For two consecutive days, Montezuma-Cortez High School’s gymnasiums were alive with the sound of bouncing balls, squeaking shoes and tweeting whistles as 27 teams arrived in Cortez for the third annual Montezuma Storm youth basketball tournament.
Held March 9-10, the tournament hosted boys and girls teams composed of fifth- sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade players from Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. Several local players competed, and coaches and players who were involved in the event agreed that it was a success.
“The tournament was great, and I’m really thankful to the school, the custodial staff, school administrators, parents, grandparents and our community,” said Montezuma Storm co-organizer and coach, Chris Crowley. “I also appreciate the referees, who came from Blanding, Durango, Cortez, and all over the place. We need everyone’s help to make this program work.”
Among the most successful local teams in this year’s tournament were the seventh-grade boys team, which finished second overall in its division, and the eighth-grade girls team, which also finished second overall.
The Storm’s eighth-grade boys team finished in a three-way tie for second place, and the Storm’s fifth-grade boys team finished second after losing a double-overtime thriller to players from the Grand Junction area by a score of 31-30.
One of the many local players who competed in this year’s tournament was seventh-grader Rook Farley, who has played for Montezuma Storm teams for three years and stands out as one of the program’s promising players.
Standing 6-feet-2 and possessing a smooth jump shot, the 13-year-old spoke positively about his experiences as a member of the Storm basketball team before stating that he hopes to continue playing basketball in the future.
“I’ve definitely learned a lot and progressed a lot,” Farley said. “I feel like everyone on my team are pretty good friends. My goal is to be good at basketball.”
Another player who spoke glowingly about his experiences with the Storm was seventh-grader Deron Ethelbah, who said that he has been playing basketball for most of his life, but just recently joined the Storm with hopes of improving his jump shot and seeing the world.
“I like (The Storm) because it’s a travel team, and I hadn’t experienced a travel team before,” Ethelbah said. “I want to keep getting better, and I want to be known for my energy and for being competitive.”
The Montezuma Storm program currently fields boys and girls teams for grades give through eight. Players travel to tournaments throughout the Four Corners region, and teams generally practice two times per week.
Several coaches, including Todd Plewe, Chris Crowley, and Brad Wright help coach and organize teams and according to Crowley, the goals of the current coaching staff extend beyond teaching basketball skills.
“We certainly want players in our program to improve their basketball skills, but first, we’d like to make (players) good young (people),” Crowley said. “We want them to have skills that will help them in their lives going forward as they continue their education and enter the workforce. We want them to have a sense of pride in themselves, their school, and their community.”
Although the Montezuma Storm’s current season wraps up in April, those interested in obtaining more information about the program and upcoming seasons are encouraged to email tiplewe@gmail.com or call 970-560-5609.