With two girls games down, we had two boys games to go.  First up would be the Valor Christian Eagles taking on the defending 4A State Champs Lewis-Palmer.  This was going to be a fun game.  I was excited to see what both teams would do.  Chase Foster for Valor has been a big stand out for me in the 5 or 6 games I had covered this season, and the two little brothers of Colorado Buffaloes freshman Josh Scott, Jordan and Jonathan, were sure to add to the excitement.

I honestly felt this game could go either way.  In the first quarter it was a close game.  The Rangers of Lewis-Palmer high school won the 1st frame with a 12-10 score, but a two point lead was not going to be good enough to win the state championship.  Or would it…..

There was a lot of play under the basket, and a lot of shots in the air around the hoop.  It was really a fun game to shoot.  But I really believe it was the second quarter that was the deciding quarter for Valor Christian.  They won the quarter 9-8, but the Eagles missed a big opportunity.  While a dunk is only worth two points, it can do a lot more for a team.  It can give your team a huge boost of energy, it can take your opponent down a notch.  It can really get things rolling for you.  In the second quarter, Foster had a break a way, and everyone was expecting him to show off one of his high flying dunks.  Instead he barely left the ground and just lay’d the ball in.  I feel this was a big mistake.  The teams went into the locker rooms at halftime with Lewis-Palmer leading Valor Christian by a score of 20-19.

After the halfway break, the game remained close.  Both teams put up 9 points each in the third quarter, giving Lewis-Palmer a 1 point advantage going into the fourth quarter.  The fourth was going to decide if Valor Christian could knock off the defending champs or if it was going to be back to back for the Rangers.

And I believe it came down to the second quarter choice of a lay up instead of a dunk for Foster.  That is what was going to determine the outcome.  Instead of pumping up the Eagles, it left the game wide open for the defending champs to take over.  And take over they would.

The fourth quarter was all Lewis-Palmer.  It started with the breakaway dunk bellow by senior Justin Smith.  The L-P student fans and parents were going nuts.  The energy in the Coors Events Center was all Lewis-Palmer’s.

Capping off a great season was the thunderous dunk bellow by senior Scott.  This would take the Rangers to a 22-12 4th quarter route of the Valor Christian Eagles and give the Lewis-Palmer team a 51-40 win.

As the final second ticked off the clock, and the Lewis-Palmer team stormed the court, their fans in the stands started chanting “Back to back!” as they won their second consecutive 4A State Championship.

Congrats to both teams.  You both had great seasons.  To view and purchase photos from this game, please visit Maxpreps.