The GJHS boys basketball team won their first playoff game since the 2016-17 season with a dominating 76-43 victory over Denver North on Wednesday, Feb. 21.
GJHS junior Will Applegate had 30 points as the team’s center, using his strength to dominate the game. It marked the final varsity event in the GJHS gymnasium, known as the Tigers Lair, that will be demolished when the new school building opens in Fall 2024.
“We haven’t won [a postseason game] since 2017, it was really good. We have a chance now to go far in the postseason,” said Applegate.
The Tigers are the No. 11 ranked team in the Class 5A state playoffs, improving from a record of 8 wins and 15 losses to a record of 16-8. The team is coached by GJHS gym teacher Dutch Johnson.
“I thought [the season] went really well. It was a huge step-up, especially from last season,” said GJHS sophomore forward Andrew Henderson.
The Tigers continue in the playoffs at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, against No. 6-ranked Lewis-Palmer in Monument, near Colorado Springs. Lewis-Palmer beat No. 27 Central High School 72-43 in the first round of the playoffs.
Johnson is in his 12th season coaching GJHS. He returned as the coach in 2023-24 after resigning from the position following the 2017 season to become an assistant coach at Colorado Mesa University.
During his first stint with the Tigers, Johnson had a 165-68 record in 11 seasons. He won the Southwestern League’s Coach of the Year award five times. His Tiger teams made playoff appearances in every one of his 11 seasons, advancing to at least the second round 10 times.
