The Mancos Blue Jays’ future was uncertain after their 80-38 loss to the Dove Creek Bulldogs on Friday.
“I kind of thought the season was over,” said senior quarterback Drew Morgan. “I got myself really emotionally prepared to have played my last game.”
Speaking with the team after the game, coaches Josh Gardner and Bill Parsons didn’t know if the Blue Jays’ season was over, or if they would be selected to continue into the playoffs.
“I told those guys we’ve got a chance,” Gardner said. “But if not, that’s the way life is. But I was very proud of them for the season.”
Then came the waiting period.
Following the game on Friday, the Blue Jays could do nothing but anticipate the release of the 2015 8-man playoff bracket.
And on Sunday afternoon, CHSAA announced the selections, with Mancos inked in as the 15-seed and scheduled for a first-round game against No. 2 Norwood.
“I was just kind of overwhelmed,” said senior Andrew Plunkett. “Because our chances of getting in were kind of small. So just hearing that we were going to be able to redeem ourselves was pretty great.”
The Blue Jays not only have a renewed outlook and an opportunity to continue their season, but they have a rematch against the Mavericks, whom they lost to in their season opener.
“We know what they’re going to bring to the table,” said Morgan. “And we’ve already prepared for them.”
“They’re just fundamentally sound,” said Parsons. “They do the same things over and over because they’re really good and they can block it. They can do what they want to do to beat you.”
“We’re ready,” he continued. “We know what they do, we’ve just got to stop it.”
The Blue Jays plan for Bowen Strazza-Whalen and Richard Martinez return to the lineup, and there is a chance that sophomore Kaleb Hargraves could return after suffering a broken collarbone nearly a month ago.
The Blue Jays dropped their first game against Norwood, 50-12, but they have improved as the season has gone along.
“We’re a completely different team than when we played Norwood the first time,” said Morgan. “So it should be a good game. If we play our game, we could end up beating them.”