Going on the road?
No problem.
The Durango High School girls basketball team (9-12) was issued a No. 9 seed in the Carol Callan Region of the CHSAA Class 4A Girls Basketball State Championships. The Demons will travel to No. 8 Cheyenne Mountain (11-12) for their first-round game Tuesday night in Colorado Springs.
“Our team is wonderful on the road. They are used to it by now with where we live in Colorado,” DHS head coach Nancy Smith said. “We just played three days on the road in the league tournament. We come home for one day and turn around and go back. It won’t phase us.”
DHS took fifth place after being seeded eighth in the Southwestern League/Western Slope League District Tournament in Grand Junction. The Demons felt overlooked when they were issued the lowest seed in the league tournament and hoped the CHSAA seeding committee would think higher of their efforts.
Expecting a seed between No. 10 and 12, Smith was elated to earn a No. 9 seed.
“We have a talented group of girls who have worked hard this year. It is nice to see them recognized,” she said.
If the Demons can win at Cheyenne Mountain, the region’s top seed Pueblo South (21-2) would await them in the second round.
The Demons are averaging 42.6 points per game this year. The Cheyenne Mountain Indians average 39.3 points per game. The Indians may have an advantage in rebounding, however, averaging nearly six more boards a game than the Demons.
“It will be a hard-fought game. They will want it as much as we do,” Smith said. “Knowing my girls and the way they have played this entire year, they will play their hearts out. We expect nothing less.”
Both teams feature young players. Durango has just two seniors on the roster and Cheyenne Mountain carries only three seniors.
“Our freshman have played like sophomores or juniors this season. They are all talented,” Smith said. “We have very fast guards and our post players anticipate well in the bottom of the zone. They will all be ready.”
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
