'My ears are still ringing': No. 6 Fort Collins upsets No. 2 Fossil Ridge in thrilling city rivalry classic
One look at a raucous court-storming on a rival's home floor was all the proof you'd need.
At least for the visitors.
"Best game ever, in my opinion," said Fort Collins senior boys basketball star Luke Wagstaff. "We've never had a game quite like that."
It was a crosstown rivalry thriller for the ages Tuesday night, as No. 6 Fort Collins (15-2, 9-0 Front Range League) knocked off No. 2 Fossil Ridge 55-52 in front of an overflow sellout crowd at Fossil Ridge High School.
In a surprisingly defensive slugfest, Wagstaff scored 19 points, including a silky spin move late that put Fort Collins up by four points with 26 seconds left.
One Jayce King steal and fast-break bucket later, the Lambkins had basically clinched it.
After the clock hit zero on a chaotic final sequence, Wagstaff and the Lambkins celebrated wildly with their student-section peers as they poured onto the Fossil Ridge floor.
"It was crazy. My ears are still ringing," Wagstaff said.
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This was a defining win in legendary Colorado head coach Bruce Dick's second season at Fort Collins: a victory over a rival that has been the standard bearer in town and won the FRL while finishing as state runner-up last season.
Now the Lambkins have firm control of the FRL lead, functionally two games up on Fossil in the standings with this tie-breaking win.
If the SaberCats (15-2, 8-1 FRL) were a legitimate state championship contender — they absolutely still are — it's fair to say that Fort Collins has also joined that club.
It came in unexpected fashion, as both typically high-scoring teams battened down the defensive hatches and neither side ever led by more than five points in a tense, taut battle.
"The game was on the line the entire game," Dick said. "It was an important possession every time down tonight."
Though Fossil Ridge post star Nick Randall got his with 24 points, they were hard-earned buckets, and only one other SaberCat reached double figures (Domenic Leone with 11) after senior Matthew Boldt went down early with an ankle injury.
Some of the offensive struggles were simply nerves in a game with huge stakes and in a gym rocking like few others have in local hoops history.
Fort Collins weathered the suffocating atmosphere, never trailing by more than one possession after an initial 4-0 deficit while answering every Fossil mini-run.
"It's always one of the goals when you take a job to build up not just the basketball, but also the mental toughness and the character," Dick said. "It all came through tonight, and I'm so proud of our guys."
The other part? Fort Collins absolutely matched up with the home team's interior size, using its own athleticism and a packed-in game plan to stifle the SaberCats.
"We knew we had to play defense to be productive on the offensive end," Wagstaff said. "We worked on guarding them for like a whole week in practice. We implemented playing Fossil even during those games we had (last week)."
That effort took every piece the Lambkins had.
Jamar Mitchell scored 12 points, including six in a key third-quarter surge. King finished with 13 and the ultimate clincher on his steal-and-score. Andrew Koerner made a huge layup in the final minutes. And Joe Cottingham soared for rebounds and scrapped for crucial loose balls.
Known for his teams' up-tempo pace and high-flying scoring offenses, this was a Bruce Dick special in the only way that counted: on the final scoreboard.
"One heck of a high school basketball game," he said. "This is one of the finest, most fun regular season wins I've ever had."
Strong words from a coach with a state title and 700-plus wins under his belt.
"I loved every minute of it," Wagstaff said. "I wouldn't win it any other way."
Fossil girls open rivalry doubleheader with win
Before the chaos of the boys game, the Fossil Ridge girls also hosted Fort Collins in a matchup with key league implications as part of a boys-girls city rivalry doubleheader.
The SaberCats never allowed the Lambkins offense any breathing room, dominating from the second quarter on in a 50-32 win.
Ella Lavigne led the way with 19 points, including 15 in a second-half surge that helped Fossil Ridge maintain a comfortable lead down the stretch.
Carmin Arkin had a strong game in the post for Fossil, scoring 15 points and keeping the offense afloat during some early struggles.
Paige Fry led the Lambkins (11-7, 6-3 FRL) with 12 points, but she was the only Fort Collins player to reach double figures.
The SaberCats moved to 11-6 (8-1 FRL) and are still just one game behind league leader No. 2 Monarch with six regular-season games remaining.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins basketball upsets Fossil Ridge in crosstown classic
