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FCA Boys Basketball 2010-2011 Season
Faith Christian downs Jefferson Academy for Class 3A boys title
FORT COLLINS — It never hurts to have a Rindels in your lineup.
Just two years removed from watching his big brother Deron hit the game winning shot at the buzzer against Peyton that powered Faith Christian to back-to-back Class 3A titles at Moby Arena, the spotlight belonged to Nathan on Saturday night. The junior took over the second half against Jefferson Academy and powered the Eagles to their fourth consecutive state championship with a 49-41 win over their Metropolitan League rival. "It has worked pretty well for us the last few years hasn't it?" said Faith Christian coach Andrew Hasz about having a Rindels in the game. "Nathan was ridiculous tonight. He was great." Trailing 18-15 at the half, Faith Christian turned up the heat on the defensive pressure coming out of the locker room. Rindels and Jordan Colson hounded the Jaguars' guards, forced turnovers and outscored Mark Sharpley's squad 18-6. "We just wanted to come out and not play selfish, because when you do, nothing seems to work right," said Rindels, whose brother was in the stands watching. "We relied on each other to make plays, and that's when we started coming through."
Jefferson Academy's Jason Propst, who once donned a Faith Christian uniform before transferring to JA, was good for 22 points in the semifinal victory against Valley, but found the going rough against Eagles post Derek McCartney. "Give props to Adam (Finnefrock) and Derek, they played great defense," said Rindels, who finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds en route to becoming The Post's tournament MVP. "You've got to help the helper, and it took a great team effort to shut them down." Propst finished with just seven points, but had 10 rebounds. Simeon Ukuni led the Jags — seeded No. 15 in the 32-team 3A bracket — with 15 points. "Nathan took over, and they are such a great defensive team," said Sharpley, who was in search of title No. 5 as a head coach. "We gave it our best shot." View Slide show of 3A Championship:
Jefferson Academy 8 10 6 17 — 41 Jefferson Academy — Ryan 3 0-0 6, Schmidt 2 3-3 7, Propst 3 1-2 7, Ukuni 5 4-5 15, Layton 1 1-2 3, Torres 0 0-0 0, Ballard 0 0-0 0, Ferrero 0 0-0 0, Kupcho 1 0-0 3, Sharpley 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 9-12 41. Faith Christian — Rindels 6 7-7 19, Colson 5 0-2 10, Chapman 2 2-3 6, Finnefrock 2 0-0 5, McCartney 2 4-7 8, Buchman 0 1-2 1, Hasz 0 0-0 0, McCain 0 0-0 0, Wolf 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 14-21 49. 3-point goals — Ukuni, Kupcho; Finnefrock. Total fouls — Jefferson Academy 17; Faith Christian 14.
3A all-tournamentJordan Colson, Faith Christian, Sr. Jason Propst, Jefferson Academy, Sr. Nathan Rindels, Faith Christian, Jr. Tyson Ross, Pagosa Springs, Jr. Simeon Ukuni, Jefferson Academy, Sr. MVP: Nathan Rindels
3A hoops roundup: Faith Christian to face Jefferson Academy for boys title
FORT COLLINS — It hasn't been the picturesque style of basketball that Faith Christian is used to playing at Moby Arena, but the Eagles still find themselves back in the Class 3A state title game. A solid defensive effort against Pagosa Springs that saw them surrender just 12 second-half points allowed the three-time defending champions to advance to today's title game with a 48-30 victory over the Pirates on Friday. "We lost five starters from last year's team, and most of us haven't started in a state championship game," said senior Jordan Colson, who led the Eagles with 13 points. "It's definitely a new experience for us and it should be a lot of fun to try and go get four straight." Fifth-seeded Pagosa Springs (20-4) was within three points — 21-18 — at halftime, but found the going rough at the offensive end in the second half. "We saw on film they like to shoot the 3 and we just tried to crack down on that," Colson said. "Derek (McCartney) did a good job of boarding up the bodies in the post." Faith Christian (25-1) will play Jefferson Academy today at 5:15 p.m. Pagosa Spings junior Tyson Ross was the only Pirate in double figures with 13 points. View slide show of Faith Christian-Pagosa Springs 3A boys hoops, March 11.
EAGLES SUDUE SUNDEVILS IN STATE QUARTER FINALS
After jumping out to a 21 – 12 halftime lead, Faith Christian had to hold off the gritty Kent Denver Sun Devils to secure a 48- 43 quarter final round victory. Faith’s first half defensive effort stifled Kent Denver as they forced multiple turnovers and created highly contested shots for the Devils. Leading 18 – 12 with one minute to play in the first half, the Eagles held the ball at midcourt uncontested, playing for the final shot of the half. While Kent Denver partisans expressed their displeasure with the tactic, Nate Chapman spotted up for a corner three off the dribble penetration kick-out from Nathan Rindells. Chapmen hit nothing but net as the buzzer sounded, expanding the lead to 9 points at the half. Kent Denver came out with a vengeance to start the second half, led by Jared Smith’s 2 long distance three pointers and Zac Motes inside finishes. Motes and Allen Tell led the Devil’s scoring attack with 12 points each on the night. By the end of the third quarter Kent had cut the deficit to 5 points trailing only 31 – 26 heading into the 4th. Faith faced an unforeseen challenge of its own as starter and inside defender Evan Marshall was forced to leave the game early in the first quarter with what later proved to be a torn ACL injury. Without Marshall, the Eagles were forced to play with a smaller, albeit, quicker line-up against the larger Sun Devils.
