When high school basketball teams from around Southwestern Colorado want to play in a tournament, they almost always have to get on a bus and travel at least an hour to Farmington, if not longer trips to the state’s Front Range.
Now, basketball fans from around the region will have a chance to see their favorite teams matchup with rivals at the Four Corner Classic, which will be held Friday and Saturday night at Durango High School.
With Durango playing host, Bayfield, Ignacio and Montezuma-Cortez will all visit for a four-team, four-game mini-tournament.
It all starts with an epic Friday night of games, with arch-rivals Bayfield and Ignacio opening action at 5 p.m. before bitter rivals Durango and Montezuma-Cortez square off at 7 p.m.
“It’s a great opportunity for our school to host something,” DHS head coach Alan Batiste said. “Plus, it’s a great night of rivalry games to open it. It’s going to be a great thing for the guys.”
Batiste and Bayfield head coach Jeff Lehnus got together last season and discussed the possibility of getting a tournament together. Calls then went out to Chris Valdez at Ignacio and Cortez coach Michael Hall.
The original hope was to play the games at Fort Lewis College’s Bob Hofman Court at Whalen Gymnasium, but it didn’t work out this year. Durango jumped at the chance to host it first. While playing at FLC is a possibility for future years, the current plan is to rotate the host site, with Bayfield getting a 2018 tournament.
“We wanted to make something happen,” Lehnus said. “A little Southwest classic for fans in the Four Corners. We will have good basketball all in one place, and the fans will really enjoy that. We’re excited to get this off the ground and see what happens in the future.”
Batiste said he plans to talk to the Pagosa Springs coach in an effort to add more teams and make it a more traditional three-day tournament. Batiste said organizing a new tournament takes time, with schools readjusting schedules.
“We tried to do it last year, but we rushed it and it didn’t work out,” Batiste said. “We knew we had to get it on the schedule this year.”
Valdez said he hopes Farmington and Piedra Vista will eventually join to make it a true Four Corners contest.
This weekend’s action will provide tough competition for all four teams, regardless of classification. Durango is Class 4A, while Bayfield and Cortez are 3A and Ignacio is 2A.
“To have the big rivals in the Four Corners of Colorado playing back-to-back, it’s going to provide a great atmosphere and a big crowd for us to play in front of,” Valdez said. “For us as the smallest team, it’s really great to get an opportunity to play up a little bit and play decent programs.”
Durango enters with the best overall record at 7-1 but hasn’t played some of the same level of competition as a 3-4 team like Bayfield, which traveled to the Front Range to face elite Class 3A teams the opening two weeks of the season.
Ignacio enters at 3-1 and hasn’t played a game since Dec. 17. Cortez enters at 2-4.
“It’s a challenge we’re all looking forward to,” Lehnus said. “Quality games and a positive thing for the communities. We’re ready to go play good basketball.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
If you go
What: Four Corner Classic boys high school basketball
When: Friday and Saturday
Where: Durango High School
Twitter: @The7thFreezer
Friday, Jan. 6
Bayfield vs. Ignacio, 5 p.m.
Montezuma-Cortez vs. Durango, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 7
Ignacio vs. Montezuma-Cortez, 5 p.m.
Bayfield vs. Durango, 7 p.m.
