The basketball season is right around the corner, and Ignacio High School alumnus Alex Herrera is leading the charge.
Herrera, the reigning Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and the coaches’ preseason pick to repeat that honor his senior season, averaged 30.8 minutes, 18.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game last season. The 6-9 center also set the Fort Lewis College record with 97 blocks in a single season.
The Skyhawks’ second-team All-American has plenty of fundamentals to teach, and he’s offering up his talent to his hometown with a free basketball clinic from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Sun Ute Community Center in Ignacio.
Herrera, reverently known as “Chief” to his teammates, and his FLC men’s basketball team, which includes fellow IHS alumnus Ryan Brooks, will host the clinic available to boys and girls grades kindergarten through high school.
For more information, call FLC associate head coach Bob Pietrack at 247-7699.
Herrera owns the Colorado High School Acitivies Association single-season record with 197 blocks in the 2009-10 season and is tied with three others for the most blocks (15) in a single game. He finished his career at Ignacio High School (2008-10) with the fourth most blocks (311) in CHSAA history.
Herrera is one block shy of tying Rich Hillyer (1985-89) atop the Skyhawks’ all-time blocks list. Hillyer had 208, and Herrera has 207.
Herrera likely will set the record at the Sun Ute Community Center in Ignacio. Herrera and FLC will open the regular season with the Skyhawk Classic, a four-game tournament between FLC, St. Mary’s, Texas-Permian Basin and Western New Mexico.
FLC will open its season against St. Mary’s on Nov. 14, then will play Texas-Permian Basin on Nov. 15. RMAC foe Western N.M. will play Texas-Permian Basin on Nov. 14, then St. Mary’s on Nov. 15 in the other two games.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
