FORT COLLINS — Holy Family played all season with the proverbial target on its back and with the pressure that comes with being the state champion.
It’s a mark that no other Class 3A girls team has been able to handle. The Tigers and coach Ron Rossi successfully defended their title Saturday night, holding off a late run from Estes Park to win 48-43 at Moby Arena.
“The second scoop is even better,” said Rossi, who won his first coaching title last year after 32 years in the business. “I’m just so proud of the kids. They just showed the heart of a champion.”
The Tigers’ run to glory seemed all but a sure thing for three quarters. Holy Family (26-1) carried a 35-24 lead into the final eight minutes, and Estes Park never showed signs it could make a run.
But the light came on for the Bobcats when the lead grew to 42-29 just three minutes into the final stanza. Kyra Stark’s 3-pointer with 4:26 to play cut the lead to 42-34.
“They really started to make a run there, and it was nerve-wracking,” Holy Family senior Dori Gills said. “But we held our own.”
The lead shrunk to 44-41 in the final seconds, and after Gills missed two free throws, the Bobcats had the ball with a chance to tie.
Stark made a move to the baseline, lost her footing and charged into Holy Family’s Sarah Talamantes and was called for the offensive foul. Talamantes hit the two free throws to stretch the lead to 46-41.
“I thought we played hard, but they are just a tough team to come back against,” said Estes Park coach Dave Kiser, whose team’s free-throw shooting (11-for-22) again proved to be its demise. “It was like middle-school basketball out there for a while, and that’s so frustrating, because we worked so hard to get here.”
Julia Lawrence’s runner down the lane cut the lead to 46-43 with 4.7 seconds to play, but Holy Family made good with its trips to the line. Freshman Stephanie Giltner iced the game with the last two points from the line.
“When you’re No. 1, it brings a lot of adversity and everybody brings their ‘A’ game to you,” Rossi said. “It’s even harder to say when you’re No. 1 that you need to keep improving, and that’s what they did.”
Holy Family junior Alex Wilson led the Tigers with 13 points and sophomore Taylor Helbig along with Giltner each had 10.
Estes Park (20-7), with only one senior on the roster, was led by sophomore Kimmy Hansen’s 17 points.
Estes Park 5 6 13 19 — 43
Holy Family 7 17 11 13 — 48
Estes Park — Hansen 5 7-10 17, A. Stark 1 0-0 3, Morris 1 0-1 3, Fonken 1 0-0 2, K. Stark 3 2-6 10, Carner 0 2-4 2, Slininger 0 0-0 0, VanderWerf 0 0-0 0, Lawrence 1 0-1 2, Kingswood 2 0-0 4. Totals 14 11-22 43.
Holy Family — Helbig 4 0-0 10, Wilson 5 1-2 13, Talamantes 2 2-3 6, Gills 2 1-3 5, Williamson 0 1-2 1, Coogan 0 0-0 0, Giltner 2 6-6 10, Gutierrez 1 0-0 3, Lancaster 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 11-16 48.
3-pt. goals — K. Stark 2, A. Stark, Morris; Helbig 2, Wilson 2, Gutierrez. Total fouls — Estes Park 16; Holy Family 21. Fouled out — None. Technicals — None.
3A girls all-tournament team
Dori Gills, Holy Fam., Sr.
Kim Hansen, Estes Pk., So.
Taylor Helbig, H.F., So.
Christina Whitelaw, St. Mary’s, Jr.
Lauren Woods, Eaton, Sr.
MVP: Dori Gills
