Prep notebook: Husky hockey falls in state semifinals and region basketball playoffs get underway
Vail Christian and Vail Mountain School are victorious in first round of region tournament
Thomas Green/Courtesy photo
No. 2 Battle Mountain took down Crested Butte 3-0 in the 4A Colorado state hockey quarterfinals Tuesday before falling to the no. 3 seeded Colorado Academy 3-1 on Thursday.
In Thursday’s semifinal, the defending state champion Huskies got on the board first with a second-period Carter Large goal. With 1:52 to go in the period, Mustangs senior Jack Gerber responded to tie the game heading into the third. With 6:05 to go in the game he notched a second goal to give his team, which lost all 17 of its games just four years ago, a 2-1 lead.
“You look at my senior leadership, they never quit,” Colorado Academy head coach Richie Nelson told CHSAANow.com. “They dealt with those 0-for-whatever seasons and that’s gotta be hard on you mentally. A lot of people would probably fold but they kept pushing and that heart and dedication to the program is that put the product on the ice that you see.”
Jack Pashel added a goal to seal the 3-1 victory and the team’s first state appearance Tuesday against top-seeded Cheyenne Mountain.
Battle Mountain finished the season 14-7.
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Thomas Green/Courtesy photo
Thomas Green/Courtesy photo
Eagle Valley boys end season with second round state playoff loss
Mesa Ridge continued its hot play, winning its ninth straight game to end the Eagle Valley boys basketball season with an 85-65 defeat Feb. 26. Eagle Valley had earned a first round bye as the no. 16 seed after finishing one of its best regular seasons in recent memory with an 18-5 record.
Tevin Riehl scored 27 points and Terrell Moorer dropped 25 to lead the Grizzlies, while Bryan Martinez scored 17 for the Devils. Eric Hasley and Nikko Von Stralendorff each chipped in 14.
Vail Christian and Vail Mountain School come out on top in region playoff games
Vail Christian defeated Rye 72-53 Friday night in the first round of the class 2A region 1 basketball tournament. They will face no. 1 Yuma Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in Yuma. The Indians (21-1) haven’t lost since Dec. 18 and dismantled Dawson School 51-14 in the early game.
The Gore Rangers also took care of business in their first round game, taking down Lyons 53-43 in region 4 action Friday night. Beck Sapp scored nine of his 23 points in a big third quarter to lead the way, while Nick Kirwood chipped in 12 of his own. The championship is Saturday at 2:00 P.M. at Vail Mountain School.