5A Playoffs: Second-round standouts in defeat

<p>There were 16 games on tap for the second round of the 5A state playoffs. With the entire season on the line, it is about which team comes out and wants it more as records and previous meetings do not matter. There were standout performers on Saturday that tried their best to ensure the victory, but their season came to an end, getting them ready for the grassroots season. Here are the teams that stood out in defeat.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/aidan-kuhl/">[player_tooltip player_id="918906" first="Aidan" last="Kuhl"]</a> – Rocky Mountain</strong></p> <p>Rocky Mountain has been a team that has fought all season long, so in the second round of the playoffs against a Valor Christian team that came in as heavy-favorites, they put up another fight and were a couple stops away from a victory. Rocky Mountain ended up falling 65-61 to Valor, but in the loss, <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/aidan-kuhl/">[player_tooltip player_id="918906" first="Aidan" last="Kuhl"]</a> showed that he must be taken seriously. Kuhl finished with 23 points in the game as he hit six 3-pointers. He found a rhythm and went out firing, and Valor Christian did everything to try and slow him down. Kuhl moved without the ball, created space for himself, and kept at it throughout the night to try and pull the upset. It will be a highly anticipated grassroots season for him as he has seemed to find his way.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tyce-baldwin/">[player_tooltip player_id="770404" first="Tyce" last="Baldwin"]</a> – Fossil Ridge</strong></p> <p>Fossil Ridge’s season came to an end in the second round of the playoffs to a Smoky Hill team that looks determined to win them a championship. Smoky Hill blitzed Fossil Ridge early on with smothering defense and tremendous all-around performance, but what should not get lost in that was the junior standout, <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tyce-baldwin/">[player_tooltip player_id="770404" first="Tyce" last="Baldwin"]</a>. The moment did not appear too big for Baldwin, and he did not back down. He remained aggressive throughout the game and even efficient in defeat. Baldwin finished with 25 points in the game on 8-12 shooting from the field. He also hit three 3-pointers and went 6-6 from the free-throw line. He’s a fighter and solid player. Excited about his future.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jaeton-hackley/">[player_tooltip player_id="759278" first="Jaeton" last="Hackley"]</a> – Douglas County</strong></p> <p>Douglas County’s season came to an end in the second round as they matched up against last year’s 5A runner ups who are on a redemption tour. Douglas County did not get off to a start that they wanted as there was a significant hole in the first half, and it grew from there. Despite the loss, sophomore standout <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jaeton-hackley/">[player_tooltip player_id="759278" first="Jaeton" last="Hackley"]</a> continued his great year. Hackley is a player that surely jumped onto our radars as a sophomore that had a great season, and Chaparral had no choice but to respect his effort. Hackley finished with a team-high 20 points, and while it was not the most efficient game, the fact that he went out guns a blazing is a mindset that not many underclassmen have. He did not quit and fought until the final whistle, and he is a for sure stock boosters that we will make sure to check out this summer.</p> <p><strong>Joseph Editone – Overland</strong></p> <p>Overland has a reason to be frustrated with how RPI and seeding played out as they had to face one of the most balanced teams in the playoffs for the third time this season. Eaglecrest is also in the Centennial League with the Trailblazers and was placed in the same region for the second-round matchup. Nonetheless, games have to be played, and it was Eaglecrest that was victorious as they won 54-42. Overland might have had a chance if senior wing Joseph Editone received any help on the day. Editone finished with 21 points in the game for the only Trailblazer to finish in double figures. He got to the FT line as he went 11-12 from the charity stripe and also finished at the rim. He was not afraid of the moment and still showed up.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/bryson-stevens/">[player_tooltip player_id="915301" first="Bryson" last="Stephens"]</a> – Arapahoe</strong></p> <p>Want to talk about a true competitor that gave it his all this season. Stephens separated himself from the pack as he approached every single game with a mentality to take over. With having to shoulder much of the load in undoubtedly the toughest region in the entire state is no easy task, but Stephens made it happen night in and out and went out with a bang. Arapahoe fell 63-52 to Ralston Valley but not without Stephens making another lasting impression. He finished with 31 points in the game and kept the Warriors in the game. Stephens was aggressive offensively and played until the final whistle. Stephens remains one of the most underrated players in the state, and he will enter grassroots as an unsigned senior that schools should be asking about as whatever school he lands at is getting a special player.</p>