photo by Rebecca Holt

The game started off sluggish, as both teams struggled to score points. The Spartans took a 7-4 lead at the end of the first quarter. But the second quarter was a much different story, as Sierra found a good rhythm and was able to outscore the Spartans 22-15. Sierra also got to the free throw line often, which netted them easy points. However. there was optimism at half time, as going into intermission the Spartans trailed by only four points to the defending 4A champions, 26-22.

The third quarter was tightly played as each team could only muster 13 points each. But the fourth quarter is where the Sierra Stallions made their push, as they came out firing and connecting on many shots. The Spartans could not stop them, and their offense was able to do little against the tough Stallion D.

Sierra went on to win the game 65-43. “This was a good game. Each team battled hard, and I could not be more pleased with out effort. Guys played until the end,” said Junior Forward Ian Melnicoe.

The only Spartan to score double digit points was Senior Shane Oliver, who finished with 14 points.

This loss spells the end for four Spartan seniors including Chris Carter, Billy Sprague, Zach Jackson, and the aforementioned Oliver.

photo by Rebecca Holt

He may be one of the shortest players on the basketball court, but he makes some of the biggest plays. Deontae Fair has worked extremely hard to become the boys’ basketball starting point guard.

Fair, unlike most varsity hoopers, didn’t start playing basketball at a young age.  Instead, he began during his 7th grade year at Hamilton Middle School.  “A couple of kids asked me to play on a team, so I decided to play because it was something new that I wanted to try,” said Fair, who has also competed in football.  Though Fair is a great asset to the varsity team today, he wasn’t always the star player.  As a 9th grader he played for the freshman basketball team, and varsity was only a dream to him.  Over the years, Fair has worked hard on every phase of his game to earn his starting position as a point guard for TJ.  “I just kept playing basketball over the summer for AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) teams to get the experience I needed to play varsity basketball,” said Fair.

In middle school, Fair met one of his closest friends, Billy Sprague, who is now his teammate on the TJ varsity boys’ basketball team.  Sprague and Fair have been close friends since the 6th grade and have accomplished much together, including a city championship in basketball during their 8th grade year at Hamilton.  “I can remember the time I met Deontae.  He was one of the shortest kids in the class but he was extremely funny and was friends with just about everybody.  Deontae has always worked hard, even when we won city.  He wasn’t a big scorer, but he contributed by controlling the offense and playing hard.  Deontae is constantly pushing himself and others whether it’s in  school or athletics.  Deontae has been a great friend over the past years, along with being an awesome teammate.  He is a great person who really cares for people, and I expect him to do great in college and whatever he does after that,” said Sprague.

As Fair continues to compete this year for the varsity basketball team, he believes that his team has the potential to do great things in this upcoming post season.  “We have a great team and a lot of talent.  If we play hard every game, and everybody contributes something good, I know we will go far in the playoffs this year,” said Fair.  Before every game, most players have their own rituals that they go through.  Not Fair, though.  “I don’t do anything but show up and play hard for every game.  I don’t do anything special, because I would get too anxious and that would mess up my game,” he said.

Aside from basketball, Fair loves to buy new shoes, and hang out with his friends.  He also enjoys watching his favorite basketball player in the NBA, Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers.  “Lebron is my favorite player because he is the best player in the NBA.  He can do anything you ask of him, whether it be scoring, rebounding, assisting, or blocking shots,” said Fair.

At TJ, Fair is challenged everyday with his AP classes, which are US History with Mark Smith, and Calculus with Aimee Witulski.  “They are challenging classes and I like them for that reason.  I like challenges because they push you and force you to work hard if you want to succeed,” said Fair who added that these classes are beneficial for him because they are preparing him for college.

According to his math teacher, Aimee Witulski, Fair is a positive, inquisitive, diligent student who works well with others.  “When I have my students working in groups, Deontae is the type of student who will keep everybody on task and challenge his group by asking questions, along with answering others’ questions.  One thing that makes Deontae stand out from other students is his ability to balance his academics and athletics while maintaining a daily positive attitude.   Deontae is a great student that utilizes his class time wisely.  I believe that when Deontae finds something in his life that he is passionate about, he will put in the necessary work to make that thing happen,” said Witulski.

Fair has developed a great player coach relationship with Head Coach Grant Laman of the boys’ varsity basketball team.  “Coach Laman is a great coach.  He is always trying to push us to our full potential and he cares about us outside of basketball.  He cares about winning as much as our team does, and will do anything to get wins.  Coach Laman is one of the best coaches that I’ve had, and he knows offense and defense very well. With his coaching experience we are going to have a great postseason and possibly win a state title,” said Fair.

With all the things happening in Fair’s life, his biggest inspiration is his mother.  “My mom has overcome so many things in her life, and she always does her best to make sure that my sister and I are happy.  She’s great to me and I am grateful for her.  I love my mom with all my heart and I would do anything for her,” said Fair.