While Kent ultimately cut the margin to 3 points and had the ball with 22 seconds remaining, Jordan Colson, who had played lock down defense on Kent’s second leading scorer, Dylan Finer (8 points) throughout the contest, once again found himself in a must stop situation. As Finer made his over with 5 seconds left, Colson forced him to pick up the dribble and was joined by Nathan Rindells in a trap that forced Finer to launch a final desperation 3 point attempt that resulted in an air ball. The Eagles secured the rebound and hit to free throws to seal the dramatic win. Nathan Rindells led all scorers with 15 points including an on target 10-12 free throw performance. Derek McCartney posted 12 points and 10 rebounds on the night, while Nate Chapman added 10 points, including the clutch end of half 3 pointer. This win enables the Eagles to advance to the semi finals where they will meet the Pagosa Springs Pirates who upset the Bishop Machebef Buffaloes in their quarterfinal game.
EAGLES TO MAKE 10TH CONSECUTIVE TRIP TO STATE March 4 & 5 - Won against DSST & University
Thanks to a hard fought 61 - 42 victory over the University Bulldogs, Faith Christian’s Boy’s Basketball team will be making its 10th consecutive trip to the Great Eight 3A State Basketball Tournament this weekend in Ft. Collins. During the past 9 years, the Eagles have advanced to the 3A finals five times, winning 4 State titles in 2002, 2008, 2009 & 2010. The Eagles finished second to Colorado Springs Christian in 2003. This year’s road to the Final 8 required the Eagles to defeat The Denver School of Science and Technology 62-41 on Friday, March 4th and then secure victory over University on Saturday. On Friday night, Derek McCartney (14 points), Evan Marshall (13 points) and Nathan Rindells (11 points) led a balanced offensive effort against an athletic Science and Technology team. The Eagles held a somewhat tenuous 30 – 19 halftime advantage, but played lock down defense in the third period, opening the margin to a more comfortable 47 – 26 advantage entering the 4th period. All of the Eagles including Adam Finnefrock (5 points) Jordan Hasz (5 points) and Alex Buchman (4 points) came off the bench to provide solid support in the winning effort. Saturday’s game against the University Bulldogs proved to be a physical affair. Both teams worked hard to control the paint with their pressure defense. Thanks to a Nathan Rindells’ buzzer beating 3 point basket at the end of the second quarter Faith opened a 30-24 advantage.
Challenges a plenty await the Eagles this weekend as they will meet Metro League rival Kent Denver in the quarter final round at 7:00 p.m. in Moby Arena on the Colorado State University campus. The Metropolitan league is thoroughly represented with four of the final eight teams including Bishop Machebeuf, Kent Denver, and Jefferson Academy who won a dramatic 56-50 qualifying game over Colorado Springs Christian in 4 overtimes.
EAGLES SECURE DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP
Whoever said, “Defense wins championships,” was absolutely accurate in describing Faith Christian’s 53- 42 victory over Bishop Machebeuf in the Metropolitan District Championship game. In arguably the most physical game of the season, the Eagles scratched and clawed their way to a 19-11 halftime advantage. Each team battled hard to control the paint as post players from both teams refused to give up basket attacks and paint penetration. Thanks to a couple of early three point baskets by Nate Chapman (5 points) and Adam Finnefrock (7 points) coupled with several free throws, the Eagles built a tenuous half-time lead. The Buffaloes brought tremendous defensive intensity throughout the third quarter and successfully and on the strength of two Jack Heher 3 point field goals outscored the Eagles 15-10 in the third, cutting the deficit to 29-26 entering the fourth quarter. Entering the fourth quarter Machebuef fans and players had seized the momentum and were poised to pull off the upset against the number 1 cede in the tournament. However, the Eagles’ point guard Nathan Rindells had other ideas.
Early in the quarter Rindells (16 points) drained to long distance three point field goals and created an assist to Jordan Colson (15 points) for another 3 pointer. Suddenly, the Eagle lead had surged to double digits before the Buffaloes took a time out. As play resumed Faith created a much more deliberate offensive tempo that forced the Buffaloes to stop the clock by fouling. Rindells and Colson hit free throws down the stretch going 12-14 on the night to seal the win. Casey Kipp and Jack Heher led the Machebueff attack with 11 and 10 points respectively. This win earned the Eagles a number 1 cede in the 3A state tournament, which will begin for them at home on Friday, March 4th against The Denver School of Science and Technology. University and Bayfield will square off in the other game at Faith on Friday night, with the winners of each contest meeting on Saturday @ 1:00 pm at Faith for the right to advance to the 3A state quarterfinal round that will be held in Moby arena in Fort Collins.
Faith Defeats Manual in District Semifinal
In front of a loud partisan Manual crowd at the Thunderdome, Faith withstood a furious first half offensive barrage from the Thunderbolts and cruised to a 73-48 victory over Manual in the Metro League District Semifinal round. Manual opened the game with intense energy and confidence after their upset win over Jefferson Academy in the District Quarter Final game on Tuesday night. Led by Rosalio Pimentell (15 points on the night) and Mike Burnett (8 points), Manual bolted to a 16-14 first quarter lead. Both teams traded runs in the second quarter on the strength of consistent three point field goals and battled to a 33 –33 tie at the half. After making a couple of key adjustments, the Eagles came out in the third quarter and exerted their will as they extended the lead to 58 – 39 by the end of the quarter. Nathan Rindells led all scorers with 23 points on the night, including 5 three-point baskets. Jordan Colson and Evan Marshall chipped in 15 and 10 points respectively as both players attacked the basket relentlessly in the second half. Nate Chapman also contributed 2 critical three-point baskets and finished the game with 7 points. Faith continued to apply excellent defensive pressure throughout the second half as they played a stingy 2-3 zone defense that limited Manual to only 15 second half points. The win improves the Eagles’ record to 20-1 and advances them into the District Final contest against Bishop Machebeuf to be played on Saturday, February 26th @ 6:00 pm at the Thunderdome. With the loss Manual drops to 11-10, and will play Kent Denver in the third and fourth place game. All four teams will advance to the state tournament, which begins Friday, March 7th.
