Equipped with solid guards and impressive big men, the Mancos High School boys basketball team has the look of a state tournament-caliber team.
To advance to Colorado’s big dance, however, the Bluejays will have to score consecutive upset victories in the Class 2A Region 8 Tournament in Denver, which will take place, March 2-3.
Mancos’ first game at regionals will take place against No. 8 seed Sanford High School, which owns a record of 17-5 overall and defeated Del Norte, 52-42, in the Class 2A District 1 Championship last weekend.
The Bluejays will enter the contest with a 15-6 record overall and a 9-4 record against San Juan Basin League competition during the regular season.
While Sanford’s roster lacks size and contains only one player standing over 6-feet-1 inch tall, the Southern Peaks League Champions are known as a team that can push the pace and score in transition. Thus, the ability of Mancos’ guards Sonny Webb, Caleb Yoder, and Christian Cova to limit Sanford’s fast break opportunities will be key.
Also figuring to play a key role for Mancos will be sophomore forward Caden Showalter, who averaged a team-high 16.6 points this season, but scored just 2 points in his team’s loss to Ignacio last weekend.
In the event that Showalter is able to establish himself down low against undersized Sanford defenders, the sophomore big-man could play the role of game changer and lead his team to an upset victory.
With a win over Sanford, Mancos would advance to a regional championship matchup against the winner of a contest between Sedgewick County and Rocky Ford on March 3. A win in that game would guarantee Mancos a spot in the Class 2A State Tournament, which is scheduled to begin in Denver on March 8.
