After saying, “Happy New Year,” to everyone over the last week, it’s time to be happy that local sports are in full swing this upcoming week after a long holiday break.
Coaches, parents and most importantly, players, should be refreshed heading into 2026. Nagging injuries are hopefully gone after some rest over the holidays. College athletes don’t have finals looming over them anymore and can start fresh with a new semester.
The time off was also important because local sports teams have key games coming up. Fort Lewis College’s basketball teams return to play at home for the first time in a month as they dive headfirst into conference play. Durango High School’s basketball teams participate in their last non-league tournaments before returning home. Local high school wrestling teams will head to Pagosa Springs for a wrestling tournament.
Here’s the local sports schedule for the upcoming week:
Thursday: Women’s basketball vs. Western Colorado at 5:30 p.m.
Notes: The Skyhawks women’s basketball team is off to its best start in six years at 9-3 overall and 2-2 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. FLC won its last two games on the road in Texas before the holiday break.
FLC has a strong defense and a balanced offensive attack, with five players averaging between eight and 12 points per game. Women’s basketball head coach Lauren Zuniga spreads out her minutes; no player averages more than 27 minutes per game, and 10 players average more than 13 minutes per game.
Western Colorado is 5-5 overall and 3-1 in the RMAC. The Mountaineers’ last game was a 70-67 overtime loss to No. 12 Pittsburg State University in Oklahoma on Dec. 20. After dropping its first RMAC game to Colorado Christian, Western Colorado has won its last three conference games. The last win was a 62-53 victory over Regis on Dec. 13.
The Mountaineers have the leading scorer in the RMAC in Ivey Schmidt. The senior guard is averaging 18.8 PPG and is shooting 42% from 3-point range.
Men’s basketball vs. Western Colorado at 7:30 p.m.
Notes: The Skyhawks men are undefeated in conference play at 4-0 and are coming off their biggest win of the season, an 81-68 victory over No. 13 St. Mary’s University on Dec. 17 in San Antonio, Texas. There was a somber undertone to the win because FLC starting point guard Yorgio Golesis tore his ACL and is out for the season.
FLC is 6-5 overall and will have to rely on its top three scorers, redshirt sophomore guard Stewart Erhart, fifth-year forward Chuol Deng and redshirt sophomore Jaxon Smith, to make up for the loss of Golesis. FLC’s top three scorers average between 14 and 16 PPG.
Western Colorado is 5-7 overall and 3-1 in the RMAC. The Mountaineers lost their game against UCCS on Friday, 98-89. Western Colorado has lost three of its last four games.
Just like the women’s team, the Western Colorado men have the top scorer in the conference. Guard Aidan McDowell is averaging 28.1 PPG, more than eight PPG better than any player in the conference. He’s also the top scorer in Division II.
Saturday: Women’s basketball vs. Westminster at 1 p.m.
Men’s basketball vs. Westminster at 3 p.m.
Thursday: Durango boys wrestling against Palisade
Durango girls wrestling at Montezuma-Cortez
Durango Alpine skiing at Loveland Ski Area
Durango boys basketball vs. Canon City at 6 p.m. in Canon City tournament
Ignacio boys basketball vs. Del Norte at 7 p.m.
Durango girls basketball vs. Canon City at 7:30 p.m. in Canon City tournament
Friday: Bayfield boys, girls wrestling teams, Durango boys, girls wrestling teams and Ignacio boys, girls wrestling teams at Pagosa Springs tournaments
Durango girls basketball vs. Pueblo East on Friday at 3 p.m. in Canon City tournament
Durango boys basketball vs. Pueblo East on Friday at 4:30 p.m. in Canon City tournament
Durango girls swimming and diving at Delta at 5:15 p.m.
Bayfield girls basketball vs. Aztec at 5:30 p.m.
Durango boys hockey at Aspen at 6 p.m.
Bayfield boys basketball vs. Aztec at 7 p.m.
Saturday: Bayfield boys, girls wrestling teams, Durango boys, girls wrestling teams and Ignacio boys, girls wrestling teams at Pagosa Springs tournaments
Durango girls basketball vs. Falcon at 10 a.m. in Canon City tournament
Durango girls swimming and diving at Grand Junction Meet at 11:15 a.m.
Durango boys basketball vs. Cheyenne Mountain at 11:30 a.m. in Canon City tournament
Ignacio boys basketball vs. Dove Creek at 11:30 a.m.
Ignacio girls basketball vs. Dove Creek at noon
Bayfield girls basketball vs. Telluride at 12:30 p.m.
Bayfield boys basketball vs. Telluride at 1:30 p.m.
Durango boys hockey at Aspen at 3 p.m.
Tuesday: Ignacio girls basketball vs. Sargent at 4:30 p.m.
Durango girls basketball vs. Pagosa Springs at 5:30 p.m.
Ignacio boys basketball vs. Sargent at 6 p.m.
Durango boys basketball vs. Pagosa Springs at 7 p.m.
