Senior Josh Smith (11) has helped Sand Creek become one of the favorites in Class 4A boys basketball. The Scorpions started the season 18-0, as Smith has averaged 16.8 points.
File photo by Paul DiSalvo
Like most coaches who dive into a new situation, Joe Rausch had a meticulous game plan put together when he took over the
Sand Creek (Colorado Springs) boys basketball program three seasons ago.
No long-term plan usually comes to fruition without a few road blacks, and the Scorpions suffered through a painful one last season during the Class 4A state tournament. Yet Rausch's club has stuck to their leader's vision, and this season the Scorpions have emerged as one of the top teams in 4A, if not the entire state.
Although Sand Creek's undefeated season, and ascension to the No. 1 spot in the state rankings, was derailed this week with a tough one-point loss at
Discovery Canyon (Colorado Springs), the setback has done nothing to dim what has been a breakout campaign for the Scorpions.
"I think this season has been a culmination of a few things," Rausch said. "It began when I got the program three years ago and put this system in place.
Josh Smith, our captain, has been in the program three years now. And our juniors have been here since the beginning. They've all bought into the style that we want to play."
Smith has been the catalyst for a club that compiled an 18-0 mark before the setback at Discovery Canyon, a run that included a signature win against defending state champion Lewis-Palmer (Monument) last week. The senior, who remains undecided about his choice of college, is one of three players averaging double-figures in scoring, producing a team-leading average of 16.8 points a game.
Smith, who also averages 4.6 rebounds a game, has been particularly hot of late, averaging 23.3 points a game over the past four contests going into Sand Creek's game Friday night against Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs).
"They have all really come to know that if they play together, they can accomplish a lot this year," Rausch said. "With Josh, we've asked him to carry the load scoring-wise, and he has really come through. But he has developed into so much more than just a scorer. He leads our league in steals now, and we know he can hit big baskets when we need him to."
Dylan Clark, Sand Creek.
File photo by Paul DiSalvo
The Scorpions learned a stinging lesson late last season that has propelled much of this year's success.
Seeded third in the 4A tournament while earning a first-round bye, the Scorpions promptly went out and laid an egg, getting eliminated by Pueblo West. Smith and junior
Dylan Clark (10.8 points a game) haven't forgotten that demeaning setback. Rausch says his club, despite the stellar start, has played the entire season with the idea that they need to peak in late February, not early January.
Sand Creek will get a chance at redemption when it visits Pueblo West on Saturday. And Rausch also believes the loss against Discovery Canyon might have big-picture benefits, as the Scorpions no longer will be burdened with the expectations that come with an undefeated record and a No. 1 ranking.
"Four sophomores and a junior started against Pueblo West (last year)," Rausch said. "The kids don't talk about that (Pueblo West) game last year, but honestly that's why we have them on the schedule. One of the reasons we've been successful this year is that the kids are focused on the state tournament."
