The 4A Pagosa Springs High School Pirate basketball team is heading into the new season with a new motto: trust.
The Pirates are now under the helm of coach Brandon Forster following the retirement of Wes Lewis after the 2024-2025 season, with Forster acknowledging he’s following in big footsteps.
“I would like to thank our community for this opportunity,” Forster wrote in an email to The SUN, adding, “I see Pagosa Springs as a place where I can build a program that will reflect the hard working background that their families have taught to them. I would also like to thank Wes Lewis for guiding me these last few years in preparation to take the reins of this historic program.”
In taking the helm of the program, Forster explains he met with the team’s seniors to set course.
“Over the summer as a new head coach we held a team meeting with our seniors and they decided that our motto would be TRUST,” he wrote. “This has proven to be instrumental in building our program, we have talked about how this is built within our players, staff and program.”
Forster reiterates in his email that this year is a building year for the team, and the Pirates will look to their six seniors — Creede Dozier, Jerry Dean, Ty Richey, Jayton Ross, Jeremiah Jones and Bode Hubbard — for leadership.
“This year is a building year, we have few players with multiple minutes under their belt as far as Varsity goes,” the coach wrote. “We are lucky to have athletes at every position and hope to capitalize on our abilities to push tempo and play tenacious defense.”
In addition to fielding an athletic, tenacious team, Forster notes the team’s strengths opening the season include its “offensive ability to play team basketball.”
He adds, “We plan on looking for the open shot, playing hard nose defense and bringing our lunch pail to work.”
That work will begin this evening, Thursday, Dec. 4, at 6:30 p.m. when the Pirates host the Delta Panthers at the Wolf Creek Classic.
The game will be the season opener for both teams.
Last season, the Pirates finished with a record of 7-17, while the Panthers went 11-13.
On Saturday, the Pirates will face off against the 3A Gunnison Cowboys at 2:30 p.m. as part of the Wolf Creek Classic, with Gunnison and Delta facing off Friday.
The Cowboys went 10-11 over the 2024-2025 season.
“As the Wolf Creek [Classic] approaches our focus is on the process of getting better,” Forster wrote. “We are working hard on being fundamentally sound, being united and trusting our brotherhood.”
Schedule
The following schedule was accurate as of press time Wednesday, but is subject to change.
Following the Wolf Creek Classic, the Pirates will be back in action on Dec. 13 when they host the Salida Spartans for a 2 p.m. affair.
The team will take part in the Black Canyon Classic in Montrose Dec. 18-20 to close out the 2025 portion of its schedule. At 7 p.m. on Dec. 18, the Pirates will face the 5A Montrose Red Hawks. At 4 p.m. on Dec. 19, the Pirates will take on the 5A Glenwood Springs Demons. At 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 20, the Pirates will match up against the Pueblo Central Wildcats.
The Pirates will open the 2026 portion of their schedule on Jan. 2 and 3, 2026, at the Holy Family Invite in Broomfield, where they will take on the Tigers at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 2 and the Peak to Peak Pumas at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 3.
The Pirates will again be on the road on Jan. 13, 2026, this time to take on the 5A Durango Demons in Durango.
On Jan. 16, 2026, the team will host the 3A Monte Vista Pirates in a 4A/3A Intermountain League (IML) matchup beginning at 7 p.m.
The following day, Pagosa’s Pirates will be back on the road for another league matchup, this time against the 3A Ignacio Bobcats at 4 p.m.
IML play will continue on Jan. 23, 2026, when the Pirates will head to Alamosa for a 7 p.m. game against the Mean Moose, and Jan. 24, 2026, when the Pirates host the Montezuma-Cortez Panthers.
The Pirates will host the 2A Del Norte Tigers at 7 p.m. on Jan. 27, 2026.
IML play will continue on Jan. 30, 2026, when the Pirates host the 3A Bayfield Wolverines for a 7 p.m. affair, and the following day, when the team heads to La Jara for a 4 p.m. matchup against the 3A Centauri Falcons.
The Pirates will be back on the road for a league game at 7 p.m. on Feb. 6, 2026, in Monte Vista, and will host Ignacio the following day at 4 p.m.
The Pirates will again host on Feb. 13, 2026, when the Mean Moose come to town for a 7 p.m. game.
The team will be back on the road the following day to take on the Panthers at 4 p.m. in Cortez.
The Pirates will head to Sanford on Feb. 20, 2026, to take on the 2A Mustangs before hosting Centauri the following day for a 4 p.m. league matchup.
The Pirates will close out the regular season on Feb. 28, 2026, with a league affair in Bayfield that’s set to tip off at 2 p.m.
randi@pagosasun.com
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