The Ignacio Bobcats have elevated their game in the playoffs, and Nicholas Herrera has been at the center, literally, of the team’s surging play going into the state tournament.
Herrera, a 6-foot-5 senior center at Ignacio High School, was a force in the San Juan Basin League and Class 2A Region 1 tournaments in consecutive weekends and is part of a boys basketball team at Ignacio that will travel to the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 2A Boys Basketball State Tournament for a third consecutive season.
The son of Chris and Kathy Herrera is a double-double threat every game, and he had 11 rebounds in each of the team’s regional games in which he averaged 10.5 points. In the regional semifinals, he also added six blocks. He was also a key distributor in the regional championship game, dishing out assists from the high post.
“It’s going to be good for the team going to the state tournament if I can average a double-double,” Herrera said.
IHS head coach Chris Valdez has noticed Herrera’s intense focus in recent weeks and knows he will play a big role if the team is to have success in Pueblo this week.
“The last couple of week’s he’s around the boards and wanting the ball more than he has in the past,” Valdez said. “He’s attacking the basket, and even his free throws are looking better. His all-around focus is where we want it this time of the season.”
Herrera admitted he had a slower start to the regular season than he would’ve liked, and he attributed that to less practice time this summer than in recent years.
“I’ve been getting a lot better, and the whole team has,” he said. “We’re not letting our heads get down and have been a lot more positive.”
Herrera is from a basketball family. His older brother, Alex, graduated from Fort Lewis College in 2015 as one of the greatest players in Skyhawks history. Alex Herrera is currently playing professional basketball in Finland with KTP-Basket. Herrera’s mother also was a collegiate player, and his two younger sisters are also big into basketball.
“It’s been a great basketball experience,” Nicholas Herrera said. “I’ve been playing since I was a little guy in rec leagues in this town, and it’s been great for me all the way up to here.”
In Ignacio’s final homestand of the regular season, Herrera threw down a big slam dunk, his first in a game, and ignited the entire crowd. He hopes he can have a similar moment this weekend.
“It was crazy. Just loud, and I was excited,” Herrera said of his dunk. “It’s a momentum changer and a way to get us going to push for a win.”
First up for Ignacio in the state quarterfinals against Holyoke, the team that defeated Alex Herrera’s 2010 Ignacio Bobcats team in the state championship. If the Bobcats are to advance to the state semifinals and get a third consecutive matchup with No. 1 Sanford in the state semifinals, a matchup Ignacio has lost two consecutive seasons en route to a third-place finish at state, Valdez knows it will take a big effort from the big man.
“We can’t win without a post that’s ready to go,” Valdez said. “Him and Austin (McCaw) have gotten better every week. If they can play their best this weekend, we have a great chance.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
Behind the scenes
What is your favorite song to listen to before a game: “Kickstart My Heart,” by Mötley Crüe
do you have a nickname: Neek Neek
what is your favorite video game: NBA2K
what is your favorite outdoors activity: Hunting, fishing, hiking, I like anything outdoors.
What is your favorite animal to hunt: Elk or deer
who is your favorite basketball player: I don’t really watch basketball, honestly.
if you could take a vacation after the season, where would you go: Hawaii
where is your favorite place to take a date: Maybe out to the lake, sit there and eat dinner, watch the sunset and fish.
