The Ignacio Bobcats players still standing at the end of the season weathered storms all season. Saturday in Gunnison, the Bobcats couldn’t hold up against the attack of Tigers.
Carlos Parra scored 28 points for Del Norte (20-4) to lead the Tigers past the Ignacio boys basketball team 55-34 in the regional championship game. Ignacio’s season came to an end at 15-7 overall, while the Tigers will march into the Great 8 of the Class 2A state tournament at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland.
“The kids we had on the floor today, we ended up with nine, were valuable players all year,” IHS head coach Chris Valdez said. “I’m happy with the kids we had on the floor. They worked together, ignored the problems and pushed through adversity all year. To win a 10th consecutive district and league championship, it was a big accomplishment.”
Johnny Valdez scored 11 points, and Lawrence Valdez finished with eight, as did Kai Roubideaux. Cole McCaw had five points in the loss.
IHS was without players struggling with grade eligibility and school suspensions. The team wanted to attack the 1-3-1 zone defense of the Tigers by getting the ball inside, but turnovers limited their opportunities to do so.
“We turned the ball over and didn’t get inside on them like we wanted,” coach Valdez said. “We weren’t as aggressive as we need to be. Johnny Valdez was attacking the basket play in and play out, but we needed more guys and then more opportunities outside to hit shots.”
IHS was held to five made 3-pointers. The team made a living from long range most of the season.
Parra had 10 points in the first quarter for the Tigers and made four 3-pointers of his own.
It is the first time in four years the Bobcats have not reached the Great 8. But with only one senior in the starting lineup, the young Bobcats will be back to make another run next season.
“We will be back next year ready to go,” coach Valdez said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who learned a lot and will continue to work together.”
For coach Valdez, he will still make the trip to Loveland to support the IHS girls team, which qualified for only its third trip to the state tournament in program history. His daughter, sophomore Kiana Valdez, is a member of the team. IHS girls head coach Shane Seibel also is a former assistant on the staff of Valdez.
“(Seibel) prepared his kids all year,” Valdez said. “He had them prepared and ready to go, and they’ve earned the right. It’s great for the community to get a chance to go to Loveland and support the girls next week. It will be fun to be a dad.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
