Different names. Different skin color. Same family.
The relationship between Kent Denver coach Todd Schayes and stellar guard Kyle Lewis is more than coach-pupil; it’s a friendship.
“He’s practically part of my family,” Schayes said. “Four months after we first met, he was at my wedding.”
Said Lewis: “I was the first person he called when his son (Gil) was born. It was as happy as I’d ever heard him.”
The strong relationship off the court has translated to success on it. The University of Denver-bound Lewis, one of the classification’s most dynamic players, averaged 18 points last season, and that was alongside fellow guard Robbie Pride, now at Dartmouth.
“He’s got quickness, he sees the floor exceptionally well and most important he makes the team around him better,” said Pioneers coach Terry Carroll, who spent most of the summer following Lewis and his Colorado AAU team around the country.
With Pride gone, the onus is on Lewis to make his Sun Devils teammates better. Kent Denver has been a state tournament team each of the past two seasons, only to see its dreams of a state title fall short at the first-round buzzer. It fell to Yuma in 2005 and to Pagosa Springs last season.
“I guess you could say we were a little snake-bit,” Schayes said.
The Sun Devils should be right back in the mix in the highly competitive Metropolitan League. Lewis, along with 6-foot-5 senior Will Deevy (also bound for Dartmouth, but for football), Gunner Wiebe and sophomore Holt Dunlap (son of former Metro State head coach and current Nuggets assistant Mike Dunlap) give Schayes and Co. reason to believe.
“I thought losing Robbie would in turn put a lot of pressure on me, because with Robbie it was relaxed,” Lewis said. “But these guys are working hard. It’s great to be back with so much potential and talent.”
Faith Christian, which starts the season at No. 1 in the 9News/Denver Post poll, returns Abram Ziemer, Graham Yantis and Tobi Wall. The Eagles also gain Nick Hill, a junior transfer from Brighton.
The two-time defending champions from Denver Christian and coach Dick Katte lost all five starters and their sixth man. But the Crusaders still have Katte, the state’s all-time wins leader at 775, who will have to employ a new philosophy.
“Last year we were a guard-dominated team,” Katte said. “Now, all of a sudden, we have four guys that are 6-foot-5. On our level that’s pretty good.”
Gone from the Metro League are Clear Creek, Platte Canyon and Sheridan. Those three comprise a third of the new Frontier League that will send three teams to the state tournament.
“It’s bittersweet for me,” Clear Creek coach David Schuessler said. “I grew up watching, playing and coaching in the Metro League. It’s a well-run league with a lot of tradition.”
Elsewhere across the state, the Intermountain League has belonged to Pagosa Springs. The senior-laden Pirates, with Jordan Shaffer, Kerry Joe Hilsabeck and Caleb Ormonde, figure to remain the class of the five-team league.
Out west, Roaring Fork is coming off back-to-back title-game appearances and coach Roger Walters always seems to get the most out of the Rams. Aspen, featuring player-of-the-year candidate Cory Parker, is a very scary team.
A wide-open Patriot League will send eight very good teams to the state tournament. Platte Valley, Valley, Weld Central, University, Eaton and always formidable Yuma should spend the majority of the regular season beating up on each other.
The same holds true in the Tri-Peaks. After Colorado Springs Christian (Taylor Broekhuis), the list of followers is long. Buena Vista, St. Mary’s, Manitou Springs and Rye (up from 2A) figure to be in the mix.
Jon E. Yunt can be reached at 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com.