Eagles Ride Mustangs to District Opening Win In the first of what they hope to be a 8 game run back to a 4th consecutive state title, Faith Christian dominated all phases of a 58 – 33 win over Colorado Academy. Faith opened a 15-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and held the Mustangs to only 2 first half field goals in route to a 30-10 half time advantage. While CA attempted to slow the game’s pace, Faith’s relentless pressure and full court attack enabled the Eagles to hit transition baskets as they build a commanding lead.
Derek McCartney led the Eagle scoring attack with 15 points and was supported by Nathan Rindells and Evan Marshall with 10 and Jordon Colson with 7 points on the night. All of the Eagles played significant minutes in the opening round win. On Thursday, February 24th Faith will face off against the Manual Thunderbolts in the District semifinal. A win in this match-up will virtually assure the Eagles of hosting the opening rounds of the state tournament next weekend.
Eagles Subdue Thunderbolts with Second Half Explosion Playing in the historic Manual Thunderdome on CET TV Channel 105 Cable TV provided Faith’s Boys with a climactic culmination to their regular Metro League season as they posted a comfortable 79-52 victory. This win brought the Eagle’s regular season record to 18-1 and sealed their 5th consecutive Metropolitan League Championship. While the final score was convincing, this game was closer than the score indicated. Manual, on senior night, came out strong in the first half, hitting transition baskets and threes to keep the contest close, trailing only 38-30 at the half. While the Eagles struggled early containing Manual’s dribble penetration and shooters, their offense was also in high gear. Using a trapping full court defense to create turnovers, Faith converted those turnovers into points early and often throughout the half. The Eagles shot a torrid 27/49 (55%) for the night from 2-point range, but struggled hitting only 1/9 (11%) from long range.
During the second half, Faith shored up its paint defense and forced the Bolts to hit a higher number of outside shots. In the process Manual was only able to convert 22 points in the half, while the Eagles’ transition game continued to run wild as they posted 41 second half points. Nathan Rindells led all scorers with 28 points, 6 assist, 6 steals and 6 rebounds, while Evan Marshall posted 22 points and 8 rebounds. While no other Eagles scored in double figures, Jordan Colson added 9 points and Derek McCartney contributed 10 rebounds, many of which served to trigger Faith’s potent fast break. The loss dropped Manual to 10-9 on the season and as the 5th league cede, they will travel to Jefferson Academy on Tuesday night to meet the Jaguars in a district quarterfinal game. Faith will host Colorado Academy, the 8th cede, in the district tournament on Tuesday night beginning at 5 pm.
Top-ranked Faith Christian puts it on the line at free-throw lineBy Pat Rooney Posted: 02/16/2011 01:00:00 AM MST ARVADA — With everything on the line — including bragging rights against one of their fiercest rivals, in addition to the top spot in the conference – the Faith Christian Eagle calmly stepped to the line and took care of business. And the Eagles did it again and again and again. Backed by a remarkable effort from the free-throw line, Faith Christian claimed the regular-season crown in the Class 3A Metro League with a 70-54 victory Tuesday against Kent Denver. The top-ranked Eagles (17-1, 8-0) have won 15 consecutive games and will own the top seed when the league tournament begins next Tuesday, regardless of the result of Faith Christian's regular-season finale Thursday at Manual. "It's obviously something you have to work at in tight games, and I really think the key was how we started at the free-throw line," Faith coach Andrew Hasz said. "We had a lull, but we were able to weather that when we missed a few. We definitely kept making enough that (Kent) wasn't able to get it to a single-possession game. Our guys work hard at that." The Eagles knocked down their first 15 free-throw attempts and finished 34-for-43 overall, getting a 15-for-16 effort from junior guard Nathan Rindells and a 12-for-14 performance off the bench from junior Adam Finnefrock.
Faith did not attempt a field goal during the entire fourth quarter but kept No. 3 Kent at bay by making 23 free throws in the frame. Faith Christian led by one point at halftime but used runs of 9-1 and 8-0 in the third to take a 15-point edge into the fourth. A Kent rally drew the Sun Devils within nine points, but the Eagles iced the conference crown at the foul line. "This is just a stepping block," Rindells said. "We do a lot of free throws in practice, but when you shoot that many, you just kind of get in a rhythm." Kent Denver 13 8 11 22 — 54 Kent Denver — Tellis 4 2-5 11, Smith 3 7-8 13, Finer 3 11-16 18, Tills 1 0-0 2, Lantz 0 2-2 2, Motz 0 0-0 0, Yates 0 2-2 2, Gantz 1 1-2 3, Addy 0 0-0 0, Pettyjohn 1 0-0 3. Totals 13 25-35 54. Faith Christian — Colson 6 5-7 17, Rindells 4 15-16 24, Chapman 3 0-4 7, Buchmann 1 0-0 2, McCartney 2 2-2 6, Finnefrock 0 12-14 12, McCain 1 0-0 2, Hasz 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 34-43 70. 3-point goals — Tellis, Finer, Pettyjohn; Rindells, Chapman. Total fouls — Kent Denver 28; Faith Christian 23. Fouled out — Smith, Tills, Finer; Colson.
