<\/p>\n
When players, coaches, and local sports fans look back on March 2, 2019, they will remember a boys basketball game between Montezuma-Cortez High School and Centauri High School as one of the most exciting contests of their lives.<\/p>\n
They will remember the joy on the faces of the victors and the pained expressions on the faces of the vanquished. They will reflect on an incredible 32 minutes of regulation basketball, and they will never forget two overtime periods that were downright spectacular.<\/p>\n
Most of all, they will remember the heart of the hometown Panthers, who refused to give up and never gave in during a 66-62 victory over the Falcons that resulted in Montezuma-Cortez High School\u2019s first regional championship in more than a decade.<\/p>\n
If ever a team earned the distinction of having \u201cThe Heart of a Champion,\u201d the Panthers did so on Saturday afternoon. And after the game was complete, clearly elated head coach Michael Hall spoke about his team\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir fight (makes them special),\u201d said Hall. \u201cThey have fight like nobody I\u2019ve ever seen before. Centauri was up on us by six or eight, and our boys came back and fought hard. I can\u2019t say anything other than they never quit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the most memorable sequences of the contest came during a final four minutes of regulation, which included numerous hotly contested possessions, several defensive stands by both teams, two lead changes and a tie.<\/p>\n
M-CHS junior Jackson came up big during the critical stretch with an incredible right-handed scoop shot in traffic, a high-flying jump shot from the left elbow and an offensive rebound and putback that helped the Panthers turn a 48-47 deficit into a 53-50 lead.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t want to lose, that was mainly it,\u201d said Jackson, when asked about his big baskets. \u201cI wanted to get (my teammates) pumped up a bit, and I did what I needed to do. I just really didn\u2019t want to lose the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a long 3-pointer from the top of the key by Centauri senior Martin Garcia tied the game, 53-53, with just under a minute to go, M-CHS stalled for more than 40 seconds before head coach Michal Hall called a timeout with 16 seconds left.<\/p>\n
M-CHS\u2019 designed play out of the timeout went awry when star junior Teagan Whiteskunk turned the ball over with 3 seconds left, however, and after Centauri failed to convert a half-court heave, the game headed to overtime.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe kept our composure,\u201d said Jackson, discussing his team\u2019s inability to hold its late-game lead. \u201cWith a game that goes that deep, you have to keep your head. It\u2019s not over until the final buzzer.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Panthers players drawing inspiration from their raucous fans during the opening minutes of the overtime period, M-CHS built a 58-53 lead thanks to a free throw by Jackson, two free throws by Whiteskunk and a layup by senior Jens Jorgensen with 1:00 left in the game.<\/p>\n
A circus shot by Centauri freshman Baron Holman and a long 3-pointer by Garcia tied the game, 58-58, with 13 seconds to go, however, and after Jackson narrowly missed a difficult fadeaway jumper at the buzzer, the teams headed to a second overtime.<\/p>\n
In the second overtime, the Panthers quickly built a 62-58 lead after a layup by Jackson and a layup by senior Cordell Baer, which came after a nifty pass by Whiteskunk.<\/p>\n
A nifty runner by Centauri freshman Mason Claunch made the score 62-60 with 1:19 left, but the Falcons never drew any closer thanks two free throws by Jackson with 29.3 seconds left and two free throws by Whiteskunk with 10.6 seconds left to make the score 66-61,<\/p>\n
After Centauri junior Noah Sowards knocked down a free throw with 2.2 seconds left, M-CHS inbounded the ball and the final buzzer sounded over deafening cheers from what was a near-capacity crowd.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou start winning, and you have a good team and great kids, and everybody wants to be a part of it,\u201d Hall said, when asked about the atmosphere. \u201cWe\u2019ve got us a good community here following these boys, and that\u2019s what needs to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the leading scorers for the Panthers were Jackson and Whiteskunk, who scored 15 points each. Senior Michael Diaz scored 12 points for the Panthers, and senior Baer scored eight points and controlled the boards throughout the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the work, it finally paid off,\u201d Baer said. \u201cThis is probably the best thing that has happened in my high school career.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBasketball is the biggest thing in my life, pretty much,\u201d said Diaz. \u201cI look forward to basketball every day. This is one of the best ways that I could have gone out, winning a regional championship in my last home game.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHard work, that\u2019s what it is,\u201d said Whiteskunk. \u201cIt\u2019s crazy, I\u2019ve put in the hard work my whole life just to get here. I\u2019ve been watching basketball games ever since I was little, watching my brother, because I wanted to get (to state). I got there.\u201d<\/p>\n
The No. 7 seeded Panthers will open the Class 3A State Tournament against No. 2 seed Sterling High School at Denver University on Thursday., which Hall expects to be competitive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just found out that we\u2019re going to be playing Sterling,\u201d Hall said. They have two big kids, and we have two big kids. I think we match up great. Our approach is to keep going hard and see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cState champs is what we\u2019re looking at,\u201d Baer said. \u201cWe have a tough game against Sterling, but I think if we keep our heads, we\u2019re not going to have a problem. We\u2019re going to have to play our best basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before the Panthers turn their attention to Sterling, however, players, coaches, and fans will take at least the rest of the evening to reflect on M-CHS\u2019 win over Centauri, which will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most exciting in school history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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