(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
COLORADO SPRINGS — Palmer basketball coach Jimmy Grantz is a graduate of Doherty High School. More than a lot of people, he sees the crossover of students and athletes from both schools and understand that has truly evolved into one of the most intense rivalries throughout the state of Colorado.
But it wasn’t always this way. Back in his day, Doherty’s big rival was Mitchell, a different District 11 school.
“This rivalry didn’t really start to pick up until the early 90’s,” Grantz said.
And picked up it has. Saturday marked the first meeting of the D-11 foes this season. The bleachers at Doherty were so packed that athletic director Chris Noll had to rope off a few rows so game workers had room to navigate.
The administrations of the two schools promote the game as a “rivalry with respect.” Grantz points out that the has coached several Doherty players in various phases of their life.
Before Alijah Bates dropped 18 points in the Spartans 66-53 win, he played middle school football for Grantz. Kyrele Benfrod, who knocked down a big 3-pointer to put the Spartans (11-2 overall, 2-0 Class 5A Colorado Springs Metro League) up 12 in the first, has knows the Terrors coach since he was in seventh grade.
They’re all buddies. They all cross paths. There is certainly respect there.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
But at the end of the day, there is also an intensity level that always comes when competing against a rival.
“The intensity is always up,” Doherty senior Joe Golden said. “Palmer always gives us their best game and it’s always a great, fun atmosphere to be in.”
Golden matched Bates for a game-high 18 points in the win, 10 of them coming in the first quarter. Gone are the days of Brevin Brimble and the threat of 3-point shots falling en mass.
The offensive plan was cut and dry early and that was to work the ball into the post where Bates and Golden were able to thrive and help Doherty grab the lead after the first quarter.
“I just try to do whatever I can to help my team,” Golden said. “Sometimes shots aren’t falling and someone has to pick it up so I try to be that guy.”
The Terrors (6-8, 0-3) had to get points from everyone if they wanted to a chance to down the defending CSML champs. Isaiah Robinson scored 15 and Darrien Meyers scored 14.
Palmer connected on eight total 3-pointers, but it just wasn’t enough to keep pace.
“We played a lot better tonight than we did against Liberty last Tuesday,” Grantz said. “That’s encouraging because we don’t match up and at all. Not many teams do.”
On the other bench, Doherty coach Eric Steinert got his first taste of this rivalry. With just two losses on the season, Steinert has done a good job keeping the 5A No. 7 Spartans focused on the task at hand. But it was unexpected for him when he felt like his guys got a little too caught up in the atmosphere of this specific game.
“We talk about culture, we talk about mindset, we talk about being in the moment,” Steinert said. “I thought we lacked a little bit in that tonight.”
He’ll have just under a month to get his boys ready for the same game, but in a hostile environment. Doherty will travel to Palmer on Feb. 10.
Coming off a loss in the rivalry on Saturday, when kids fill the halls at the corner of Nevada and Platte in downtown Colorado Springs, they’ll be looking ahead for their chance at redemption.
“I don’t know what it’s like (at Doherty), but three weeks before the game kids will ask me when do we play Doherty,” Grantz said. “We have six games before we play Doherty, but (the intensity) is always there.”
And judging from the handshakes and hugs at the conclusion of Saturday’s game, so is the respect.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)