Two games into the season, the Mancos High School boys basketball team is rolling.
Opening their season against the Monument Valley (Utah) junior varsity on Dec. 6 in Dove Creek, the Bluejays stormed to an early lead and never looked back, defeating their clearly overmatched opponents, 57-18.
Leading the Bluejays against Monument Valley was sophomore Ro Paschal, who, using a combination of strength and athleticism, scored 18 points.
"Ro Paschal had a good game," said Bluejays' head coach Rodney Cox. "We di a really good job of getting the ball inside to him and Daniel Christianson."
Looking to follow up on their success against Monument Valley, the Bluejays returned to Dove Creek on Dec. 7 and for the second consecutive game, Mancos looked strong.
After taking an 11-9 first quarter lead, the Bluejays continued to apply pressure, extending their advantage to 26-21 entering the half.
Playing high-pressure defense throughout the second half, the Bluejays forced many of Dove Creek's 20 total turnovers in route to a 50-38 victory.
"At times, the defense played really well," said Cox of his team's performance against Dove Creek. "Other times, we gave up too much penetration, but we'll work on that."
After matching up against Navajo Prep on Dec. 17, the Bluejays will begin preparing or weekend home matchups against Aztec (Dec. 12) and Ridgway (Dec. 14).
"We need to work on finishing shots," said Cox. "We can never get good enough on defense."