After beating Pagosa Springs on Saturday, the Bayfield High School boys basketball team is in a nearly identical position as last year’s squad as the Wolverines head into the 2026 3A state playoffs.
All in all, head coach Damon White Thunder’s gents know what must be done to prolong their season deep into the playoffs. Having finished a fourth-place 6-6 in the 3A/4A Intermountain League and currently standing 14-9 overall, BHS was, as in ’25, seeded 21st in the bracket and will next face No. 12 Colorado Springs St. Mary’s at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
The game will take place 25 miles northeast of El Paso County’s major metropolis in Peyton, meaning the Pirates will likely be well-supported in the stands. Hosting the four-team 3A-Region V event, fifth-seeded PHS (20-3 overall) will get the evening underway battling No. 28 Kersey Platte Valley (10-13) at 5 p.m., and the winning sides will then square off the next afternoon at 1 p.m.
Going 6-4 in February, St. Mary’s, which started the 2025-26 campaign winning seven of eight games, wrapped up regular-season play taking three of their final four. Most recently, the Pirates (16-7 overall, 10-3 3A/4A Tri-Peaks) edged rival Colorado Springs Christian 65-60 on Saturday.
Six-foot, four-inch sophomore guard/forward Bret Stewart and 6-foot, 3-inch sophomore G/F Cruz Artaechevarria each scored 16 points against CSCS, and 6-foot-1-inch senior guard Jeremiah Starr netted 15. Listed at 6-foot-7-inches, 270 pounds, sophomore forward/center Kisean Dawson – who averaged almost 12 points and seven rebounds per game as a freshman, and who currently averages roughly 12 and 6 – finished with nine points but was slowed by four personal fouls.
Putting away Pagosa: Concluding regular-season work Saturday inside BHS Gymnasium, the Wolverines did just enough to clip league archenemy Pagosa Springs 46-44.
Outscored 30-22 after halftime, BHS’ Senior Night start produced a 9-3 lead after one quarter and a 24-14 advantage through two. Junior Duke Ketchum and senior Jeremiah Jones then powered the guests’ rally in the third and fourth frames, with the former hitting all three of his three-point tries and finishing with a game-high 18 points.
Given a starting-lineup spot, BHS senior forward Brody LaVenture got the scoring started with a basket, helping the Wolverines build an early 7-0 advantage. Senior guard/forward Kingston Martinez’s first 2-pointer increased Bayfield’s lead to 9-1 with more than five minutes still remaining in the first quarter.
The Pirates fell even further behind in the second and, trailing 13-3, used a timeout with 5:37 left until halftime. But after the guests closed to 15-10, Wolverine sophomore Harrison Williams drained a needed three-ball, which Martinez followed with a two-pointer and Williams another deuce, rebuilding the locals’ lead at the time to a solidified dozen points.
During the third quarter, the Pirates got as close as 29-27 via a Ketchum trey, but Bayfield junior regular Hayes Malone responded with a triple and junior reserve Henry Ferrell another to help the Wolverines carry a compromised 35-29 lead into the final frame – which Ketchum kicked off with another trey.
Jones struck inside in the fourth and gave the Pirates their very first lead in the contest, 36-35.
With the score tied at 40-40 and less than two minutes left in regulation, Jepson cashed a clutch three, but Ketchum and Jones answered with two-point hoops and put Pagosa Springs up 44-43 with 0:51.6 to go. Malone, however, sank a go-ahead 2-pointer and ultimately sealed the deal by making one of two FTs after being fouled by Dozier.
Playing with four personal fouls, Malone finished the game with 10 points and Jepson nine.
PSHS dipped to 8-4 in league and 11-11 overall, but was still seeded 26th in the 4A state tournament.
Wolverines girls hoops concludes 2025-2026 campaign:
Unable to keep pace with visiting Pagosa Springs, Bayfield High School girls basketball at least had the satisfaction of closing out their 2025-26 season upon their own court Saturday afternoon.
Down 11-3 after one quarter and 25-5 through two, BHS got five points by game’s end from sophomore forward Grace Brown but ultimately fell by a 49-12 margin.
Getting scoring from nine players, PSHS improved to 13-9 overall and a third-place 9-3 in the 3A/4A Intermountain League. Senior Kaila Limebrook finished with a game-high 11 points, and junior Adelyn Hittle joined her in double figures with 10.
The Wolverines finished the season 3-20 overall and 0-12 in the 4A/3A Intermountain League. The good news is, Bayfield only had one senior on the team, so the Wolverines should continue to grow next season.
