Prep teams to open 2000-01 winter seasons

Prep teams to open 2000-01 winter seasons

Nov. 30, 2000

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

Several prep varsity winter sports athletic teams will test the waters as their respective seasons get under way. One other team will wait a few more days before starting the 2000-01 season.

The Colorado High School Activities Association’s Winter Sports seasons officially get under way today, Nov. 30. Montezuma-Cortez High School’s wrestling team hosts nearby Shiprock, N.M., at 7 p.m. in Ron Wright Memorial Gym. The Cortez Triangular, which was originally scheduled to start at 5:30, was reduced to a dual when San Juan High (Blanding, Utah) cancelled at the last minute.

The Panthers, under the guidance of head coach Mike Allison, are led by returning Class 4A State champion senior Cole Allison who is moving up from 160 pounds to 171. Other standouts include state qualifiers Tyler Gray and Jared Carver. They will be joined by seniors Dan O’Neal and Nick Martinez.

Boys and girls basketball takes the spotlight on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1-2. The annual Cortez Tournament gets under way with a girls’ game at 3 p.m. Friday with Farmington JVs taking on Pagosa Springs. Pagosa will tangle with Monticello in the first boy’s game at about 4:45. Delta and MCHS girls tangle at 6:30 and Delta and MCHS boys meet at 8:15. The loser of game 1 takes on the loser of game 3 in the girls’ consolation game at 10 a.m.; loser game 2 battles loser game 4 boys at 11:45; winner game 1 versus winner 3 at 1:30 p.m. in girls’ championship game; and winner 2 vs. winner 4 in boys’ championship at about 3:15.

The Panther boys are led by sophomore point guard Marcus Mortensen, junior post players Kyle Wilson and junior Layne Frazier, sophomore guard-forward Kirk Archibeque, and lone senior Chris Garland. Wade Mortensen is back for another year as head coach. The Panther girls are led by junior post Casey Bauer, guards senior Denise Newlin, sophomore Stefanie Allison, and senior Emilie Lanier. Coaching the girls this season is Stan Yake who takes over for Phil Baca whose contract was not renewed.

That is not the only basketball tournament going on. The annual Bulldog Tournament will be held this Friday and Saturday as well. Because of new fire department restrictions for crowds and condemned locker areas at Dolores County High School Gym, the tournament has been moved to the Mancos Performance Center. The tournament will start at 4 p.m. Friday and at 3 p.m. Saturday. Joining the Bulldogs will be Aztec, N.M. JV boys and girls, Durango C-team girls, and Bayfield varsity boys.

The Bulldog girls are now being directed by coach Kim Young who replaces Jim Buffington who retired from coaching. Top returnees include Rachel Hightower, Krystal Neely, and Tia Wood. The Bulldog boys, guided by second-year coach Scott Crawford, are led by junior Keith Pierce, senior Chris Kail, and senior Terence Gardner.

Mancos and Dolores girl hoopsters are competing at the Monticello Tournament. It is not really a tournament, though, despite being called that. Mancos girls take on host Monticello at 3:30 p.m. Friday and then face Green River, Utah, at noon Saturday. The Dolores girls face Green River at 6 p.m. Friday and meet Monticello at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Mancos, under the direction of Kevin Dimmick, is led by seniors Kerri Morgan and Amanda Kennedy, and juniors Katie Paxton, Rachel Russell, and Lacey Morris. Dolores, coached by Rob Mellott who replaces Greg Buffington who resigned, is led by junior Jennifer Trevillian, sophomore Sarah Neilson, senior wing Amber Simmons, and senior post Ashley Reed.

The Dolores boys, mentored by second-year coach Todd Wynne, will travel to face Durango JVs at 7:15 p.m. Friday and then host Ignacio at 6 p.m. Saturday. Dolores is led by seniors Cody Beaver and Justin Schmitt, plus juniors Aeson Reed, Cullen Zion, Garrett Nielson, plus MCHS transfers Waylon Bennett and Kevin Fane.

The Panther girls swimming team will travel to Montrose for the Montrose Relays beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. The Panthers are led by Sarah Wallace, Amy Green, Kelsey Green, Jessica Millican, Tammy Henry, Tessa Haukeness, and Jasmine Showers.

Dolores County wrestlers, led by coach Shane Baughman, will compete all-day Saturday at the Bayfield Tournament. DCHS is led by junior Casey Spitzer, junior Kyle Riddell and sophomores Kyle Krafka and Randy Curtis.

Mancos High wrestlers, once again guided by Travis Bryant, are led by junior Scott Koppenhafer, senior Mike Montoya, senior Jeremiah Muniz, senior Philip Wilson, soph Daniel Wilson, and junior Kelley Mitchell.

Dolores wrestlers will be at the Kirtland-Central Tournament in Kirtland, N.M. They are led by junior Derek Thompson, senior Kenny Velasquez, soph Shawn Everett, and MCHS transfer junior Tyler Hicks.

The lone team not opening this weekend is the Mancos boy hoopsters. They will begin the season this Tuesday, Dec. 5, at Ignacio.