Encountered Kent Grams on Friday night, when I headed into Highlands Ranch for Rock Canyon at ThunderRidge, a rivalry game and biggie in the Continental league as well as across all of Class 5A.
Folks can forget that Grams was a player. As a senior at ThunderRidge in the 2001-02 season, the sweet shooter capped a terrific senior year both individually and for his team.
In one of the most-unlikely finishes in big-school tournament history, the Grizzlies knocked off Wheat Ridge 55-43 at the Pepsi Center on March 16 14 years ago to win the 5A championship.
It was something. Grizzlies coach Joe Ortiz called his team “Hoosiers.” ThunderRidge was seeded 11th in a field of 64. The Grizzlies snapped Wheat Ridge’s 22-game winning streak.
In addition, Grams, called the best perimeter shooter in the field, finished with 17 points and was named MVP by The Denver Post.
Grams was classy then and was classy again on Friday after his Jaguars beat the grizzlies 44-43.
“We need to get better,” he said.
