Rams girls basketball still rolling in Akron

Many members of the Akron girls basketball team had been there before. They knew what it was like to narrowly miss. According to guard Ally Vasquez, some of the Rams' very own parents and fans didn't believe Akron was title-worthy.

Last March, it happened.

The Rams pulled out a 57-49 win against Lutheran (Parker) in the Class 2A championship game. For players such as Vasquez and Sidney Merrill, who were a part of a 43-39 championship loss to Paonia two years earlier, it was as vindicating as it was exhilarating.

"It was just shock and excitement," Merrill said. "I just couldn't believe that we did it, mostly. We never lost faith in anybody, but winning that was just unbelievable."

Merrill, the premier post player in the classification, a Boettcher Scholarship candidate and a three-time pole vault state champion, scored 26 points while Vasquez, a shooting guard/small forward, added 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and six blocked shots in the title game.

"When your own parents and own fans are telling you that you aren't good enough, it creeps into your head that you aren't," Vasquez said. "So we kind of shocked ourselves by going out there and doing it."

Vasquez didn't want to paint with too broad a brush, indicating that most parents and fans were fully supportive. But she said "a couple of them" doubted the Rams' capabilities.

That's probably not the case this season.

There is a reason why Akron is ranked No. 1 throughout the first month of this season. The Rams return seven players from that title squad, including Merrill, Vasquez and point guard Jordan Baer, a sophomore who started as a freshman last season and scored 11-points in the title game win. Baer's dad, Alan, is an assistant coach.

The Rams are 5-0 entering their own Akron Holiday Tournament (Dec. 20-22), which includes Dayspring Christian (Greeley), Otis and Stratton.

"All five starters and our first two off the bench return from last year, so experience is the main attribute," Akron coach Rick Agan said.

Merrill is the reigning 2A player of the year, edging out Vasquez, who was also a first-team all-state selection. Baer was elected to the second team, a rare feat for a freshman.

Merrill is considering Colorado State and Wyoming, most likely as a pole vault athlete. If she is one of the state's 40 winners of the prestigious Boettcher Scholarship (which includes a full-ride at any college in the state), Wyoming is likely off the list.

"This is probably going to be it for basketball," Merrill said. "Right now, it's kind of a wait-and-see type of thing. I don't want to put too much hope on the Boettcher, but if I don't get it, I'd consider possibly pole vaulting at Wyoming."

Asked if she'd walk on as a basketball player wherever she lands, Merrill said: "I really haven't thought about it much. Possibly."

If this is it for hoops for Merrill, Akron is enjoying having her around for one more season. Her skill set has allowed her to become one of the classification's most feared commodities.

"She 6-foot, but she has a long wingspan so she's plays about 6-2," Agan said. "She's a great leaper and a really smart defender. She reads the boards, reads the ball and she's got really good instincts that make her a great defensive player."

Another difficult matchup for foes is Baer, a 5-foot-11 point guard. The Rams like their ball handlers tall, and freshman backup A.J. Miller already fits that mold at 5-10.

Vasquez is the resident pure scorer and has shot better than 50 percent from the field this season. She scored 23 points in a season-opening win against Merino, a significant triumph considering Merino was the only blemish in the Rams' 25-1 campaign last season.

"We're always looking to win another one," Vasquez said. "Repeating is our goal, of course."

Vasquez, who has teamed with Merrill to guide the Rams to a 72-10 mark in three-plus seasons, has watched her scoring average steadily climb from 8.3 as a freshman to 14.7 this season.

"I've been working a lot with Coach Baer," Vasquez said. "He's kind of like my second dad, and I work a lot with him and Jordan. Since my freshman year, I've just become a lot more comfortable out there. I've learned life lessons to never give up and to always have a positive attitude."

Akron has been synonymous with athletic success on the eastern plains for quite some time, as talent seems to recycle itself on annual basis.

Agan, who has deftly molded that talent, knows he landed a solid gig and is just happy to be a part of it.

"I've only been here four years, but for the past 20 years or so, Akron has had really good girls sports," Agan said. "And the boys obviously have had a really good run in football the last 12, 14, years. I don't know what it is, it's just one of those things. It's a small town and it's generational."