Lewis-Palmer unseated the defending state champion and evened the score after two straight years of facing off against Longmont on Class 4A’s biggest stage, capping a perfect season with a 57-52 victory in the state championship game.
Beck Page hit a tightly contested 3-pointer to pull Longmont within two with 17 seconds left but it was the Trojans’ last basket. Lewis-Palmer sealed its victory at the free-throw line with senior guard Matthew Ragsdale doing the honors. Ragsdale finished with a game-high 23 points and was 9-for-10 from the charity stripe.
“It’s fitting,” coach Bill Benton said of Ragsdale and the performances of his seniors. “Great senior leadership and they get a chance to go ice a game and finish it, that’s just fitting. Huge block from Joel (Scott) and you get Ragsdale to make it a two-possession game with 9 seconds left, that’s the way it should end for this group.”
Oakley Dehning laid out for a block on Lewis-Palmer’s Noah Baca but the Rangers converted a layup shortly after to keep their slim lead intact. Ragsdale’s two free throws at 1:07 pushed Lewis-Palmer’s lead to 53-46.
Ticking toward 3 minutes left in the title game, Page wiggled free beyond the arc and made a 3-pointer to bring Longmont within three points at 47-44 and stifle Lewis-Palmer’s ardent attempt to pull away.
Lewis-Palmer turned the tide when Scott intercepted a pass from Seamons at point-blank range at the top of the circle and raced for a two-handed slam to cut Lewis-Palmer’s deficit to 31-29. Two made free throws from the Rangers on their ensuing possession evened the count and a made 3-pointer launched the voices of Lewis-Palmer supporters to full throttle, especially the student section, which sarcastically chanted “block that kick!” anytime Longmont shot free throws, and mixed in a brief outburst of “we want tacos!” as if the Rockies were closing in on seven runs.
Lewis-Palmer worked the pick-and-roll to start the second half to get Tre McCullough and Scott flowing to the basket. Longmont’s defense closed time and again on action under the hoop. Two Lewis-Palmer turnovers and two Longmont conversions midway through the third quarter forced Benton to call timeout.
Longmont’s Calvin Seamons’ reckless abandon and soft touch around the rim fueled his defiance inside against Lewis-Palmer’s 6-foot-7 forwards, Scott and McCullough, during most of the first half. Seamons grinned while he defended Scott after converting a layup against him and a crashing McCullough to put Longmont ahead, 23-21. Lewis-Palmer knotted it at 23-all at halftime. Seamons led Longmont with 16 points, 11 of which came in the first half.
“As nine seniors on this team, it’s our last time playing together so we wanted to leave a good mark,” Ragsdale said, “and not leave any regrets on the floor.”
Added Benton: “So happy for them. To watch this group reward themselves with this. To walk out as seniors and finish this, I couldn’t be happier for them.”
LEWIS PALMER 57, LONGMONT 52
Longmont 7 16 12 17 — 52
Lewis-Palmer 13 10 13 21 — 57
Trojans (27-1) — Seamons 6-8 2-3 16, Page 3-12 6-6 15, Dye 3-5 1-2 7, Renck 2-7 2-4 6, Elkins 2-4 1-2 5, Dehning 1-6, 1-3 3.
Rangers (28-0) — Ragsdale 6-10 9-10 23, Scott 4-9 7-7 15, Forrester 2-2 3-4 7, McCullough 3-4 0-0 6, Baca 2-5 0-2 5, Roma 0-1 1-2 1.
