Photo by Kiera Classen

On January 20th, the lady Spartans played a greatly anticipated game against rival George Washington Patriots, pulling out the W, 55-35 .

The Spartans came through with a win against GW, but  the win did not come easy for the Lady Spartans.  They beat George after two tough losses against Range View and Wheat Ridge.

On January 17, the ladies suffered a tough loss against Wheat Ridge, 51-32. “The girls did not play well, in that game,” said Head Coach Steve Thomas. The Farmers, who have a 7-4 record, held the Spartans to only 35 points throughout the whole game.

The next day on January 18th, the same scenario came up when the Spartans came up short in a loss to Range View, 55-30. The Spartans tied the game, but the Raiders, who are 12-2 on the season, kept the lead for most of the second half.

In the past two seasons, the Lady Spartans lost to George Washington by over 30 points combined. This year, the Girls beat the Patriots, 55-35. “The game was great; the girls really worked hard, and they showed everybody that they really wanted this win,” said Coach Thomas. The ladies, for most of the game, did not let the Patriots catch up, and the Spartans held on to the lead. Junior, Brealah McGinnis, who had 20 points in the game explained that this win was needed. The girls worked together to combine for 55 points, and 31 rebounds.

The ladies have two essential games coming up this week: Tuesday,  the girls battle John F. Kennedy, and then East on Thursday. “These games we have coming up are important; we have to win these if we want to go to playoffs,” said Junior Cleora Kepoke.

January 12          Aurora Central                W 44-36

January 17          Wheat Ridge                     L 51-32

January 18           Range View                      L 55-30

January 20           George Washington     W 55-35

January 24           @John F. Kennedy

January 26           @East

February 3              South

Photo by Kiera Classen

The Spartans came back from break and this week went 0-2 as the team goes 5-6 overall this season. “We have not played to our potential yet.  We started off the season hot and we have tapered off a little,” said Head Coach Steve Thomas. D’Evelyn shot a season high 43%, and had 28 three-point field goal attempts. The Jaguars also had 19 free throw attempts and scored 89 points, defeating the Spartan Girls’ Basketball Team.

“This team was hard to beat and we had a hard time staying consistent.  It really messed us up, and we were too worried about the previous loss against Thornton; it just really got us out of our game,” said Junior Brealah McGinnis.

The Spartans also fell short against Columbine on January 7^th, 49-39. “This game we were more focused and we put the D’Evelyn game behind us and focused on this game,” said McGinnis, who feels that this loss isn’t as bad at the D’Evleyn game.

As the season progresses Spartans are ready to turn it around and get some more W’s on the board. “Our goal is to begin to peak right about the time we start our play January 20^th vs GW,” said Coach Thomas.

Photo by Becca Hansen

On Tuesday, December 12, The Thomas Jefferson Spartans Girls’ Basketball Team lost Monday’s Non-Conference game against the Thornton Trojans by a score of 41-39 at Thornton.

“The team’s record is 4-2 after last night’s loss but the game was a close one.  Yesterday was a tough loss that shouldn’t have  happened,” said Junior Brealah McGinnis. In the first quarter, the Lady Spartans were up 14 points and kept the lead throughout the first half. Eventually, the Trojans caught up to the Lady Spartans after the first half, having the game tied up for most of the second half. There were a lot of lead changes but, at the end of the game time was running out. With  less than a minute left in the game the Thornton Trojans pulled up with free throws and fast break layups which resulted in a loss by the Lady Spartans. “We should have won that game,” said McGinnis.

Coaches and players were disappointed about the loss but were worried more about the game coming up.  “We worked hard, but we couldn’t pull out the W,” said Head Coach Steve Thomas.

The girls also lost the 1st game in the Prairie View Tournament 41-19 against Prairie View on December 13, but in the next game the girl’s turned around and got a win in the tournament. The girls won 49- 45 against Niwot Cougars on December 15.  “This game was intense but teamwork was a factor for this game.  We worked hard and left everything on the court,” said McGinnis. The girls had an early lead in this game but the score stayed close throughout the game. The girls pulled through and got a much needed win to advance in the tournament.
11/31                           Manual                                               W  54- 49

12/ 01                          Harrison                                            W 45-38

12/05                         Kent Denver                                       W 54-52

12/06                        @Green Mountain                             L 52-41

12/07                        Fredrick                                                W 42-39

12/12                        Thornton                                                L 41-39

12/13                         @Prairie View Tournament          Game 1- L 41-19

Game 2- W 49-44

Photo by Becca Hansen

On Wednesday December 7, Girl’s basketball goes to 4-1 as they pull out with a “W” beating the Fredrick Warriors by a score of 42-39 at Fredrick.

At the onset the Lady Spartans came out with a lot of energy and were beating the Warriors by 7 points at the end of the first half. “We played good and worked hard to get in a lead right away,” said Head Coach Steve Thomas.  The Spartan girls let them catch up in the second half, which made this the closest game of the season. There were a lot of lead changes in the game, which caused the contest to be really intense.  In the final seconds there was a tie, but lady Spartans pulled up by playing defense and keeping the other team from scoring, and then finally sinking the winning buckets themselves.

