BAYFIELD – A league title, a postseason berth and a lot of pride were on the line as Montezuma-Cortez and Dove Creek closed out their regular seasons this weekend.
Little did schedule-makers know that the Demons-Bulldogs clash Thursday night in Ridgway would be a league championship game. The high drama in front of a boisterous crowd presented the makings of a game that would determine the San Juan Basin League winner.
Dove Creek (16-7, 10-2 SJBL) turned an early 15-11 deficit around with a 12-2 run early in the second quarter to establish control. It was a lead they held until the dying moments of the game, even as the Demons rallied.
Bulldogs junior Jonathan Davis made a free throw with 10 seconds remaining to put D.C. in front 47-45, only for Ridgway senior Patrick Megahee to score a bucket and draw a foul with one second left. The Demon converted the three points to lift Ridgway (13-8, 11-1 SJBL) to the stunning victory and a league crown.
The Bulldogs (18-5, 10-2 SJBL) closed out the league slate without difficulty with their road win over the Demons (12-8, 7-5 SJBL).
Both Dove Creek squads entered the weekend ranked No. 16 in their respective 2A fields in the CHSAA Seeding and Selection Index, and will await their respective destinations for the regional round of the 2A tournament on Friday and Saturday, March 7-8.
The Panthers girls (7-16, 3-9 IML) entered the final regular season game with Bayfield knowing they had to win and would likely need some help to move into the top 32 spots in the 4A classification. M-CHS held up their end of the bargain with a dominant win over the Wolverines on Friday night behind 32 points from senior Taylor Whited.
The visitors owned the game from the tip, building a 21-2 lead after eight minutes and cruising from there, allowing head coach Brad Wright to get his bench plenty of action. Four seniors scored in what might be their final games of their careers, with Kalea Ogo tallying six points, while Shaylynn Bia added five, and Savannah Billings scored a bucket to join Whited’s torrid evening.
M-CHS, who entered the night No. 33 in the 4A standings, will learn their fate when CHSAA releases their final bracket on Sunday.
A cold shooting night plagued the Panthers in their grudge match on Bayfield’s Senior Night. M-CHS (17-6, 9-3 IML) and Bayfield (13-8, 6-4 IML) traded the lead through much of the night, with Bayfield leading at the half, 21-19, only for the Panthers to wrestle the lead back, 29-27, through three quarters.
Bayfield had the last laugh, however, courtesy of a big fourth quarter from senior Lincoln Williams, whose 13 points helped the Wolverines build their biggest lead, 45-38, with two minutes to go.
Panthers freshman Ah-dae Lang found a rhythm from beyond the arc, scoring 11 to lead the charge with senior Tay Wheat, but the Panthers’ cold shooting kept them from a season sweep of their IML rivals.
M-CHS entered the weekend as a top 10 team in the 4A standings, and will see where they will head next Friday and Saturday for their postseason assignments.
