Most Montbello players who suited up Saturday morning for the city showdown against East for the Denver Prep League title were in diapers the last time the Warriors program had participated in a game of similar magnitude.
Youth as well as history were served in multiple ways at the crowded Thunderdome as Montbello outlasted East 82-79 in double overtime.
The two teams tied for the Class 5A portion of the DPL crown at 7-1 (the same record as 4A Abraham Lincoln). Montbello (20-3) became the city’s top seed into the 5A postseason bracket, earned a piece of its first DPL title since the 1990-91 season and gave the state seeding committee something to think about before it releases pairings today. East (19-3) has won or shared every city championship but two since 1992-93.
And Montbello coach David Carey, the son of East coach Rudy Carey, now has a 1-1 split in games against his father.
Said Montbello’s Anthony Porch: “We had to keep our composure; usually, we don’t.”
Porch, who had a team-high 23 points, should know.
“We talked to him about it before the game,” David Carey said. “We told him to let the game come to him. Today, we beat one of the top programs in the state over the years. (The Angels) have tradition.”
And the Warriors revisited some of their own. A power throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Montbello trailed for much of the game, but never folded.
In the extra sessions, the Angels came unglued in the final seconds in the first overtime on a key turnover at midcourt, then missed a layup on a 3-on-1 break in the second extra session. What proved to be the winning points came on two free throws by Quincy Hairston, who was 10-for-10, and the decision was sealed by two more by David Jordan.
Rudy Carey, whose team got into deep foul trouble, had no excuses.
“We had some opportunities to win the game, but Montbello is good enough that you can’t give them chances, and they finally capitalized on them. They played hard and probably deserved to win,” he said.
For the Warriors, Hairston had 16 points, Josh Littlejohn 12, and Jordan, Alphonzo McDonald and Nate Nelson 10 each. For East, Jordan Martinez-Doublin was terrific off the bench with 27 points, Mookie Gilbert had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Donell Wells had 15 points.
Montbello 13 16 18 20 5 10 – 82
East 13 22 21 11 5 7 – 79
Montbello – Jordan 2 6-6 10, Littlejohn 6 0-2 12, Hairston 3 10-10 16, Nelson 4 2-2 10, Porch 8 6-9 23, Baker 0 0-0 0, McDonald 4 1-2 10, Soaporu 0 0-0 0, Shead 0 1-2 1. Totals 27 26-33 82.
East – Verner 1 2-4 4, Swain 2 1-3 6, Wells 5 5-5 15, Da. Thornton 2 0-0 4, Gilbert 8 0-0 17, De. Thornton 2 2-4 6, Martinez-Doublin 10 6-7 27, Ross 0 0-0 0, Hildreth 0 0-0 0. Totals 30 16-23 79.
3-point goals – Porch, McDonald; Gilbert, Swain, Martinez-Doublin. Total fouls – Montbello 18, East 27. Fouled out – Verner, Swain, Da. Thornton. Technicals – McDonald.
