PUEBLO - Autographing young fan Trajan Garcia's shirt after a difficult and, to longtime bracket-trackers and spectators inside Massari Arena, unexpected exit from the CHSAA Class 2A State Championships, Anthony Manzanares took a little time to savor what it is to be a Bobcat cager.
"It's memories I'll never forget," said the senior guard, after netting 11 points in a 46-41 loss to Paonia in the fifth-place contest on the event's last day at Colorado State University-Pueblo on Saturday. "It's always been our goal to make it here ... it's been fun playing with these guys, giving it our all."
Added his classmate, forward Austin McCaw: "We made it to the state tournament ... three out of four years .... It felt great for us seniors just to come back one more time. It's a lot of last-time playing ... just wanted to come out and give a good game."
"Our heads were down a little bit over the whole situation," head coach Chris Valdez said, alluding to a 61-60 loss to No. 4 Holyoke on Day 1, "but ... it's part of living, you know? You don't win 'em all ... and I think we've spoiled our fans where we win the first game all the time." After the first-round loss, Ignacio went on to a 73-55 victory over eighth-seed Ellicott on Day 2.
"Everybody still has a great attitude about what happened," Valdez said after the squad's 2015-16 record was later finalized at 22-4 overall. "They understand that the other team was a little better - the different matchups were there - and they're happy they got to spend this last day with their basketball family.
"I was happy for the effort ... a good hurrah."
Unable to generate momentum from an early Manzanares three-pointer, 5-seed IHS trailed #6 PHS 10-4 after a mistake- and misfire-marred first quarter. The Bobcats came no closer than 17-15 on a trey by sophomore reserve guard Kruz Pardo late in the second quarter, and 19-17 on senior guard Tucker Ward's 1-and-1 from the free-throw line with 2:08 left before halftime.
But despite senior catalyst Wyatt Hayes going without a field goal - and more importantly to PHS, without a solitary three - and finishing with a quiet two points, the 'Cats weren't going down quietly.
Sophomore reserve guard Johnny Valdez rattled in a vital three-pointer to bring Ignacio back to 42-37 late in the fourth and, not long after, senior reserve guard Chase Sanchez skied to snare a rebound against a taller opponent, then took the ball back out to the corner before wheeling around and driving back toward the lane.
His attempted runner went long, but without deflecting off the rim or backboard, went straight into the hands of elevated senior center Nick Herrera for what basically amounted to an alley-oop, reducing Paonia's lead down to 46-41 with five seconds remaining. Unfortunately, the Eagles (25-2) quickly inbounded the ball and kept it as far away from a white uniform as possible, letting the waning seconds expire without any closer IHS approach.
"I just had to give all that I could for my senior buddies - Nick, Wyatt, Tucker ... all the seniors, I just had to give it on the line for them," Sanchez said. "Give them a good thing to leave on ... give all the hustle for them."
Herrera finished with six points in the fourth quarter, and totaled 11 to match Manzanares for the team high. Paonia counterpart Dagan Rienks led all with his 20, including nine in the second quarter and eight in the third.
"All of our seniors, it's going to be our last year - except for Wyatt - and we just wanted to ... try to come out with a win," said Herrera. "It just wasn't like the last time we played them."
Added Valdez: "Nick ... played his best games through districts, regionals and state, and that's the time to play your best ball. He held the big guy as best he could down in there, but they were a mismatch problem for us."
Ward finished with four points and Roubideaux one, while Johnny Valdez and Pardo were limited to their threes.
"They made some good shots ... because we're both fighting for that trophy!" Manzanares said of Paonia. "So I give credit to them; they're a great team."
"I still can't believe that this is our last game together, and they'll never play another game of basketball together," Sanchez said, referring to the seniors' last group run. "Honestly, it was breathtaking to me."
On Friday, Hayes paced Ignacio with 21 points against Ellicott, complemented by Ward's 20 and Manzanares' 16 as the 'Cats erased what had been a 13-point deficit during the second quarter.
"The kids ... we were disappointed yesterday, let's face it, and we were all down," said Valdez, again alluding to the overtime heartbreaker in the double-elimination tourney's initial 'Great Eight' phase.
"I'm happy that they got it going, and when we did get it going late in the second quarter - almost at halftime - we knew we had a shot. We came down, hit several baskets in a row, and were right back in it - when we were nine points down (33-24), I knew we could put 'em on the ropes."
Consistent throughout the championships, Manzanares led the way with 14 against Holyoke with Ward adding 13 and Hayes 10. Herrera registered eight points and Pardo seven - all from the charity stripe, where the 'Cats went 19-of-27. The Dragons were just 6-11 at the foul line, but managed to climb out of a 14-2 first-quarter hole. They came back from behind, 45-32 at the start of the fourth, to force the fifth frame.
