After three years, Montezuma-Cortez High School varsity boys basketball team is making a return to the Class 4A State Basketball Tournament in Denver. After a two-year absence, the Mancos boys are going back to the Class 2A State Basketball Tournament in Pueblo.

The Class 4A boys tourney will be played this Thursday through Saturday, March 8-10, in the Pepsi Center. The Class 2A boys tournament will be played in the Pueblo Events Center.

The no. 12 seeded Panthers (17-7 overall), after upsetting no. 5 seeded Valley 64-54 Friday night in Gilcrest (see related story), earned the right to take on Adams City (22-2) in the quarterfinals at 8:30 p.m. Thursday night. In the opposite bracket, top-seeded Mitchell (21-3) battles no. 8 seed Pueblo South (20-4) at 5:10. On the other side of the bracket no. 18 Sierra (12-12) tangles with no. 7 Widefield (18-6) at 3:30 and no. 14 Steamboat Springs (21-3) meets no. 11 Lewis-Palmer (20-4) at 6:30.

If the Panthers win, they will play at 3:30 p.m. Friday in the semifinals. If they lose, it means a long trip back to Cortez and wait until next year. The other semifinal game is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. Friday. The championship game is set for 4:15 p.m. Saturday.

The Blue Jays (12-6), who recorded a mild upset over North Park 57-53 on Saturday afternoon in Grand Junction (see related story), battle Jefferson Academy (22-1) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Nucla (20-2) takes on Limon (15-4) at 10:15 a.m. On the other side of the bracket, Swink (22-0) faces Evangelical Christian (18-4) at 8:30 p.m. while Sange de Cristo (22-1) meets Riverview Christian (20-3) at 1:15 p.m.

The Jefferson Academy-Mancos winner plays the Nucla-Limon winner at 8:30 p.m. Friday in the semifinals. The losers of those game meet at 10:15 a.m. in the consolation bracket. The winner of the Swink-Evangelical Christian and the winner of the Sangre de Cristo-Riverview Christian play at 5:30 p.m. Friday while the losers play at 1:15. The consolation game is set for 10:15 a.m. Saturday, the third-place game at 1:15 and the championship at 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are now on sale for the 2001 Colorado High School State Basketball Championships are now available.

Tickets can also be purchased by phone through TicketMaster (930-8497. And tickets may also be purchase starting this Thursday at The Pepsi Center box office. A box office fee of $1.50 will be charged. The Class 4A boys quarterfinals (3:30, 5:10, 6:50 and 8:30 p.m.) will get under way with reserved tickets only. Adult premium seats are $10 while upper level are $8 children and $7 seniors.