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Ignacio freshman Miguel Red (58) stops a Center ball-carrier in his tracks during late-season action at IHS Field. Red was recently named Honorable Mention All-Conference.
Ignacio junior Zane Pontine (1) throws while escaping pressure during IHS' home game this season versus Monte Vista. Pontine was recently named First Team All-Conference for his offensive, and defensive, efforts in 2024.
Ignacio junior Gabe Archuleta (21) trots into the end zone during road action this season at Trinidad. Having emerged as IHS' No. 1 receiver, Archuleta was recently named First Team All-Conference for his offensive, and defensive, contributions in 2024.
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
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Bobcats bag up gridiron awards

Friday - December 13, 2024 by Joel Priest | Special to the Drum

Four named First Team All-Conference 

Having officially ended the regular season with a forfeit win over the toothless Del Norte Tigers, Ignacio finished 2024 standing a third-place 3-2 in Southern Peaks play and 4-5 overall.  Three of the Bobcats’ losses—at Denver Manual (5-4 overall, 2-2 League 6), versus Cedaredge (6-3, 3-2 Western Slope), and at Bayfield (4-5, 1-4 2A Intermountain)—however, came by a combined 15 points, meaning that with just a little luck IHS could have ended up in the Class 1A State Playoffs. 

Though again left on the outside looking in, it was the sort of near-miss campaign which didn’t go unrewarded. 

And after the conference’s two postseason representatives met early demises in mid-November, the All-SPC Team was released, with a total of eight ’Cats selected. 

Juniors Lincoln deKay, Gabe Archuleta and Zane Pontine were all named First Team All-SPC, along with sophomore Cayson Burcham.  Seniors Charley Pargin and Kendrick Nossaman each received Second Team status, as did D.J. Hendren, while freshman Miguel Red earned Honorable Mention All-Conference. 

Able to dethrone reigning conference king Centauri by a 36-26 margin in the much-anticipated 11/1 showdown, Monte Vista was given the No. 10 seed in the Playoffs’ opening Round-of-16.  Sent to No. 7 Meeker, however, the Pirates were unceremoniously eliminated at Starbuck Stadium, 44-34, and ended up 5-0 in conference but an unfulfilled 7-3 overall. 

Defensive Player-of-the-Year Azariah Hurtado, a ball-hawking junior defensive back/wide receiver, was a First Team All-SPC selection along with seniors Alex Marquez, Jacob Pacheco, Kaden Madrid, Jeremiah Baumgardner and junior Zach Gallegos.  The final opposing skipper to deliver a post-game handshake to Ignacio’s retiring Alfonso ‘Ponch’ Garcia, MVHS’ Manny Wasinger was named Coach-of-the-Year. 

CHS, meanwhile, was gifted the Playoffs’ No. 4 seed and a first-round home game versus Holyoke.  Incredibly, the Falcons (4-1 SPC, 8-2 overall) also were swiftly bounced out, as the 13-seed Dragons pulled off a 33-30 upset in overtime—ending the high-school careers of several Centauri seniors, including senior running back/linebacker Parker Buhr, the conference’s Offensive Player-of-the-Year.  Classmates Jace Creel and Jace Haslett were also First Team picks, as were juniors Spencer Smith and Sean Jarvies. 

Able to conclude the ’24 campaign crushing Trinidad 41-24 at home, Center finished 2-3 SPC and 2-7 overall behind senior Noah Swanson, senior Angel Rios and sophomore Caden Ruggles—each a First Team All-Conference recipient.  THS (1-4 SPC, 2-6 overall), meanwhile, had sophomore Andrew East and junior A.J. Bowman receive First Team distinction. 

Beginning with a forfeited non-conference game Saturday, Sept. 14, at Western Slope member Carbondale Roaring Fork, Del Norte ended up with one official varsity game—a season-opening 46-7 home loss to Olathe on August 30—in 2024 and finished with an unfortunate 0-5 (all forfeits) conference mark and 0-9 overall record. 

Reports indicated only 15 players were on the team—which ultimately played a JV-caliber schedule—prior to hosting OHS, with a great number being freshmen. 

MORE SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE: Monte Vista—Ismael Medina, Jon Enderle, Jose Zamarripa; Centauri—Carson Shawcroft, Dallyn King; Center—Jaiden Martinez, Max Almanza; Trinidad—Xavier Garcia, Matthew Garduno. 

 

MORE HONORABLE MENTION ALL-CONFERENCE: Monte Vista—Mason Mondragon; Centauri—Cole Jackson; Center—Dominic Ramirez; Trinidad—Dominic Edwards. 

 

TOUGH ACT(S) TO FOLLOW: After shocking the SoPeaks’ best, neither Meeker nor Holyoke fared even remotely as well in their next outings; 5-seed Buena Vista hammered HHS (2-3 North Central, 4-5 overall) 35-7 in the quarterfinals, while the Cowboys (5-0 Western Slope, 8-3 overall) crumbled 41-0 at No. 2 Arvada Forge Christian. 

The Fury then logged a sixth straight shutout by stunning third-seeded (and 2023 State Champion) Limon 37-0 in the semis, before losing the State Championship to No. 1 Wray on Saturday, Nov. 30, inside Dutch Clark Stadium in Pueblo.  Earning WHS its first crown since conquering Class 3A in 1993, the Eagles prevailed 48-21 to polish off an undefeated 13-0 season; FC slipped to 12-1. 

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