Boulder – Colorado’s best high school sports rivalry since 1990, when the number of classifications increased statewide, added a new twist Saturday night at the Coors Events Center.
Mullen and Cherry Creek, which have had dozens of storied meetings across the board in the 21 state-sanctioned sports, including in the postseason, took it up another notch and settled the big-school boys basketball title.
Riding a terrific first-half performance by junior Devin Aguilar and the ever- present inside contributions of four-year starter and Providence-bound Ray Hall, Mullen handled Cherry Creek 54-40 to win the Class 5A boys championship.
In capping a brilliant season that included the Centennial League crown, Mullen finished 26-2. A loss at home against league rival Smoky Hill was the Mustangs’ only in-state stumble. Cherry Creek ended 21-7 with four of the losses coming against the Mustangs.
“It’s a long road, a long process,” Mustangs coach Porter Cutrell said in winning his first title since 2001. “It’s just nice to be able to get there.”
For the most part, it was tight, tough and hard-fought – this is, after all, Mullen-Cherry Creek – but the slower pace between players who face each other in multiple sports, including in title games and over the course of several years, was what both wanted.
However, the Mustangs, whose girls won the 4A title the previous night, also enjoy getting out and running, and the athletic Aguilar almost always is at the front.
In fact, Aguilar had a first half in which he could have been compared to the late, great Johnny Cash – he was everywhere, man. Aguilar darted for layups, hit outside shots, got to the free-throw line, brought the ball up against pressure, cut off lanes down low, and defended the perimeter.
“He took over the game,” Cherry Creek coach Mike Brookhart said. “He’s quick and he’s good.”
Aguilar scored 14 of his team-high 18 points in the first half, including the final six of the half as the Mustangs led 24-15 and established control. It also occurred while the 6-foot-10 Hall had no shots in the first quarter and only four points in the half.
It changed in the third quarter as Hall scored eight points and started to pile up rebounds and blocked shots. The Mustangs led 40-25 after three quarters, then coasted through ball protection and getting to the free-throw line.
For Hall, it was a fitting culmination.
“It took me four years to get this and it was too long,” he said as he held the championship trophy. “But we finally got it.
“We patiently waited for our shots, ran when we could and I think we have the best players, hands down.”
Aguilar, so hungry for a title, said the Mustangs wanted to run when they could, “and I was trying to do everything I could, pushing the tempo when I could … this just feels great.”
As usual, Robby Hanzlik, Alex Shaw and Jon Ward contributed other valued minutes and plays, as did Stefan Stathopolus. Behind Aguilar, Hall scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked two shots.
For Cherry Creek, its fourth loss to Mullen was difficult to take, particularly after spirited, come-from-behind victories against previously undefeated Aurora Central and a white-hot Grandview.
But, Brookhart said, “we got everything out of the kids we could. I was very proud of the way the kids played; we just didn’t get the bounces tonight.”
For the game, the Bruins were 14-of-52 from the floor, only 9-of-17 from the free-throw line. Grant Parker scored 15 and Taylor Rhode added 10.
The fourth meeting in a season between the teams was an oddity in big-school ball that has changed its postseason format multiple times over the years. Cherry Creek was involved in another – in 1982-83, when Aurora Central won the Colorado championship, it defeated the Bruins four times, twice in the regular season, once in districts and the last in the 16-team state tournament.
But, as Cutrell said, “we didn’t have to beat them four times. Tonight, we just had to beat them once. And our guys earned it.”
5A boys
All tourney
Devin Aguilar, Mullen, Jr.
Will Figures, Smoky Hill, Sr.
Jake Nielson, Grandview, Sr.
Taylor Rhode, Cherry Creek, Sr.
MVP
Ray Hall, Mullen, Sr.
Cherry Creek 7 8 10 15 – 40
Mullen 10 14 16 14 – 54
Cherry Creek – Sokoloski 0 0-0 0, Fishel 1 0-0 3, Rhode 3 2-3 10, Parker 5 5-12 15, Montgomery 2 2-2 6, Heimbrock 1 0-0 2, Pingree 1 0-0 2, Link 1 0-0 2, Wilde 0 0-0 0, Hoover 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 9-17 40.
Mullen – Hall 6 2-2 14, Aguilar 4 9-10 18, Ward 2 2-4 6, Shaw 0 3-4 3, Hanzlik 4 1-2 9, Allen 0 0-0 0, Stathopulos 1 0-0 2, Russell 0 0-2 0, Threat 0 2-2 2, Gruber 0 0-0 0, Elges 0 0-0 0, Brugman 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 19-26 54.
3-pt. goals – Rhode 2, Fishel; Aguilar. Total fouls – Cherry Creek 22, Mullen 14. Fouled out – Rhode. Technicals – None.
Neil H. Devlin can be reached at 303-820-1714 or at ndevlin@denverpost.com.
