High school basketball: Caruthers holds off Strathmore in Division VI championship game
Caruthers High boys basketball coach Jordan Dancer said it’s been an up and down season for his team.
No matter if his Blue Raiders can cap the season with a Division VI high school championship.
That is what happened Friday afternoon at Selland Arena when Timothy Hurt led Caruthers with eight points in a 37-28 victory for the school’s first section title since 2015, according to section historian Bob Barnett.
“We’re defined by toughness,” Dancer said. “We never give up. We have plenty of losses that we probably shouldn’t have had. At the end of the day, instead of folding, we came back and we just pushed ourselves through everything.”
The biggest difference in the game was Caruthers outscoring the Spartans 18-6 in the paint.
Hurt, who also grabbed 12 rebounds, described this section title as winning with “heart.”
“That’s all these guys got,” he said. “It was very emotional and I have no words to say. It was just great to win.”
Dancer took over as the Blue Raiders coach in 2021. That season, the Blue Raiders went 12-16.
Caruthers followed that season with a 19-9 record in 2022 and lost to McLane in Division V.
Finally, a championship for the town of Caruthers, whom many showed up and filled up the lower bowl at Selland Arena.
“We put in the work at the end of the day,” Dancer said. “I guess that’s all that matters. It’s just how much work you’re willing to put in.”
This story was originally published February 23, 2024 at 2:48 PM.