"Just went out, gave it our all," Manzanares said. "Did the best we could ... so we'd be proud ourselves."
Holyoke went on to finish 22-5 overall and in fourth place after a 53-47 loss on Day 3 to Lower Platte League arch-rival Sedgwick County (24-2). Sanford, meanwhile, again escaped Loveland Resurrection Christian. edging the Cougars (25-1) by a 63-58 margin to finish 27-0 and tie mid-1990's Ridgway with a 73rd consecutive victory.
Rye, the tournament's other qualifying crew, joined Ellicott as Day 2 casualties and finished 21-5.
CHSAA Class 2A Boys' State Basketball boxes
Mar. 10-12, 2016; Massari Arena, CSU-Pueblo
DAY 3, CONSOLATION FINAL:
#6 Paonia 46, at #5 Ignacio 41:
PHS (10-14-12-10) 46:
T.Walters 3 0-0 6, F.Lopez 2 0-0 6, C.Simpson 4 1-3 10, T.Plymale 0 0-1 0, D.Rienks 8 4-5 20, A.Lozano 1 0-0 2, T.Mautz 1 0-0 2, E.Kropp 0 0-0 0, S.Devlin 0 0-0 0, C.Godwin 0 0-0 0, C.VanVleet 0 0-0 0, S.Podgorny 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 19 5-9 46. 3-POINTERS: Simpson, Lopez 2. TOTAL FOULS: 14. FOULED OUT: None.
IHS (4-13-11-13) 41:
A.Manzanares 4 1-2 11, W.Hayes 0 2-3 2, A.McCaw 3 0-2 6, T.Ward 1 2-2 4, N.Herrera 5 1-1 11, J.King 0 0-0 0, J.Valdez 1 0-1 3, K.Pardo 1 0-0 3, C.McCaw 0 0-0 0, L.Valdez 0 0-0 0, C.Sanchez 0 0-0 0, K.Roubideaux 0 1-2 1. TOTALS: 15 7-13 41. 3-POINTERS: Manzanares 2, Pardo, J.Valdez. TOTAL FOULS: 14. FOULED OUT: None.
DAY 2, CONSOLATION SEMIFINAL:
#8 Ellicott 55, at #5 Ignacio 73:
EHS (10-23-10-12) 55-M.Murray 5 6-7 17, M.Davidson 5 3-4 13, B.Pagan 3 0-0 6, J.Hayes 1 0-1 2, C.Stewart 5 3-4 13, K.Ager 1 0-0 2, C.Hamilton 0 0-0 0, A.Lenz 0 0-0 0, G.Dahn 1 0-0 2, O.Romero 0 0-0 0, C.Crist 0 0-0 0, A.Dean 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 21 12-16 55. 3-POINTERS: Murray. TOTAL FOULS: 22. FOULED OUT: Stewart (1:34 left, Q4).
IHS (4-20-24-25) 73:
A.Manzanares 5 5-6 16, W.Hayes 8 3-4 21, A.McCaw 3 1-6 7, T.Ward 7 5-7 20, N.Herrera 1 4-8 6, J.King 1 0-0 3, J.Valdez 0 0-0 0, K.Pardo 0 0-0 0, C.McCaw 0 0-0 0, L.Valdez 0 0-0 0, C.Sanchez 0 0-0 0, K.Roubideaux 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 25 18-32 73. 3-POINTERS: Hayes 2, Manzanares, King, Ward. TOTAL FOULS: 17. FOULED OUT: None.
DAY 1, 'GREAT EIGHT':
#5 Ignacio 60, at #4 Holyoke 61 (OT):
IHS (14-13-18-9-6) 60-A.Manzanares 5 2-3 14, W.Hayes 3 4-4 10, A.McCaw 1 0-0 2, T.Ward 5 2-2 13, N.Herrera 2 4-8 8, J.King 1 0-0 3, J.Valdez 1 0-0 3, K.Pardo 0 7-10 7, C.McCaw 0 0-0 0, L.Valdez 0 0-0 0, C.Sanchez 0 0-0 0, K.Roubideaux 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 18 19-27 60. 3-POINTERS: Manzanares 2, King, J.Valdez, Ward. TOTAL FOULS: 13. FOULED OUT: None.
HHS (2-19-11-22-7) 61:
G.Kroeger 2 0-0 6, A.Herman 4 4-4 12, B.Cumming 2 0-1 4, M.Lindstrom 7 0-0 16, J.Loya 5 1-2 12, A.Yanez 0 0-0 0, S.Sanz 0 0-0 0, W.McCallum 0 0-0 0, T.Camblin 0 0-0 0, A.Strauss 5 1-4 11, T.Mayden 0 0-0 0, B.Mayden 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 25 6-11 61. 3-POINTERS: Lindstrom 2, Loya, Kroeger 2. TOTAL FOULS: 16. FOULED OUT: None.
