On many levels, sports are defined repetition. For instance, free throws are always worth one point, four quarters make up an entire football game, and 400-yard dashes never vary in distance.
Within such clearly defined confines, however, exists a constant chance of the unexpected. Spectacular runs and buzzer-beating shots can happen at a moment’s notice, the scintillating start is always second away.
Against this backdrop, numerous prep athletes from Cortez, Mancos, Dolores and Dove Creek laced up their cleats and donned their uniforms, and the nationally recognized motocross star from McElmo Canyon fired up his engine.
Over the course of 12 months, championships were won, records were broken, and legacies were forged in a manner that left athletes raising their arms in exultation and fans craving more.
Here are the top local sports stories in 2018.
From the time that he circled local tracks as a 6-year-old, Cortez native Eli Tomac has found himself at the front of the pack.
Therefore, it was not altogether surprising when the nationally recognized motocross star captured his first 450MX class championship in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Series with a sixth-place finish in Crawfordsville, Indiana, on Aug. 25.
“We went out there and did what we needed to do,” said Tomac, who finished the season 17 points ahead of second-place finisher Marvin Musquin, his main rival. “This has been a long time coming, and it feels amazing to finally accomplish it.”
With his most recent championship, Tomac is now one of a small group of riders who have claimed championships in multiple classes. The Kawasaki-sponsored rider claimed the 250MX motocross series championship in 2014.
He then capped the season by winning the Monster Energy Cup on Oct. 12 and taking home the $1 million bonus by sweeping the three moto races.
“This is just insane. Unbelievable,” the 24-year-old told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I was just full-on – that’s all there was to it.”
In terms of photo finishes during 2018, few were as impressive as that produced by Montezuma-Cortez High School’s Aryelle Wright, who dove across the finish line to capture the Class 3A state title in the 400-meter dash.
The junior’s heart-stopping victory came after a spectacular final 200 meters that saw Wright pass at least two competitors on her way to a school-record time of 57.90 seconds. Wright initially broke the school record as a sophomore with a time of 58.28.
Thanks in part to her state championship performance, Wright was awarded a scholarship to attend the Colorado School of Mines, where she plans to compete as a member of the college’s track team in the fall.
“It was so awesome to watch (Wright) run, and she did such a wonderful job,” M-CHS track coach Jeremy Yarbrough said. “She’s such a strong competitor mentally and physically, and she has a lot of confidence that she can go out and do what needs to be done.”
Over the course of the 2018 regular season, few teams were as impressive as Mancos High School, which rolled to nine consecutive victories and rose as high as No. 2 in Colorado’s eight-man football rankings.
Among the keys to the Bluejays’ success was a hard-hitting style and team-first mentality keyed by all-state quarterback Breccen Morelli, all-state running back Chance Garcia, and a host of others who poured their heart and soul into the Mancos program.
“It’s amazing to be undefeated,” Morelli said, after Mancos defeated Dove Creek 50-16 in its regular season finale. “We have to give credit to our coaching staff, all of our players, our scout team defense in practice.”
While the Bluejays’ season ended on a sour note when they were upset by Merino in the first round of the state playoffs, the team’s historic performance over the course of the year ranks as one of the top storylines of 2018.
Spurred on by a group of talented underclassmen and senior captain Breea Meyer, the Dove Creek High School volleyball team finished its season with a 20-5 record and qualified for the Class 1A state tournament for the first time since 2013.
Among the countless accomplishments for the Bulldogs was a share of the San Juan Basin League Championship and a victory over De Beque in the Class 1A District 1 championship game.
Although the Bulldogs’ season ended with losses to McClave High School and Weldon Valley High School in the state tournament, Dove Creek consistently stood out as one of the area’s scrappiest teams in 2018.
“They don’t let the ball drop,” Mancos head coach Brittney Lang said, after her team was defeated by Dove Creek on Sept. 25. “They’re not afraid to hit the ground.”
After years of struggles that included a two-win season in 2013, the Montezuma-Cortez High School softball team recaptured the magic and qualified for the Class 3A state tournament for the first time in more than a decade.
While numerous players contributed to the Panthers’ success, few were more involved than all-state Presley Frost, who batted .493 and drove in 23 runs while also anchoring her team on the mound with eight wins.
First-year manager Brittney Whiteman also turned heads with no-nonsense leadership style and her ability to draw the best out of players who came from a variety of backgrounds.
“I’m still not sure if (qualifying for state) has sunk in yet,” said senior Mandy McAfee. “To finally get to go to (the state tournament) my senior year means a lot.”
Wrapping up his final season as a member of Dolores High School’s cross-country team, Phillip Huffman finished 12th in the Class 2A State Cross Country Championships and solidified his status as the best cross-country runner in his school’s history.
Over the course of four years, the hard-working Hufman, who became known for his sportsmanship and grit, qualified for state three times and won numerous individual meets, including the Ancient Trails Invitational in Cortez this year.
“The community has been extremely supportive, and my parents and coaches have always been distinctly aware of what I wanted to accomplish,” said Huffman, who will compete for Humboldt State University next season. “They’ve gotten me to the place where I want to be.”
In a year that will be remembered for its individual performances, few singular efforts were equal to that of Montezuma-Cortez High School junior Teagan Whiteskunk, who scored 43 points his team’s victory over Ridgway on Dec. 8.
The guard’s impressive point total broke M-CHS’s school record for points in a game, which was set during a 40-point effort by local legend Davin Bond in 1982. Whiteskunk hit 12 field goals, five 3-point field goals and four free throws.
“It feels great, man,” said Whiteskunk, after the game. “I’ve been trying to get that (record) since last year, and this game, I knew I could get it. I came out fired up.”
Led by a group of talented seniors that began playing together in elementary school, the Montezuma-Cortez High School football capped off a successful season with its first trip to the Class 2A playoffs since 2014.
Among the most impressive wins for the Panthers during the season was a 20-14 road victory over Alamosa on Oct. 5 and a come-from-behind 14-10 victory over Kirtland Central on Aug. 31. M-CHS concluded its season with a 19-14 loss to Bayfield in the first round of the playoffs.
“It was sheer joy,” said senior Kale Hall, when asked what was going through his mind when he found out that his team qualified for the postseason. “We’ve been through everything, all the losses and heartache over the last three years, so to have this group still together making the playoffs is amazing.”
After failing to win a game in 2017 and beginning the 2018 season with seven straight losses, the Montezuma-Cortez High School boys soccer team had every reason to throw in the towel.
Rather than folding however, the Panthers finished their season with six wins in their final eight contests and nearly made the playoffs against all odds. Key to the team’s turnaround was first-year head coach Dawson Emrich, whose ability to bring players together stood out throughout the year.
“(Our players) had a lot of heart and they were battling and fighting,” said Emrich, who starred as a player at Durango High School and was a member of Fort Lewis College’s national championship team. “They were doing all those simple things that we’ve been working on, and they were out there having fun.”
