Montezuma-Cortez senior Sariah Jackson closed out her career as the Panthers fell in their regional round opener against Berthoud. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal
M-CHS girls push No. 9 Berthoud to the limit, Dolores boys fall to second-half Vail Christian run
4A girls Alamosa regional
No. 9 Berthoud 62, No. 24 M-CHS 48
Montezuma-Cortez (11-13) pushed the Berthoud Spartans to the limit, leading by as many as eight points in the first half and holding their lead well into the third quarter before a fourth-quarter Berthoud run sealed their upset bid. Senior Sariah Jackson’s strong shooting kept the Panthers pressing early, while the Panthers clamped down on Spartans’ leading scorer Sofia Sigg.
M-CHS’ third straight postseason berth capped a campaign with double-digit wins and continued growth in the Intermountain League and 4A classification, while also closing the careers of three Panther seniors.
2A girls Plateau Valley regional
No. 6 Plateau Valley 54, No. 27 Mancos 22
Cowboys junior Presley Hawkins set the tone with four first-quarter 3-pointers on her way to a game-high 16 points as the regional hosts built a 33-10 halftime lead and never looked back. Mancos sophomore Tinsley Aspromonte scored 10 points to lead the Bluejays, while seniors Destiny Kramer and Caylee Moore combined for 10 in the loss.
Mancos (10-10) and its three senior leaders capped a season that saw the Bluejays climb back among the top teams in the San Juan Basin, reaching the postseason for the fifth time in six years.
No. 11 Del Norte 47, No. 22 Dove Creek 26
Del Norte junior Emma Parra posted a career night in Collbran with 32 points, including five 3-pointers, to send the Tigers into the Sweet 16. Dove Creek (14-9) kept pace in the first half, outscoring the Tigers 10-9 in the second quarter to stay within 19-12 at halftime.
Parra scored 12 in the third quarter to push the lead to double digits, and Dove Creek couldn’t close the gap. Senior Hadley Hatfield led the Bulldogs with 11 points, while classmate Taylor Hampton added eight, leading a group of four graduates closing their careers with the program’s ninth straight winning season.
2A boys Vail Christian regional
No. 7 Vail Christian 70, No. 26 Dolores 53
The Dolores Bears (13-11) stayed with the host the Vail Christian Saints through the first half, cutting a 14-point deficit to five late in the second quarter behind a 3-pointer from junior Dylan Archibeque. Vail Christian opened the second half with a 20-8 run to pull away and halt the Bears’ upset hopes.
Dolores sends off two seniors after the program’s first 2A playoff appearance since 2019 and its highest win total since 2013.
