Friday, Mar 14, 2014 12:12 PMUpdated Friday, Mar. 14, 2014 3:49 PM
Sanford upsets No. 1 Ignacio in the Class 2A state semifinals
Clayton Jefferson went to the deck to pick up a steal, then fed Adison Jones for a field goal in the second half of the state semifinals Friday night in the CHSAA Class 2A Boys Basketball State Championships. Ignacio, however, needed a few more of those to reach the championship game.
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald
Clayton Jefferson and the top-ranked Ignacio Bobcats couldn’t get past No. 4 Sanford in the state semifinals Friday at the Massari Arena in Pueblo. Sanford beat Ignacio 47-37.
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald
Kelton Richmond and the Ignacio Bobcats struggled to score points in their state semifinal against No. 4 Sanford on Friday night in Pueblo. They scored two points in the first quarter and nine by the half in a 10-point loss.
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald
Justin Carver and the Ignacio Bobcats struggled to get to the rim, trailed 19-9 at the half, then lost their state semifinal 47-37 to Sanford on Friday at Massari Arena in Pueblo.
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald
No. 4 Sanford knocked Justin Carver and the No. 1 Ignacio Bobcats down and out of the Class 2A championship mix with a 47-37 victory Friday night at Massari Arena in Pueblo. Ignacio will have to pick itself up for a 4 p.m. game Saturday for third place at the CHSAA Class 2A Boys Basketball State Championships’ Great Eight.
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - Ignacio High School senior forward Kelton Richmond attempts a shot in the first half of the semifinal of the 2014 CHSAA State Boys Basketball Championships-Class 2A on Friday night in Pueblo.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - Ignacio High School junior forward Adison Jones wrestles with Sanford High School sophomore forward Chance Canty during the semifinal of the 2014 CHSAA State Boys Basketball Championships-Class 2A on Friday night in Pueblo.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - Ignacio High School senior guard Clayton Jefferson steals the ball from Sanford High School sophomore guard Miles Caldon in the second half of the semifinal of the 2014 CHSAA State Boys Basketball Championships-Class 2A on Friday night in Pueblo. Jefferson then passed to junior forward Adison Jones who was able to score.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - Ignacio High School sophomore guard Tucker Ward passes while being defended by Sanford High School junior guard Adam Romero during the semifinal of the 2014 CHSAA State Boys Basketball Championships-Class 2A on Friday night in Pueblo.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - Officials called a foul on Ignacio High School senior center Justin Carver after he got in the way of Sanford High School sophomore guard Miles Caldon on his way to the basket in the second half of the semifinal of the 2014 CHSAA State Boys Basketball Championships-Class 2A on Friday night in Pueblo. Caldon scored on a free throw as a result.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - Ignacio High School senior center Justin Carver scores late in the second half of the semifinal of the 2014 CHSAA State Boys Basketball Championships-Class 2A on Friday night in Pueblo. At left is Sanford High School junior post Brett Crowther, and at right is sophomore guard Miles Caldon.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - Ignacio High School sophomore guard Anthony Manzaneres in the semifinal of the 2014 CHSAA State Boys Basketball Championships-Class 2A on Friday night in Pueblo.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - Ignacio High School sophomore guard Wyatt Hayes collides with Sanford High School sophomore forward Griffen Peterson on the way to the basket in the second half of the semifinal of the 2014 CHSAA State Boys Basketball Championships-Class 2A on Friday night in Pueblo.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - Ignacio High School senior guard Clayton Jefferson drives past Sanford High School sophomore guard Miles Caldon during the semifinal of the 2014 CHSAA State Boys Basketball Championships-Class 2A on Friday night in Pueblo. The Indians defeated the Bobcats 47 to 37.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - Ignacio High School senior guard Bo Ward in the second half of the semifinal of the 2014 CHSAA State Boys Basketball Championships-Class 2A on Friday night in Pueblo.
PUEBLO
None of the Ignacio High School boys basketball players exiting the locker room wanted to hear, “Good job,” or, “It was a great season.”
They wanted nothing more than to simply leave Massari Arena on the CSU-Pueblo campus after losing to Sanford 47-37 in the semifinals of the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 2A Boys Basketball State Championships.
The loss ended Ignacio’s unbeaten season and its chance at the state title.
“I’m not going to take away from anything we did this season,” IHS head coach Chris Valdez said. “We went 24-0; our school’s never done that before.”
That undefeated start granted the Bobcats the No. 1 seed in the state tournament, but that didn’t help them against No. 4 Sanford (25-1) and the Indians’ defense.
Sanford held IHS (24-1) to 14-of-44 shooting and 4-of-18 from behind the 3-point line.
“They have a great defense, but we didn’t really execute,” IHS forward Adison Jones said. “Our shooting wasn’t on (Friday).”
Sanford scored the game’s first six points and led 10-2 after the first quarter. The Indians stretched that margin to 10 at halftime, leading 19-9.
Sanford primarily flexed its muscle on the boards, outrebounding the Bobcats 32-19 in the game.
Ignacio’s defense played well late in the first quarter and forced Sanford into 14 turnovers. It helped the Bobcats mount a comeback in the second half.
Senior Clayton Jefferson cut the Bobcats’ deficit to four late in the third quarter, but Sanford responded with a layup and free throw from Miles Caldon to stretch it back out to seven.
The Bobcats never called that close again.
“We thought we had it, and we just relaxed,” Jones said. “We needed to put the pressure back on.”
Jones tied for the team scoring lead with Anthony Manzanares; both players had seven points.
Chance Canty led Sanford with 12 points and seven rebounds. He was the beneficiary of several inbounds plays that freed him under the basket and buried any chance of an IHS comeback.
“You can’t do that against a good team and expect to win,” Valdez said.
The Bobcats’ first loss of the season drops them into the third-place game at 4 p.m. Saturday, where they’ll play No. 2 Lutheran, which lost 64-57 to No. 3 Akron in the other semifinal.
Akron and Sanford will play for the the Class 2A state championship at 7 p.m. Saturday.
IHS last played in the third-place game in 2011 when they lost by two points to Yuma to finish fourth best in class.
“They have to be ready. You’ve got seniors there, and this is their last stand,” Valdez said. “This means something to us, for our seniors and all these kids. I believe in these kids. I’ve believed in them all year.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
Class 2A Great Eight
High School Basketball
CHSAA Class 2A Boys Basketball State Championships
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