with a 20-point victory for Eaglecrest back on Jan. 25, but it was a four-point game into the fourth quarter before the Raptors pulled away.
The rematch was another see-saw affair, as Eaglecrest led by a point at halftime after a low-scoring opening half for both teams. The pace definitely picked up in the third quarter, however, as the teams combined for 32 points. Led by Basquez, Smoky Hill went on a 10-2 run to open the third quarter and built a seven-point lead at 31-24 midway through the period on a free throw from junior Miller Boyd.
Eaglecrest got a nice boost in the period from York, who made back-to-back hoops and a 3-pointer a short time later, but Contreras beat the buzzer with a layup to give the Buffs a five-point edge going into the final quarter.
The Raptors took control in crunch time, as they moved into the lead for good on two free throws from Nettles, who then drove the lane for a layup inside the final minute for a four-point edge. The Buffaloes turned the ball over twice in crunch time and only got as close as two points on a Contreras 3-pointer with just 2.1 seconds left.
Sophomore Kris Coleman went 5-for-7 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and sealed the result with two makes at the end for Eaglecrest.
Both teams will be seeded in the Class 6A state playoffs by the Colorado High School Activities Association on Sunday.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2025 CENTENNIAL LEAGUE CHALLENGE BOYS BASKETBALL
Championship: Eaglecrest 56, Smoky Hill 52
Score by quarters:
Eaglecrest 6 16 14 20 — 56
Smoky Hill 11 10 18 13 — 52
SMOKY HILL (52)
Carter Basquez 6 2-2 15, Lorenzo Contreras 3 9-9 17, Miller Boyd 2 1-2 5, Jai Jegede 2 0-0 2, Kaylan Graham 4 2-5 11, Jamal Hassan 1 0-0 2, Tashawn Isaac 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 14-18 52.
EAGLECREST (56)
Jason Noone 1 0-0 3, Anthony Nettles 3 3-4 10, Lucas Kalimba 7 4-4 19, Gavin Gallegos 2 0-1 4, Garrett Barger 1 1-2 3, La’Quince York 5 0-2 11, Kris Coleman 6-8 6, Demari Manns Davis 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 14-21 56.
3-point field goals — Smoky Hill (4): Lorenzo Contreras 2, Caster Basquez, Kaylan Graham. Eaglecrest (4): Lucas Kalimba, Anthony Nettles, Jason Noone, La’Quince York. Total fouls — Smoky Hill 14, Eaglecrest 12. Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None.
