Boys basketball: Domsch's slam preludes Legacy's win over Monarch
Jan. 10—BROOMFIELD — Oh, how a dunk in the high school game can create an added boost, the kind you hear athletes talk about like a science.
Like Michael Jordan's "Secret Stuff" in the 1996 movie "Space Jam", when Bugs Bunny had the other Looney Tunes believe a bottle of water was some kind of kid-friendly performance enhancer.
What it created was an advantage that can't be measured, and at least many in the athletic realm believe, a rim-rattling throwdown can do the same.
Junior Brandon Domsch set the tone for Legacy Tuesday night with an opening-seconds, backboard-shaking, two-handed slam in what eventually turned into a 74-54 win over Monarch.
The Lightning (8-3, 2-1 Class 6A Front Range League) were eager to put Saturday's home loss to Fairview out of mind whatever way they could. The dunk just felt right.
"After a loss like that, we realized it was our fault. We knew we could beat that team and we just came out slow," Domsch said. "To come out with our hair on fire and bring the energy we did tonight, I'm sure was able to boost the team and definitely it boosted myself."
Domsch's opening act included four quick points as he finished with 12. Isaac Ward had a game-high 13 for the Lightning, while Bryce Spradling and Arrian Harpring each had 11.
Even with the pointed start, Legacy struggled to find separation until late in the opening half thanks to seven first half 3-pointers from the Coyotes. It wasn't until Spradling led a 5-0 spurt into the break and Tavien Lopez opened the third with a 3 that its lead pushed into double digits.
The Coyotes could only get as close as eight in the second half and trailed by a game-high 20 on Harpring's bucket with 55 seconds remaining.
"Last year, we won with a lot of guys," said Legacy coach Connor Clay, whose team looks much different by name than the one that pushed into the 5A quarterfinals last season. Not, though, by style of play.
"This year, we knew it would be the same story. Last year we had a great run because guys played together. They learned to be selfless and that's what's going to carry us going forward as well."
Dean Reeves had a pair of 3s and finished with 12 points for the Coyotes (7-3, 1-1), who'd won their first two games of 2023. Jack Carlson and Evan Trujillo also had a pair of 3s and finished with eight apiece.
Van Nellessen — the team's long, talented forward — had the team's first seven points and also finished with eight.
Monarch ended with just eight 3s on the night after its torrid start from deep.
At least according to starting combo guard Reeves, that's not the reason they lost.
"Overall, it really came down to rebounding. They just wanted it more," he said. "We lost by 20 and they probably got at least 20 offensive rebounds. That's ultimately what it came down to."
It was Legacy's second straight win over Monarch, which still leads the series 16-10 dating back to 2006.
The Lightning are at Loveland Friday, while the Coyotes are home against Poudre.
