The Colorado Springs School finally has been able to set aside a bit of confusion when it comes to its identity.
The school often has been mistaken as Colorado Springs Christian School in past seasons as it applies to athletics in the shadow of Pikes Peak. But after the boys basketball team won the Class 2A state championship last season with a glittering 25-2 record, the Colorado Springs School certainly has earned its own recognition for athletic prowess.
The Kodiaks, under coach Dave Cortez, are ranked No. 1 in 2A this season by MaxPreps. In running to a 6-0 record, they have relied on last season’s 2A Player of the Year in DeLovell Earls and all-stater Andre Brown.
“We’ve had some arranged scrimmages in the past where some of the teams have shown up at Colorado Springs Christian instead of here,” Cortez said with a chuckle. “But we’ve always managed to work things out. Yeah, there have been a few confusing times early, but winning state has certainly helped in our own recognition.”
Cortez compares Colorado Springs School, with an enrollment of 138, to Kent Denver, also a private school, athletically and academically.
“The key to our success on the court is that we have a lot of decent kids, and I do believe we have a much stronger team than our state champions from last year,” said Cortez, himself an all-state player when he prepped at Coronado. “Most of these kids have been with me four years, and that’s a plus. The kids have been on the big stage and they know what to expect. We‘re better offensively and defensively this season and it has been fun. Hopefully, the run is not over.”
Behind Earls, who is averaging 22.8 points a game this season, Chris Dailey (16.3 points) and Brown (9.8 points, 4.8 assists), the Colorado Springs School has rolled. Junior Ian Cullity and sophomore Jay Robinson also have chipped in with valuable contributions.
Earls certainly was pleased with last year’s finish, one that helped his team establish itself as a state power. During the past four seasons he has played every position on the team, improving significantly along the way.
“I think De is the best high school passer that I’ve seen in the last four or five seasons, and perhaps one of the two or three best overall players in the state,” said Cortez, who is the No. 10 scorer in Colorado College history. “He is dedicated to being much better each time he goes out. He is just a great kid, humble, and always willing to put the team ahead of himself. He is a Division I talent and is starting to get a lot of attention.”
Earls has been selected as the MVP in both tournaments the Colorado Springs School has won, the Trinidad State Invitational and the Kodiak Invitational.
“No one really knew who we were and winning the title has helped us gain some recognition,” said Earls, who has a high-game of 40 points this season. “There is pressure, but as seniors, we know what to do. If we don’t win state this year, the season will probably not mean as much.
“I really don’t feel the individual pressure,” said Earls, a 6-foot-5- senior who also plays soccer. “I just want to help lead the team. If the points are there, that’s fine. But winning as a team is far more important than individual stature. My dad was a coach, too, so I’ve always been pretty much a gym rat.”
Culity has proven to be one of the state’s top long-range threats, hitting better than 49 percent from behind the three-point arc.
“Ian is very emotional and will shoot the heck out of the ball,” Cortez said. “He is a lot of fun to sit back and watch. He has also matured a great deal over the past two seasons and is such a key in our attack.
“We’re playing well right now and hopefully it will continue,” Cortez added. “The kids have their hearts in the right place.”
Double leaders: Two small-school athletes are making news in the statistical departments on the girls side. Peyton’s Samantha Anderson’s tops the Class 3A lists in rebounds (12.2 a game) and blocked shots (6.2). Cornerstone Christian Academy freshman Mara Magnason leads Class A in rebounds (12.2) and steals (5.7).
On the boys side among the smaller schools, only Buena Vista’s Josh Morgan is tops in two categories. He leads 3A in scoring (27.1) and steals (7.1).
“Josh’s work ethic has been a major plus for him and the team,” Buena Vista coach Scott Crites said. “He doesn’t have a goal to lead the state in scoring, he just wants a chance to play in the state tournament. The last three years, he has gone up to Fort Collins and watched. This time he wants all of us to be there.”
Morgan was the Demons point guard last season, but has taken well to moving to wing, where he can display his scoring ability. Morgan, all-league the past two seasons and honorable mention all-state last year, put in a lot of extra playing time in the summer with his club team Colorado Chaos.
He wants to make sure this season ends in a trip to the state tournament. After all, his brother played on Buena Vista’s state championship team in 1999.
“At state, there have been times when I just had to get up and leave,” Morgan said. “I would just go out in the lobby. It’s so hard to watch when you think you should be there. I’ve put in a lot of time in the off-season to become as good as I can, but I always know there is someone out there who works harder. I want to be relentless in getting better. All the hard work seems to be paying off. We’ll just have to see what happens.”
Big-time comeback: The Peyton boys fashioned a superb rally last Thursday in their 67-63 victory against Colorado Springs Christian. The Panthers trailed 39-20 at the half, but outscored the Lions 27-8 in the third quarter to send the game into the fourth quarter tied, 47-47. Alex Koehler led the way for Peyton with 19 points, five steals and five assists as the Panthers improved to 3-6.
Big blocks: Fountain Valley’s Kim Donaldson recorded 12 blocked shots and 10 against Fowler last Tuesday, but it was far from enough as the Danes lost to the Grizzlies 42-20.
