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Prep Report: Ailing Reeves of Arvada West inspired by support

Published February 9, 2006 at midnight

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The last time we saw Eddie Reeves was at an Arvada West High School football playoff game. As always, the affable Reeves was quick with a smile. We exchanged pleasantries and chatted about the game before he headed out to support the home team.

Now, it is the home team that is supporting Reeves, the Wildcats' boys basketball coach.

Reeves, 40, was diagnosed with nasal cavity cancer early last month. He has missed Arvada West's past three games since he started radiation and chemotherapy treatments at St. Joseph's Hospital.

Jim Thyfault, Reeves' assistant and formerly the coach at Standley Lake, has assumed the coaching duties and will hold the position the rest of the season.

Reeves said he had been having a "nervous-type of pain" on his face for several months and initial visits to the doctor could not determine the cause. He finally had a biopsy done on the tumor in his face, which revealed the cancer.

"I'll be out of school, coaching and teaching for the remainder of the year," Reeves said. "It looks like I will have treatments for the next two or three months.

"I want to try and attend some games, but right now it's difficult. I have chemo on Thursdays and, right now, radiation every day. The treatments are short but intense."

Reeves, who has coached Arvada West for eight years, said the response from the students, teachers and administration has been inspiring.

"And, I'm really excited with Jim taking over for me," Reeves said. "He has been very supportive of my situation. And since the kids and teachers have found out, they have just been incredible. The cards and the gifts and help have really been nice. I'm fortunate where I work."

Reeves said the school's student government, as well as co-workers and close friends, have helped to raise money for his treatments.

"It is just amazing what people have done for me so far," Reeves said. "I just want to get healthy and get back to school in the fall. With their help, I think I'll make it."

CAREY CLASH: Montbello basketball coach David Carey admits to having "weird" feelings as he anticipates Saturday's game against No. 2-ranked Denver East at the Manual ThunderDome.

There is little doubt the stakes in the contest, which will be played at 1 p.m., are high. Both schools are unbeaten in Denver Prep League play with 6-0 records and the title could be on the line. That isn't even the most interesting aspect of this encounter, though.

Carey is the son of venerable Denver East coach Rudy Carey and it will mark the first time father and son have opposed each other as coaches.

"It's definitely different, a weird feeling," said the younger Carey, a first-year coach at Montbello who has guided the Warriors to a 13-7 record. "I've gone against the other coaches in the city and it feels somewhat normal. But this time, it is a weird feeling. Dad doesn't take losing lightly."

Rudy Carey is one of the state's most successful coaches, having won state titles at Manual and Denver East. He, too, is looking forward to coaching his first game against his son.

The elder Carey said, though, it is somewhat hard to prepare for Montbello at this time. Although he watched the Warriors play earlier this season, it was more as a father than as a scout.

"David's my son and will never be an adversary," Carey said. "I'm so proud of him and what he has accomplished. Montbello can have a program the school can be proud of. He has great values as a person and will have his kids headed in the right directions.

"As for our first game, I've taught him practically all he knows, but not everything I know," Carey said. "It will be fun, but this game is not about David and myself. It is about the kids. I wish David could have stayed with me at East, but coaching at Montbello was an opportunity he could not pass up."

Unranked Montbello got off to a slow start, but David Carey knows it was a learning experience. The Warriors have won seven in a row heading into their clash with Denver East.

"I feel good about our season to this point," Carey said. "We have a pretty good team now with some fine talent. It has been fun getting to know the kids and the community. I know the history of Montbello basketball. If I have a chance to beat Dad, it's right now."

Still, he knows the task is sizable.

"At the beginning of the season, Dad told me I was coaching for second place," said Carey, a graduate of Regis University. "I have coached with him and, of course, have an idea what he is going to do. I hope the catchy part will be that he does not know all I do. And I have watched his team a few times this season."

The only other time the teams could meet this season would be in the state tournament. But Rudy Carey already has looked ahead to next season, as well.

"Dad has already helped set up the 'revenge game' for next year," David Carey said. "We will both play in a Christmas holiday tournament in Los Angeles and one game, for sure, will be against each other."

