Scouting Report: Highlands Ranch vs. Dakota Ridge
Highlands Ranch coach Mike Gibbs told his young team before its game against senior-laden Dakota Ridge on Monday night that they would have to grow up in order to be prepared to take on a team like the defending JeffCo…
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Continue ReadingHighlands Ranch coach Mike Gibbs told his young team before its game against senior-laden Dakota Ridge on Monday night that they would have to grow up in order to be prepared to take on a team like the defending JeffCo League champs.
At the end of a hard-fought 72-65 victory, there was plenty of growth to be seen from Gibbs’ Falcons.
“We’re a young basketball team,” Gibbs said. “We only have one guy with varsity experience. So I told the guys tonight that you’ve got to grow up. Dakota Ridge is a great basketball team. Coach (Curi Yutzy) does a great job here, so for us it’s a sign of growth. We lost some tough games in December, and I’m just happy the guys grew from it.”
Luckily for Gibbs, that lone player with varsity experience, senior Jack Fiddler, had the best game of his career, poring in a personal-best 30 points while making winning plays all night. We’ll have plenty more on Fiddler, a super high-academic player who is likely headed to the Division III ranks, in a recruiting report update soon.
Now, an analytical look at some of the standouts for each team.
Dakota Ridge
Devonte Jones, 6-4 senior
Good length and smooth feel, with decent athleticism. Plays the post for Ridge but has the tools to play the guard position. Runs the floor well and is active at both ends on transition. Good leaping ability. Took a while to get into the flow of the game, but once he did he made his presence felt in the third quarter, with back-to-back and-one plays that helped the Eagles claw back. Nice mid-range game. Could improve in area of attacking more and using his height and skill set to his advantage, but certainly a prospect for the small-college level.
Tyler McFarland, 6-3 senior
Good feel for the game. Lefty with a strong attacking dribble who can finish at the rim through contact. Can play multiple positions on the floor. Solid shooting mechanics with a quick release. When he finds a rhythm, McFarland can be a dangerous threat from the 3-point line. Hit back-to-back buckets from the perimeter that helped Dakota Ridge cut it to a one-possession game late in the fourth quarter. Good all around player who shows toughness and good understanding of his role.
Cale Ferrin, 6-4 senior
Aggressive defender who always has his hands in passing lanes. Helped set the tone with a big steal early and made Highlands Ranch have to work hard to get deep position to initiate their offensive sets. Works hard to gain position in the post on offense and is an aggressive and productive offensive rebounder. Cuts hard without the basketball and puts himself in good position for buckets.
Ryan Faircloth, 5-10 senior
Undersized guard but is solid in most aspects. Good at change of pace dribbling and keeping the defender on his hip. Not overly athletic but guards hard.
Highlands Ranch
Tyson Gilbert, 5-11 sophomore
Gibbs on his point guard: “Tyson has a high basketball IQ. He has a big responsibility. He has to run the show. He’s got to guard the other team’s best guard. That’s hard. What I’ve seen from him is, no matter what’s going on, he’s staying with it, still trying to battle and trying to make the right reads. He was kind of sick tonight, had a sinus issue, but he hung in there and did a good job.”
Gibbs is spot on. Gilbert isn’t explosive but is decently athletic, but he’s skilled and most importantly even-keeled at the point guard spot. Played his best down the stretch, which was the same thing we saw from him in leading the Falcons to a win over Fountain Fort-Carson just before Christmas.
Max Holewinski, 6-3 senior
A good senior producer who came up with several big plays on Monday, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers in the second half just as Dakota Ridge was mounting a comeback. He’s a guy who is not afraid to get on the floor and has a good motor. Solid contributor.
Holten Sparling, 6-1 junior
Sparling brought a good spark to the Falcons on Monday. He’s decently athletic and runs the floor well, putting himself in good position at the basket when Highlands Ranch, typically a half-court outfit, gets out and runs.