If the Montezuma-Cortez High School boys basketball team has learned one thing this season, it is that contests featuring Intermountain League opponents are never easy and have a tendency to change in an instant.
With that in mind, the Panthers will face off against Bayfield High School and Alamosa High School this weekend hoping to flip the script and pick up wins against two talented opponents that defeated them earlier this season.
M-CHS’ first game of the weekend will take place at home against Bayfield High School on Feb. 1, and if recent history is any indication, the Panthers will be in for a stiff challenge.
The defending Class 3A State Champion Bobcats have had M-CHS’ number as of late, having won all five meetings between the two teams since the Panthers joined the Intermountain League prior to the 2016 season.
While several factors have contributed to M-CHS’ difficulties against the Bobcats, nothing has been more influential than Bayfield’s ability to play physical defense, thanks to several guards and forwards who are members of the school’s football team.
Also making Bayfield tough to handle is a balanced scoring attack led by senior shooting guard Turner Kennedy, who is averaging 17.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this season. Senior shooting guard Hayden Farmer can also score, as evidenced by his 13.1 points per game.
If the Panthers hope to have success against the Bobcats, they will have to limit their turnovers and shoot high-percentage shots. M-CHS’ ability to deal with pressure in crunch time could also prove key because as Bayfield has shown a knack for late-game comebacks over the years.
In the most recent matchup between the Bobcats and the Panthers on Jan. 12, Bayfield outscored M-CHS 20-11 during a decisive fourth quarter and walked away with a hard-fought 50-48 victory.
Although a win against Bayfield will be difficult for M-CHS to come by, a victory would elevate the Panthers back into the hunt for a league championship. Bayfield currently sits in first place in the Intermountain League with a 10-5 record overall and a 5-1 record in the IML. M-CHS is currently 11-3 overall and 3-3 in IML play.
One day after playing Bayfield, M-CHS will hit the road for what figures to be another challenging matchup against one of the IML’s toughest teams, Alamosa High School.
Featuring several of the IML’s most physical players, Alamosa has shown the ability to dominate the offensive and defensive glass while banging opponents into submission with hard screens and physical defense.
If M-CHS hopes to be successful, big men Cordell Baer and Jens Jorgensen will have to step up in the paint, and juniors Titus Jackson and Teagan Whiteskunk will have to do a better job of containing Alamosa senior Chad Jackson, who scored 23 points in the Mean Moose’s 58-48 victory over this season.
In the event that M-CHS limits Alamosa’s second-chance opportunities, the Panthers could come through with a win. A big game from Whiteskunk could push M-CHS over the top, and such a game is possible given that the junior is averaging 19.6 points per game this season.
While fans should expect a tight contest, smart money is on Alamosa to control the paint and squeak its way to a single-digit victory. Both teams will enter this weekend with a 3-3 record in the IML.
