The high school boys basketball scene of Southwestern Colorado is ready to put on a show for its fans when Bayfield, Durango, Ignacio and Montezuma-Cortez high schools tip off the 2018 Southwest Challenge on Friday.
BHS will host this year’s tournament, which will feature the Demons and Panthers in the opening game at 5 p.m. Friday, with Bayfield to face Pine River rival Ignacio at 7 p.m.
“The goal of the ... tournament is to highlight the local basketball talent and allow the fans of these communities to enjoy a local venue to watch and support them,” BHS head coach Jeff Lehnus told the Pine River Times.
The second day of the tournament Saturday will see Igancio face Montezuma-Cortez at 3 p.m. and Bayfield versus Durango at 5 p.m.
Bayfield will come into the tournament with a 2-4 record but has faced one of the toughest schedules in the state with losses against Sterling and Kent Denver, the top-two ranked teams in the Colorado High School Activities Association’s coaches poll.
Ryan Phelps leads the Wolverines in scoring and rebounding with 15 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. Dax Snooks and Keyon Prior also have been solid scoring options, as both have averaged just fewer than 10 points per game.
The Bobcats will enter the weekend 4-1. Their lone loss was against Moab, Utah’s, Grand County High School, a 56-48 decision when foul trouble forced some of the Bobcats’ starters to the bench.
The Bayfield-Ignacio rivalry is one of the most tightly contested in the region. According to local sports historian Dan Ford, Friday’s game will be the 141st between the two programs since 1948, and the Wolverines lead the series 71-69.
The Bobcats have been the more dominant team of late, with wins in 10 of the previous 12 meetings. But when the two squads met last season in the Southwest Classic, Bayfield trounced the Bobcats 77-41, and the Bobcats are eager to try to return the favor.
“Bayfield’s a good team. I think they’re a top-four team (in Class 3A),” Ignacio head coach Chris Valdez said. “This year, they’ll win their region and their league and I think they’ll be a top-four team at state. It’s a great challenge for us. We’re not that deep, but we’re going to play our tails off.”
The Bobcats rely heavily on their starters, who have provided balanced scoring through the first handful of games of the season.
The Demons-Panthers matchup is another renewal of a longstanding rivalry, as the two teams used to meet regularly in the 5A/4A Southwestern League before Montezuma-Cortez was moved to 3A last season.
“We’ve got Ignacio and Durango, and that’s always a big deal for the boys,” Panthers head coach Mike Hall told The Journal. “So I think they’ll be ready to go.
“You know, the boys are real positive right now, and they’re playing very well. They haven’t played basketball at this caliber for a while, so I’m really pleased.”
The Panthers are 3-3 so far this season and have scored as many points (364) as they’ve allowed. Aside from a lopsided loss to 5A Fruita Monument in their season opener, they’ve been in every game, with the other two losses coming by a combined nine points.
Durango will come into the weekend with a 2-6 record but picked up a win at Telluride before the start of the holiday break to bring some confidence to the Demons squad.
Turnovers have been a problem for the Demons’ backcourt and have played a factor in their losses this season. Three of the team’s six losses have come by five points or fewer.
DHS head coach Alan Batiste could not be reached for comment.
kschneider@durangoherald.com
If you go
Who:
Durango vs. Montezuma-Cortez; Ignacio at Bayfield
What:
Southwest Classic boys basketball
When:
5 and 7 p.m. Friday
Where:
Bayfield High School
Twitter:
@karltschneider