When Faith Christian and Holy Family square off in any sport, records are thrown out the window, while both teams strap on their most competitive persona possible. Friday, February 11th was no different when the Eagles visited the “Tiger Dome” to match up with their archrivals on the hardwood. In front of two raucous student sections both teams brought a highly intense and entertaining level of play to the venue. Faith jumped out to a 15 –7 first quarter advantage by applying smothering defense to Tiger shooters while stroking several key perimeter shots. In addition, Nathan Rindells notched two long distance three point baskets to provide the Eagles with early momentum. Holy Family stormed back in the second quarter outscoring the Eagles 13-7 and closing the halftime defecit to 22-20. Throughout the quarter, Faith struggled hitting outside shots and missed several from close range as well. While the first half was characterized by pressure defensive efforts from both teams, the third quarter turned into a shootout as the Tigers came out on fire, led by Nick Bovine and Connor Clay, both of whom finished with team high 13 point efforts on the night. Holy Family actually outscored the Eagles 22 –19 in the quarter and surged to a 42-41 lead heading into the fourth.
While the Tiger faithful roared sensing that an upset was imminent, the Eagles seized the opportunity to demonstrate their resiliency. Inspired by frenetic full court pressure, Faith was able to generate three key turnovers, which led to lay-ups and a monster two-hand slam dunk by Derek McCartney, off of Nathan Rindells assist. Following McCartney’s dunk the Eagle faithful exploded to a deafening roar energized and carried the Eagles to an eventual 61- 52 victory. Rindells led the Eagles with a game high 23 points including 4 timely three point field goals, while Derek McCartney chipped in 17 points. Evan Marshall and Adam Finnefrock dropped in 9 and 7 points respectively, as both were clutch in the fourth quarter. With the win Faith improved their record to 16 – 1 on the season, 7-0 in league, while Holy Family dropped to 7 – 11 overall 2 – 6 in league. Faith will square off against Kent Denver for the Metro League title on Tuesday, February 15th in their final regular season home game.
EAGLES STIFLE PUMAS
On Senior Night 2011, the Faith Christian Eagles notched their 15th victory of the season over the Peak to Peak Pumas 69-53. While the Eagles shot a chilly 46% from the field, their defense was good enough to contest the multiple three point Puma bombs and secure the league win, which keeps the Eagles undefeated in Metro League play. Peak to Peak jumped out to a 19 –16 first quarter lead on the strength of Erik Goede’s basket attacks and 3 points shooting. Goede notched 12 of the Puma points in the quarter (26 game high total points). Faith shored up their defense in the second quarter and held Goede and the Pumas to only 9 points, while reclaiming a 35 – 28 half-time advantage. Both teams played nearly even in the third quarter, as the Eagles were able to generate a number of easy inside baskets on the strength of Nathan Rindells 7 assists (8 points) to Derek McCartney (16 points & 11 Rebounds) and Evan Marshall (10 points). At the end of three quarters Faith’s lead had expanded to 50 – 41. Jordan Colson finished off a strong 6/9 shooting performance (13 points) with several basket attacks in the 4th quarter, which ultimately resulted in a comfortable 69 –53 victory. One of the highlights in the game took place when Junior Danny Graves came off of the bench during his first action of the season to hit a 2 and a 3 point basket, to finish with 5 points on the night. Faith Christian will round out its regular season schedule with games on the road against Holy Family 2/11/11 and Manual 2/17/11, and a home game against arch rival, Kent Denver on Tuesday, February15.
FCA Eagles' Senior Night: February 8, 2011
Faith Christian 65, Denver Lutheran 57
By Pat Rooney Posted: 02/05/2011 01:00:00 AM MST The Faith Christian boys basketball team, the No. 1-ranked team in Class 3A, knew it would have its hands full with the array of weapons at the disposal of the Denver Lutheran Lights. Yet the Eagles also knew they had something Lutheran could not counter — the inside presence of Derek McCartney. McCartney, a 6-foot-4 junior, scored the first 11 points of the second half, sparking a Faith Christian surge that paved the way for a 65-57 victory against the host Lights in a Metro League game Friday night. The Eagles remained the only undefeated team in league play (5-0) while improving to 14-1 overall. Lutheran (11-4, 2-3), ranked eighth in Class 2A, lost its third consecutive game. "We had an advantage inside that we wanted to use," Faith Christian coach Andrew Hasz said. "So we talked a lot about that. I also thought our guys executed a few wrinkles defensively that made (Lutheran) slow down a bit. "We were able to stretch that lead out. They are such a talented team, but we did feel like inside was the place we wanted to go."
Faith Christian led 31-28 at halftime before McCartney hoisted the Eagles upon his shoulders, scoring five consecutive baskets to open the third quarter, one of which resulted in a three-point play. Foul trouble prevented McCartney, who finished with a game-high 21 points, from doing further damage, yet his teammates kept Lutheran at bay down the stretch. Faith outscored the Lights 18-6 in the third quarter and did a commendable job mixing its defensive fronts against Lutheran's leading scorer, Joel Haywood. Haywood finished with 19 points, but scored nine of those in the fourth quarter while the Eagles were squarely in control. "Basically, we wanted to stay on Haywood all night and make it tough for him," said Faith guard Nathan Rindels, who finished with 14 points. "Everywhere else, we had good help defense."
