To wrap up their out of league games, the Raptors achieved an exciting 8 point comeback in the fourth quarter against the Golden Eagles, leading to them winning the game 69 – 66.
“We had to raise the energy if we wanted a chance to win this game,” said senior Garret Barger.
From the beginning of the second quarter, the Golden Eagles were on a scoring run of 40 – 25 against Eaglecrest. The Raptors could not get a spark going on either side of the ball. Between the 3rd and 4th quarters, our team changed their mindset and were immediately able to slow down Mountain Vista.
“This game showed us that we can compete with the best teams in the state, and that we are never fully out of a game,” said senior Jason Noone.
Entering this game, Mountain Vista was ranked number 11 in 6A for Colorado, making this game theRaptors toughest. Eaglecrest came into the game ranked as number 3 in 6A. This game was important for both teams for rankings and seedings in the playoffs. This win helped build a lot of momentum for the Raptors as they enter league play.
“This game gives us the momentum we needed for a hard stretch of games coming up,” said senior La’quince York.
6 out of the 7 games to end the season are league games. They determine where Eaglecrest will land in the playoffs. They will help make a more favorable matchup for whoever the Raptors will play.
“It is very easy to trust my team, we have been in this situation before, and will be in it again,” said senior Jason Noone.
The team never sways from each other, even in stressful situations. They practice for these kinds of games and ensure that they are fully prepared for adversity.
Garret Barger and Ant Nettles combined for over half of our teams 69 points for a total of 43. Down 63-66, Nettles was fouled during a lay up that he made. With a chance to tie it up, he made the free throw to match the score 66-66. With less than 30 second left on the clock, Barger made the game winning layup to get up 68-66. Soon after, Nettles got fouled and made yet another free throw to raise the score to 69-66. The Golden Eagles had 10 seconds to make a three pointer, but the Raptors played strong defense. The Eagles missed the game tying shot, which let the Raptors win in regulation.
To end the out of league play, the Raptors finished with a record of 11-2 and ranked number 3 in 6A for Colorado.
