When is an eight-win season an improvement?
When, in the previous two seasons, your combined record was 2-38 and one of those wins was by forfeit.
At Sheridan, which last tasted a state championship of any kind in 1992, boys basketball coach Lou Vullo has injected some life into a team that desperately needs it.
“I love a challenge and am a very competitive person,” said Vullo, who is an assistant football coach at Thomas Jefferson. “So when the job opened up, I decided that I wanted to do my own thing, and I thought I could help turn things around.”
Vullo’s starting five is a senior-laden crew that includes TJ transfers Rocky Santistevan and Cade Akers. Otto Benevides has been a productive four-year starter at the point and 6-foot-5 Antonio Estrada joins the mix, moving in from Chihuahua, Mexico.
“It’s been a long road, and these kids have bought into everything that goes along with a winning team,” Vullo said. “I know this team is totally confident, and even as we played some of the bigger schools over the summer, they even complimented us.
“That’s nice to hear, when you’ve been crappy for so long.”
The Rams even tangled with and beat defending Class 3A champion Denver Christian over the summer and drew great praise from coaching legend Dick Katte.
“They’re for real,” said Katte, who enters the season with 748 coaching victories under his belt. “They have decent size, great quickness and are going to battle you every time out.”
Katte’s Crusaders made an improbable run to the state title last season and have most of the pieces back in place for a run at a repeat. Twins Tristan and Cameron Matthies are the cogs in the backcourt that make Denver Christian go. Add in some size in 6-7 Brent Schuster and a healthy 6-4 Joe Kurtz and the Crusaders may be the team to beat.
“I’ve been in that position with a lot better teams than I had last year,” Katte said. “You just have to have things go your way. I’m still smiling when I think about (last year’s) team.”
The chase for the Metropolitan League crown gets even tougher when you throw Kent Denver into the mix as well. Robby Pride and Kyle Lewis may be the best backcourt duo in the state and will be the focus of many an opposing coaches defensive strategy.
“A lot of people get confused with liking our team, with liking those two guys,” said Kent coach Todd Schayes, who returns 11 players from last year’s roster. “This is a veteran group of kids.”
Expect Faith Christian to also be in the mix in the competitive Metro League.
Yuma opened more than a few eyes with its run to the semifinals last season, including a buzzer-beater against Kent Denver. Coach Terry Lofink returns four starters, including Michael Lebsack and Cody Charles, to make a run at the 15-team Patriot League. Burlington (Cole Smith), Eaton (Brady Trujillo), Brush (Josh Gutierrez) and Estes Park all figure to right in the mix.
Buena Vista is big. The Demons, led by 6-foot-8 Nate Solder, are the team to beat in the Tri-Peaks, no questions asked. The same holds true in both the Intermountain, where Pagosa Springs (Craig Schutz) despite the loss of Caleb Forrest to Washington State, and the Western Slope’s Roaring Fork (Christian Tena) should again be making plans for Moby Arena in March.
Class 3A top players
| Player | School | Yr. | Ht. |
| Bo Baker | Cedaredge | So. | 6-1 |
| Matt Bennett | Holy Family | Sr. | 6-4 |
| Nick Branch | Bishop Machebeuf | Sr. | 6-4 |
| Chaz Burrell | Clear Creek | Jr. | 5-10 |
| Cody Charles | Yuma | Sr. | 6-1 |
| Brian Collins | Burlington | Sr. | 5-8 |
| Chase Gray | Lutheran | Sr. | 6-4 |
| Josh Gutierrez | Brush | Sr. | 5-8 |
| Jeff Hawthorne | Bennett | Sr. | 6-5 |
| Tommy Klausner | Weld Central | Jr. | 6-0 |
| Michael Lebsack | Yuma | Sr. | 6-4 |
| Kyle Lewis | Kent Denver | Jr. | 5-10 |
| Cameron Matthies | Denver Christian | Sr. | 6-1 |
| Tristan Matthies | Denver Christian | Sr. | 6-1 |
| Ben Pollock | Basalt | Sr. | 6-2 |
| Robby Pride | Kent Denver | Sr. | 6-0 |
| Rocky Santistevan | Sheridan | Sr. | 6-0 |
| Casey Schutz | Pagosa Springs | Sr. | 6-2 |
| Craig Schutz | Pagosa Springs | Sr. | 6-3 |
| Cole Smith | Burlington | Sr. | 6-5 |
| Nate Solder | Buena Vista | Sr. | 6-8 |
| Tyler Stratman | Cedaredge | Jr. | 6-3 |
| Brennan Streeter | Strasburg | Sr. | 5-11 |
| Bo Sutton | The Classical Acad. | Sr. | 6-1 |
| Christian Tena | Roaring Fork | Sr. | 6-0 |
| Brady Trujillo | Eaton | Sr. | 6-0 |
| Ty Tschacher | Platte Valley | Jr. | 6-1 |
| Jon Woolmington | Buena Vista | Sr. | 6-1 |
| Jeremy Young | Florence | Sr. | 5-11 |
