Kent Denver secured its second consecutive Class 4A boys basketball state title with a 95-81 victory over University on March 14, in one of the highest-scoring championship games in Colorado history.
The win highlights Kent Denver’s consistent and high-paced style of play, which carried them through a dominant season and culminated in their third all-time state title. The Sun Devils finished the season with a record of 25-3, winning their last 18 games.
Head coach Todd Schayes said, “Other than the uniforms, this is what we look like in practice. We go full court, all 16 guys and we just get after it. That takes all the pressure and the stress out of it, so we’re just out there having fun. … I just want to have fun and I want the kids to have fun. That’s exactly what happened for the last hour and a half.”
Senior Caleb Fay led Kent Denver with 30 points in his final high school game, while senior Sam Glynn added 26 points, including six three-pointers. Juniors Liam Ash (13 points) and Henry Czaja (12) also scored in double figures. According to Colorado High School Activities Association records, Kent Denver became the first team since Hinkley in 1998 to score more than 90 points in a state championship game.
University kept pace early on behind strong performances from seniors John Elbe and River Sawyer, who each scored 26 points. However, Kent Denver pulled ahead by matching University’s energy and maintaining their offensive output throughout all four quarters.
Reflecting on the team’s journey after replacing four senior starters from last year’s championship squad, Schayes said, “We thought even if we win half our games and we make it to the postseason, it’s a five-game tournament and when February, March rolls around with the way we play and the kids we have, we’ll take our chances. We have a great system and a great team and we didn’t think anybody wanted to play us.” Fay added: “It was just a bunch of guys stepping up and getting better throughout the year. … Winning last year was amazing, but to get this one with a new team feels great.”
