Teams from Durango, Bayfield and Ignacio high schools start their winter sports seasons this week, with several squads packing in multiple competitions to get going.
The Durango and Ignacio boys and girls basketball teams will compete in the Centauri Mountain Top Classic tournament, which began Thursday in La Jara.
In the boys bracket, Durango was scheduled take on Cedaredge in the first round at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The winner will take on the winner of Rocky Ford and Centauri in the semifinals Friday.
On the opposite side of the bracket, Ignacio was scheduled to play Sargent at 8:30 p.m. Thursday. The winner will play Rye or Olathe in the semifinals Friday.
The girls bracket is the same as the boys’, but with different game times. Durango plays Cedaredge at 4 p.m. Thursday, and Ignacio plays Sargent to begin the tournament at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Bayfield basketball teams will tip off their seasons at the NorCo tournament in Eaton and play a trio of teams from the 3A Patriot League. Bayfield’s boys and girls will both begin the tournament against Eaton Thursday night, then play Platte Valley on Friday and Valley on Saturday.
In the pool, the Durango girls swimming team will race in back-to-back-to-back days, beginning Thursday with two days in Glenwood Springs and followed by a competition in Grand Junction.
On the mat, four wrestling teams will get their seasons going this weekend.
The Durango boys wrestling team will compete at Grand County High School’s tournament on Friday and Saturday in Moab, Utah.
The Durango girls’ wrestling team will head to Pueblo Central for a tournament on Saturday.
Bayfield wrestlers will start their season on its home mat Friday. The Wolverines will grapple with Pagosa Springs at 6 p.m. to get their season going.
The Ignacio boys wrestling team will head to Grand Junction to compete in the Mesa Duals on Saturday at Colorado Mesa University. Ignacio’s girls wrestling team, meanwhile, will begin its season Dec. 11 at the Bloomfield (N.M.) Invite.
The Durango varsity hockey team will be in action Saturday on its home ice at the Chapman Hill Ice Rink. The team will host the Albuquerque Bears in a doubleheader, with the first pucks dropping at 12:15 and 6:45 p.m.
