Fossil Ridge vs. Dakota Ridge: 10 Best
Fossil Ridge vs. Dakota Ridge: The 10 best.
The Sabercats opened with a flurry of three-pointers, scoring 23 and 24 points in the first two quarters and burying 13 of 21 from downtown, on their way to an emphatic 82-52 opener over the Eagles on Wednesday. Dakota Ridge never really challenged after the first few minutes, displaying growing pains of a team that had to replace their top 10 leading scorers from a Sweet 16 group. Fossil Ridge advanced to Friday’s semifinals of the Gojos Classic, a home tournament, where they will face the Far Northeast Warriors, 52-36 winners over Poudre. The winner of the Fossil and Far Northeast game will go against either Denver East or Vista Ridge in Saturday’s title bout. Dakota Ridge will have a consolation contest against Poudre on Friday.
MVP: Braxton Bertolette (Fossil Ridge)
Braxton Bertolette showed why he is a favorite to lead Colorado, across all classifications, in scoring. The 6-3 senior guard, coming off a 23.6 average last season, racked up 33 points, over 20 of which came before halftime. Bertolette can put the ball in the basket effortlessly and made 7 of 11 treys. He also had four rebounds and three assists. Bertolette is the straw that stirs the drink for Fossil Ridge.
Play of the game: Mike Schilling’s 3rd Quarter Buzzer-Beater
Schilling was a reliable distributor and all-around solid guard as a junior, averaging just under three points, three assists, and three rebounds per game. On Wednesday, the senior showed offensive prowess while tallying the first double-digit point performance of his career with 18 points. He was 4 of 5 from beyond the arc and his buzzer-beating three pushed Fossil’s lead to 67-37 heading into the fourth frame. It came from well beyond the arc.
Best offensive performance: Bertolette
This is a given, right? Between the two teams, four players produced between 10 and 18 points. 33 stands out. The Player of the Year candidate has offers from North Dakota and Rider.
Best guy off the bench: Charlie Johnson (Fossil Ridge)
The 6-7 fourth-year forward made the most of his minutes with six points. He has a thick frame and was active and aggressive in the paint. He made an impact.
Best intangibles: Ted Niemann (Fossil Ridge)
Niemann had some heady plays and some hustle plays. The senior guard had three rebounds, one assist and one steal and played with a ton of effort.
Best under-the-radar performance: Antonio Norton (Dakota Ridge)
Norton is a wiry 6-5 swingman with some versatility to his repertoire. He led the Eagles in points with 16, also chipping in three rebounds and two assists. He was prosperous slashing to the basket. The junior will play a substantial role for a team looking to find their footing with a brand new group. Drew Dominic (13 points) and Cole Binder (10), juniors as well, also stepped up in new starting roles for Dakota Ridge.
Best underclassmen: Jackson Lamb (Dakota Ridge)
This contest was dominated by juniors and seniors, but Lamb made his mark with five points, two rebounds and two assists. The sophomore guard played with great energy and was solid offensively and defensively.
Best rebounder: Garrett Ripsam (Fossil Ridge)
Ripsam had a game-high six boards, impressively gathering five of them on offense. He kept the Sabercats’ attack alive, giving Fossil Ridge even more opportunities to knock down perimeter shots, which they did in abundance throughout but especially in the opening half. The 6-4 junior added nine points.
Best story to watch moving forward: How many 30-point games will Bertolette produce?
The Stephen Curry of Colorado prep basketball—his ability to make shots is extraordinary—had four such games last year, but also had nine other outings of at least 24 points. Bertolette’s high-mark was 48 against Western (NV). Finishing with a 50/40/90 season from the field, three-point and free-throw lines is within the realm of possibility. His 97 three-point makes came on 41 percent shooting last season, and he shot 47 percent from the field and 91 percent from the charity stripe.
Will Fossil Ridge finish first or second in the Front Range League for the seventh straight season?
The Sabercats have been near the top of the standings every year since 2010-11 under coach Matt Johannsen. This season, Fort Collins and Broomfield, along with perhaps Boulder and a few others, are the teams that could prevent Fossil Ridge from finishing first or second. But after all these years, it’s hard to bet against the Sabercats. They have the league’s top player and a great group of shooters overall. Cam Dehart is a capable 6-7 senior as well.