DOLORES – Entering the first half of the 2019-20 schedule, first-year head coach Justin Schmitt knew his Bears would have to cut their teeth against a stout schedule. Opening the 2A/1A San Juan Basin League schedule against a rebuilt Ignacio program, Dolores battled through growing pains as they fell to the Bobcats, 49-22.
Graduation hit Dolores (1-1) hard as Schmitt took the helm in the offseason, understanding that he was inheriting a program with a wealth of young talent but limited varsity experience. Meanwhile, Ignacio had gone through a year of challenges last season but returned a group of seasoned veterans, prepared to challenge for a league title.
The Bobcats (3-0) needed little time to demonstrate their strengths, smothering the Bears any time Dolores tried to attack the paint and turning Bear miscues into quick points. Dolores struggled to get good looks at the basket in the entire opening quarter and were shutout 14-0 after eight minutes. The lead ballooned to 20-0 before Dolores got on the board, as junior Keagan Ertel-Moralez attacked the rim and scored.
Trailing 26-4 at the break, Dolores brought a higher intensity in the third quarter and began to finally establish a rhythm at the offensive end. The Bears played even with Dolores in the frame, 8-8, with buckets by Ertel-Moralez and sophomore Wyatt Koskie.
The Bears began to limit their turnovers in the second half, which allowed for perimeter opportunities to open up. Junior Kevin Purkat drained a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, while Keegan Spurlock provided a spark off the bench with four points to give the Bears their highest-scoring quarter of the night.
There was little the Bears could do to stop the offensive output of the top three Bobcat scorers. Juniors Brady McCaw and Triston Thompson paced the way with 12 points apiece, while senior Ocean Hunter added 10 points.
Many of the Ignacio buckets came from aggressiveness on the offensive glass, something that Schmitt recognizes his team will need to focus on. “We gave up too many offensive rebounds, which especially against a very good team, makes it hard to win,” Schmitt said.
Ertel-Moralez led the way with 10 points for the Bears, while Purkat and Spurlock each tallied four.
Reflecting on his team’s areas for growth, Schmitt recognizes that his squad will learn with each new opportunity at the highest level. “The jump from junior varsity to varsity is big,” said the Dolores head coach, “Everything is faster, everyone jumps higher, so we’ll have to make those adjustments.”
“These guys will gain some of the instincts that will allow us to be successful,” added Schmidt, “but that takes time to build.”
Dolores will get an immediate opportunity to continue their progression, as they hit the road for the first time this season. The Bears travel to the White River Valley to participate in the Meeker Cowboy Shootout Dec. 12 to 14. Dolores will face off against the host school on Thursday, with games on Friday and Saturday in either the championship or consolation brackets.
Three days after edging Mancos in a non-league matchup at the Meeker Cowgirl Shootout, Dolores returned to the floor for their home opener against Ignacio. The Bears found offense hard to come by against the fierce Bobcat press, as Ignacio took control early en route to a 43-9 win.
The Bears (1-3) got seven points from sophomore Allie Kibel but could not find any consistent rhythm on the offensive end, tallying just two field goals in the contest.
Ignacio (2-1) established a 23-5 lead at halftime, thanks to a balanced scoring attack.
Charlize Valdez ended with game-high honors with nine points for the Bobcats.
A pair of games against De Beque and Plateau Valley await head coach Tiffany Hill’s Bears on Dec. 20 and Dec. 21, which will wrap up their 2019 portion of the schedule.
