The Yoders are going to be talking about Saturday at family get-togethers for the rest of time.
A year after falling in the Class 4A championship, Resurrection Christian won its first boys hoops title by beating Kent Denver, 76-61, at the Denver Coliseum. The Cougars did it behind head coach Ryan Yoder and his son, junior point guard Ty Yoder.
Resurrection Christian led almost the whole game, then pulled away from Kent Denver in the second half behind Ty, who paced the team with 19 points, and three other players in double figures. Senior center Jacob Barker and junior guard Cade Crutcher both had 18 points, while senior forward Marcus Phillips had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
“My favorite moment was this morning,” Ty Yoder said. “Me and my dad both woke up, and we said, ‘We’re going to go win a state championship tonight.’ And we did. We did it together.”
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The game was fast-paced from the start, and the Cougars led 22-21 after one quarter despite 14 points from Kent Denver sophomore sensation Caleb Fay. Phillips had 10 in that quarter as the 5-foot-11 forward played much bigger than his size all night.
Behind Phillips and Barker, RCHS outscored Kent Denver 24-10 in the paint in the first half, a big reason why they jogged to the locker room with a 39-32 lead.
“In the first quarter, they couldn’t stop Marcus and we knew that,” Barker said. “They put these little kids on him, and it was like baby food out there. He was getting lay-ups. When they put a bigger dude on him, it opened it up for me, because they couldn’t guard us down low.”
In the third quarter, the Cougars began to distance themselves, prompting Sun Devils head coach Todd Schayes to put on the full-court press midway through the frame. That led to a couple turnovers and fast-break buckets, but the Cougars were largely unfazed, and held onto a 48-41 lead heading into the fourth.
In the final quarter, Kent Denver hit some big shots, but could never get close enough to make Resurrection Christian uncomfortable. The Cougars started consistently breaking the press that led to some fast-break buckets of their own. And when they got fouled, they continued to make their free throws. The Cougars were 24 of 28 from the stripe overall.
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Ryan Yoder said his team handled pressure “extremely well” and was prepared for Saturday’s stage after playing a rigorous summer and fall schedule that included matchups against bigger-school powers such as ThunderRidge, Windsor, Mountain Vista and Regis Jesuit.
“We’ve got so many veteran, experienced guys,” Ryan Yoder said. “And when you’ve got experience, it gives you a lot more peace and calm you can handle pressure. We’ve been practicing for years (for what Kent Denver did in the second half).”
Resurrection Christian Cougars head coach Ryan Yoder greets player Marcus Phillips (4) coming off the floor moments before defeating the Kent Denver Sun Devils 76-61 winning the 4A boys Colorado state high school championship game at the Denver Coliseum in Denver on Saturday, March 09, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Kent Denver only led for a little over two minutes, late in the first quarter. Beyond that, it was all RCHS, which finished with a 36-24 advantage in points in the paint. Fay was outstanding in the defeat, dropping 25 points.
Resurrection Christian, which lost last year’s 4A title game to Holy Family by a score of 53-43, also fell in narrow fashion in 2A championship games to Sanford in 2015 and ’16. But the team’s balanced scoring effort on Saturday, and poise amid Kent Denver’s pressure, ensured there wouldn’t be a disappointing title result for the Loveland faithful this year.
“In some ways, I’m dedicating this championship to the 2020 team because they got to the Final Four and then COVID hit and they couldn’t play it out,” Ryan Yoder said. “They were No. 1-ranked, they were undefeated, and we got to finish (what they couldn’t).
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“It’s an honor to be the first title (in school history), and it’s also an honor that it’s been since 1986 that a team from the Loveland area has won a championship, and since 1954 that a team from Fort Collins won a boys basketball championship. We’re honored to bring the title up north.”
The Cougars, the Patriot League champions, finished 26-2. Their lone losses came to Lutheran, which they avenged in the Final Four, and to Riverdale Ridge. The Sun Devils, the Metropolitan League champions, finished 25-3.
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After waiting 10 games due to injury, Vlatko Cancar finally made his return to the Denver Nuggets on November 15. Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, he only played a grand total of three games before suffering an injury again.
To make matters worse, it sounds like Cancar’s knee injury was a serious one. According to Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, Cancar will be out for the foreseeable future.
“Not necessarily (season-ending). It could go a couple different ways. We’re still gathering information, letting the knee calm down a little bit,” Malone said. “So I don’t want to get doom and gloom. But he’s out for the foreseeable future”
Vlatko Cancar weighing options for left knee. Malone: “Not necessarily (season-ending). It could go a couple different ways. We’re still gathering information, letting the knee calm down a little bit. So I don’t want to get doom and gloom. But he’s out for the foreseeable future”
Two seasons ago, Cancar played 60 games for the Nuggets and averaged 5.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 48/37/93 shooting from the field. He didn’t play a single game last season due to injury and has only played four games this season due to injury. It’s’ been an incredibly rough two seasons for Cancar with how many major injuries he’s sustained.
