Mancos basketball was like a roller coaster ride this week.
The Bluejays soared to the highest of highs Tuesday, beating rival Dolores to earn a spot in the 2A San Juan Basin League, District III tournament as the four-seed.
Then came Friday.
Mancos had to face SJBL regular season champion Ignacio (No. 4, Coloradopreps.com; No. 5, Denver Post). The Bobcats went undefeated in league play, including a convincing sweep of the Bluejays.
Ignacios Adison Jones scored the games first points on consecutive 3-pointers and Mancos trailed early 6-0. The ride from there was low for the Bluejays at Montezuma-Cortez High School.
The Bobcats looked every bit like a top-five team, as they put the pedal to the metal and cruised to a fourth-straight district championship. Mancos never led and lost 65-40. Ignacio (17-4) beat No. 2-seed Ridgway (14-7) on Saturday, 53-41.
The Bluejays had a shot at redemption and regionals on Saturday against No. 3 Telluride in the third-place game. Each team split the regular season with the home squad winning.
However, the up-and-down roller coaster came to a screeching halt. The Miners dug a hole the Bluejays couldnt fly out of, as the Mancos last gasp came up short, 53-42.
The Bluejays posted a 9-13 record under first-year head coach Mike Glover.
Mancos will graduate senior playmakers Trey Gordanier, Kenny Philpot and Jake Driver. Starters Branson Mitchell and Nigel Henry will be back, as well heavy contributors Wyatt Cox and Kolton Miller.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobby@cortezjournal.com.
