Nuggets finish second straight undefeated season

Editor's note: See a slide show of the Jan. 21 game between the Carbn Valley Nuggets and the Weld Central Rebels on the main page at www.cvfarmerandminer.com.

Jim Siegle

CV Nuggets player Kenny Sleeth goes up for the first of his two in-air blocks during the game with the Weld Central Rebels Jan. 21. The Nuggets defeated the Rebels 21-16 in their toughest game of the season.

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Jim Siegle
Contributing writer

    KEENESBURG — When play wrapped up Jan. 28, the Carbon Valley Nuggets had finished their second consecutive undefeated season by defeating the LaSalle team at Weld Central Middle School  gym.

    The young athletes are second- and third-graders and play out of the league sponsored by the Carbon Valley Recreation Center. It’s the team’s second year of rec center youth basketball. Seven of the nine players on the team played last year.  This is their first year of playing real basketball. The difference this year is they are playing with a regulation height basket and playing, generally, within the rules of regulation basketball.
     Last season, the CV Nuggets were undefeated with a season record of 7-0. This year the team won seven straight games. During many of the games this season, the Nuggets prevented the opposition  from scoring at all.
    The players on the roster are Jacoby Conway, Justin Erickson, Sam Grotelueschen, Austin Hummel-Rodriguez, Brayden Johnson,  Matt Leber, Kael Lucero, Kenny Sleeth and Christian Still.
     The boys expressed a great deal of satisfaction after the game Saturday as they wrapped up their second undefeated season.  Some of their comments related to the fact they were undefeated again and that the season offered them another season of friendship and fun, as well as just having the opportunity to play the game of basketball.
     Jimmie Lucero coached the young athletes again this season. His assistant was Jason Johnson.  Lucero, a Metropolitan State College of Denver graduate, and his wife, Shannon, and their two sons, have lived in the Firestone/Frederick area since 2001. During that time, he has coached 30 or so youth athletic teams in the area. His love of basketball is life-long, extending to his current, part-time employment as the game scoreboard operator at the Denver Nuggets’ home games.
    Lucero indicated his goals for his players are simple: Have fun while learning the game; have a competitive drive; learn to play for each other at an early age and hopefully keeping them together as a  team all the way through high school as they build something special for themselves, and as a team.
     Johnson has lived in the Carbon Valley area for some time as well. Jason and his wife, Allison, are the parents of three children — two daughters and one son, Brayden, who plays on the CV Nuggets.
    Johnson shares  Lucero’s love for basketball. He’s played throughout his life and finished up at the college level.  Johnson also coaches other teams in the area, including coaching his oldest daughter, Jaila (11), and her competitive softball team in Erie.

Contact Jim Siegle at sports@metrowestnewspapers.com.