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Resurrection Christian beats Kent Denver in Class 4A boys title, giving Cougars first hoops championship

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Resurrection Christian beats Kent Denver in Class 4A boys title, giving Cougars first hoops championship


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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Denver, CO

Denver’s Nativ Hotel & Gatsby Social shuts down following failed inspections

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Denver’s Nativ Hotel & Gatsby Social shuts down following failed inspections


A prominent Denver hotel and nightclub shut down over the weekend after city officials suspended its licenses, citing repeated failed inspections and violations of a stop-work order.

The city took action on April 10, suspending the liquor, food, lodging and cabaret licenses for the Nativ Hotel & Gatsby Social following multiple failed inspections by the Denver Fire Department, the Denver Police Department and the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection.

This is only the second summary suspension of a liquor license by the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection in Denver since 2023.

Courtesy of Marcus & Millichap

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The Nativ Hotel. (Image courtesy of Marcus & Millichap)

“This is the most severe immediate licensing discipline action the city can take against a business,” said Eric Escudero, director of communications for Denver Licensing and Consumer Protection, in an email to The Post.

“It is only used in very rare circumstances when there is the most severe threat to safety because of alleged law violations.”

An investigation by the fire department revealed that Corporate Housing on Wazee LLC, doing business as Nativ Hotel & Gatsby Social, has a history of fire code violations dating back to Jan. 7, 2025, according to the suspension order.

Although the property, 1612 Wazee St., had undergone multiple inspections since that time, a group inspection was conducted on Feb. 24 involving the fire, police and licensing departments.

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That inspection uncovered numerous violations of fire and conveyance codes, deeming the property “unsafe for occupancy.” Most significantly, inspectors determined that the fire alarm system was not being monitored and had recorded 14 internal failure signals, including a notification failure.

As a result, the system did not alert any third-party central station or Denver Fire Dispatch when the alarm was activated.

The inspection also identified several additional violations, including a faulty fire alarm control system, ingress/egress blockages, sprinkler system violations, signage violations, breaches of fire-rated construction, fire doors propped open, improperly maintained and mounted fire extinguishers, corridor and stair blockages and improper propane storage. 

As a result of the inspection, the fire department issued a stop-work order, requiring the building to be vacated immediately.

Property owner Thierry Rignol was given time to address the violations and was issued a 30-day fire watch permit, which allowed only the hotel to remain open under strict monitoring with qualified personnel on site.

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By March 6, some corrections had been completed, but a follow-up fire department inspection found multiple violations remained, leading the city to cite Rignol for more than 840 violations

The fire watch permit expired on March 26, and the stop-work order once again prohibited the operation of the bar/nightclub and hotel.

Despite the order, the suspension document said Denver police observed the property operating as a bar and nightclub and continued to admit patrons between April 3 and the early hours of April 5.

In addition, during the early morning hours of April 4, Denver police officers responded to a felony menacing incident outside the premises. A patron who had been removed returned with a firearm and threatened security guardss.

The police department’s media relations team told The Post that officers were also dispatched around 1:51 a.m. on April 5 to a reported assault in the 1600 block of Wazee Street. A patron was found unconscious and injured on the sidewalk in front of the premises. That case remains under investigation.

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“The Denver Police Department will respectfully decline commenting on this situation, given the pending action by Licensing and Consumer Protection,” the department said.



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Denver area events for April 15

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Denver area events for April 15


If you have an event taking place in the Denver area, email information to carlotta.olson@gazette.com at least two weeks in advance. All events are listed in the calendar on space availability. Wednesday Free Throw — 6 p.m., Summit Music Hall, 1902 Blake St., Denver, $41 and up. Tickets: summitdenver.com. Justb — 6 p.m., The Roxy Theatre, 2549 […]



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Denver Mountain Parks to take over management of Mount Blue Sky road

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Denver Mountain Parks to take over management of Mount Blue Sky road


When the Mount Blue Sky Road opens Memorial Day weekend from Echo Lake to the iconic mountain’s 14,266-foot summit, conditions permitting, there will be a change in the way access to the road is managed.

Denver Mountain Parks will staff the welcome station at Echo Lake and manage the Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area, taking over that role from the Arapaho National Forest.

“Managing this complex, high-use recreation area has always been a shared stewardship effort between the national forest, the city of Denver and state of Colorado,” forest supervisor Christopher Stubbs said in a joint news release. “We have been working together on this mountain for more than a century. In the early years, Denver had the greater presence with their (Echo Lake) lodge and restaurants on the mountain. For the past four decades, the forest service has been at the helm. Now it’s Denver’s turn again.”



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