Highlands Ranch is one of the hottest teams in Class 5A these days, and the Falcons burned up visiting Denver East 76-62 last Saturday afternoon.
Highlands Ranch, 8-2, was coming off another victory against a Denver Prep League foe and that was even more significant. The Falcons routed Montbello 68-48, handing the Warriors their first loss of the season. The Falcons began the season with a 63-54 loss to Lincoln then lost 52-45 at Palmer on Dec. 12.
“Even when we lose, we play good,” Falcons coach Bob Caton said.
Highlands Ranch was riding a six-game winning streak heading into Tuesday’s game at George Washington. The Falcons will get a big test Friday, hosting once-beaten and defending state champion Regis Jesuit.
Against Denver East, Highlands Ranch blew open a contest tied at 12 after the first quarter. The Falcons outscored the Angels 25-18 in the second period and continued that success with a 21-16 third quarter.
The lead meant a lot, as East put on its press and also overplayed in half-court situations. The Falcons whipped the ball around the perimeter when double-teamed, resulting in a total of 10 three-pointers.
Junior forward Eric Antilla led the way with 22 points and four three-pointers and Fabian Sebastion operated more inside and scored 20.
“We were able to get open shots,” Antilla said of all those three-pointers. “We’re a good three-point shooting team. We just had a good game.”
While the Falcons have had their way with a couple of DPL teams, they are finding their way against all-comers as of late.
“I think it took awhile to get our good mix,” Caton said. “Even though we had three starters back from last season, it still takes a little bit of finding out where they’re best at.”
Denver East got its best production from Alex Merriex. Elliot Zettas and Phillip Watts had some randomly good moments, but Merriex drove the ball inside and scored a team-high 21 points.
East, which dropped to 7-6, has had mixed results this season.
“We’re very inconsistent,” Angels coach Rudy Carey said. “You saw horrible basketball there. We’re small and we’ve got a long way to go.”
Possible East-Ranch rematch
It looks as if East will get another shot at Highlands Ranch. The Falcons were short one game after weather problems forced the Putnam City, Okla., team to drop out of the Cherry Creek Holiday Classic tournament last month.
Highlands Ranch had won its pool, but the “championship” final actually was Arapahoe beating Mississippi’s Madison Ridgeland. Both were second-place finishers in their respective pools, but played the last game of the tourney.
Denver East, which had played in Kansas and Las Vegas tournaments, also was looking for a game. Caton had tried to schedule a Colorado opponent, but couldn’t. Caton was actually looking to Kansas for a contest, but will probably play the Angels again, at a date to be determined.
Montbello rebounds from first loss
The Warriors didn’t take long to get over their lone defeat, beating Chatfield 73-66, the same day that East lost to Highlands Ranch. Five players scored in double figures for Montbello, led by Azlan Williams, who had 15 points.
Perhaps the best news is that transfer DeAndre Clayton had his eligibility confirmed after a brief investigation and he was voluntarily held out by the coaching staff.
“He only sat out one game, but we had distractions all week,” Montbello coach David Carey said. “That’s not an excuse, but we were a little flat. We kind of overlooked and underestimated a good Highlands Ranch team. They have real players and a good coach. We have a tough four-game stretch right now (Rangeview, Ranch, Chatfield and Gateway). This is the time you see what your team is about.”
It seems odd that there would be questions about the transfer of Clayton, who came from Oklahoma, but that’s settled now. Clayton leads the Warriors in scoring and rebounding, but he is not a space-eater inside.
“He’s really not a post player,” Carey said. “He’s 6-8, about 190 pounds. He’s really not a center, more of a small forward. He can play inside and outside.”
Carey also has counted on 5-8 junior point guard Isiah Cooper, who had varsity time as a freshman, calling him “battle-tested.”
Eagles soaring
In Class 4A, Pueblo East has blazed to a 10-0 start and vaulted past some strong challengers, with wins against Pueblo Central (63-46), Pueblo South (53-39) and Falcon.
Unfortunately, the Eagles will not meet 8-2 Sierra during the regular season. Despite the proximity between Pueblo and Colorado Springs, the best from the Colorado Springs Metro and South Central leagues haven’t scheduled each other.
