Our final game of the season was well played and hard fought. Fortune didn’t bounce our way, but the Mustangs should feel proud. Great game, guys.

Trevor drove the game like the champ he is.

Front Range had a strong defense. Ian sneaks one through.

The game’s intensity — captured in 1/250th of a second. Robert Broman makes the shot.

By this time, every shot counted. We tied it up at the end, but lost in overtime.

Good job guys. We look forward to next year …

Saturday’s 47-39 win against Arrupe Jesuit wasn’t particularly pretty —- we gave up a 9-point first-minute lead and had to fight the rest of the game — but the Varsity Mustangs played like champs and got ‘er done.

Robert Broman, trying to disappoint Jesuit’s No. 32.

Michael Walker: never afraid.

Matt “One Man Army” Hart leans into a defender while Walker runs support.

Robert puts on the finishing touches, two-for-two style.

This outside-our-league win puts us 7-3 overall, 3-0 in league.

Keep it up Mustangs!

Next: Tuesday at Lutheran of Parker

Thank you to all of you who have supported our games so far. This season is turning into a very exciting one as the varsity has found their winning ways, and the JV team is improving.

Varsity came out of Christmas break with a win streak. League games have opened, and we now sit on a 3-0 league record, 6-3 overall (as of 1/21/09). The guys are learning the system, learning their roles, and learning what is expected of them when they hit the hardwood. Our comptition schedule will toughen, so we are hoping that the learning curve will translate into more wins the tail end of Jan.

The JV team is learning that it takes all 4 quarters of good basketball to pull off wins. As I’ve observed, they seem to start slow, and come on in the 2nd half. Our practices are spirited and competitive, and they will learn. I’m proud of all of them.

You may be wondering about the “swing players”. Given that our participation numbers are so low this year, it is important that some of the guys be able to play both Varsity and JV games.

However, CHSAA, the governing body of high school sports in Colorado, limits the number of quarters that each player can play during the regular season. The limit is 84 quarters (a regular season of 19 games translates to 76 quarters.)

We as a coaching staff are monitoring that very closely so that everyone maximizes their time on the court and maximizes their contribution to the program while staying within the limits of CHSAA rules.

Support Dawson basketball in this next round of games. Thanks.

Coach Sorensen

The JV boys played well but succumbed to a strong defense. The varsity guys owned it.

Junior Varsity 41-47 L. Varsity 59-36 W.

Michael, falling away from the basket, lobs it up and … it goes in!

Junior Varsity
The guys tied it at 33 in the beginning of the fourth quarter. Very exciting — and a win was within reach. The swing players left for the Varsity game, and right around then Evangelical started pulling ahead.

But it’s all good. The JV Mustangs played hard, and they should all be proud.

Bruce finds away out of intense defensive pressure.

Rex looking goofy but ripped.

Joey chases an errant ball.

Ian Day copes with that aggressive defense.

Ian Martin skies for two.

Robert was killing it.

Varsity
The varsity team overcame some very striped pants to control the entire game.

Those pants.

Jaaaaaames Bluuuuuueeee!

James played a great game.

Nice turnout.

Matt sinks another free throw.

Nice.

Yep. Trevor can jump.

Go Trevor!

Next: Gilpin County this Friday at home.

According to sources within Dawson Basketball, the girls and JV boys got worked, and the varsity boys got lucky.

Varsity final: 40-34 W

Trevor Horwith takes the high route to two more.

Resurrection Christian School was impressive in its size and polish, but even more impressive was its community support. While Dawson can’t seem to fill a home bleacher, Resurrection supporters overflowed their huge stands. Kids were there. Parents were there. Everyone was there. For the half-time show, a group of young girls demonstrated cheers. Everyone applauded, and it was cool.

Even though the Resurrection team was down the whole game, their crowd cheered everything they did — every small victory — and, you know what? — it made a difference. Those guys might not have won, but they felt supported — and, from where I was standing, they had more fun than the winning team.

We have a home game this Saturday. Let’s go Dawson families.

Also impressive:

James Blue works his telekinesis from the free throw line.

Robert Broman works it along the base line. Robert had a strong game.

