The state-champion Bayfield High School boys basketball team earned a few more awards Friday.
BHS head coach Jeff Lehnus, who announced his retirement last week after 34 years of coaching around the Four Corners region, was named the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 3A Coach of the Year when all-state awards were released.
The Wolverines went 19-7 overall and 7-3 in the 3A Intermountain League during the 2017-18 season. The team got hot at the right time with a 57-53 win at Alamosa in the league tournament championship game. BHS then hosted a regional and beat Brush and The Academy to reach the state tournament in Denver. BHS, which received the seventh seed in the state tournament, then took down arch rival and second-ranked Alamosa again, 43-38, in the state quarterfinals before it knocked off No. 6 Faith Christian 45-42 in the semifinals and No. 12 Lutheran 68-57 in the state title game.
The state championship was the first basketball title in BHS history.
Though BHS won the state title, the 3A player of the year award went to Sterling’s Bodie Hume. The University of Northern Colorado commit led Sterling to the state’s top seed and an undefeated record before it was stunned 39-37 in the semifinals by Lutheran. Hume, a 6-foot-8, 180-pound forward, averaged 20.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.6 blocked shots per game.
BHS did land one player on the 3A first team, as senior center Ryan Phelps earned the honor. Phelps, who also was named to the football first team after setting the state record for quarterback sacks, had a monster senior season. He averaged 17.5 points, 13 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.4 blocked shots per game.
Bayfield junior point guard Keyon Prior was named to the 3A honorable mention list. Prior missed two-plus games with injury but was a steady force for the Wolverines when he was on the floor, and his contributions went well beyond statistics. He averaged 8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
Though Lehnus won the state coach of the year award, the honor in the IML went to Alamosa coach Brandon Brubacher. Phelps was named the IML co-player of the year along with Pagosa Springs’ Isaiah Griego, who was named to the 3A all-state honorable mention.
Prior was named to the All-IML first team. Bayfield junior Hayden Farmer and senior Dax Snooks were named to the All-IML second team. Only players selected to their league’s first team qualify for all-state recognition.
The BHS girls had two players named to the All-IML second team in Tymbree Florian and Jordan Lanning.
The Ignacio High School boys basketball team had two players named in CHSAA’s all-state awards.
The Bobcats went 20-5 and finished sixth at the Class 2A state tournament. IHS senior guard Johnny Valdez was named to the 2A second team, while senior Kai Roubideaux was named an honorable mention selection.
Valdez averaged 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 5.1 steals per game. Roubideaux, who missed six games with injury, averaged 13.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game.
Avionne Gomez also was named to the 2A honorable mention list for the Ignacio girls basketball team. She helped lead IHS to a 21-4 record and a second consecutive state tournament berth. In 19 games played, she averaged 16.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 4.6 steals per game. It is the second consecutive year Gomez was named to the honorable mention team.
Durango High School girls basketball senior Hilda Garcia was the lone Demon to receive all-state recognition from CHSAA.
The Demons went 10-13 during the regular season and 5-3 in the 5A/4A Southwestern League. DHS got hot late in the season to qualify for the state tournament, and much of that was thanks to Garcia’s offense. She was named to the 4A honorable mention team Friday.
Garcia averaged 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game during her senior season.
She also was the lone DHS girl selected to the All-SWL first team. Durango’s Emma Fitzgerald and Brett Rowland were named to the all-league second team.
DHS’ Seth Johnson was the only DHS boys player named to the all-league team. He made the second team.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
