Logan Hixon (3) is a returning all-state player for Yuma this season. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
Playing for a state championship is a desire that burns deep for every high school program.
So in that instance, the Yuma Indians consider themselves extremely fortunate. In each of the previous two seasons, Yuma has found itself playing for the Class 2A state title in girls basketball. Just a few weeks ago the Indians also competed for the 2A volleyball crown, with a handful of basketball players on the roster.
Those are experiences no one would consider trading. The only negative? The Indians were the runner-up each time.
“Going in and just getting second kind of ticks you off,” said Yuma senior Katrina Terrell, who played in all three of the title games. “It shows you can get that close, and if you’d just done a little more you might’ve won it. Going into the next season it just gives you that drive and hunger to win it.”
That drive and hunger are ever present for the Indians’ girls basketball team headed into the 2014-15 season. Yuma hasn’t won a state title in the sport since 1997, and second will no longer cut it for a team eager to take its turn atop the 2A mountain.
“We have one goal right now, and it’s obviously a very lofty goal because there are several good teams,” Yuma coach Mike Neill said. “But we have one goal and that’s to win a state championship.
“What these girls have done the last three to four years is just amazing for Yuma girls basketball.”
The core of the current squad, ranked No. 1 in the preseason, consists mainly of juniors. All-state point guard Logan Hixon, Peighton Roth and Tara Traphagan, along with Terrell, saw playing time in the 2012 championship game, which ended with a 53-36 loss to Akron.
A year ago the squad had only one loss entering the state tournament. Yuma easily won its first two games before falling to Lutheran 47-35 in the finale.
(Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
Even after losing Marina Hansen and Caitlyn Murphy to graduation, Yuma returns four starters from that team. Hixon averaged 15.1 points per game and Roth averaged 11.1. Terrell was third on the team in rebounding.
Four juniors will start this winter, with Taryn Baucke and Mariya Mekelburg added to the team’s strong junior class.
“As juniors we’ve been playing together for quite a while,” Hixon said. “The team chemistry is great.”
Hixon and Roth were lights out from 3-point range a year ago, with the two guards combining for 126 treys between them. Baucke figures into the mix as another guard; Terrell will likely assume her role at forward, though Neill said she could handle any of the five positions on the floor.
Traphagan is a 6-foot-1 post who has already verbally committed to the University of Wyoming for volleyball.
“We’re definitely going to have to step up a little bit with some of our rebounding,” Terrell said. “Getting big girls down low will be a little bit of a challenge, but we have some girls who I think will be just as good as Caitlyn and Marina were.”
The state field underwent a bit of shuffling this season. Lutheran, the defending 2A champion, returns the bulk of its championship team but moved up to 3A this season. Holy Family, the defending 3A champion, is now in 4A, and 4A runner-up Broomfield made the move to the 5A ranks. Caliche, the 1A runner-up, joins the 2A classification.
That doesn’t mean that 2A is Yuma’s for the taking. Akron, which placed fifth a year ago after winning it all in 2012, returns standouts Jordan Baer (17.7 ppg) and A.J. Miller (14.6). Hoehne didn’t graduate anyone and brings back all-state guard Cydney Kreutzer and forward Aspen Anderson. Neill also mentioned Caliche, Meeker and Peyton as all being strong contenders.
Akron, the preseason No. 5 team, and Caliche (No. 3) are in the Lower Platte League along with Yuma.
Having come so close in the past though, the Indians are out to prove no one wants it more than they do.
“Especially being there for two years, I think we’re just hungry,” Roth said. “We’re ready to win it this year and bring the gold ball back to Yuma. We have a great coaching staff that is going to help us get there.”
Girls Basketball
- Regular Season begins: Dec. 1
- Regular Season ends: Feb. 21
- Preseason rankings
Class 5A
- Defending champion: Regis Jesuit
- Runner-up: Fossil Ridge
- Preseason No. 1: Regis Jesuit
- Returning All-State Players: Cassidy Budge, Sr., Rampart (2nd team); Mackenzie Forest, Jr., Lakewood (2nd); Callie Kaiser, Sr., Broomfield (1st, 4A); Michaela Onyenwere, Soph., Grandview (1st); Jon’nae Richardson, Sr., Denver East (3rd).
- Championship: March 12-14, Coors Event Center, Boulder
Class 4A
- Defending champion: Mesa Ridge
- Runner-up: Broomfield (moved to 5A)
- Preseason No. 1: Valor Christian
- Returning All-State Players: Kendall Bradbury, Sr., Valor Christian (3rd team); Caroline Bryan, Sr., Valor Christian (3rd); Katie Chavez, Jr., Holy Family (1st, 3A); Alex Dufour, Sr., Frederick (2nd); Kylee Shook, Jr., Mesa Ridge (2nd); Haley Simental, Sr., Pueblo West (3rd).
- Championship: March 12-14, Coors Event Center, Boulder
Class 3A
- Defending champion: Holy Family (moved to 4A)
- Runner-up: Pagosa Springs
- Preseason No. 1: Sterling
- Returning All-State Players: Caylin Arnold, Jr., Strasburg (3rd team); Xiana Fernandez-Sanchez, Sr., Strasburg (2nd); Katherine Kia, Sr., Peak to Peak (2nd); Jenna Knudson, Jr., Sterling (3rd); Maya Love, Jr., Kent Denver (2nd); Lauren McDonald, Sr., Salida (2nd); Shelby Megyeri, Soph., Manitou Springs (3rd); Kaleigh Paplow, Sr., Lutheran (2nd, 2A); Adriana Rios, Jr., Platte Valley (2nd); Payton Shahan, Sr., Pagosa Springs (2nd); Chandler Sturms, Sr., Lutheran (1st, 2A); Kristen Vigil, Jr., Lutheran (3rd, 2A).
- Championship: March 13-14, Lockridge Arena, Colorado School of Mines, Golden
Class 2A
- Defending champion: Lutheran (moved to 3A)
- Runner-up: Yuma
- Preseason No. 1: Yuma
- Returning All-State Players: Aspen Anderson, Sr., Hoehne (1st team); Jordan Baer, Sr., Akron (1st); Logan Hixon, Jr., Yuma (1st); Shayln Johnson, Jr., Caliche (1st, 1A); Cydney Kreutzer, Sr., Hoehne (1st); AJ Miller, Sr., Akron (3rd); Abbey Stagner, Sr., Sangre de Cristo (3rd).
- Championship: March 13-14, Massari Arena, CSU-Pueblo
Class 1A
- Defending champion: Norwood
- Runner-up: Caliche (moved to 2A)
- Preseason No. 1: Briggsdale
- Returning All-State Players: Allyson Grahn, Sr., South Baca (1st team); Darian Hale, Jr., Briggsdale (2nd); Tanaia Hansen, Sr., Eads (2nd); Aurelia Isenbart, Sr., Kit Carson (2nd); Alyssa Lavato, Jr., Cheraw (2nd); Brittanie Newman, Jr., Eads (3rd); Reagan Schaffer, Jr., Idalia (3rd); Lucia Vikova, Sr., Norwood (1st); Jordan Williams, Sr., Norwood (1st).
- Championship: March 13-14, Budweiser Events Center, Loveland