More props
I didn’t get good photos of them, but Matt Hart and Michael Walker deserve a mention. Those guys are warriors. They give it their all, and they get it done.

Sometimes you lose by 40, sometimes you win by 50.

Last night we were on the winning side of that non-equation.

JV’s Joey Lambert played like a warrior.

Junior Varsity
The boys had it under control from the start. Final: 64-25.

Ian Martin doesn’t seem too worried about the defense.

Bruce Baker takes a solo break to its logical end.

Varsity

The Varsity guys cranked up a 50-point lead in the first half. From there, the JV swing players kept it going in a big way. Final: 80-29.

This shot of Rex Golden would be so cool if it wasn’t blurry! I was playing with the long lens and no flash, and it was just too dark. Lesson learned.

Is Cole really fast, or is the shutter really slow? It’s a bit of both. Get some Cole!

Ian Day has been hitting the gym on his own, and it’s showing in his explosiveness and intensity. Keep it up!

Watching Bruce play, you can see the seeds of quick cleverness that make senior Trevor Horwith so effective.

Props go out to the Nederland teams. Those guys played like gentlemen and fought hard the whole way.

Sometimes you lose by 40, sometimes you win by 50.

JV struggled, but Varsity won a solid game.

Jaaaaaames Bluuuuuuueeeeeee! Five opponents — not enough to control this guy.

Junior Varsity
Final: 35-57 L

Joey Lambert grabs a point late in the game.

Ian Martin with his customary air attack.

Brian Litchfield snags a wild bounce.

Varsity
The guys played a great game. Consistent free throws clinched the happy ending. Final: 50-46 W

Robert Broman sends it along. You can see Ian in the background, working some kind of plan.

Michael Walker has the reound, and now he works the ball toward Matt Hart.

Great game!

The Mustangs showed a new level of coordination and drive, and the entire contest was a close battle of teamwork and will.

We maintained a slight edge throughout the game, but a Dawson technical foul helped Erie tie it up at the end of the fourth, and so we went into an extra period. The 5th was a game of attrition, with fouls and free throws making the only scoreboard movements. We played valiantly before the cacophonous Tiger bleachers, but we fell in the end, 66-64.

What a great game. Keep it up guys!

Michael Walker rifles off the most violent, yet precise pass in history.

Hey Trevor, no pressure. This is just another free throw …

Matt Hart makes a speedy break for two.

Matt Hart again. The guy was a warrior last night.

Trevor for deuce.

How can the Mustangs not rock with these special guests in the stands?

Q1: 13-13
Q2: Dawson 32-17
Q3: Dawson 48-39
Final: Erie 66-64

Next: Peak to Peak, Jan. 7 at home

We played hard but were beaten fair and square by a bigger team from a much bigger school. Every time we face a team like this, we get stronger and smarter. Bring it!

The inexorable force of Ian Martin.

Firing one off from the outside.

Ian day gets the game under control.

Cole works it into enemy territory.

Final score: 55-23 Erie

Next: Peak to Peak, Jan. 7 at home

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”

– Theodore Roosevelt

Proof that Preston Warren floats like a butterfly.

Junior Varsity

The Highland Huskies controlled the game from the start, but we gave it everything we had and enjoyed some moments of brilliance.

Final: 68-28 Highland

Bruce Baker drives it in.

Ian Day and Rex Golden reach for the rebound.

Brian from the free throw line.

Ian Martin fires off one of his mighty jump shots.

Late-game planning session.

Varsity

The varsity Huskies were fit, skilled and organized, and they had us on the run for most of the game, except:

In the middle of the second quarter, we rallied and tied the game 14-14. The Dawson fans were cheering, and the team was pumped!

Q1: 8-2 Highland
Q2: 19-14
Q3: 32-23
Final: 52-35

JV swinger Bruce works it against two big Huskies.

Highland had a huge turnout.

Jaaaames … Bluuuuueeee!

Robert Broman evades a fierce defender.

Matt Hart feels the pressure, but he’s about to make a perfect cross-court pass.

Coach Sorensen leads the troops.

Ian makes a speedy getaway.

Ian adds one to the board.

Another angle on Ian’s jump shot.

Next: Thursday at Colorado Academy