The next Highlands Ranch girls basketball dynasty may be starting.

In her 30th season in charge, Caryn Jarocki has taken the Falcons back to the state championship game for the first time since 2011 after a 52-33 win over Denver East in Thursday’s 6A girls semifinals. 

Most of her current players were just toddlers back then, but their youthful energy has “reinvigorated” the winningest girls basketball coach in Colorado history.

“They’re a joy to coach,” Jarocki told The Denver Gazette. “They’re so fun. They’ve bought into everything. I love going to practice every day.

“It’s reinvigorating. It’s joyous. It’s just really, really fun. It’s making me work 600 times harder because I don’t want them to lose. I’m watching game film until I go cross-eyed.”

Even though she’s rapidly approaching 800 career wins, Jarocki didn’t have to do much work in this latest victory. 

Led by junior Addie Moon, who scored a game-high 22 points thanks to six 3-pointers, this young team that features just two seniors took the lead late in the first quarter and never looked back, using a big second half to pull away for a convincing win over the Angels.

“I think I’ve had teams in the past that knew they could win, but these guys are so young and they’re just like, ‘We don’t care that we’re young,’” Jarocki said.

The No. 7 seed Falcons will face No. 5 seed Northfield in Saturday’s championship game at 2:15 p.m. at the Denver Coliseum. 

The Nighthawks are in their second season at the 6A level after reaching the 5A championship game two years ago and now return at the state’s highest level after knocking off No. 1 seed Cherokee Trail by a final of 67-57 in a chaotic first semifinal game that featured 50 total turnovers.

“It means so much,” Northfield coach Sydney Price told The Denver Gazette. “They work hard. They trust the process, they trust each other and they just want to go out and win. They’re solid, they’re committed to the work and they listen.”

Junior Delaney Dennis led the way with 22 points, while Madison Bethel and London Taylor each chipped in 16 points, but it is the 19 steals the Nighthawks had as a team that will most please Price — and is exactly what she wants to see on Saturday night against Highlands Ranch.

“It’s all about defense and who wants to grit and grind,” Price said. “Every team in this state can play with us and they will play up until we outwork (them). When we keep fighting, we kinda tire them down a little bit, because we’re just resilient.”

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Other Thursday action

Down go the defending 5A champs

Windsor’s title defense ends in the semifinals. After winning its first boys basketball state championship in over 100 years last season, the No. 11 seed Wizards fell to No. 10 seed Lutheran 77-70 in the second of two 5A semifinals on Thursday. Madden Smiley, a Wyoming signee and son of Northern Colorado coach Steve Smiley, scored a game-high 32 points, but it wasn’t enough for Windsor as the team from Parker advances to face No. 13 seed Silver Creek in Saturday’s championship game. 

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Full Thursday scoreboard

6A girls semifinals

No. 5 Northfield 67, No. 1 Cherokee Trail 57

No. 7 Highlands Ranch 52, No. 6 Denver East 33

5A boys semifinals

No. 13 Silver Creek 51, No. 8 Lewis-Palmer 47

No. 10 Lutheran 77, No. 11 Windsor 70

5A girls semifinals

No. 1 Lutheran 38, No. 5 Standley Lake 36

No. 2 Green Mountain 49, No. 3 Montrose 39

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Friday schedule

11 a.m. – 4A girls – No. 2 Timnath vs. No. 3 Kent Denver

12:45 p.m. – 4A boys – No. 1 Kent Denver vs. No. 5 Timnath

2:15 p.m. – 4A girls – No. 1 University vs. No. 4 Holy Family

4 p.m. – 4A boys – No. 10 University vs. No. 14 Peak to Peak

5:45 p.m. – 6A boys – No. 1 Chaparral vs. No. 5 Rock Canyon

7:15 p.m. – 6A boys – No. 2 Ralston Valley vs. No. 3 Rangeview

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Saturday championship schedule

10 a.m. – 4A girls

11:45 a.m. – 4A boys

1:15 p.m. – Unified game

2:15 p.m. – 6A girls

4 p.m. – 6A boys

5:45 p.m. – 5A girls

7:15 p.m. – 5A boys