Peetzs Downs Caliche, Takes Third at Districts

Peetz’s Bulldog basketball team ended the Class 1A District 4 tournament at NJC in Sterling with a 78-to-54 win over Caliche in the Consolation Game, earning them a third place finish in the tournament.

Peetz moves on as the number four seed in the Class 1A Regional tournament starting Friday March 1, when they face the number nine seeded Denver Waldorf Spartans at NJC in Sterling.

Peetz started the 1A District 4 tournament on a high note on Tuesday, as their number one seed placement matched them up against the number eight seed Fleming in the first round. Peetz breezed past the Wildcats, opening up a big lead and then cruising to an 67-to-26 victory.

It was their third lopsided victory of the season against their rivals. The victory moved the Bulldogs on to the next round against Merino on Friday. The fifth seeded Rams defeated the fourth seeded Longmont Christian team on Tuesday, and had lost their previous meeting with the Bulldogs 72-to-70 in overtime in the beginning of January. But the Merino squad, who struggled with inconsistency all season, came into the tournament riding a winning streak and playing their best basketball of the year.

Merino got the early jump on Peetz, cashing in more consistently than the Bulldogs on their opportunities, opening up an 8-to-3 lead midway through the first quarter. The teams started to settle in and matched each other’s scores, ending the first quarter with a 20-to-14 Merino lead.

Early in the second quarter, Peetz senior Zach Holtz drove the lane and had his shot rejected with authority by Merino junior Kayd Goss, sparking a stretch where the Rams steadily pulled away from the Bulldogs, building a 33-to-20 lead at the three minute mark. Peetz senior Bryson Long then recovered a loose ball and sped down the court, ending the play with a dunk and the foul, and firing up the Bulldogs offense. The Peetz squad rode the momentum and narrowed the Ram’s lead, and went into into the half trailing 35-to-27.

Peetz closed the gap in the third period, taking the lead 40-to-39 on senior Blake Roelle’s three point hit with 4:13 left in the period. The Rams battled back and managed to tie the game at 44 going into the fourth period. Merino went on a 6-to-0 run to start the fourth quarter, hitting three free throws then a three point shot to take a 50-to-44 lead. Long scored two points to stop the run, but the Rams hit another three pointer to take a 53-to-46 lead. Peetz continued to score, but could not stop the Ram’s offense enough to close the gap. The Bulldog’s were forced to foul in the final minutes of the game, and the Merino boys hit their free throws to close out the game with a 71-to-61 victory.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs faced the Caliche Buffaloes for the third time this season in the consolation game for third place. The Buffaloes surprised Peetz in the end of January when the Bulldogs escaped Caliche High School with a one point 62-to-61 victory after opening the season with a 35 point blowout victory over the Buffaloes. This game had Peetz in total control from the beginning of the game, and the Bulldogs had no trouble beating the Buffaloes for a third time this season, finishing with a 24 point 78-to-54 victory.

Peetz’s third place showing advances them to the Class 1A Regional tournament starting Friday, March 1st at NJC in Sterling.