With a memorable season in the rearview mirror, the Mancos girls basketball team knew that they would have some big shoes to fill. The program’s fifth-place finish in the 2A state tournament – the program’s best state placement – left the next wave of Bluejays hungry for continued success.
Opening their home schedule Tuesday night, Mancos could not keep up with former league foe Ignacio. The Bluejays (0-4) struggled to establish consistency, but showed signs of improvement as the veteran Ignacio cruised to a 43-19 victory.
This is a year of adjustment for the Mancos roster, with most players competing at the varsity level for the first time under new head coach Julie Oliver. She is introducing a new set of offensive plays and emphasized pacing to create a smooth operation.
“I implemented new plays, which they have never ran in the past, so it’s been a run-and-gun quick pace,” she said of the team’s new offensive style. “I’m getting them to slow down and be patient.”
Despite the learning curve, plenty of bright spots, led by some of the Bluejays’ most experienced players, are taking leadership roles on the court.
Senior point guard Randi Lewis returns as one of the most experienced players on the roster, bringing a high energy at both ends of the floor. Junior guard Destiny Kramer is emerging as another leader and will play an important role in the offense this season. Freshman Tinsley Aspromonte emerged as a scoring threat for the Jays from her first steps on the high school campus, while senior Payton Garcia brings a steadying influence to Coach Oliver’s tempo. Senior Teagan Archer and junior Caylee Moore look to add depth at the defensive end as they gain more varsity experience.
In their contest with Ignacio, the Bobcats, led by junior Alyssa Atencio, took a decisive 27-7 lead over the Bluejays going into halftime, thanks to their aggression to the rim and pesky defense.
Mancos came out strong after the break, boosting their man-to-man defense and outscoring Ignacio, 6-4, in an energetic fourth quarter.
Aspromonte and Kramer led the way for Mancos with five points apiece, while Lewis added a pair of buckets for four points.
As the season progresses, head coach Julie Oliver hopes to develop a team that is patient on offense, looking for quality shot opportunities.
“I keep saying patience over and over, but if they are patient with their passes and are able to control the offense on their end, we can get shots off that,” Oliver said. “We need to follow through and finish strong with our shots.”
The Bluejays continue their season at the Cedaredge Invitational this weekend, facing the host team on Friday. They will then travel to the Rye Invitational in Colorado City on over the weekend of Dec. 19-21 to close out their action in 2024.
League play begins in the new year, with a game against the Ouray Trojans on Jan. 9.
In boys action, the Bluejays (0-4), with only six players available, struggled to keep up with the Bobcats' fast offense and double-team defense, losing 72-36.
Ignacio jumped to an early 21-12 lead in the first quarter and extended it to 49-18 by halftime, as the Bluejays began to tire with a short bench. The Bluejays battled for all four quarters, however, outscoring Ignacio 12-8 in the final frame.
Despite battling illnesses and injuries with a few players absent, Coach William Custer praised his team’s effort.
“In that fourth quarter, we played pretty well. I think that’s the best we’ve played all season,” he said. “We were crashing the boards and hustling against our opponent. That never-quit attitude was the big positive.”
The Bluejays will play at the Cedaredge Invitational Friday against the Sierra Grande Panthers in the first round before traveling to the Rye Invitational on Dec. 19-21.