Girls’ Basketball bounced back after a loss against Green Mountain. “We want to keep improving our record so we can put that loss behind us,” said Junior Braelah McGinnis. “I want to be 19-1 by the end of the season.”

McGinnis, who scored 19 points on the night, talked about the win against Fredrick. “We did well.  We played together and never gave up; they weren’t an easy team to beat,” she said.

Thankful for the great win, the Spartans look forward to the many games they still have coming up.  Next they play Thornton on Monday December 12^th.

11/31                           Manual                                               W  54- 49

12/ 01                          Harrison                                            W 45-38

12/05                         Kent Denver                                       W 54-52

12/06                        @Green Mountain                             L 52-41

12/07                        Fredrick                                                W 42-39

12/12                        Thornton

12/13                         @Prairie View Tournament

Photo by Becca Hansen

On Tuesday, December 6^th girl’s basketball lost to state ranked Green Mountain 52-41, dropping their record to 3-1.

The team gave their best, but had a lot of lead changes and game ties. “We worked hard all thee quarters and the last quarter we dropped the lead and Green Mountain pulled up,” said Head Coach Steve Thomas. “They never gave up and kept it under control for the couple good quarters they had.”

The teamwork the girls had in the last three games was the same in this game. “We put the same determination as we did in the first games, the only difference was, this team was just determined to win and played a bit harder than us, “ said Senior Teyawna Debose.  “The entire time we didn’t give up; we kept our heads up and hoped to get a win,” added Debose.

Last year girls basketball lost to Green Mountain by 30 points and this year they lost by 11 points. “We improved a lot this year and losing by 11 points to a state ranked team is not bad at all,” said Senior Kathleen Nguygen.

TJ has games coming up against Fredrick, Thornton and the Prairie View Tournament, hoping to get great wins before Christmas break.  “We’re going to put our hearts out there during these games; we want to keep pushing so we can keep improving our record,” said Debose.

11/31                           Manual                                               W  54- 49

12/ 01                          Harrison                                            W 45-38

12/05                         Kent Denver                                       W 54-52

12/06                        @Green Mountain                             L 52-41

12/07                        Fredrick

12/12                        Thornton

12/13                         @Prairie View Tournament

Artwork by Ed Gloor

On Monday December 5^th, the TJ girls’ basketball team improved its record to 3-0 beating Kent 54-53 at Kent.

As the first shot went up, the girls had that feeling that they had in the first two games; the feeling of going undefeated. “Even when we were down we kept pushing and never gave up,” said Senior Kathleen Nguyen. The game was intense, having over five lead changes and ties in the final moments.  The girls’ basketball took it one step at a time, and came out with the “W”.

Junior Cleora Keopke took the game winning shot when the Spartans were down one point and she made a lay-up to put the Spartans up for good. When the Spartans got the points they played hard defense to stop the potential lay-up from Kent which would have resulted in a loss. “Through all the back and forth points and hustling hard, we never gave up; we played our hearts out and we won by one.  That’s why we are 3-0,” said Freshman Essence Reece.

All the teamwork was a big factor in this game. “We all came together, believed in each other today, and gave each other confidence,” said Senior Becca Randall. “Our love for basketball is the reason why we won this game.  Also hard work and determination were really big factors,” Randall added.

Last year Kent Denver shut TJ down by 22 points, but this year it all changed. “We’re more confident this year and we have a good overall team,” said Head Coach Steve Thomas.

The 3-0 record is just the beginning for this new and improved girls’ Varsity squad, as they all want to stay undefeated. “This is our year and we’re just starting,” said Randall.

Be sure to support your lady Spartans in the very few home games they have coming up.

12/05                         Kent Denver                      W TJ-54 Kent-53

12/06                        @Green Mountain

12/07                        Fredrick

12/12                        Thornton

12/13                         @Prairie View Tournament

Photo/Artwork by Ed Gloor

On Wednesday, November 31^st the TJ girls’ basketball dominated and came out with the win against Manual with a score of  54-49.

It was the first home game and the ladies planned to have it as “pack the house night” and a dedication to Coach Steve Thomas’ Last season. “We were really excited with the crowd and happy that they all came through to support us,” said Junior Braelah McGinnis.  The ladies were unstoppable from the start of the game; and although Manual started to catch up, the ladies did not let them gain momentum.  They worked together and scored 54 points for the first win of the season.

The next day, December 1^st, the lady Spartans played together hard and also got a “W” in their second game against Harrison, with a score of 45-38, improving their record to 2-0. “We did extremely well in the last two games.  The girls have shown a lot of improvement,” said Coach Thomas.

During the two games the lady Spartans were determined to win and play together. “We worked well together because we all had the same goal and we were determined to accomplish it.  We wanted to start the season off right,” said Senior Becca Randall.

The team never gave up hope.  In both the games they trusted each others’ talents to get both of the wins. “Our team worked well together and you could most definitely feel the tension,” said Senior Mallory Lopez.

