The Dolores Bears finished near the bottom of the San Juan Basin League last year, but head coach Larry Schwartz has plans to change that this season.
Schwartz, who also coached the Dolores girls basketball team last year, stepped down from that position in order to focus on the boys program. And after finishing with a 4-15 record last season, he’s expecting his team to take a step forward.
The Bears lost six seniors from last year’s team to graduation, including leading scorers and rebounders Ben Lykins and Jalen Balderrama. But senior Tristan Medina and junior Justin Purkat return to lead the 2016-17 squad.
“Tristan Medina at point guard is looking really good,” said Schwartz. “He’s quick, he handles the ball really well, and he’s starting to become the team leader of the group. And Justin Purkat too, same thing with him.”
While Medina and Purkat will likely be asked to shoulder the majority of the offense load, they’ll get help from junior Cris Rudosky in the backcourt, senior Kale Willbanks and junior Brien Crites in the post, and then from a handful of sophomores.
Speaking of his sophomore class, Schwartz said he expects Phillip Hufman and Thaddeus Lee to grow as the season progresses, and then he pointed to Tristen Swagerty, Forest Pejsa and D.K. Smith, saying that their athleticism allows them to slide around and play multiple positions.
“We’ll play up-tempo as much as we possibly can,” he explained. “We have the ability with those 10 kids to change it up on any given night. Their basketball IQ is outstanding. This is kind of the future we’ve been building for, so the time is here and we’re ready and I’m excited for it.”
Schwartz said that youth may be a factor to begin the year, but that he hopes to see his squad learn and grow with each game. Ignacio will likely be the team to beat in the San Juan Basin League again this season, but Schwartz said Norwood returns size inside and that he thinks Telluride is a dark horse to challenge for the league title.
While he said the Bears’ goal for this season is to advance to the regional tournament, he and his team are also working towards their long-term aspirations.
“Our goal is to get into that district tournament and get a game or two and go on to regionals,” he said. “And then step it up again the following year and the following year. This group’s goal is for a year or two from now to be at state, and they’re working towards it.”
Dolores opens the season on Thursday, Dec. 1 at the Sangre de Cristo tournament.