After solid regular seasons during which they each registered numerous victories, the Montezuma-Cortez High School basketball teams will host district tournament games in Cortez on Feb. 20. The games, which had been scheduled for Feb. 19, were moved to Feb. 20 because the visiting teams face adverse weather conditions.
According to M-CHS, the Panthers will host the Monte Vista Pirates in Cortez at 5 p.m. Wednesday. The lady Panthers will host the Bayfield Wolverines at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Seeded third in the six-team District Tournament, the M-CHS boys will open against sixth-seeded Monte Vista High School in a game that figures to be exciting from start to finish and could easily be decided in the final minutes.
The matchup will be the third between the two teams this season. M-CHS defeated Monte Vista 72-63 on Jan. 25, and Monte Vista defeated M-CHS 63-62 on Feb. 9. Panthers junior Teagan Whiteskunk averaged 19.5 point per game against the Pirates.
M-CHS will enter the contest with a 14-5 overall record and a 5-5 record in the Intermountain League. Monte Vista will tip off with an 8-11 record overall and a 3-7 record against IML opponents.
To be successful against Monte Vista, M-CHS will have to keep Pirates guards outside the paint while limiting second-chance opportunities. While Monte Vista lacks size down low, guard David Mascarenas presents a venerable challenge as the senior is adept at driving past defenders and dishing to teammates for easy buckets.
Monte Vista’s five-out offense relies on ball movement to create open looks for its shooters, and the Pirates are at their best when the pace of the game speeds up. M-CHS’ advantage figures to lie in its half-court offense, and in the event that seniors Cordell Baer and Jens Jorgensen can approach double figures in scoring, the Panthers will be in business.
While fans can expect an exciting contest, M-CHS’ talented roster should be enough to carry the Panthers to a victory by a final score of 69-58. In the event that the Panthers win on Feb. 20, the team will take on Bayfield High School at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 22.
M-CHS’ game against Monte Vista will begin at 5 p.m. on Feb. 20.
Seeded fourth in the six-team District Tournament, the M-CHS girls will open against fifth-seeded Bayfield High School in a game that could go either way.
In the first matchup between the two teams this season, M-CHS lost 53-47 on Jan. 12. The Lady Panthers turned the tables and defeated Bayfield 44-31 on Feb. 1. M-CHS will enter the contest with a 7-12 record overall, and Bayfield will enter the contest with a 7-12 record overall.
Among the keys to victory for both M-CHS and Bayfield will be limiting turnovers and controlling the pace of the game. Both teams have had the most success this season when they have set been able to set up their half-court offenses and ball control figures to be key.
While both teams’ rosters are similar in makeup, M-CHS will have the game’s most talented post player in Paige Yarbrough, who has averaged 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game this season.
M-CHS may also have an advantage at the guard position thanks to Hayden Leggett, Taelynn Comisky, Dimery Plewe, and Ayanna Silas, who have shown marked improvement over the course of the year.
X-factors in the contest could be Bayfield’s Macee Schultz, who has averaged 7.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and M-CHS’ Malia Begay, who has shown an ability to spark her team with high-energy defense and scoring.
While the game between the Lady Panthers and the Bobcats will likely be close throughout, M-CHS has showed more improvement over the course of the regular season and will likely walk away with a 47-42 victory.
In the event that M-CHS defeats Bayfield, the Lady Panthers will host Pagosa Springs on Feb. 22. M-CHS’ contest against Bayfield is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 20.
This article was reposted on Feb. 18 to update the playoff schedule.
