For the Mancos High School boys basketball team, a road trip through the San Luis Valley that included games against Center High School and Sargent High School proved to be a valuable experience.
Opening the two-game trip against Center on Dec. 14, the Bluejays got off to a quick start and never looked back as they won 55-39. Mancos lead 15-4 at the end of the first quarter and 34-12 at halftime.
Senior Vassar Stephens led the way for Mancos with 19 points and 10 rebounds, and junior Caden Showalter had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Bluejays. Freshman Evan Sehnert and senior Hunter Hoover each scored 6.
The Bluejays second game of their road trip came against Sargent on Dec. 15 and although the game was close throughout the first half, Mancos found itself on the wrong end of a 58-45 final score.
The Bluejays received a boost from Hoover, who scored a season-high 13 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. Sehnert enjoyed the best game of his high school career as the freshman scored 12 points and Stephens scored 10.
Mancos was clearly affected by the absence of Showalter, whose ability to control the paint on both the offensive and defensive end have allowed his team to control the pace of many games over the past two years.
Now 4-2 overall on the season, Mancos will prepare for consecutive contests against large-school competition, as the team will take on Durango at home on Dec. 18 and Montezuma-Cortez on the road on Dec. 20.