After the Montezuma-Cortez High School girls basketball team completed its most successful season in recent memory, sophomore Paige Yarbrough and junior Dimery Plewe received Intermountain League all-conference honors.
For Yarbrough, 1st team all-conference recognition came on the heels of a brilliant season that saw the M-CHS sophomore become increasingly comfortable with her team’s offense and consistently dominated the paint area.
Utilizing her 6’0 frame and impressive leaping ability to generate open looks at the basket and outrebound opponents, Yarbrough averaged 7.6 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game over the course of the season.
The sophomore also demonstrated increased comfort on the perimeter as she consistently converted midrange jump shots and even knocked down a 3-point field goal during her team’s 52-37 loss to Alamosa High School on Jan. 18.
Yarbrough’s most impressive offensive performance came against Bayfield on Feb. 20 when she scored 15 points and helped lead her team to a 45-25 victory. The sophomore’s top rebounding performance came when she pulled down 11 boards in her team’s 54-24 win over Monticello on Dec. 4.
After another solid season during which she solidified her status as one of the IML’s top defensive players, junior Dimery Plewe was named all-conference honorable mention.
In addition to her defensive contributions, Plewe aided the Lady Panthers on the offensive end where she served as the team’s primary ball handler and averaged 3.6 points per game, 4.1 rebounds per game and 1.4 steals per game.
While Plewe’s passing abilities were the most recognizable attribute of her offensive game, the junior showed the ability to put the ball in the basket during an outstanding performance against Alamosa High School on Jan. 18 when she scored 11 points.
With their seasons now complete, both Plewe and Yarbrough will return to the practice court in anticipation of next season, which should be a good one for the Lady Panthers given that nearly all of the team’s roster will return.
After years of struggles for the M-CHS girls basketball team, the future of the program appears to be bright.