After high school, Fair is attending Colorado State University, and plans to major in business.  “I really like the campus and CSU is not that far away from home.  I’m not sure of what I want to do after college, but with my business degree, I will possibly open my own shoe store,” said Fair, who does not plan on playing basketball in college.  “I just want to focus on getting my degree.  However, if I ever changed my mind I would try out,” said Fair.

Deontae Fair and the Spartan Hoop Squad take on Greeley West in Glenwood Springs today, Friday February 26th, in the first game of the 2010 Basketball State Playoffs.

file photo by Rebecca Holt

TJ turned the page on their four game losing streak Friday night, as they were able to knock off a West team that was looking for a victory. The Boys Hoop Squad had it their way all ngiht as they were up 14-1 before most of the fans could settle into their seats. “We started the game off playing well and just kept the momentum up the entire 32 minutes,” said Junior Forward Ian Melnicoe, who scored a career high 10 points.

Other Spartan contributors were Seniors Ray Riley and Deontae Fair who lead the Spartans with 24 and 13 points respectively. Also, each Spartan was 3-4 from three point range. In total, the Spartans shot 8 of 13 from behind the arc, and were able to keep the Cowboys guessing all night.

Defensive stars for the Spartans were Junior Miles McIntosh and Freshman Eric Andres . McIntosh recorded 11 steals, and Andres recorded 11 rebounds. McIntosh also achieved his first career triple double, but Andres fell one point short of achieving that feat.

The Spartans have concluded their regular season play and will have to wait for the playoff seeding to be announced. This will happen on Sunday, February 21.

Photo by Rebecca Holt

The Spartans entered the much-anticipated match up against 5A power Montbello reeling after falling to foe George Washington on Friday night. And, unfortunately for the Spartans, Tuesday’s game was no relief as the Warriors beat the Spartans in convincing fashion.

The Spartans matched the Warrior’s effort and intensity early on, as the two teams clawed back and forth fighting for the lead. The Spartans were led by Senior Billy Sprague, whose ability to slash to the basket as well as hit a mid range jumper proved tough to defend. But on the defensive side of things, TJ had no answer for Montbello Forward Roderick Taylor, who scored 16 on the Spartans. TJ went into halftime tied with the Warriors as Junior Forward Ian Melnicoe rolled in a jumper from the free throw line as time expired in the half.

However, the third quarter was an entirely different story as the Warriors came out with aggressiveness, outscoring the Spartans 19-6 to skyrocket out to a 43-30 lead at the end of three quarters. The Warriors then held back the Spartans on a few late pushes to hold on and secure a win. “We need to get better as a whole. Everyone has something that they can get better at. Playoffs are coming up quick,” stated Junior Forward Miles McIntosh.

The Spartans will look to get back to their winning ways as they next play the Denver West Cowboys. The game will be on Friday, February 19, and will be at West. The game will begin at 7:00 pm.

Mayor Hickenlooper helps celebrate TJ and GW's 50th. photo by Rebecca Holt

Before play started, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper commemorated the 50^th Anniversary of TJ, as he wished each team good luck, and thanked the fans for their support of Denver Public Schools Athletics over the past 50 years. Following the speech of the mayor was a joint presentation of the National Anthem by TJ Senior Mina Bradley as well as a George Washington Patriot vocalist.

The game begin shortly after the National Anthem with TJ jumping out on top very early, seizing a 9-2 lead. It appeared that TJ was going to be on its way to an easy win. But there is no such thing as an easy win in conference play, as George stormed right back. It was evident from the beginning of the game that George’s 6’10 Junior Tyrone Marshall was going to be an inside presence. Marshall, teamed with the Patriots’ Odessa Lear proved to be too much for the Spartan D to contain. Marshall controlled the paint and Lear scored both from the perimeter as well as on slashes. “George’s big two played well tonight. Once they both get going, George is a tough team to stop. They just executed well tonight and we did not,” said Spartan Senior Billy Sprague.

photo by Rebecca Holt

Offensively, the Spartans were lead by Sprague as well as Senior Deontae Fair. Sprague, who has been playing well of late, also led the Spartans in rebounds.

The Spartans next play host to the Montbello Warriors. The game will be on Tuesday, February 16, and will begin at 7:00 pm at TJ.

The Spartans looked to avenge last year’s loss against the Angels as they entered this game; TJ also had a chip on their shoulder after losing to the Lincoln lancers last Friday night. However, things just did not go the Spartans’ way as they were defeated by the Angles on Tuesday night. TJ clung to a 12-11 lead after the first quarter of play, as Senior Billy Sprague continued his terrific play of late, energizing the Spartans with hustle points and offensive rebounds.

