LAMAR— The Creede Miners’s goal of a trip to the State Tournament proved to be as difficult to corral as the swirling winds on the Colorado plains last Friday at Lamar Community College. After a five and a half hour bus trip to the edge of the Kansas border and a marathon four overtime, 48 minute game, Creede’s season ended with an 84-81 loss to the McClave Cardinals.

“It was just one of those special games, a game of a lifetime,” said Creede coach Aaron Christensen. “Two good teams, two ranked teams, the playoff pressure, the huge crowd…you just hated it that one of the teams had to lose.”

When it was over, everyone in the gym was physically and emotionally spent. “The players obviously,” said Christensen, “but also the coaches and even the crowd.” He added that there were people there waiting for the next game with ties to neither school who were caught up in the game. “Unbelievable,” he said.

District two will send three teams to the State Tournament, winning three of the four games against their District 6 foes. Besides McClave (18-6) who beat Wiley in the finals at Lamar Saturday, Granada and Kit Carson advanced with wins over Ouray and Springfield respectively. District 6 Champion Crested Butte (24-0) was a 55-41 winner over South Baca County and gained the Elite Eight for the second year in row. Caliche, Kit Carson, Hi Plains and Flagler round out the Class 1A tournament field.

Friday at Lamar, the two schools came out slowly, feeling each other out. Creede led at the end of the first quarter 11-9 and at the half 22-21.The Cardinals opened up a seven point lead at one point in the third and held that margin well into the final period, but then the Miners battled back. Kody (Vinyard) and Miguel (Gallegos) each hit a big three that we had to have,” Christensen said. Regulation ended in a 47-47 deadlock.

The stage was now set for 16 more minutes of basketball, the equivalent of another full half of play—four 4 minute overtimes.

The Miners were down by five with less than two minutes to go in the first extra period and were down by one with two seconds to play. Gallegos made one of two foul shots and the game moved on, with the two teams basically trading baskets in the second OT.

In the third, Gallegos again made one of two from the line to put Creede up by three with six seconds on the clock. Then their No.11 (who finished with 42 points) took the inbound pass dribbled three or four steps past the half court line and let it fly. “He nailed it,” Christensen said.

In the fourth and final overtime, the sixth period of the game, the Cardinals got a small lead late and made their free throws when Creede was forced to foul.

Creede played without their leading scorer for the season when John Whitmore fouled out in the first overtime, but McClave had lost players to fouls too. The two teams shot 71 free throws. Creede was 25 of 39 from the line and McClave 20 of 32. A total of five players fouled out.

Cameron Nelson ripped the Cardinals for 30 points. Gallegos finished with 13, Whitmore 12, Vinyard 11, Tyler Stroh 9 and D.J. Tiley 6.

“I could not be more proud of our team,” Christensen said. “Our kids learned a lot about themselves. About hard work. About making things happen. About battling back and coming together.”

The Miners finished the season with an 18-5 mark. “Sure, it is a definite downer not to still be playing,” Christensen said. “But I am extremely proud of this team and the way they improved all year and meshed as a unit. When you see a team grow, get better and to be playing their best basketball at the end of the season is very rewarding. It certainly was for me personally. I think the kids learned a lot and had fun this season. I know I did.”

For the complete article see the 03-12-2009 issue.

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