Today's Sports

Feb. 2 is Groundhog Day, a day that doesn’t have much significance here, but it does in the Northeastern states, especially Pennsylvania, where it started.

The myth is that if the groundhog comes out of his winter hibernation on Feb. 2 and sees his shadow, he is frightened and goes back to sleep for six more weeks. But if it is a cloudy day and he does not see his shadow, he will stay awake and spring will come early.

The Evergreen Invitational was back in its former glory Jan. 16.

Podium glory, however, eluded the home team.

Due in part to the cancellation of Conifer’s tournament, the annual Evergreen Invitational grew to 21 teams as coach Lane Williams welcomed in some of the teams that were left without a place to wrestle.

More teams meant more wrestlers for the first time in several years. But it also meant more competition and deeper brackets that almost all had multiple state placers lurking.

LITTLETON - In football, they call it “hearing footsteps.”

That’s when a player feels the other player closing in and is faced with the prospect of either being outdone or making the necessary play.

Evergreen senior Carrie Latimer heard footsteps Jan. 8, albeit from feet flapping underwater at the Edge rec center.

Conifer girls basketball head coach Jon Marston knows that you need to play good defense to win at any level and he has preached that to his team.

The Lobos certainly showed they were listening on Jan. 8 as they improved to 11-0 on the season by beating bitter rival Evergreen 54-43 on the Cougars’ home court.

“That’s our main focus, defense, especially man-to-man,” Marston said. “I told the girls before the game, it comes down to defense. Who plays the best defense is whose going to win the game, and that’s any game.”