Game of the Week: Sand Creek at Doherty
Who: 4A No. 5 Sand Creek (2-0) at 5A Doherty (2-1) — Records as of Dec. 7 When: 6 p.m., Saturday Our first Game of the Week, Overland vs. George Washington, was an entertaining affair, with the defending champion Trail…
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Continue ReadingWho: 4A No. 5 Sand Creek (2-0) at 5A Doherty (2-1) — Records as of Dec. 7
When: 6 p.m., Saturday
Our first Game of the Week, Overland vs. George Washington, was an entertaining affair, with the defending champion Trail Blazers coming out on top after building a big lead and then holding off a late surge.
This week’s Game of the Week is an hour or so south down 1-25 with a matchup between 5A Doherty (2-1) and 4A No. 5 Sand Creek (2-0). The Spartans were just a hair outside our 5A top 10 this week after a strong opening to their season with wins over Cherokee Trail and Fairview.
This matchup features several players ranked within the top 50 in the state in their respective classes, including 2017 No. 1 D’Shawn Schwartz. He and 6-foot-6 Jordan Phillips were both monsters during the Scorpions’ first two games, scoring in bunches and dominating the glass.
The Spartans will have their work cut out for them in defending the block, but they more than held their own against Fairview on Saturday, limiting big men Frank Ryder and Sam Grad to a combined 17 points on a combined 6-for-13 shooting.
Familiarity can often bring out the best in games, and there’s plenty in this one. Several of these players compete with and against each other on the club circuit every year. Look for plenty of intensity out of this one.
A few more things to watch:
THE PROSPECTS
Sand Creek: Jordan Phillips, 6-foot-6 guard/forward (No. 23 in 2016); D’Shawn Schwartz, 6-foot-6 forward (No. 1 in 2017); Bryce Peterson, 6-foot point guard (No. 41 in 2018).
Doherty: Dalven Brushier, 6-foot-3 guard (No. 51 in 2016); Brevin Brimble, 5-foot-11 point guard (No. 20 in 2017); Kayden Washington, 6-foot-4 forward (No. 55 in 2017); Emmanuel Burleson, 5-foot-11 guard (No. 90 in 2017).
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Brushier vs. Phillips.
Playing on a Spartans team relatively short on size, Brushier is often asked to guard players bigger than him. While we don’t know how much these two will be matched up one-on-one, it would be hard to believe they don’t cross paths at least a few times.
Both players are highly capable scorers who love to inside the lane and create. Brushier is coming off a 26-point game against Fairview in which he nailed three 3-pointers and shot 10-of-19 overall from the field. He is highly efficient at the guard position.
X-FACTOR
Bryce Peterson
Peterson will have his hands full keeping up with the Spartan’s whip-quick guards, but the sophomore has already shown in a couple games that he has the instincts and poise to handle big moments. He had nine points, two assists and just one turnover in a hard-fought opening-night win over a game 5A Palmer team.
Defensively, Peterson must be sure not to allow counterpart Brevin Brimble to get into too much of a rhythm from behind the 3-point line. The junior can heat up in a hurry and already has one game-winner under his belt in this young season.
SCOUTING REPORT
While the Spartans have the speed and athleticism to succeed in a fast-paced, spread-the-floor game, they have also already found a way to win a big game by doing the dirty work when they beat Cherokee Trail 52-51 in their opener last Wednesday — one of the big upsets of the early season.
Help defense will be crucial for Doherty against the likes of Schwartz, who is just as liable to step out anywhere from 15 to 20 feet when his jumper is falling, as he is to attack the rim. Again, Doherty played great team defense against Fairview, limiting the opportunities by crowding them on the catch that resulted in a handful of offensive fouls, contested shots or turnovers.
It will be paramount for the Scorpions to defend the 3-point line. Doherty can heat up in a hurry, and Jarris Krapcha’s group does a great job of running action that opens up distance opportunities for Brushier, Brimble and others.
PREDICTION
If you’re you’re looking for the place to be on a Saturday night in Colorado Springs, Doherty High School will be the place. Yes, both teams have one other game this week before this one they are no doubt focusing on first. That doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t mark our calendars!
Prediction: Doherty 71, Sand Creek 69