The Pagosa Springs High School Pirate basketball team embarked upon what coach Wes Lewis predicted would be the toughest stretch of its season Dec. 19-21 in Montrose, withstanding a trio of competitive losses to seasoned 5A opponents at the Black Canyon Classic.
“I told them after the Wolf Creek [Classic] that we were entering the five-toughest-game stretch of our season on the whole year,” Lewis recalled, casting an eye to the Montrose tournament as well as the Holy Family Invite scheduled for Jan. 3 and 4, 2025.
“Those five games, hands down, are going to be the five toughest … of our season,” Lewis said.
The results in Montrose bore out Lewis’ prediction.
Against their Red Hawk hosts Dec. 19, the Pirates were limited to nine points in the game’s first half and trailed by 21 points heading into the locker room for halftime.
The Pirates outscored the Red Hawks throughout the second half of play, but that effort was not enough to overcome the early deficit.
Montrose defeated Pagosa 45-37.
Continuing tournament play on Dec. 20, the Pirates faced the Glenwood Springs Demons, falling 42-32.
The Demons led 10-5 at the end of the first quarter. Scoring was even in the second quarter, with the Demons up 18-13 at the half.
Glenwood led 33-22 by the end of the third before picking up the 42-32 win.
Next, the Pirates faced the full-court press of Pueblo Central on Dec. 21.
“They call it 32 minutes of hell,” Lewis said, remarking on the Pueblo press offensive that, unfortunately for the Pirates, arrived on the tournament’s final day of play.
Pueblo defeated Pagosa 73-45, but, according to Lewis, the Pirates remained close until the game’s final moments.
“We were right there with them the whole game long,” Lewis said. “Their press finally got to us and we [committed] four, five straight turnovers and they were scoring on them. Next thing you know we go from being down five to being down about 17 in a matter of about a minute and a half.”
Pueblo led 14-11 at the end of the first quarter and 33-21 at the half. At the end of the third, Pueblo held a 47-42 lead.
“It’s a tough game to play that pace for 32 minutes, especially on the third day of a three-day tournament,” Lewis said. “I would’ve felt a little better about playing them on the first day, when the guys are still kind of fresh.”
With the results in Montrose, the Pirates overall record stands at 1-4 with more tournament play scheduled for Jan. 3-4, 2025, at the Holy Family Invite in Broomfield, where they will face 4A Holy Family High School at 7 p.m. on Jan. 3, followed by a 1:30 p.m. game against 4A Peak To Peak Charter School on Jan. 4.
Looking ahead at those contests, Lewis reminded the squad the season is still early, and noted the improvements he’s seen since the team’s opener Dec. 5.
“I’ve done this a long time and we’re getting better,” Lewis said. “Right now we just need to not focus on our record, and kind of that old saying, ‘Begin with the end in mind.’ We’re gonna be OK. We just need to get through this tough part of our schedule, stay the course and battle through.”
Stats for the games in Montrose were not available as of press time Tuesday.
garrett@pagosasun.com
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