Faith Christian 12 19 18 16 — 65 FC — Marshall 1 2-2 4, Rindels 5 2-4 14, McCartney 10 1-1 21, Chapman 1 0-0 2, Colson 8 2-2 19, Buchmann 0 0-0 0, Finnefrock 1 0-0 3, McCain 0 0-0 0, Hasz 0 0-0 0, Wolf 1 0-0 2. Totals 27 7-9 65. DL — Joseph 1 0-0 2, Haywood 4 10-11 19, Kitashima 7 3-3 19, Col. Stuerke 5 1-2 12, Cor. Stuerke 2 0-0 5, Langewisch 0 0-0 0, Schilling 0 0-0 0, Schlager 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 14-16 57.
Throughout a game in which Englewood (4A) seemed to be on the ropes more than a few times, the resilient Pirates fought valiantly before succumbing to Faith’s relentless offensive penetration 63-53. The Eagles were unable to subdue the pesky Pirates until the final minutes of the fourth quarter, when they converted 7 clutch free throws to seal their 13th win of the season against only 1 loss. This game emerged as a battle between Faith’s quickness and Englewood’s size and strength. Joe Howard @ 6’10” poured in a game high 21 points for the Pirates, as he demonstrated a deft touch inside the lane. Nathan Rindells led the Eagles with 19 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds. Rindells used his exceptional quickness to ignite full and half court basket penetration throughout the game. Whether Rindells was scoring at the rim himself, or dishing to his teammates who finished inside touches, his quickness proved to be difficult for Englewood to defend. Faith opened the game on fire jumping out to a 19-12 first quarter lead. Just as it seemed that the Eagles were going to create a decisive early advantage, Englewood’s Joe Pleiman notched a 3-point field goal and several basket attacks of his own to keep the Pirates close throughout the first half. Pleiman finished with 17 points in the contest. With faith hampered by turnovers and foul problems, Jordan Colson stepped up to hit a clutch 3-point basket just as the first half expired to expand their lead to 30-24. While Faith’s defense had effectively kept Howard bottled up throughout most of the first half, he exploded for 15 second half points to keep the Pirates close. At the end of the third quarter the Eagles were again able to extend their lead to 42-36 as Trevor Wolf came off the bench to net a clutch 12 foot jumper, the final basket of the third quarter with 1.3 seconds remaining in the quarter. Both teams battled throughout the fourth quarter as Englewood remained close by giving themselves second chance opportunities, while the Eagles continued to rely on Rindells to create with full and half court dribble penetration. Evan Marshall (13 points), Derek McCartney (11 points & 5 rebounds) Jordan Colson (8 points), and Nate Chapman (8 points) all contributed down the stretch to help seal the win.
Faith Christian Holds off Bishop Machebeuf In a game where points were not easy to come by, Faith Christian finally managed to dissect Bishop Machebeuf’s stingy 2-3 zone to create several key lay-ups for their bigs, Derek McCartney and Evan Marshall. The Eagles’ Nathan Rindells, Jordan Colson and Derek McCartney used some precise interior passing to find open teammate Evan Marshall for three baseline lay-ups in the 4th quarter. Marshall’s baskets combined with a McCartney put back enabled the Eagles to open their lead to nine points late in the game and seal the 51-43 victory to remain undefeated in league play. Early in the second quarter, Machebeuf jumped out to a 24-14 lead of their own on the strength of Antonio Murdock and Jack Heher’s accurate three-point shooting. After a time out, the Eagles tightened their perimeter defense by more effectively closing out shooters and stymied dribble penetration to hold the Buffaloes scoreless, while creating a 15-0 run, and ultimately a 29-25 halftime advantage. Nathan Rindells opened the run when he hit a clutch three-point field goal. Before the quarter was finished, Rindells Marshall, and McCartney had all chipped in points triggered by effective transition and dribble penetration.
Both teams were content to slow the tempo down in the third quarter and ratchet up the defense, while limiting each other to a meager six points in the quarter. At the conclusion of the quarter, Alex Buchman attacked the basket hard off of the dribble going to his right, just as he had at the conclusion of the first quarter. Both times Buchman was fouled and hit two vital free throws. After Faith had built the lead to nine points in the 4th quarter, Machebeuf created a steal for a lay-up and hit a three to trimming its deficit to four. Nathan Rindells, then sunk two free throws to seal another hard fought road victory for the Eagles. Rindells with 17 points, Marshall with 13, and McCartney with 12 points led the Eagle offensive output. Machebuef was led by Jack Heher with 13, Antonio Murdock and Chase Griffin with 12 each. This win pushes Faith’s record to 12-1 on the season and 3-0 in Metro League play. With the loss, Machebeuf falls to 10-3 overall and 1-2 in league. The Eagles return to action at home on Saturday, January 29th again league foe Englewood.
Eagle Pressure Wilts Jags
In a see saw game in which both teams established double digit leads, Faith Christian’s speed and pressure enabled them to overcome a gritty Jefferson Academy effort 62 – 53. The Jaguars jumped out to a 16-6 first quarter advantage, led by Senior Julian Schmidt, who dialed in two long distance threes in posting 9 early points. However, Faith Christian exploded for 22 second quarter points as their pressure defense led to multiple transition baskets, which gave them a 28-25 half-time advantage. Derek McCartney and Nathan Rindells connected throughout the quarter to lead the Eagles’ comeback. Both teams scored 10 points in an even third quarter, bringing the score to 38-35 entering the final quarter. Once again, the Eagles turned up their defensive intensity early in the 4th quarter posting 7 consecutive stops that led to 7 consecutive JA turnovers and a ten point lead, which the Jags could not overcome. Derek McCartney dominated the paint, leading the Eagle attack with 21 points,11 rebounds, and 3 blocks, while Nathan Rindells posted 14 points and 6 assists. Jordan Colson, who battled foul trouble throughout the contest, added 8 points along with Evan Marshall’s 8 points that included 6 key free throws. Adam Finnefrock gave the Eagles a huge lift coming off of the bench as he defended the perimeter effectively and contributed 7 points on 5 free throws that came after his effective penetration.
