LITTLETON — Colorado won’t have Rudy Carey hanging around and chasing Dick Katte.
East’s Carey, who began coaching in the 1977-78 season, notched his 600th career boys basketball victory Thursday night in a semifinal of the Heritage-ThunderRidge Tip- Off Classic, 79-63 over Heritage.
Carey stands 600-138 and second in Colorado annals to the legendary Katte, the Denver Christian coach who owns an 803-206 mark.
“No, no, I won’t be around that long,” Carey said while accepting congratulations from a modest crowd on a frigid early-season night at the Eagles’ gymnasium. “It just means I’ve had great kids, great coaches and great support from the community.”
The Angels, two-time defending state champions and top-ranked in The Denver Post/9News Class 5A poll, improved to 2-0, leaving little doubt about the outcome from the opening tipoff.
In vintage Carey style, East was quicker, faster, stronger and bigger than the undermanned Eagles (1-2). The Angels’ press, overall defense and rebounding were superior in forcing multiple transition and half-court opportunities, the kind that have paved the way for Carey, an animated and well-known figure who has won eight Colorado championships.
“He’s a character,” East senior post DaVaughn Thornton said after leading the way with 23 points and 15 rebounds. “He’s a real good coach, everybody knows him. . . . I was glad to be a part of it.”
Angels senior guard Troy Wiese, one of the hundreds of players Carey has tutored, cherishes his time with Carey.
“It’s special,” said Wiese, who scored 17 of his 20 points in the third quarter. “He’s the best coach ever, and I love him.”
Guard Quentin Hildreth said he and his teammates don’t mind when Carey goes on one of his trademark tantrums when things don’t go the Angels’ way: “Not at all. . . . I’m pretty proud of him, a fun guy to play for.”
East 21 18 25 15 — 79
Heritage 11 7 26 19 — 63
East — Hildreth 5 3-7 14, Hampton 0 3-4 3, Watts 2 0-0 5, Wiese 7 2-3 20, Thornton 10 3-4 23, Hilaire 1 0-0 2, Wolfel 0 0-0 0, Eighmy 0 0-2 0, Hardy 1 0-0 2, Merriex 3 2-4 10, Donahue 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 13-24 79.
Heritage — Griebel 2 1-2 6, Young 2 0-1 4, Parker 1 2-4 4, Opitz 3 3-7 11, Klemm 7 5-9 23, Zimmerman 1 0-0 2, Valdez 0 0-0 0, Patton 1 5-6 8, Adamson 0 0-0 0, Mul- hern 1 0-1 3, Sanders 0 0-0 0, Claflin 1 0-0 2. Totals 19 16-30 63.
3-pt. goals — Wiese 4, Merriex 2, Hildreth, Watts; Klemm 4, Optiz 2, Griebel, Mulhern, Patton. Total fouls — East 22, Heritage 21. Fouled out — Wiese.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