While the Careys will lead from the bench, the big question this week has been where the other members of the family will sit. Coach Carey(s) figures one side of the court for the first half, the other for the second.

SET FOR SUNSHINE: The best setter in Colorado is going out of state to play college volleyball. All-Colorado honoree Lauren Rosenthal, a junior at two-time Class 3A champion Colorado Springs Christian, committed recently to Florida State. Rosenthal led 3A with 9.88 assists a game and was second in aces, at 0.97. The Lions have gone 61-1 during the past two seasons.

Rosenthal visited Florida schools during the Thanksgiving break and was sold on coach Todd Kress' program, although she also considered Duke, Miami and Virginia. The Seminoles finished 13-17 last season.

"I loved the coaches, the area and the team," the 5-foot-10 Rosenthal said. "They've gotten in some good recruits lately. I think (the program) is right on the edge of taking off."

GRAPPLIN' WITH THE HALL: Les Maddox of Lincoln and Pete Gomez of John Mall are among five inductees into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Colorado Chapter.

Maddox and Gomez, who have a combined 56 years coaching high school wrestling, will be honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards, as will longtime club coach Sefafin "Pino" Bachicha of Fort Lupton and the late Denver West coach and official Albert L. "Bo" Place. Air Force Academy coach Wayne Baughman will be presented with the state's Distinguished American Award.

Gomez coached at John Mall for 17 seasons and was the school's athletic director from 1985 to 2002. He was a member of the Colorado High School Activities Association Board of Control (1999 to 2002) and was the Pikes Peak League wrestling coach of the year in 1989 and 1990.

Maddox, a graduate of Lincoln and Northern Colorado, began coaching in 1967 as an assistant at Platte Valley. He was the head coach at Denver South from 1970 to 1975, assisted Hall of Fame coach Joe Klune at Lincoln (1976-1980) then became the head coach at his alma mater in 1981.

Maddox, who had compiled a career dual-match record of 169-65-1 entering this season, has won five Denver Prep League championships, finished runner-up eight times and was selected the DPL Coach of the Year three times. His teams also won nine district championships.

Bachicha, who has been active in wrestling for 36 years, was one of the state's finest high school wrestlers at Fort Lupton. He was a three-time district champion, a state runner-up in 1957 who then won consecutive titles in 1958 and 1959 for the Blue Devils. Bachicha founded the Fort Lupton Metro Wrestling Club in 1970 and it has become one of the premier clubs for youth wrestlers in the state.

The induction dinner will be held April 30 at the Air Force Academy Officer's Club. The cost is $38. Information: Mike Rieber, (303-841-6179 or www. NWHOFCC.com.

ETC.: The boys and girls state skiing championships will be staged Friday and Saturday at Winter Park. Summit is the defending boys champion, while the Aspen girls will try to repeat. For a preview of the event, go to RockyPreps.com . . . Ponderosa has selected Randy Huff as its new football coach. Huff, who previously was the coach at La Junta for three years and the defensive coordinator at Ponderosa the past five seasons, replaces Jamie Woodruff, who resigned last month . . . The Falcon girls basketball team forfeited four league games (Woodland Park, Sand Creek, Fountain-Fort Carson and Mesa Ridge) played in January for using an ineligible player . . . Tickets for the state wrestling and basketball tournaments are available. Order forms can be obtained from the Colorado High School Activities Association's ticket office at 303-340-1818. Tickets also can be purchased for wrestling through Ticketmaster, 303-830-8497, and at Ticketmaster walk-up outlets, as well as at the Pepsi Center box office (walk- up only). For the Class 5A and 4A basketball tournaments, tickets can be purchased through TicketWest, at 1-866-464-2626, or at King Soopers and select City Markets beginning Feb. 28. Tickets also can be purchased at the Folsom Field box office between Gates 4 and 5 starting Feb. 28 . . . The Aurora Central boys basketball team remained ranked No. 50 nationally by Students Sports magazine . . . The regular season in hockey concludes this week. The CHSAA will release playoff pairings Sunday . . . State wrestling fans can chat with Scott Stocker at 11 a.m. Wednesday on RockyTalkLive at www.Rocky MountainNews.com about the upcoming state wrestling tournament.