Team steals and well-rounded scoring gave Bayfield a big home-opening win.
The Bayfield High School boys basketball team earned its third consecutive win with a 65-43 victory against Monticello of Utah on Saturday night.
A year after losing to Monticello by seven, the 22-point win was encouraging to head coach Jeff Lehnus.
“I’m real pleased with some steps and our progression,” he said. “It’s a good sign, and we want to develop momentum as far as home-court advantage, especially because we’re hosting the league tournament this year.”
The Wolverines (3-2) collected 16 steals with their pressure defense. Dax Snooks had a strong week of practice, so Lehnus plugged him into the starting lineup and was rewarded with stellar defensive play.
Ryan Phelps led BHS with 13 points, and he added seven rebounds and four steals. Keyon Prior had 12 points, and Hayden Farmer had nine points and five rebounds.
Lehnus was also excited about nine points off the bench from Mckay Wells.
“He’s been working on his aggression, and we’re seeing it come out of him now,” Lehnus said. “He’s getting stronger and getting after it.”
Brian Mashak had a big game with 10 rebounds and five steals. Carl Heide also had seven rebounds.
The Wolverines got to the foul line 22 times, a good sign of a team attacking the basket.
BHS will travel Monday to Blanding, Utah, to face San Juan High School. That game was scheduled for Friday but was postponed because of weather conditions.
Joaquin King scored 12 points on four made 3-pointers, but it wasn’t enough in a 58-47 loss to Basalt in the final game of the Montezuma-Cortez tournament.
“Their height gave us problems,” IHS head coach Chris Valdez. “Their 6-7 kid dominated us in the first half. We got back in it and within four points with 3 minutes to go, then we threw fouls at them and they made their free throws.
“We haven’t played a team like that in some time.”
King made the all-tournament team after making nine 3-pointers in two games.
IHS was still without a few ineligible players and another starter who played limited minutes with an illness. The Bobcats (3-1) won’t play again until Jan. 6 at the Durango tournament.
Wrestling
WrestlingThe Demons traveled to Grand Junction Central for a 41-team tournament and placed 36th with 33 team points.
Grand Junction won the meet with 238.5 points, and Pueblo East was second with 194.5. Grand Junction Central rounded out the team podium in third with 142 points, one more than Monticello, Utah.
Tristan Martinez was 2-2 overall and scored seven points for the Demons at 132 pounds. Cameron Jacobs was also 2-2 for Durango at 138 to score seven points, along with Kaleb McMunn in the 160-pound weight class. McMunn scored five points.
Durango’s 106-pound Paul Smogacz went 1-2 and scored six team points.
At 120 pounds, Devon Pound finished the tournament 1-2 and scored four points. Jordan Belt was also 1-2 at 145 pounds to score four points, while Austin Albrecht and heavyweight Joseph Gillen finished the day winless against some tough competition.
Bayfield won Pool C at the Piedra Vista Panther Classic duals tournament after beating Bloomfield (45-24), Monument Valley (63-6) and Miyaramura (44-30).
Every Bayfield wrestler had a winning record in pool play. 106 pounder Colby Baker, 126-pound Colby Joosten, Garrett Beebe (132), Shane Moore (160), Daniel Westbrook were all 2-1.
Cody Speece was a perfect 3-0 along with Jakey Sandry at 138, Chris Kane (152), Macoy Machaeli at 170 and 285-pound powerhouse Sam Westbrook.
Those results sent Bayfield into the gold bracket, where the Wolverines finished fourth. Host Piedra Vista took first by defeating second-place Farmington 51-15. Los Alamos claimed third by beat Bayfield 41-37 in a close dual to end the meet. BHS won more matches actually wrestled but gave up four forfeits to only one by the Hilltoppers. Beebe, Machaeli, Westbrook and Speece all won matches via pin against Los Alamos, while Kane scored a 9-1 major decision and Moore earned a 6-3 decision.
Ignacio finished last in Pool D at the Piedra Vista Panther Classic, mostly because it was forced to forfeit a number of matches, but there were some very impressive individual performances by the Bobcats. Ethan Appenzeller and Lorenzo Peña both won all three of their matches. Cesar Pedregon also notched a win for Ignacio. The Bobcats lost to the host Piedra Vista team 63-18 before losing to Grants 48-18 and Farmington 60-18.
The Bobcats were placed into the copper bracket for a final dual with St. Michaels, and the Bobcats fell 35-24 in that dual. Only four matches were actually wrestler, with Peña scoring the only actual IGHS win with a first-period pin.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
