MANCOS – Something old, something new, the Mancos boys basketball team looks to borrow their recent recipe for success to make sure that the top of the San Juan Basin League stays blue.
The 2023-24 Bluejays enjoyed a strong season with a tenured roster, earning an 18-5 overall record that placed them atop the 2A/1A San Juan Basin League in the process. The Bluejays capped their season with an eight-game winning streak before losing to Limon in the 2A Sweet 16, the program’s sixth straight trip to the Round of 16.
This year, Mancos will debut a young roster with head coach William Custer at the helm for his first full season.
“We lost a lot of talent since last year with departing seniors who helped establish a very successful program,” said Custer, who coached the Bluejays in their state postseason run after having guided the Mancos junior varsity program for most of the year. “But we are confident in the group of younger guys to continue to be the most competitive group we can.”
The Bluejays faced difficulty in the off-season transition to new leadership but are hopeful about the upcoming standouts who have stepped up to fill the gap left by last season's seniors.
Class of 2025 leader Spencer Eschallier returns as one of the most experienced Jays, having averaged six points per game in his action as a versatile guard and forward position. Classmate Seth Oakes, coming off a fantastic football season, looks to enjoy an elevated role in the Bluejay offensive schemes, while sophomores Gavin Smith and James Potts and junior Miguel Derizotis will also make the jump to the varsity floor full-time this year.
“We are establishing the culture we want to have in our basketball programs,” added Custer, “and I believe this is something that started in the summer and will continue to grow throughout our season.”
For a program that enjoyed a high-pressure defense and potent perimeter game, Custer hopes that this group will be able to keep that brand of intensity that has turned Mancos into one of the most consistent small school programs on the Western Slope.
With that motor driving the Jays, the learning curve will begin as the Mancos new lineup will be tested in three upcoming tournaments, during which Custer aims to establish a team identity.
“I fully expect us, as a team, to understand the type of team we are and what we are capable of achieving by the end of that third tournament if not sooner,” said Custer. “We will have an identity and know what we can expect from ourselves as we go into 2025.”
The Bluejays will open their season with Sargent on Thursday as part of the Mountain Top Tournament in La Jara from Dec. 5-7, before facing off with the tournament hosts Centauri on Friday and Dove Creek the following day.
Mancos will play former league rival Ignacio for the home opener on Dec. 10 at Bluejay Fieldhouse, and from there, the Jays will travel to Cedaredge for a tournament on the weekend of Dec. 13-14, then head to Colorado City for the Rye Holiday Classic over the weekend of Dec. 19-21.
League play officially begins after the calendar turns to 2025, as the Jays head to Ouray on Jan. 9, before hosting their first league contest on Jan. 11 against Nucla. The Bluejays will wrap up regular season play with a Senior Day home contest against their Highway 184 rivals Dolores on Feb. 21.
Ben Bradley contributed to this story.
