Team of Destiny - Jags Win State Crown!

The Boulder Creek Jaguars ended their season on Wednesday in a manner few outside of their community believed was possible. In stunning fashion the Jags won the Class 5A2 state championship with a dramatic 59-58 win over Scottsdale Chaparral in front of a frenzied Jaguar Nation. The win capped off a magical season for Boulder Creek as they finished the year with a 28-2 record that included an astonishing 20 game win streak. The last time this team lost was before Christmas. A team devoid of egos but not of heart always found a way to dig deep this season and this championship contest captured their essence perfectly. It was fitting that a team that prides itself on relentless defensive effort would see the win preserved by a block in the waning seconds of the game. Freshman Josh Braun seemingly came out of nowhere to swat away what was sure to be a game winning layup by Chaparral. Just seconds before that junior guard Ryan Zettle calmly nailed a deep three pointer that gave the Jags the lead for good (as great as a shot as it was it was only about half the distance of the buzzer beater he made to end the third quarter). Jaguar fans will be talking about both plays for years to come.

Coach Randy Walker and his staff were jubilant and again displayed a mastery of coaching throughout the game. Typically, Coach Walker praised his team and humbly deflected any credit to the boys. But the Arizona basketball community now knows what Jag fans have known for two years. And that is Boulder Creek has arguably the best basketball coaching staff in the state. They get the most out of their players and they were able to mold a talented group of young men into the epitome of what a team should be. There were plenty of superlatives to go around on this day. The team was led in scoring by senior co-captain Alex Dykhuizen with 14 points and a monster game off the boards (a flu bug couldn’t stop him and neither could the opposition). Freshman sensation Josh Braun added 13 and showed a glimpse of what is to come for Boulder Creek in the future. Co-captain Ryan Crane added 12 including 9 during 4th quarter crunch time (he also managed to walk away with the state 3 point shootout championship about an hour before tip-off). Ryan Zettle chipped in with 9 points, including what turned out to be the game winning three pointer after brilliantly running the point during the contest. Weston Newell, perhaps the best defender on a team full of good ones, tormented the talented Chaparral guards throughout the contest and also provided a needed scoring punch. Joe Simpson contributed solid defense and rebounding, Cort Watson again provided needed defensive intensity and hustle, nailing a critical hoop from beyond the arc as well. Junior Jake Hunt provided the Jags with solid minutes and hit a big three pointer that breathed new life into their offense.

After the final buzzer sounded disappointment was evident on the faces of the Chaparral players and fans, despite such a great season and a valiant effort. That’s the nature of sport, there are always the victorious and the vanquished. But there were no losers on this day as this was a great display of high school basketball. It’s hard to the right words to say to those that have put so much effort into a worthy cause, especially if they came up short or had naysayers along the way. Former President Teddy Roosevelt expressed it best years ago when he said:

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

This years’ Jaguar team came to know victory very well and only tasted the bitter sting of defeat two times. They will never be confused with “cold and timid souls”. The Jags can be justifiably proud of their season, accomplishments, teamwork, sportsmanship and especially their hard work. That pride is tempered by the valuable life lessons that they learned as members of this team. They have proudly represented Boulder Creek High School and, by their performance and demeanor, have made all of us proud in the process. After two successive Northwest Region crowns and a state championship to its credit Boulder Creek is now firmly entrenched on the Arizona basketball landscape in only 6 short years. This season is now history but it is also one that will be a measuring stick for future Jags teams to aspire to reach and perhaps one day surpass. One Team..One Vision..One Goal. And now, one state championship! On behalf of a grateful Jaguar nation, thank you to Coach Walker and his family, his coaching staff, the Jags players, the incredible BCHS fans (especially Walkers Stalkers and Super Fan Dan), school officials and all who contributed to the success of this season. It has been a memorable ride for us all.