The team plans to keep pushing on and looks forward to beating Kent on Monday, December 5. “We haven’t been able to beat Kent in the last few years, but this year it’s going to be different; we’re going to prove them wrong and be sure to come out with a W,” said Coach Thomas.

12/05                         Kent Denver

12/06                        @Green Mountain

12/07                        Fredrick

12/12                        Thornton

12/13                         @Prairie View Tournament

Artwork by Ed Gloor

As the well anticipated season aproaches, the TJ Girls’ basketball team gets prepared for the opening night game on November 30 vs Manual at home.

Last season the TJ girls ended with a 6-17 record, but this season the record is bound to improve with the new team coming in. The varsity team consists of Brealah McGinnis, Ashley Berry, Tori Perez, Olivia Breningstall, Becca Randall, Cleora Kepoke, Brie Cueva, Mallory Lopez, Kessanet Negash and Essence Reece. “I’m looking forward to our new team this year.  I believe we are going to be different with all the new additions to our team,” said McGinnis. The varsity team has been practicing throughout the offseason in hopes of more wins. “I think we are so different from last year.  We have improved a lot just by the major turnout of girls and the commitment we have put into basketball,” added McGinnis.

This year Head Coach Steve Thomas, who unfortunately doesn’t work at TJ anymore, still is apart of the TJ girls hoop squad family. “It’s really hard not working here and coming back and forth everyday,” said Thomas. This year will also be his last year for coaching the girls basketball team, and the girls are planning to take a step further and make a great coach proud. “I’m going to leave everything on the court to make his last season worth it,” said Junior Cleora Kepoke. “I want Coach Thomas to look back to his last year and say that we were his best team,” added Kepoke.

Other than looking forward to a great season a couple girls also look forward to accomplishing their personal goals. McGinnis and Randall both plan on making it to 1^st team all league. “This year I believe we could do it I’m going to work hard. Last year I made it to 2^nd team all league but this year I have confidence in making it to 1^st team,” said Randall.

Becca also wants to average a Double Double every game, and Braleah as starting point guard wants to have no turnovers for the whole season, keeping the team under control with the ball. As a team they all plan to make it to 3^rd round playoffs and be the undefeated team that no one expected. “This year the team is looking real good I want to prove everyone wrong, especially the teams who don’t believe we’ll beat them,” explained Randall.

As the first game approaches, November 30^th 2011, the girls hope to show the school how much they’ve improved. They want everyone supporting and believing in the girls’ basketball team this year. “I know we can do it.  I want to show everyone that we are for real this year, no joke, no play, simply just playing the game we all love, basketball,”said Olivia Bernigstall.

Photo by Luke DeGregori

On January 11, the Girls’ Hoop Squad went to Fountain Fort Carson High School to fight for a win, but lost 64-37. Two days later, on January 13, the girls lost once again to Aurora Central High School with a score of 46-37.

While the Girls also lost their most recent game against Rangeview High School, 47-34, Senior Guard Casey Edelman feels as though there were some key plays throughout the game. “[Junior Forward Becca Randall] had 18 rebounds,” said Edelman. “That’s more than the other team had, combined.”

In addition to Randall’s achievement, Senior Guard Rachael Newman also had no turnovers throughout the game. “That’s really impressive to do for an entire game,” said Edelman.

Ultimately, Edelman had hoped for a better game. “We expected to do better, but we did pick it up a lot at the end,” said Edelman. “Personally, I just tried me hardest and did my best not to turn the ball over. I got some play time, even though I’m not a starter.”

Edelman also anticipates the next game, which will be at George Washington High School at 5:30 on Friday. “”We have a double header. Everyone should be there; it’ll be a great game,” said Edelman.

As a senior, Edelman has high hopes on finishing the season strong. “I want to give it my all on the court until the last game. After all, it is my senior year,” said Edelman. “We may not always win, but I just want to do my best and have a good time.”

Photo by Mia Nogueira

On Thursday, January 6, Girls’ Basketball took their game to Manual High School, winning 40-36.

The girls acknowledged their victory against Manual as a key win, but soon fell 48-8 to Columbine High School in a home game on January 8. Senior Guard Rachael Newman admits that this was a tricky game. “It was really sluggish the entire way through,” said Newman. “None of us were really up to par.”

Two days later on January 10, the girls lost once again to D’Evelyn High School with a score of 68-38. “We worked really hard for this one,” said Newman. “We just couldn’t pull it through.”

Later this season, Newman hopes for improvement in the team’s game play. “I think we’ll need to work harder in practice, learn new things, and improve on what we’re struggling with,” said Newman. “Hopefully we’ll get more wins, and maybe a playoff position.”

Newman also anticipates the team’s chemistry on the court. “We’re pretty cohesive,” said Newman. “We don’t have a lot of problems, so we’re just learning to work better together on the court.”

The Girls’ Basketball team will play their next game on January 11 at Fountain Fort Carson High School at 7 p.m. “I think we’ll be able to work just as hard as we did against D’Evelyn, only execute it better,” said Newman.