GOLDEN — Max McCaffrey didn’t realize it. He was too busy running around, causing havoc and making plays.
But the junior owned the decisive stretch Wednesday night as Valor Christian outlasted host Golden 75-68 to give the Eagles a piece of the Class 4A Jefferson County League lead.
A couple of possessions into the fourth quarter, McCaffrey, son of former Broncos wide receiver Ed, went off — he grabbed three rebounds and made two steals, 6-of-7 free throws, a 3-pointer and a short basket from the side in scoring 11 consecutive points.
“Really?” the swing player asked. “Sweet.”
It was, as Valor Christian, ranked No. 9 in The Denver Post/9News Class 4A poll, moved to 13-3 overall, 5-1 in league. In front of a loud crowd at Robert G. Hayes Gymnasium that was spiced with 1970s hits, including the classic “Car Wash,” McCaffrey outscored the Demons (10-5, 5-1) 11-6 as the Eagles went from a 61-55 lead to a bulge of 72-61 into the final minutes.
“I’m a hustler,” McCaffrey said. “That’s my job.”
Said Eagles coach Steve Rotello: “He goes hard. I love my younger kids to watch him in practice. He even warms up hard.”
McCaffrey and talented freshman Chase Foster led the way with 19 points. Austin Sparks (15) and Niko Read (14) added balance.
Until late, it was back and forth. Golden started slowly but got into good ball movement and created open shots from the perimeter.
However, the Valor Christian press and inside play erased a 41-34 halftime deficit, and Demons coach John Anderson couldn’t stop his guys from turning tentative. After halftime, Valor Christian went on a 21-12 run.
“They came out and were very energized, killed us on the offensive boards,” Anderson said. “Defensively, they were flying around.”
A series of missed layups also haunted Golden, which was led by Robert Holland (17 points), Trevor Evanson (13) and Keaton Dillè (13).
Valor Christian 19 15 20 21 — 75
Golden 15 26 12 15 — 68
Valor Christian — Brown 0 0-0 0, Gildon 1 0-1 2, M. McCaffrey 5 8-10 19, Read 5 2-3 14, Westlake 0 2-2 2, Foster 7 3-4 19, Wilson 0 0-0 0, Hausbeck 0 0-0 0, C. McCaffrey 1 2-3 4, Sparks 5 5-5 15. Totals 24 22-28 75.
Golden — Johnson 2 0-0 5, Evanson 5 2-2 13, Holland 6 5-8 17, Dillè 4 3-4 13, Chacho 2 0-0 4, O’Brien 1 0-0 3, Olson 0 0-0 0, Rickard 2 3-4 8, Castanon 2 0-0 5. Totals 24 13-18 68.
3-pt. goals: Valor Christian — Read 2, Foster 2, M. McCaffrey. Golden — Dille 2, Johnson, O’Brien, Rickard, Castanon, Evanson.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
