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Sophomores the silver lining in loss

Jason Starr

FARMER’S KORNER – Mike Rathgeber is looking for five good men. And judging by what happened Friday night at Summit High School, two of them might be sophomores.

Junior varsity call-ups Garrison Green and Kylor Dossett saw the most varsity time of their careers in a 69-49 loss to Jefferson. They handled themselves well enough for coach Rathgeber to start figuring them into the mix for the playoffs.

“The seniors, the starters, are not getting it done,” Rathgeber recalled telling his team at halftime. “It’s only fair that everybody gets a look.”



The 6-foot-4 Green played some of the second quarter and almost the entire second half. Dossett, a ball-handling guard, played some of the third and most of the fourth.

The Saints are a skilled opponent, and the game was a good opportunity for the sophomores to learn.



“I realized that you have to go hard for all the minutes you’re in there otherwise you get behind,” Green said. “It’s just a lot harder than people would expect.”

For one stretch during the third quarter, Green looked like he belonged. He hit on consecutive layups, one off a flashy inside move he put on Jefferson’s Greg Woodard. Then he got a block on the Saint’s ensuing possession. Green came back to earth by taking and missing a 20-footer.

Dossett’s contributions were less obvious. He didn’t score but handled and

distributed the ball well. His moment came in the fourth quarter, when he got a steal then set up Paul Middel (Summit’s leading scorer with 11 points) for a 3-point play.

“I thought I did pretty well,” Dossett said. “But I can always improve, and that’s what I plan to do over the summer.”

Dossett and Green have had solid years on the JV squad. They’ve developed some plays and a chemistry as leaders of the team. But that’s all thrown out the window when they’re put in the mix with the upperclassmen.

“These guys know a lot, and I just try to learn from them,” Dossett said. “I just want to come off the bench and contribute.”

That’s all Rathgeber expects. The coach has his eye squarely on the first game of the district tournament, Feb. 25. A win there would make this season a success, despite the Tigers’ current 3-13 overall record (0-6 in the Class 4A Jeffco League).

“I need to figure out who’s ready to play on the 25th,” Rathgeber said. “I see these two definitely being a part of it.”

The Tigers especially needed Green’s services Friday as both varsity centers – Alan Widdifield and Mike Holloway – were sick. Widdifield fought through it for eight points. Holloway stayed away from the court altogether.

Summit has three games remaining, all against the brass of the Jeffco League.

Summit girls dominate Saints

EDGEWATER – The Summit High girls basketball team was all over Jefferson in a 57-23 victory Friday night. The win evened the Tigers’ overall record at 8-8 and gave them their second Jeffco League victory (2-4). It also snapped a three-game losing streak.

Summit returns to SHS Tuesday for Parent’s Night and a game against Ralston Valley.

Shaky third period dooms Tigers

AIR FORCE ACADEMY – The Summit High hockey team led Doherty 1-0 through two periods Friday before allowing four goals in the third in a 4-1 loss.

Ryan Clift got the Tigers on the board 10 minutes into the game on assists from Chad Blackman and Jared Freeman. It was Blackman’s first point of the season after joining the team late this year. Goalkeeper Tyler Lantz, in his third start of the season, made the lead stand until the third period.

The Spartans scored on a power play in the first minute of the third and followed that with three more.

Summit fell to 1-13-1 overall and 1-8 in the Foothills Conference. Likely out of the playoffs, the Tigers have one game remaining, Feb. 15 against Colorado Academy in Breckenridge.


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