After Titus Jackson swatted down an Alamosa shot attempt to clinch the Intermountain League District Championship for the Montezuma-Cortez High School boys basketball team, the cheers inside the Panthers’ home gymnasium were louder than they have been in more than a decade.
Energy permeated the court as players mobbed Jackson near the team’s bench and exchanged high-fives and hugs. Head coach Michael Hall let out a sigh of relief and all around the gym, smiles abounded.
Now less than a week after M-CHS’ big win, players and coaches have shifted their focus to the No. 7 seed Panthers’ upcoming regional matchup against No. 26 La Junta High School, which is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
In the event that M-CHS is victorious, the team will advance to a matchup against the winner of a contest between No. 23 University High School and No. 10 Centauri High School, which will take place in Cortez at 1 p.m. Saturday.
While predicting the results of postseason matchups is always difficult given the varying levels of competition across the state, below are a few things that fans should watch for as the Panthers enter a do-or-die weekend and continue their quest for a state championship.
La Junta is physical and athleticWhen M-CHS takes the court for its game on March 1, it will be joined by a group of players from La Junta High School who are athletic, capable and hungry to atone for an opening-round loss in last year’s state tournament.
Although La Junta’s 14-9 overall record and 7-5 record in the Tri-Peaks League does not necessarily strike fear into its opponents, several athletic multisport athletes should give the Panthers cause for concern.
Among La Junta’s most skilled players is senior Jon Nuschy, who has averaged 13.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this season. Although Nuschy is just 6 feet tall, he is known for his physicality and athleticism and quarterbacked his school’s football team to two state championships during his high school career.
Joining Nuschy on the court for La Junta will be junior Chance Oquist, who averaged 11.6 points and 8.7 points per game and starred for his school’s baseball team last season as a hitter and a pitcher.
While M-CHS’ front court of seniors Cordell Baer and Jens Jorgensen should have an advantage over La Junta’s undersized front-court players, the Panthers will need to work hard to maintain their positioning in the paint and keep La Junta’s athletes off the glass.
With both teams riding winning streaks entering the contest and players on both sides feeling confident about their chances, fans should expect an exciting contest defined by the intensity that comes from competing in a playoff atmosphere.
In the end however, M-CHS’ talent and offensive firepower should win out as junior Teagan Whiteskunk (17.5 ppg), Baer (11.5 ppg), junior Titus Jackson (11.5 ppg) and senior Michael Diaz (9.6 ppg) will overwhelm the La Junta defense and lead the Panthers to a 67-54 victory.
University and Centauri present intriguing championship matchups
If M-CHS defeats La Junta on Friday, the Panthers will play the winner of a matchup between Centauri High School (17-4 overall, 8-2 in IML) and University High School (14-8 overall, 6-4 in Patriot League) in a regional championship game in at 1 p.m. Saturday in Cortez.
A matchup with Centauri present a familiar challenge to M-CHS as the two teams faced off twice earlier this year. M-CHS won the initial meeting, 64-57, and Centauri won the season’s second matchup, 70-41.
University, on the other hand, would present a new challenge for the Panthers, who have not matched up against the Greeley-based school in several years. Challenges presented by University include figuring out how to contain freshman Tayt Chacon (16.2 ppg), junior Jaden Humphrey (11.6 ppg and junior Andre Chacon (11.5 ppg).
Regardless of which team M-CHS plays in the event that it advances, the Panthers will need to take care of the basketball and limit their turnovers in order to capture a regional championship and advance to the Elite 8 in Colorado’s 3A classification.
Given M-CHS’ mix of athletic guards, physical posts, and never quit attitude however, expect the team to put on a show for its home fans this weekend while reminding teams around the state that Southwest Colorado’s top program will not go down without a fight.
