When Cole Tonniges joined the Mountain View basketball program as a freshman, he expected it would be an opportunity to showcase the skills and talents he had been crafting since he first touched a basketball at 3 years old.
Instead, he was put on the Mountain Lions’ D team, about as far away from the varsity as he could be. That was all the motivation he needed to work his way up, eventually ending his Mountain View career with a spectacular senior season.
After averaging 20.1 points per game, 8.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.2 blocks, he earned first-team all-conference honors from the Longs Peak League, led the nine-team conference in scoring, and is this year’s Reporter-Herald boys basketball player of the year.
But it was a long road to get to his senior season of success.
Among his earliest basketball memories is one of buying about a six-foot hoop from Toys “R” Us and trying to dunk on it in his living room. He, his brother and his dad also played hours of HORSE.
He began playing competitively in the first grade and did so all the way up until he joined the Mountain View program as a freshman in 2022. It wasn’t the introduction he expected. He was on the D team his freshman year and spent his sophomore season on the JV.
“It was definitely motivation, I would say,” Tonniges said. “I came in expecting that I would have it given to me and it wasn’t, and it felt like I needed to put in more work because I wanted to get to where I am now. So, I used that as motivation to keep coming in every single day.
“Sophomore year, I was on JV most of the year, played a little bit of varsity. I knew I just had to keep putting in the work and keep playing basketball every day and stay addicted to the grind.”
His junior year was when he really began to be able to showcase his talents and the work he had been putting in. He played in all 26 of the Mountain Lions’ games and was the team’s second-leading scorer (10.7 points) and rebounder (5.4).
“Junior year was probably the first time I got a shot to showcase the work that I had put in,” he said. “Actually, at the start of the season I was probably like the ninth man off the bench, so I didn’t really get much playing time. I just had to stay consistent, and God had a play in it, and it worked out and he allowed me to get out on the court.”
At the end of his junior season, Mountain View made the Class 5A playoffs and upset Discovery Canyon in the first round before losing to Falcon in the second.
He knew he was going to be the team’s leader going into his senior year, and he was ready for it.
He had four double-doubles during the season, including an 18-point, 16-rebound game against Berthoud on Jan. 30. He scored more than 25 points nine times and had a season-high 31 against Wellington on Jan. 13. (He had 60 points combined in two games against the Eagles).
“I wanted to have a successful senior year,” he said. “I wanted to make the playoffs, which we did. That was great. We had a new coach, we lost nine seniors, so it was definitely a big change, and I knew I had to grow into a leadership role and really take on helping all the other kids who weren’t on varsity previously get accustomed to the speed and get ready for the season.”
The Mountain Lions did have a coaching change prior to the season, but it was a familiar face at the school and in the basketball program. After leading the Mountain View girls from 2020-2024, Patrick Huddleston returned to the Mountain Lions’ bench as the boys coach after spending one season at Fossil Ridge.
Huddleston still taught at Mountain View, so some of the players, including Tonniges, had him as a teacher. Huddleston knew right away the player he had in Tonniges and was eager to see him lead the team both on and off the court.
“He’s a coach’s dream,” Huddleston said after Tonniges scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a win over Loveland on Dec. 19. “He does everything that I ask him to do, everything that his teammates need him to do. He can score for us. He can take care of the basketball. He plays defense. But more importantly, he helps lift up his teammates.”
Thanks to a late-season surge in which the Mountain Lions won their last three regular-season games and four of their last six, Mountain View made the playoffs where they lost in the first round to Evergreen.
With his high school career complete, Tonniges plans to continue playing in college. He said he has several offers but hasn’t made a decision yet.
Best of the rest
Jackson Gebhardt, Loveland: The Red Wolves junior earned all-state honorable mention after averaging 20.5 points per game along with 4.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and two steals. He had a MaxPreps-era, school-record 44 points against Rocky Mountain on Jan. 15.
Egan Koenig, Resurrection Christian: The Cougars senior was a second-team all-state selection after leading his team with 18.3 points, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He was also second on the team with five rebounds per game.
Ryan Callies, Berthoud: The Spartans senior earned all-state honorable mention after leading his team with 15.2 points and 2.8 assists per game. He also averaged 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest.
Wyatt Harlow, Loveland: The Red Wolves senior was second on his team with 16.7 points per game. He also averaged 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals and shot 80% from the free throw line.
Jayce Newbill, Berthoud: The Spartans senior was second on his team with 13.1 points per game. He led the Spartans with 6.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals per contest.
Avery Lamar, Mountain View: The Mountain Lions senior was second on his team with 11.2 points per game. He also averaged 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals per contest while shooting 88% from the free throw line.
Ethan Barker, Thompson Valley: The Eagles senior tied for his team lead in points with 10.6 per game while also averaging 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and two steals.
Hudson Ruppert, Loveland Classical: The Lions senior led his team with 12.8 points and eight rebounds per game. He also averaged 2.3 steals and two assists per contest.
Reagan Cunningham, Resurrection Christian: The Cougars senior was second on his team with 10 points per game. He also averaged 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest.
Gabriel Gutierrez, Thompson Valley: The Eagles senior tied for his team lead in points with 10.6 per game while also averaging 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals.