“I’m not gonna go into all the details, but some different options will be on the table for Vlatko, and we’ll try to educate him,” Malone said.
Coach Malone gave an update on Vlatko Čančar at Nuggets practice and says “he will be out for the foreseeable future.”
You can feel how bad Malone feels for the bad luck that has gone Vlatko’s way. pic.twitter.com/iBMMlWsUM0
The Denver Nuggets are still missing Nikola Jokic due to personal reasons, and Aaron Gordon due to a right calf strain. The team has been shorthanded, but still has a record of 8-5.
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Dogs like Bailey — the former Dog of the Week in The Denver Post’s Adventurist newsletter — will be in good company at the first Denver Dog Fair this weekend. (Provided by Barbara Ellis)
Denver Dog Fair
Saturday-Sunday. Woof! If the last few weeks have left you panting, why not surround yourself with unconditional love? The first Denver Dog Fair takes place on Nov. 22 and 23 with the promise of unending poochie goodness. There will be dog adoption booths, “celebrity” dogs, performances and tricks, a dog-fashion show, vendors, a dozen food trucks, kids’ bounce house, crafting, and more.
It takes place indoors at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, 25690 E. Quincy Ave. in Aurora, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Tickets: $20, good for both days; 5 and under free. $5 per dog. Price includes all entertainment and activities (minus adoption fees and food/drink). denverdogfair.com
Christkindlmarket and the Mile High Tree
Friday. The annual Mile High Tree at Civic Center park has quickly become a modern classic in Denver, with its 110-foot-tall display of 60,000, color-changing LED lights. Its location next to the annual Christkindlmarket and across from the brightly decorated Denver City & County Building makes it a one-stop shop for free family holiday fun.
At the 24th Christkindlmarket you’ll find local vendors plus Glühwein (mulled spiced wine), German biers and hot chocolate, Bavarian-style pretzels, fresh smoked salmon, Knödel, goulash, Nürnberger sausages, pastries, caramels and European chocolates. The tree’s light-and-music shows run from 5 to 10 p.m. nightly.
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The market and tree both open on Friday, Nov. 22, with the market running through Dec. 23. The market is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday; and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. denver.org/milehighholidays/mile-high-tree or christkindlmarketdenver.com
Charlie Fausette, 6, from Tampa, Fla., ice skates with her father Rob at Downtown Denver Rink in Denver on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
Free ice skating downtown
Through Feb. 2, 2025. Whatever the weather, you can get a bit of holiday fun in by stopping by the popular Downtown Denver Rink. The rink, which basically bisects the 16th Street Mall’s Skyline Park (just outside the Daniels and Fisher Clocktower at 16th and Arapahoe streets), is a public rink where you can rent or bring your own skates.
It’s open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Entry is free; skate rentals are $12 for adults and $9 for kids 12 and under. winterindenver.com/rink
Santa and Mrs. Claus will be ready for photos at the Denver Christmas Show, this year moving to the National Western Complex. (Provided by Michelle Ellis)
A very merry Denver Christmas Show
Friday-Sunday. You don’t have to be in the market for gifts to get something out of the Denver Christmas Show at the National Western Complex. It’s a family-friendly affair, with Santa visits (and photos), daily storytime and hot cocoa with Mrs. Claus, live music, dancing, and more.
Of course, if you want to pick up some candy or chocolate, local gifts, or holiday decor, that will be right there too (with free gift wrapping), as well as plenty of other vendors. Tickets for the Friday, Nov. 22-Sunday, Nov. 24, event are $14 for 14-and-up, and free for 13-and-under. It runs 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at 4655 Humboldt St. in Denver. denverchristmasshow.com
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Dallas Mavericks (8-7, 11th in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (8-5, fifth in the Western Conference)
Denver; Friday, 10 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: Dallas seeks to keep its three-game win streak alive when the Mavericks take on Denver.
The Nuggets are 4-5 in Western Conference games. Denver is fifth in the league with 46.2 rebounds led by Nikola Jokic averaging 13.7.
The Mavericks have gone 6-6 against Western Conference opponents. Dallas ranks sixth in the Western Conference with 17.2 fast break points per game led by Luka Doncic averaging 4.6.
The Nuggets make 46.8% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.1 percentage points higher than the Mavericks have allowed to their opponents (44.7%). The Mavericks average 115.6 points per game, 0.5 more than the 115.1 the Nuggets give up to opponents.
TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Porter Jr. is shooting 47.9% and averaging 18.3 points for the Nuggets.
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Kyrie Irving is averaging 24.3 points and 5.2 assists for the Mavericks.
LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 7-3, averaging 119.7 points, 45.4 rebounds, 30.7 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.0 points per game.
Mavericks: 5-5, averaging 118.0 points, 44.3 rebounds, 25.5 assists, 7.7 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.2 points.
INJURIES: Nuggets: Aaron Gordon: out (calf), DaRon Holmes II: out for season (achilles), Nikola Jokic: day to day (personal).
Mavericks: Dante Exum: out (wrist).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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