CORTEZ – On an afternoon filled with pivotal baskets and timely steals, perhaps one of the greatest moments of the day – maybe even the season – came on a first quarter substitution.
M-CHS senior Kalea Ogo jogged on to the floor from the scorers table, and as the crowd recognized the magnitude of the situation, a gentle murmur turned into a burst of cheers.
The post player took her position in the Panthers press break, trying to hold back tears of emotion – filled with the excitement, nerves, and relief of finally joining her teammates on the floor. Ogo promptly got her first touch of the basketball in a live game in over a month, and did what she’s become so accustomed to during her outstanding career – attack the basket.
A Bayfield defender knocked Ogo to the floor on her drive to the rim, and the crowd held its breath – before Ogo hopped back to her feet with a smile, before heading to the free throw line. Her charity stripe toss, part of a seven-point performance in her debut return from a tibial plateau fracture, sparked a Panthers surge that lifted M-CHS to a 53-41 victory over the Wolverines.
After weeks of rehab following her injury in a contest against Wingate (NM) in December, Ogo erased the thoughts of if – let alone when – she would be able to return to the rotation for the Panthers, and while the senior played limited minutes in her return to action, her impact on the floor reverberated through the M-CHS bench.
“Kalea brings everything together – she’s the consummate teammate – the heart and soul of this team,” said sixth-year head coach Brad Wright after the victory, “and you can see how much more confident everyone is on the floor when she’s out there.”
Classmate Taylor Whited poured in 20 points to lead all scorers, but it was a team effort in the third quarter that inspired a 16-3 run that reversed a 25-23 deficit into a commanding 39-28 lead. Seniors Kayden Lee and Shaylynn Bia canned three-pointers in quick succession as part of the run, and the Panthers (4-11, 1-5 IML) never looked back.
“We had to cut back on our fouls,” said Wright of the swing in momentum back into the Panthers favor after a 10-0 Bayfield run, “we had one of the most emotional timeouts that I’ve called with them, and inspired them to be committed on defense and force turnovers without fouling.”
M-CHS improved to 4-0 on the season when surpassing the half-century in the score column, while stretching their dominance over their IML rivals to nine straight wins. Seven Panthers scored, with freshman Kyndall Schmitt scoring eight and junior Keeley Clarke adding seven points while Bia scored five and sophomore Abigale Baker tacked on a pair of buckets. Just as importantly, M-CHS controlled the glass, with Bia, sophomore Shoshawna Washburn and junior Siana Elliott leading the effort to limit Bayfield second chance opportunities.
“Shay (Bia) was really crashing the boards hard today, was looking to drive to the hoop, and was in the mix when we needed her to be,” said Wright of his senior guard.
Wolverines senior Renae Foutz scored 13 points to pace the visitors (4-11, 0-6 IML) while sophomore Vivien Clance added 10.
For Wright, the win and the return of Ogo to the equation were both steps in the right direction for a team that still has dreams of making the 4A postseason. The Panthers entered the weekend’s action just outside the top 32 teams in the CHSAA Seeding and Selection Index, with opportunities to gain ground with Ogo back in the lineup.
The Panthers look forward to a week of preparation for a sturdy pair of tests this upcoming weekend, when they play host to Centauri (Friday) and Alamosa (Saturday) to continue their eight-game homestand.
Add another chapter to the Panthers-Wolverines boys basketball rivalry. With a top-two spot in the IML standings on the line, M-CHS played from behind for most of their battle with Bayfield before surging in the fourth quarter to seize a hard-fought victory.
M-CHS (13-4, 5-1 IML) trailed by as many as 11 in the first half, but closed the second quarter on an 8-0 run to climb back to within 29-26. Then, in the second half, a driving bucket from senior Tay Wheat put the Panthers in front, 44-43, for the first time since the opening minutes. From there, the Panthers kept the Wolverines at bay with free throws and timely stops to pick up their fifth win in their past six outings against their La Plata County rivals.
Sophomore Trey Hall kept the Panthers in the game for stretches of the first half, while junior Wyatt Oliver provided a spark off the bench with seven points. However, Bayfield senior Cooper Roderick caught fire from outside to put the Wolverines (10-6, 4-2 IML) on the front foot through the majority of three quarters. When the Panthers needed it, however, their seniors stepped up, with Caidin Leonard scoring 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter while Wheat added all eight of his points in the second half.
Sophomore Asher Bennetts put together a massive day clearing the glass, including several pivotal rebounds in the waning moments to deny the Wolverines second chances to close the gap that M-CHS built at the line. Roderick led all scorers with 23 points, edging out Hall’s 20 markers for game-high honors, while Bayfield’s Hayes Malone added 11 points in the losing effort.
The Panthers have a week to prepare for a colossal battle for first place in the IML standings this upcoming Friday night, when Centauri (16-0, 6-0 IML) pays a visit to The Jungle for a 7 p.m. tip. Centauri dealt the Panthers their lone league loss of the season, 58-41, back on Jan. 17. Fans will look to pack the M-CHS gym for another exciting weekend of Panthers hoops, while the doubleheader will also be available to follow on local radio station 98.7 FM KRTZ and krtzradio.com beginning at 5:30 with the girls contest.
