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Those who haven't seen IHS Gymnasium for awhile comment on the school's recent overall rebuild and upgrades.
"They got new lights in here!" Ridgway Assistant Coach Jacke Coulter said last Friday. "And these look like LED's-they're pretty intense!"
And for good reason; nobody would have wanted to miss a moment of Ignacio's back-to-back explosions last weekend, decimating not only RHS, traditionally a San Juan Basin League barometer for its 2A-level teams, but also-and probably most importantly-Ouray, at the time ranked #5 in the CHSAANow.com Class 1A poll.
Ridgway, beaten 59-37, left knowing only IHS Coach Chris Valdez prevented scoreboard fireworks. Getting one three-pointer each from senior starters Wyatt Hayes and Tucker Ward, and then one apiece from reserves Kai Roubideaux and Joaquin King, the 'Cats rocketed out to an 18-4 lead, began the second quarter up 24-8, and showed no signs of slowing their triple-digit pace.
Ward, who'd finish with a game-best 20 points, followed his seven-point first quarter with nine more before halftime. Valdez elected to not only give his second unit maximum minutes against a Ridgway but also push his regulars towards postseason-grade proficiency at simply running the offense.
Ignacio, fifth in last week's Class 2A rankings going in (but #7 in this week's poll coming out), led 34-17 at the break. The boys coasted into the fourth quarter leading 43-29 and put the game away with Hayes netting seven of his 17 points and senior Anthony Manzanares making a three-ball. The 'Cats totaled eight of those, and more were to come.
Surprisingly able to score almost evenly with IHS for an exciting eight minutes-Ignacio would eventually hold a 15-12 advantage via senior Nick Herrera's six points in the paint-but just as surprisingly silenced before intermission, OHS suddenly mimicked the Bobcats in the third quarter.only to find the 'Cats weren't amused.
King canned a three early for the Bobcats as part of an 8-0 burst, but the Trojans, unable to effectively operate inside against Herrera, senior Austin McCaw, Ward, Roubideaux and others, soon rediscovered their long-range ability. They did their best to stay in the game with five third-quarter threes.
But after Ravi Inmon (17 total points) drained Ouray's fifth of the frame, Ignacio sophomore reserve Kruz Pardo answered in kind and Ward would later sink the Bobcats' fifth-in the same quarter-from distance, polishing off a 28-point period and putting IHS up 61-34 with only one quarter remaining.
All told, Ignacio would nail nine treys and Ouray a competitive eight. With 10 individual 'Cats recording points as opposed to five Trojans, and IHS' backups outscoring OHS' 21 to 0, the end result was a resounding 74-40 Ignacio triumph.
Hayes led all players with 18 points-10 coming in a second quarter he practically dictated-and Manzanares booked 13. Herrera finished with ten and Ward eight as the 'Cats improved to 13-2 overall, 8-0 in the SJBL. Caleb Preston joined Inmon in double figures for the Trojans (11-2, 4-2) with 10 points, and Lincoln Sackman managed eight more in defeat-which dropped Ouray down to #7 in the newest 1A rankings.
Hasten Beamer had been the Demons' high scorer the night before with 13, and though Bailey Taylor, Thor Ronemus and Eli Hagemeyer each tried their best to support him with six points apiece, Grant and Jimmy Saville were well-watched and managed only six combined.
Manzanares and Herrera each contributed seven points and McCaw two towards IHS' win over Ridgway, and RHS' weekend then continued with a 59-51 loss at Mancos the next day, dropping the Demons to 9-6 overall.
Ahead for the Bobcats will be today's trip to and rematch with RHS. On Tuesday, Feb. 16, Ignacio will then host 1A Monticello, Utah, in a late-season non-league test.
