AURORA — The sounds of dribbling and chatter filled the small practice gym at Rangeview High School as their basketball team chases history.

The last top-classification boys’ program in Colorado to go undefeated and win a CHSAA state title? Go all the way back in 2004 when legendary coach Rudy Carey led Denver East to a 24-0 record and the 5A championship.

Now, it’s Rangeview closing in on a flawless 6A state title campaign.

The No. 1-seeded Raiders defeated No. 9 Regis Jesuit, 75-69, on Saturday in the Great 8 to keep their unbeaten run alive (26-0) at the Denver Coliseum. The Raiders clawed back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime, and then a second overtime, before sealing the comeback victory.

“We’ve embraced it a little bit,” Rangeview coach Shawn Palmer told The Denver Gazette earlier this week. “Being undefeated.”

Pressure for perfection doesn’t show. Rangeview players lined up for halfcourt shots and cracked jokes before a recent practice. Palmer called them together for the start. In his 22nd year as Raiders head coach, he had the word ‘TRUST’ in bold white letters on the back of his black t-shirt.

“Good energy,” Palmer said to break the huddle.

That’s rarely a problem for Rangeview.

The Raiders won 26 consecutive games (and counting) with a playing style that junior wing Aidan Perez called “very fast.” Rangeview creates turnovers, moves the ball quickly in transition with athletic playmakers and attacks the basket. It’s a formula that developed back in December when Rangeview traveled to Arizona to play top teams in the desert. The Raiders went 3-0.

“It’s a way different game playing at different speeds. When we come back, it’s easier,” Perez told The Denver Gazette. “We feel like we’re the best team no matter where we play.”

Results don’t lie. Rangeview — in 15 of 26 wins — had a margin of victory of at least 20 points.

Raiders senior LaDavian King, a first-year transfer from Eaglecrest High, entered the Great 8 leading his team in scoring at 16.1 points per game. He’s committed to play in college next season at Southeastern University (Fla.). King is one of three seniors, along with point guard Royce Edwards and forward Kenny Black-Knox, who bring leadership and production as starters.

Don’t forget about their youth. Rangeview also starts sophomore guard Archie Weatherspoon V and freshman forward Marceles Duncan. Palmer called Duncan “one of the best players in the state” after developing from a slow start to the season. Team chemistry is apparent during fast-paced practice.

“We don’t take any drills lightly,” senior forward Jus’tus McDonald said. “We go at each other. Motivate ourselves to get better.”

Their respect for Palmer is clear.

“He’s not like other coaches,” sophomore forward Yasin Sekue said. “He really cares about us.”

But the Raiders understand, better than most, that you can’t celebrate a state title until lifting the trophy.

Rangeview won the 5A boys basketball championship in 2019. They appeared poised to repeat the next year with a perfect record entering the Final Four. But CHSAA canceled the remaining 2020 tournament games due to the pandemic.

“We didn’t get to finish because of COVID,” Palmer said. “We went 26-0 and then were two days short of the state championship game. … We brought some of those guys back to talk to the team about how you literally never know when it’s over. So, you’ve really got to cherish every game, practice and day that you have each other. Enjoy it and soak it all in.”

Current Rangeview players are prepared to finish what the 2020 team started.

“They were supposed to win state, and they couldn’t,” Perez said. “It means a lot for us to continue what they had going on. Just to play for them.”