Over the course of the 2016-17 season, the Montezuma-Cortez High School basketball team won seven of its 21 games and competed in the state tournament for the first time in nine years.
While several players contributed to the Panthers success, no individuals played a larger role than senior Braden Keetch and juniors Jasen Engel and Daniel Fernandez, who all received all-conference honors.
“I’m proud of the way our kids played,” said M-CHS coach Mike Hall. “I feel it was a very successful season and a big step forward....I’m excited for next season, and I think (our players) should be too.”
Below is a synopsis of the accomplishments of this year’s all-conference honorees.
Playing his final season of high school basketball, Panthers senior Braden Keetch broke out in a big way, averaging 5.8 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per game in contests in which stats were available.
Sporting his patented “man bun” hairstyle that made him a favorite of local fans, Keetch also played consistently strong defense against opponents’ biggest players and consistently energized the M-CHS team with highlight-reel blocks and hard-nosed hustle plays.
Among Keetch’s best games of the season was a 14-point effort during his team’s 60-43 win over Ignacio in Cortez on Jan. 7.
“Playing down low, I was usually outweighed by quite a bit, so I tried to jump over everybody and score the ball,” Keetch said. “As a team, making the state tournament was a big deal and getting 1st team all-conference means a lot too. Going out that way is a pretty big deal.”
Entering the season as the Panthers most experienced varsity player, junior Jasen Engel enjoyed his finest season to date while emerging as a leader for the M-CHS team.
In games in which stats were available, Engel led the Panthers in scoring with 13.2 point per game while also pulling down 4.2 rebounds per game. The junior also made is presence felt as a passer by consistently driving into the lane and finding open teammates for easy buckets.
“I’ve been playing varsity since freshman year, so I had the most experience coming in,” said Engel, who scored 20 points in his team’s 54-44 season-opening win over Monticello on Dec. 14. “I just tried to use that (experience) to my advantage. I tried to be a leader, play hard all of the time, and feed energy into the team.”
After spending his first two years of high school as the team’s backup point guard, Daniel Fernandez seized the starting role last season and made his presence felt as one of the team’s most consistent players.
Combining a sweet outside stroke with strong passing ability, Fernandez averaged 8.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in contests in which stats were available.
One of the junior’s best games came during a 75-63 loss to Alamosa on Jan. 13 during which Fernandez scored a team-high 17 points.
