Football season is over in La Plata County. For area high schools, basketball has already begun.
Teams opened tryouts Nov. 11 and have had a full week of practice to prepare for upcoming scrimmages and the start of the regular season the first week of December.
The Colorado High School Activities Association released its preseason polls Monday. Votes are cast by coaches and select media members. The Ignacio boys basketball team came in at No. 7 in Class 2A. Bayfield received 13 points in Class 3A to come in at No. 13, and Durango earned two points in Class 4A and would be 23rd if the poll extended that far.
Durango’s girls team earned 17 points and came in at No. 13. Ignacio’s girls were just outside the top 10 with 15 points, finishing one point below Highland. Bayfield’s girls did not receive any votes in Class 3A.
In 4A, Pueblo West received 10 of 16 first-place votes to earn the top spot ahead of Valor Christian. Those two teams met in the title game last year. Valor Christian was first in the 4A girls poll well ahead of Holy Family.
The 3A poll was led by Colorado Springs Christian in 3A, as it received 10 first-place votes. Manitou Springs narrowly took the top spot in the girls 3A poll with five first-place votes. Sterling was second, and Pagosa Springs earned third.
Sanford, which has won three consecutive state titles, was tops in the 2A boys poll with seven first-place votes. Paonia was second, and Holyoke was third with the other three first-place votes. The 2A girls poll was led by Paonia with nine first-place votes. Yuma earned one and came in second.
The boys teams in La Plata County will look much different than a year ago. Ignacio is rebuilding after losing several key players the past two seasons. Durango lost senior leaders from last year’s team but has young talent that has its coaching staff excited, and Bayfield has several up-and-coming athletes who will get back on the floor this week after the football season came to an end in the semifinals last weekend.
The Durango girls will be led by senior Katrina Chandler and will look to once again turn heads in early-season tournaments. Head coach Tim Fitzpatrick has a nice balance of experienced seniors, athletic juniors and skilled sophomores to use this year.
The Ignacio girls are loaded with skilled players, and Bayfield is excited about the continued development of some emerging players in the second year under head coach Lana Killough.
Durango and Ignacio’s teams will clash this year Feb. 7 at Fort Lewis College in Durango. The Bayfield and Ignacio boys teams will also meet Jan. 6.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