Julian Schmidt led all scorers in the game with 23 points, while Simeon Ukumi was the only other Jag in Double figures with 12 points that included 2 three point baskets in the second half. This win moves the Eagles to 11-1 on the season, 2-0 in League play and keeps them atop the 3A rankings in the number 1 position. Faith will continue league play this week traveling to Bishop Machebeuf on Thursday and Engelwood on Saturday.
Faith Christian Overpowers Colorado Academy in League Opener
Led by stingy defense and a well balanced offensive scoring attack, Faith Christian dominated Colorado Academy 70 – 33 in their Metro League opening game at CA on Thursday, January 20th. The Eagles exploded to a 40 – 10 halftime lead as they pressured the Mustangs into multiple turnovers and converted transition lay-ups. From that point on the Eagles coasted to the final 37 point victory as everyone played multiple minutes.
Nathan Rindells led the Eagles with 16 points, 8 assists and 5 steals, while Derek McCartney chipped in 11 points and 9 boards. Jordan Colson notched 12 points and 4 assists on an efficient 4 of 6 shooting night that included two three point baskets. Nate Chapman, Adam Finnefrock and Evan Marshall each tallied 8 points, while Mitchell McCain added 6. Faith Christian continues league play on Saturday, January 22nd in a home match-up with Jefferson Academy.
Faith Christian Overwhelms Ridgeview
Faith Christian opened the game running the floor and scoring frequently in transition en route to a dominant 77 – 41 victory over the Ridgeview Rams in only their second home game of the season. The Eagles employed stingy defense for three quarters as they held the Rams to 3 consecutive single-digit quarters as they built a 55-24 lead, and removed any doubt of the final outcome by the conclusion of the third quarter. Derek McCartney and Jordan Colson led a balanced Eagle scoring attack with 17 points each. McCartney added a season high 18 rebounds to post his 5th double-double of the season. Nathan Rindells notched 12 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, while Adam Finnefrock and Evan Marshall also chipped in 8 points respectively. With the win the Eagles improved their record to 9-1, while the loss dropped Ridgeview to 2-7. Faith Christian will open league play on Thursday, January 20th, on the road against Colorado Academy and will host league rival Jefferson Academy on Saturday, January 22nd.
Eagles Harness Broncos After Christmas vacation, the first game back, especially on the road, can be an adventure filled with rust and mistakes; however, the Faith Christian Boys’ Basketball team picked up right where they left off in December posting a decisive 62-34 victory over (3A) Patriot League rival, the Platte Valley Broncos. From the outset, the Eagles applied exhaustive full court pressure against the Broncos that led to 23 Platte Valley turnovers, which produced 20 Faith Christian transition points. Faith built a 17-9 first quarter lead and never looked back, increasing the margin to 35-19 at the half and 46-23 at the end of three quarters. The Eagles held the Broncos to 3 out of 4 single digit quarters and a chilly 9/32 (28%) field goal shooting for the game, while they themselves blistered the nets with 27/48 (56%) shooting from the field.
Evan Marshall led the Eagle scoring attack posting 14 points, hitting a perfect 7/7 field goals. Marshall scored in transition, while finding the soft spots in Platte Valley’s baseline defense. Jordan Colson chipped in 12 with an efficient 4/6 shooting game combined with 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Nathan Rindells directed the offense adding 11 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals. Derek McCartney posted 8 points and 5 rebounds, while Alex Buchman started the game, contributing 6 points and 3 assists Overall, the Eagles’ smothering team defense and selfless sharing of the basketball highlighted a solid team win. This victory propels the Faith to an 8-1 mark on the season with 1 nonleague opponent remaining in their next match-up at home on Thursday, January 13th against Ridgeview Academy. With the loss, Platte Valley’s record drops to 2-5 on the season.
Offensive Explosion Powers Faith Over D’Evelyn
Playing in their home gym for the first time in the 2010-2011 season, the Eagles (7-1) opened the game firing on all cylinders as they defeated a (4A) Jeffco opponent the D’Evelyn Jaguars (4-5) 73-59. Faith’s Derek McCartney (16 points, 12 Rebounds) opened the scoring with a left hand power finish at the glass after a beautiful assist from Jordan Colson. That initial possession set the tone for the evening as Colson (10 points, 8 assists) and Nathan Rindells (20 points, 9 assists) spent the majority of the evening creating multiple inside scoring opportunities for McCartney and Evan Marshall (7/7 field goals; 16 points). On the strength of torrid shooting that included 4 three points baskets, the Jaguars matched the potent Eagle offense, trailing 19-17 at the end of the quarter. In the second quarter Faith was forced to slow the pace by switching to a math-up zone defense after McCartney picked up his third foul with four minutes to play in the quarter. The match-up was actually quite effective, as Faith pressured D’Evelyn shooters more effectively, holding the Jags to a 7 point quarter and expanded their lead to 33-26 at the half.