Yet by halftime, the Spartans trailed by seven, and the momentum went the Angles’ way as they ended the half with a dunk that got the building loud, creating a hard second half environment for the boys. The third quarter is when East went on their run as they scored 23 points in the quarter to just nine from the Spartans. The Angels took a 52-33 lead into the fourth period. “That third quarter was rough. It just seemed like nothing would drop for us. We just have to keep playing our game whether our shots are falling or not,” said Junior Guard Miles McIntosh.

The Spartans will look to snap their two game losing streak when they next play the George Washington patriots. The game will be commemorating TJ’s 50^th anniversary, and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper will be present to kick off the celebration starting at 5:15 pm. The game will begin at 5:30 pm and will be at the Manual Thunderdome.

photo by Lauren Abrams

In front of a rowdy bunch packed into a tight Lincoln gym, the boys’ hoop squad fell to a Lincoln Lancer team that was hungry for a victory. The game went back and forth all night, but in the end the Lancers press defense and timely offensive scoring was able to hold off the Spartans.

TJ was whistled for many questionable foul calls, including a slew of offensive charges which are rarely called at the high school basketball level. “There were tough calls sure, but we can’t blame anything on the referees. This loss will be a learning experience and it will make us stronger as the season goes on and into playoff time,” said Junior Guard Cedric Penn.

The Spartans received a big scoring night from Senior Billy Sprague, as he was able to score 25 points including shooting 7 of 8 from the free throw line. However, the leading scorer in the game was Lincoln forward Dominic Williams, who finished the night with 30 points. Williams was a game changer as TJ allowed him and the rest of the team to get too many offensive rebounds, which lead to easy put backs for the home team.

TJ’s road does not get any easier as they next travel to East to take on the Angels, who always play tough. The game will be on Tuesday February 9, and will begin at 7:00 pm at East High School.

Photo by Rebecca Holt.

TJ cruised to their twelfth straight victory as the Commanders were not much of a threat in knocking off the highly favored Spartans. The Boys’ Hoop squad sprinted out to a 21-5 first quarter lead as their suffocating defense and offensive athleticism were just too much for Kennedy to handle.

Outside of Senior Ray Riley who finished with 24 points – not to mention dazzling the crowd with a left handed windmill dunk and a high flying alley-oop – the rest of the Spartans were all held to under 10 points, with Freshman Eric Andres being the second highest scorer with nine points. “This was a balanced game as I felt like everyone contributed a lot. It’s good to have everyone step up and play well as a team,” said Junior Guard Miles McIntosh.

With this win, the Spartans improved their conference record to 3-0, which is tied for first in the conference with a slew of other teams. The Spartans overall record is now 15-3. TJ’s next game will be against Lincoln High school. The game will be on Friday, February 5, and will begin at 7:00 pm. The game will be played at Lincoln.

File photo by Rebecca Holt.

The Spartans avenged last year’s shocking loss to the North Vikings by blowing the Vikings out in their own building last night, Tuesday, January 26.

The Boys’ Hoop Squad was in coast mode for most of the game as the Vikings just were not competitive.  “After losing to them last year, we were not about to let them beat us two straight times. It was nice to get this win under our belt going forward,” said Senior Ray Riley with a smile.

Offensive stars for the Spartans were the aforementioned Riley who finished with 20 points, and also Seniors Billy Sprague and Deontae Fair, who scored 13 and 12 points respectively. Sophomore Nate Brewer was the Spartans’ defensive player of the game as he snagged a career high 11 rebounds and also totaled two rejections.

The Spartans were able to empty their bench and get every player quality minutes, which helps build the confidence of the younger athletes going forward.

The Boys’ Hoop Squad will next be in action on Tuesday, February 2, when they take on the Kennedy Commanders at 7:00 pm in the Spartan gym. The Spartans handled the Commanders with ease last year, defeating them 84-34, and this time around should be no different.

File photo by Rebecca Holt.

Before a packed Thomas Jefferson gym audience hungry for a win, the Spartans ran all over the Rebels right from the start of the game. The boys raced out to a 17-9 lead as they got a strong inside presence from Seniors Billy Sprague, Zach Jackson, and Chris Carter. The trio would finish with a combined total of 23 rebounds.

The boys aggravated the Rebels all night, and were in the foul bonus throughout much of the game. The Spartan ended up taking 37 free throws and converted 27 of the 37 for a 73% rate. “It was good that we were able to hit our free throws. We are really starting to improve on that aspect of our game,” said Carter, who made eight out of his 10 free throws.

Offensively the Spartans were lead by Seniors Deontae Fair and Carter who had 14 and 15 points respectively. Freshman Eric Andres also finished with 14 points. Andres was the most efficient shooter, converting on six of his total seven shots.

The boys will look to continue their impressive streak as they next travel to North High School to take on the Vikings who will try to beat the Spartans for a second consecutive year. But the Spartans are confident that that will not happen this year. ‘We did not forget last year. We are ready for North this time around,” said Junior Miles McIntosh. The game will be on Tuesday, January 26, and will begin at 7:00 pm at North.