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Ignacio's Sonny Flores (1) angles himself just enough away from a Centauri defender to attempt a mid-air scoop shot during 3A/4A Intermountain League play Friday evening, Feb. 13, inside IHS Gymnasium.
Ignacio's Thunder Windy Boy (0) congratulates Bayfield's Tanner Vyborny (21) after 3A/4A Intermountain League action Thursday night, Feb. 12, inside BHS Gymnasium. The hosting Wolverines defeated the Bobcats 65-37.
Ignacio's Stoney White Thunder-Lucero (32) attempts a baseline jumper while surrounded by Bayfield's Drew Jepson (left), Kingston Martinez (13) and Hayes Malone (2) during 3A/4A Intermountain League action inside BHS Gymnasium.
Ignacio's William Mendoza-Lechuga sneaks in behind Centauri's Dallyn King (10) to challenge Jayse Maestas (2) for possession during 3A/4A Intermountain League play Friday evening, Feb. 13, inside IHS Gymnasium.
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
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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Falcons bring down Bobcats, 50-33

Monday - February 23, 2026 by Joel Priest | Special to the Drum

IHS boys nearly erase early deficit 

Burned almost immediately from beyond the three-point perimeter not 24 hours before at local 3A/4A Intermountain League rival Bayfield, Ignacio’s boys were presented with the same problem Friday evening, Feb. 13, when Centauri junior guard Keadon McGinnis connected not once or twice, but three times from downtown in helping the guests race out to a 13-0 lead inside IHS Gymnasium. 

Three minutes, 26 seconds still remained in the first quarter when head coach Trae Seibel used a timeout following McGinnis’ third triple (three BHS players had combined for four during the previous night’s opening eight minutes), but whereas the Bobcats had buckled inside BHS Gymnasium under the pressure of an early 18-2 deficit, they suddenly sprang into action upon their home court. 

Senior guard Sonny Flores got Ignacio on the scoreboard with a three, and after the Falcons’ lead regrew to 15-5, IHS’ comeback truly commenced behind two inside baskets by senior forward/center Trace Crane, plus a trey by sophomore guard Joseph Atencio. 

Down 15-10 after the first frame, the ’Cats crept back to 18-15 via Crane’s ‘and-one’ conversion – resulting from being fouled by CHS senior Sean Jarvies while willing in a two-pointer – with 5:46 left until halftime. And though unable to gain the upper hand, Ignacio continued working and, after senior forward Rance Rathjen’s free throw made with 0:25 left, remained just three points back, 22-19, at the break. 

IHS then clawed back to only a single point early in the third quarter, but Centauri countered with a lengthy run – fueled by non-sequential threes by Jarvies and sophomore Shadon Gilleland – and rebuilt the lead up to 36-25 with 1:39 remaining. When time expired, the advantage was still somewhat stable at 36-27 – and regrew to 41-27 early in the fourth before Crane spun around a defender for a short-range jumper with 5:40 left in regulation. 

But aided by senior Carson Shawcroft’s three-point play resulting from a Flores foul on Shawcroft’s drive to the hoop, CHS managed to then outscore Ignacio 9-4 the rest of the way and secure a 50-33 road win. Many of the visitors’ late points came at the free-throw line, where Centauri (9-10 overall, 4-5 IML) made eight out of 11 fourth-quarter attempts to finish 12-of-19. 

The Bobcats (8-11, 1-8 IML), meanwhile, made four of their eight tries during the final frame and finished 7-of-13. 

Crane (2-3 FT) ended up with 14 points and Flores (2-6 FT) nine in defeat. Rathjen (3-4 FT) booked five points, Atencio ended up with his trey and junior William Mendoza-Lechuga chipped in two, but senior Stoney White Thunder-Lucero was held scoreless before he fouled out with 2:15 left. 

Totaling 11 scorching first-quarter points, McGinnis (2-2 FT) drained his fourth three during the second quarter but nothing more as Crane eventually matched his game-high count. Junior Donovan Jarvies (5-10 FT) tallied 11 points, Gilleland and Sean Jarvies (2-2 FT) ended up with nine apiece and Shawcroft three. Backups Dallyn King (2-2 FT), a junior, and Mason Weyers, a senior, came off first-year skipper Austin Dillon’s bench to each log two points. 

Looking ahead, Seibel’s squad will – expected bad weather permitting – wrap up regular-season play hosting 4A Alamosa (8-13, 3-7 IML) at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, then journeying to 3A Monte Vista the next day for a slated 4 p.m. start. Results from IHS’ 2/17 home game versus Montezuma-Cortez (20-0, 9-0), ranked No. 1 in 4A, were unavailable at press time. 

 

BELTED IN BAYFIELD 

 

After building up a 16-point pad through one quarter before a capacity crowd exceeding 1,000 school-counted persons, the Wolverines cranked up the heat even more during the second and roared into halftime leading the ’Cats 46-12. Helped by junior guard Thunder Windy Boy’s first six points after intermission, 3A Ignacio actually played 3A Bayfield to a 17-17 draw during the third quarter, but still trailed 63-29 beginning the fourth and ultimately fell 65-37. 

Crane (4-5 FT) scored a team-high 14 points and Windy Boy (6-6 FT) ten, while Rathjen (1-4 FT) managed seven, Mendoza-Lechuga four and White Thunder-Lucero a long, shooter’s-roll two-pointer during the sides’ dead-even third. 

Junior guard Hayes Malone made three threes and totaled 19 points for BHS, and junior guard/forward Drew Jepson drilled four threes in totaling his 18. Starting junior forward/center Cameron Queen contributed eight points and reserve junior guard Henry Ferrell six, via his two (of the Wolverines’ nine total) treys. 

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