Feature Story Final

For Sierra’s Basketball team of the 2009-2010 season they were defending a state championship, they had plenty of talent from prior year and were expected to repeat as champions again in the 4A devision.
As we all know this team successfully did exactly what most people thought and brought the state champion trophy back to the home of the stallions with their roster which was filled with senior talent.
This year is a different story.
With only three returning varsity players, two of which are juniors who had exceptional stats last season. Calvin Brown was 4A honorable mention and received the 6th man award while the 6 foot 7 inch Wesley Gordon lead the team in rebounds, assists, as well as blocks which he also led the state in. The last returning varsity player maybe will be senior point guard, Willie Saunders who has played every year, but isn’t sure if he will participate this year due to an injury from football. The remaining players and new, former D1 coach, Terry Dunn has a lot of pressure to three peat with a team that doesn’t have a lot of height or varsity experienced players to work with.
The new coach, Terry Dunn has plenty of coaching experience, coaching Ivy College, Dartmouth’s Basketball team as well as University of Colorado where he coached one of the best point guards of all time and current Denver Nugget point guard, Chauncey Billups. “We are going to have to have great footwork and excellent speed,” Coach Dunn says
During the team’s weekly workouts, they practice footwork drills and shooting drills, all the players seem to be pretty confident for the upcoming season.
“A lot of people in our own school our doubting our talent and work ethic this year, we’re going to surprise a lot of people I guess,” says former JV player Michael Crawford.
The pressure this team is feeling may not be theirs alone. The whole school may feel it as well. Sierra’s students take pride in being able to say, “Yea I got to Sierra, back to back basketball state champions!” But the main pressure is with the players and having to fill the shoes of the great athletes we had the last two championships won.
There has not been a basketball team in the state of Colorado who has won three in row championships in basketball, but Sierra is not alone in attempting to be the first.
Regis Jesuit who has cheered Sierra on in the crowds both years to win the championships has also won two in a row the same years as us but in 5A. Bud Thomas, senior returning starter from the last two years says, “It would be a great accomplishment for us and Sierra to win again.”
”It’s going to be an exciting season!” says Wesley Gordon.