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Mesa Ridge wins first-ever 5A boys basketball title

The #2 Grizzlies finished the season with a perfect record (28-0) defeating #1 Air Academy in the final
Posted at 11:10 PM, Mar 12, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-13 01:33:27-04

The Mesa Ridge boys basketball team brought home the programs first-ever championship on Saturday night at the Denver Coliseum.

The No. 2-seed Grizzlies beat No. 1-seed Air Academy, 71-68 in the Class 5A state championship game, capping off a perfect (28-0) season. The game was everything you'd expect between the top two teams in the state, and the all-Colorado Springs crowd made for an electric atmosphere.

Tevin Riehl led the way with 23-points for the Grizzlies, but it was a true team effort to take down the Kadets.

In his first year as Mesa Ridge's head coach, Joel Babbitt made history with his team.

"I just had kids who really wanted to play and get better, we convinced them that defense is the way to get this thing and they bought in so early," Babbitt said. "It's just incredible that they believed in me and I think they know I believe in them, and that's why we're here."