CORTEZ – The postseason officially starts in four weeks, but based on the energy surrounding the buildup to Montezuma-Cortez’s clash with Centauri Friday night, Panthers fans could be forgiven for thinking that the playoffs had come early.
With first place in the Intermountain League on the line, M-CHS geared up for a rematch with the Falcons with revenge on their minds from a Jan. 17 defeat in La Jara.
Centauri had other ideas, however, as the visitors jumped out to an early advantage and kept every Panthers run at bay in a 65-51 win that puts Centauri in the driver’s seat for the IML title.
M-CHS (14-5, 6-2 IML) found themselves down by nine after the opening quarter, as the Panthers struggled to find an answer for Centauri senior Troy Sowards, who scored a dozen points in the first half. Classmate Carson Bagwell added 11 of his game-high 24 points as the lead ballooned to 34-20 at the halftime break.
Panthers senior Tay Wheat kept M-CHS in the game with nine of his 13 points before the intermission.
In the second half, Panthers junior Trace Hartsoe put on a third-quarter scoring clinic, accounting for 11 of the team’s 19 points and pulling the hosts within 11 heading into the final eight minutes.
However, the Falcons bounced back with a closeout final frame, bleeding the clock and scoring timely buckets to sustain their double figure lead. Panthers senior Caidin Leonard put up another big second half, scoring all 11 of his points after halftime, but it wasn’t enough to keep Centauri (18-0, 8-0 IML) from remaining unbeaten on the season.
Hartsoe paced the Panthers with 15 points, while freshman Ah-dae Lang and sophomore Trey Hall each added five.
The Panthers will look to rebound with a Saturday meeting at 2 p.m. with Pagosa Springs at M-CHS.
The Panthers (5-13, 1-7 IML) ran into a pair of top 10 teams on The Jungle floor and struggled to keep pace with Centauri and Alamosa in 65-29 and 46-25 defeats, respectively.
Seven Panthers scored against the Falcons, led by senior Taylor Whited’s eight points and freshman Kyndall Schmitt’s seven. Seniors Shaylynn Bia and Kalea Ogo added four points apiece as M-CHS tried to stay in contact with the dynamic Falcons, but Centauri built a 33-17 lead at the break and ran away with the win.
Head coach Brad Wright’s squad has a busy week ahead, facing Mancos (6 p.m.) on Tuesday, Dove Creek (6 p.m.) on Friday, and Pagosa Springs (12:30 p.m.) on Saturday, with all three contests inside The Jungle.
