GREELEY — If you ask the Caliche Buffaloes, winning the state championship has been three years in the making. As the team’s players and fans chanted in the waning minutes of Saturday’s 69-45 rout of Crested Butte, this was “our time.” Yes, it was.
Two years ago, the Buffs lost in the Class 1A semifinals to Hi-Plains. Last year, a one-loss Caliche team dropped a heartbreaker, again to Hi-Plains, in the state title game.
This time, behind Derek Weingardt and Cody Zink, top-seeded Caliche blew open a close game with a 12-2 run in the second quarter en route to the title at the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. Caliche has its first state title since winning back-to-back championships in Class 2A in 1999 and 2000.
“We finally got one,” said Caliche coach Randy Kirkwood. “Third two years ago, runner-up last year. It was finally our time.”
Weingardt and Craig Debus provided the scoring punch in the first two rounds for Caliche (27-0), but Saturday it was Zink who delivered. The 6-foot-3 senior scored 12 points in the first half, leading to a 36-24 halftime cushion. He finished with 16 points.
“All season long it hasn’t been one person scoring at all times,” Zink said. “I tried to find as many of these guys as I can. I just had a hot hand.”
Said Kirkwood: “That’s been our offense this year. We haven’t had one or two guys. It’s been a number of guys every single game step up and run it for us.”
Caliche led 19-18 with six minutes left in the second quarter when Debus hit a free throw to start the 12-2 run. The lead grew to 23 points in the third quarter and 26 in the fourth.
Third-seeded Crested Butte, like Caliche, was among three undefeated boys teams entering Saturday.
“All year we harped on defense, defense, defense. This game was no different,” Weingardt said. “It was really close the first quarter, but the second quarter we really put it on.”
Crested Butte (26-1) led twice early in the first quarter, but after the Buffs’ run near the end of the quarter, the Titans never led again. Crested Butte was led by Robbie Holleran’s 19.
“We knew Caliche would be very tough,” said Crested Butte coach Robin Loyed. “Defensively, they run a lot of pressure. Early on, I thought we handled it pretty well, but they took us out of our offense.”
Crested Butte 14 10 7 14 — 45
Caliche 17 19 18 15 — 69
Crested Butte — Chris Sharpe 2 0-0 6, Luis Aguirre 0 0-0 0, Emmett McFarland 0 0-0 0, Sky Egelhoff 0 0-0 0, Henry Linehan 0 0-1 0, Robbie Holleran 7 4-5 19, Jake Gregg 1 0-0 2, John Wright 5 6-6 16, Anton Peck 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 10-12 45.
Caliche — Aaron Stieb 0 3-4 3, Corey Stumpf 0 3-4 3, Robby Hendriz 0 4-4 4, Craig Debus 6 4-5 16, Allen Chartier 5 0-0 12, Cody Zink 7 0-1 16, Derek Weingardt 4 0-0 8, Cody Paxton 0 0-0 0, Dalton Shuppe 0 0-0 0, Daniel Huss 2 1-2 5, Tyson Weingardt 0 1-2 1, Justin Jones 0 1-2 1. Totals 24 17-24 69.
3-pointers — Crested Butte 3 (Sharpe 2, Holleran); Caliche 4 (Chartier 2, Zink 2). Total fouls — Crested Butte 24, Caliche 15. Fouled out — Crested Butte: Gregg, Wright, Peck. Technical fouls —None.
1A boys all-tournament team
John Wright, Crested Butte, Sr.
Derek Weingardt, Caliche, Sr.
Cody Zink, Caliche, Sr.
Craig Debus, Caliche, Sr.
Bryant Elrick, Flagler, Sr.
MVP: Cody Zink, Caliche, Sr.