Nathan Rindells asserted himself offensively, literally taking the game over in the third period with explosive drives to the rim. Rindells tallied 8 points in the period and created 3 additional assists as the Eagles expanded their lead to 53-41 entering the fourth quarter. D’Evelyn’s leading scorers Matt Menard (21 points) and Luke Stratman (15 points) hit a couple of early three point baskets in the fourth quarter, cutting the Eagle lead to 7. However, from that point on, the Eagles never looked back as they effectively handled Jaguar full court pressure, creating multiple inside finishes for Marshall and McCartney, while converting (19/26 73%) free throws to seal the win. As a team, Faith shot (26/45 58%) from the field, marking their most complete effort of the season thus far. Faith will resume play on Saturday, January 8th when they travel to Kersey for a nonleague match-up against 3A Patriot League opponent Platte Valley (2-3).
Eagles Subdue Pesky Reds
Whenever Faith and Eaton compete in boys’ basketball, you can discard all records and previous performances by either team, as the contest will always yield a physical, hard fought battle. Saturday, December 18th was no exception as the 6-1 Eagles struggled to subdue a pesky 2-4 Red’s team 49-41. Supported by solid defense and accurate free throw shooting ( 24/33, 73%), the Eagles overcame a cold shooting night from the floor, in which they converted a meager (11/29, 38%) field goals. Faith opened a 10-7 first quarter lead and built it to 25 – 19 at the half. The Eagles played smothering defense holding the Reds to 9 third quarter points and managed to hit several key shots with inside finishes by Nathan Rindells and Derek McCartney in the third quarter en route to a 39-28 advantage. However, the Reds stormed back in the fourth with a couple of key baskets from Tyler Smith (8 points) and Lincoln Korell (8 points) following critical Eagles turnovers, and cut the lead to 3 points with 2 minutes to play. Once again, clutch free throw shooting from McCartney, Colson and Rindells in the final minutes sealed the win for the Eagles who improved to 6-1 on the season. Derek McCartney led the Eagle scoring attack with 15 points and 9 rebounds, while Evan Marshall added 10 points and 6 rebounds. Jordan Colson, Nate Chapman and Nathan Rindells each chipped in 9,8, and 7 points respectively to round out the Faith offensive attack.
EAGLES DOMINATE GLENWOOD TOURNAMENT
Three basketball games in 20 hours can test the strongest metal of any team, and each year the Glenwood Springs tournament does exactly that. Faith’s boys basketball team was more than equipped for the task, dominating the Glenwood Springs Demons 64-42 on Friday night, the Eagle Valley Devils 48-38 on Saturday morning, and the Roaring Fork Rams 53-36 on Saturday afternoon. Faith combined smothering defense with a balanced offensive attack to dismantle the 3-2 Glenwood Springs Demons. Jordan Colson matched up with Glenwood’s leading scorer Kevin Flohr with both players shredding the nets for 23 points in team leading efforts. Colson posted 4 two-point field goals, a three and 12/13 from the foul line, while contesting the hot shooting Flohr, who notched five three-point field goals of his own on the night. The Eagles started strong, building a 21-7 first quarter lead. Glenwood, on the strength of Flohr’s three point shooting, closed the gap to 45-37 after three quarters, but the Eagles broke the game open with a 19-5 fourth quarter finish to secure the 64-42 commanding win.
Nathan Rindells and Evan Marshall contributed 14 and 10 points respectively in support of Colson’s game high effort. Marshall and Derek McCartney controlled the boards in the fourth quarter, limiting the Demons to one-shot possessions. The Eagles demonstrated tremendous resolve and perseverance throughout the day on Saturday to withstand fatigued limbs and cold shooting. They opened the morning game with a tenacious defensive effort to build a 12-2 first quarter lead over Eagle Valley, and maintained a 26-17 half-time advantage. However, the Devils 2-3 zone limited inside touches and the Eagles struggled to hit open outside shots allowing Eagle Valley to close the gap to 37-34 at the end of three. Once again in the fourth quarter, the Eagles locked down the Devils defensively, giving up a stingy 4 points, while converting several key inside touches and free throws to seal the win 48-38. Nathan Rindells (13 points), Derek McCartney (13 points), and Nate Chapman (12 points) led the Eagle offensive attack. Rindells’ key free throws in the fourth quarter, coupled with McCartney’s inside finishes and Chapman’s three 3-point field goals were critical to the Eagle’s victorious effort. Jesse Gish led Eagle Valley in scoring with 9 points in the game.
Roaring Fork matched up with Faith Christian in the Saturday afternoon game. The Rams brought a patient offensive style into the contest and supported it with a smothering 3-2 zone that was designed to limit Eagle basket attacks and inside touches to their post players. Throughout the first half the Rams’ strategy worked to perfection as they limited the Eagles to a mere 20 points and trailed 20-15 at the half. However, the Eagles were equally patient and effectively moved the ball in the second half to secure high percentage shots. After the Roaring Fork had cut the margin to 27-23 late in the third quarter, Alex Buchmann came off the bench to hit a clutch three point basket that opened the lead to 7 points. Buchmann’s basket along with his energetic defensive effort helped give the Eagles the spark they needed to extend the lead. In the fourth quarter Nathan Rindells, Jordan Colson, and Adam Finnefrock successfully split Ram defenders as they sliced to the basket for finishes and assists that led to a 53-36 hard fought victory. With the win Faith improved its record to 5-1, while Roaring Fork fell to 2-3. Nathan Rindells notched 12 points including 2 three-point baskets, while Derek McCartney also contributed 12 points including 6 free throws. Jordan Colson added 9 points in the winning effort. Faith will travel to Eaton next Saturday, December 18th for another non-league match up against their long time rivals, the Eaton Reds.
