Five Takeaways: Overland versus Eagle crest
Overland defeated Eaglecrest to advance to the Elite Eight. There were plenty of big plays by both teams but in the end it was the Trailblazers that prevailed. Here are my five takeaways. Back and forth affair The game started…
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Continue ReadingOverland defeated Eaglecrest to advance to the Elite Eight. There were plenty of big plays by both teams but in the end it was the Trailblazers that prevailed. Here are my five takeaways.
Back and forth affair
The game started out a bit slow as it took some time for both of these teams to get started before they went at each other early on but both teams refused to let things get going. But then a 3-pointer fell and another basket and then all of a sudden, the flood gates opened and they went after it.
At the half the Trailblazers were up 30-36 as multiple players got in on the action. Graham Ike led Overland with big time rebounds and seven points. Aaron Bokol had it going on the opposite end with his 12 points.
In the third and fourth quarter it ended up being the Trailblazers that really started taking off and hitting big shots. Overland started to get some stops but the Raptors would not die down. The game ended up being a 72-56 victory but the game was played a lot closer than the final score suggested.
Seniors go out with a bang
The Eagle crest squad was an older and experienced group that seen four players play meaningful minutes in their last high school game.
The table was set in a win and advance game, the atmosphere was great as the gym was packed to capacity and all four of the Raptors seniors came to play.
Bokol was Bokol but we will get to him later, Jake Wiley has great size and is a big man that changes the game with physicality that will surely be on display on the Boulder gridiron for years to come, Sekou Touré brought It from the bench with plenty of energy and is able to get inside and finish at the rim and Thurbil Bile is one of the best two-way players in the state that defends at a very high level.
The Raptors have to hold their head high after that kind of loss as they gave it all that they had and sometimes shots just do not fall but can not take away the type of season that they had that was full of fights.
Bokol dominates
Aaron Bokol was sensational in their defeat and was full on effort to close out a very great career.
In the loss he kept the Raptors in the game and he did it in multiple ways. He can knock down jumpers, he gets to the lane and finishes with either hand, he gets to the charity stripe and converts and makes others around him better.
He put up 28 points on the night and showed that he could score, shoot, rebound, defend and set other teammates up and it is truly shocking that he is not already signed. Whoever it is that gets Bokol will be satisfied with their decision as they are getting one of the state’s best.
Graham Ike and Swanson a bit too much
Overland is set up for now and the future. They have a team that is balanced but have one of the best 1-2 punches in the state that works inside-out. Hezekiah Swanson is one of the best two-way players in the state that although he is a junior has been there before. He makes the right play, gets inside of the defense and makes they pay and is also capable of knocking down shots although his outside shot wasn’t falling in this game he switched things up. On both ends of the floor he is aggressive and that goes a long way for this bunch as they rally behind their point guard. He had 14 points in the game and made sure to get inside where they had no choice but to foul and he went to the free throw line and closed them out.
Graham joined in on that action. He is one of the best big men to come out as he has the complete package. Not often is it seen for a player with that kind of size to have that skillset. He is not afraid of contact, rebounds well, runs the court, can knock down the free-throw extended jump shot and is a player that you can just drop it off to when the offense breaks down and he is going to go get a basket. He led Overland with 15 points and has been a consistent force all season long.
More from the others
While the usual suspects were up to their usual antics there were others that joined in in the action and it did not only come down to scoring the basketball. For Eaglecrest all season long it has been about getting more from the others and they did an exceptional job of that which carried on to Wednesday’s game. Jalon’e Rice is a player that can affect the game on both ends of the floor but has one of the most contagious styles of play in the game. He is full of energy, gets others involved and is locked in on defense. He put up 14 points and provided that extra kick which made it difficult for Eagle crest to key in on. Alexander-Avila Pena is a big man with good size and is a hard worker that makes it easier for Graham and Swanson to navigate. He sacrifices stats for the betterment of the team and is capable of getting a basket down low when times get rough.
For the Raptors Touré is a spark-plug, Bile is one of the best defenders in the state with the ability to grab rebounds and Wiley gave them size to matchup with any team in the state.
Moving forward
Overland will not get back to a place that they have been accustomed to in Danny Fisher’s reign, the Denver Coliseum. Overland will be up against a tough Thunder ridge team in the round of eight that got the best of them in their November matchup. In that game Thunder ridge did a good job of limiting the others and Austin Holt and Bailey Verk showed up in a big way. This is an even matchup of two of the best teams in the state on the interior. Whoever can win the guard battle will have the upper hand. Both teams are better than the first time they played each other and then there is the factor of it being the Coliseum where both are comfortable playing.
Can’t wait.