Highlands Ranch girls basketball beat Ralston Valley in the Great 8. More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
BOULDER — It’s been a long three years, but Highlands Ranch finally gets a chance to bring home an eighth state title.
The Falcons (26-1 overall) had little trouble with Ralston Valley Thursday night at the Coors Events Center, beating the Mustangs 66-46 to advance to Saturday’s Class 5A state championship game.
In order to finish the season as champion, Highlands Ranch will have to take down a familiar foe in ThunderRidge. It will be the second meeting between the rival schools this year. The Falcons beat the Grizzlies 46-37 back on Jan. 22.
“It’s an awfully big honor for our league to have two teams in the championship game,” Falcons coach Caryn Jarocki said. “We battle it out with them so it could be a really good game.”
Like a well-oiled machine, the Falcons started churning out points right away and remained relentless through most of the contest. They suffocated the Mustangs (23-4) defensively in the first quarter, giving up only four points. Ralston Valley was able to keep pace with the Highlands Ranch offense in the second quarter, but the Falcons came out on fire in the third, jumping out to a 53-33 lead.
“We really focus on defense and that’s what we do and who we are,” Jarocki said. “And then our transition started to work really well in the second half.”
Blaire Braxton may have led the Falcons in scoring with 18 points, but the offensive onslaught consisted of four players scoring in double-digits.
“We step out on the court every single day and play as a unit,” senior Bri Stiers said. “I think that shows. We step out on the court and we play unselfishly. We let each other shine.”
Sarah Bevington was the steady hand on offense for the Mustangs, scoring 22 points while pulling down six rebounds.
But turnovers plagued Ralston Valley and Highlands Ranch was able to capitalize often.
“It’s really helpful (to get points off turnovers),” Jarocki said. “It (makes us hard to stop), but we have to play really good defense.”
By the start of the fourth quarter, the Ralston Valley fans began to disperse out of the Coors Events Center while those faithful to the Falcons continued to rejoice in unison.
A looming showdown with the Grizzlies is already increasing the anticipation for the game. It’s a rivalry that one Highlands Ranch student described as “intense.” He also added that the two schools “obviously can’t stand each other.”
So what will the atmosphere in Boulder look like with championship gold on the line?
Only time will tell.
“It’s going to be crazy and it’s going to be fun,” sophomore Leilah Vigil said. “You just have to embrace the moment and take everything in at once.”
The Falcons are looking to win their first title since 2011, while the Grizzlies hope to end an 11-year span where they have come close several times, only to fall short.