Sabercats Edge Eagles in OT After a thrilling regulation finish, which saw the Faith Christian Eagles come up just short of stealing a road win in Fort Collins against (5A) Fossil Ridge, the Sabercats roared back to snag a 67-57 overtime win against the Eagles. Faith Christian clung to a 35-31 half-time advantage after leading by as many as 9 in the second quarter. However, Fossil Ridge dominated the third quarter with torrid three point shooting from Chris Hansen (30 points in the game) and Cody McCoy (24 points) as they forged a 53-46 lead heading into the final period. As the raucous Fossil Ridge student section shrieked in anticipation of the ultimate Sabercat kill, Faith Christian’s boys demonstrated remarkable poise and resolve in the hostile environment holding Fossil Ridge to one lone point in the fourth quarter. The Eagles locked down both Hansen and McCoy in the 4th quarter possession after possession. In the process Faith chipped away at that the lead and eventually tied the score at 54 – 54 with 1:20 to play. Dereck McCartney pulled a key rebound on the next possession and the Eagles called time out with 1:08 left in regulation.
Amazingly, Faith held the ball for nearly a full minute and called time out with 13 seconds left to set up the final play of the game. Nathan Rindells received the inbounds pass, beat his defender off of the dribble into the lane and as the defense rotated to him, dropped the pass inside to Evan Marshall, whose shot just rimmed out with 1.8 seconds remaining. Fossil Ridge threw the inbounds pass away and with .3 seconds remaining and the Eagles took one final tip attempt on the inbounds that fell just long. In the overtime, Fossil Ridge hit a three and made a couple of key steals that led to lay-ups, which ultimately represented the dagger to the Eagles’ final quest for a comeback. “I am really proud of the effort from our boys tonight! We showed so much heart in coming back and giving ourselves a great opportunity for this win,” Faith Christian Coach Andrew Hasz stated. An uncharacteristically poor free throw shooting night 8/20, along with early foul problems for several starters, hindered the Eagles quest for victory. Nathan Rindells with18 points led faith Christian, while Derek McCartney added 11 points with 9 rebounds. Nate Chapman posted his best outing of the season with 10 points, while Jordan Colson had 10 and Evan Marshall netted 8 points to round out the scoring. With the win the Sabercats remained perfect at 3-0, while Faith dropped to 2-1. The Eagles will travel to Glenwood this weekend for the annual Glenwood Springs tournament, and will face (4A) Glenwood Springs on Friday night, (4A) Eagle Valley and (3A) Roaring Fork on Saturday.
Faith Rolls over Thompson Valley Playing their second consecutive 4A nonconference opponent, Faith Christian’s boys basketball team weathered another cold first half shooting performance before cruising to a 65-42 win against the Thompson Valley Eagles. Throughout the first half, Faith failed to capitalize on multiple offensive opportunities inside of paint, and clung to a modest 34-26 halftime advantage. Thompson Valley employed scrappy offensive rebounding and a couple of well timed three point baskets to keep the game close. Early in the third quarter the Eagles increased their defensive pressure to create turnovers that led to several transition baskets. Faith exploited the Thompson Valley zone with explosive basket attacks that combined with consistent free throw shooting to allow the Eagles to stretch the lead to 15 points entering the 4th quarter. Solid bench playt enabled them to finish strong and never look back. Nathan Rindells led all scorers in the game with his double double, tallying 17 points, 11 rebounds, 8 steals, and 7 assists. Jordan Colson posted another solid effort offensively with 15 points that included successful inside basket attacks, along with several midrange dribble pull-ups. Evan Marshall, and Dereck McCartney added 10 points each pounding the inside glass, while Adam Finnefrock chipped in 9 points off of the bench. Overall, the Eagles combined a balanced offensive attack with solid defense to complete the win. Faith will travel to Ft. Collins on Wednesday, December 8, to take on a talented Fossil Ridge (5A) team who is also undefeated, having decisively defeated both Thompson Valley and Mountain View just as the Eagles have done. EAGLES BAG MOUNTAIN LIONS
While conditions were mild outside of the Mountain View (4A) gym in Loveland on opening night, inside the Faith Christian boys’ basketball team encountered a frigid first half, shooting a meager 6/25 en route to a 14-10 halftime lead. While the Eagles eventually increased their offensive production in the 51-28 opening night win, many in the stands felt that they were still watching a football contest based upon the low scoring first half output from both teams. Good news for the Eagles resulted from inspiring defensive pressure that held Mountain View to a mere 4/25 field goals during the first half and only 11/53 for the game. Nathan Rindells led a balanced Eagle attack with 16 game high points, while Jordan Colson and Derek McCartney chipped in 10 and 9 points respectively. McCartney also contributed 5 blocks and 10 rebounds in a solid opening night effort. Faith Christian found excellent early game looks, but had difficulty finishing around the basket. Turnovers also contributed to their low scoring woes. After a halftime offensive adjustment that allowed the Eagles to spread the flow more effectively, driving lanes opened for Rindells, Colson, and Evan Marshall who began finishing with greater consistency at the basket. The boys will continue their preseason schedule next week on the road against two more Northern League opponents Thompson Valley (4A) and Fossil Ridge (5A).
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During the third quarter Nate Chapman sparked an Eagle run with his hustling efforts to create and secure loose balls on the floor. Several steals led to transition fast breaks and ultimately the Eagles’ lead grew to 54-31 early in the 4th quarter. Nathan Rindells 22 points and Derek McCartney 10 points led the offensive effort. Rindells also neutralized Jared Winn the Bulldog’s leading scorer in the game. Winn notched 12 first half points, but was held to only 2 in the second for a total of 14 in the game.
