MANCOS – The Jays felt a bit of déjà vu in the closing minutes of their Senior Night battle with Dove Creek. Several times this season, Mancos had held leads into the second half against San Juan Basin League opponents, only to watch victory slip away.
So when Dove Creek erased an 11‑point fourth‑quarter deficit to tie the game at 33, it appeared another heartbreak was coming for the hard‑luck Jays.
This time, however, first‑year head coach Rudy Archuleta’s team found a response. Junior James Potts helped the hosts score key baskets down the stretch to restore the lead before the Bluejays’ leading scorer added free throws in the closing seconds to seal a 44‑38 win.
The victory lifts Mancos (2‑14, 1‑9 3A/2A/1A SJBL) to its first win since topping Lake City in the season opener, ending a 21‑game slide in league play dating back to the end of the 2023‑24 season.
Spurred by a big second quarter in which Mancos outscored DC 17‑10, the Jays showed they were up for the full four‑quarter fight. Junior Michael Resner scored seven of his 10 points in the stanza, and classmate Michael Krupa added half of his 10 to put Mancos in front after trailing 7‑5 through one quarter.
Trying to stop Dove Creek senior leading scorer Trevan Ivie proved a tall order for Mancos, as Ivie controlled the paint on his way to a game‑high 21 points. Still, Mancos made the Bulldogs (4‑15, 3‑7 3A/2A/1A SJBL) work for every look.
A Krupa three‑pointer helped extend the hosts’ lead to 33‑22 early in the fourth quarter, only for the Bulldogs to chip away and tie the game on a triple from freshman Kycen Gritz.
“We tried to close off the inside – it didn’t always work, but we felt like our effort was really strong,” said Potts. “We felt like we could control the tempo, and we were able to bounce back after mistakes tonight.”
Even as Ivie protected the rim with a bundle of blocked or altered shots, the Jays continued to attack and eventually broke through. Potts scored most of his team‑high 18 points off the dribble or at the line, including a pair of technical‑foul free throws with just over a minute to play to break a 37‑all tie. He then added five more free throws to help Mancos secure the long‑awaited league win.
“Our coach (Archuleta) has been focusing on shooting free throws a lot,” laughed Potts, after he made seven of his eight attempts in the final minute. Potts then added, “Each of us has been focused on finding areas that we can improve, whether its free throws, conditioning or finding open shooters.”
Dove Creek senior Nicholas Aragon scored 11 points to complement Ivie, while Mancos received four points from junior AJ Simmons and a basket from classmate Gavin Smith.
With dim playoff hopes for both teams entering the contest, the Jays and Bulldogs have still turned their two meetings this season into instant classics. DC edged Mancos 33‑30 on Jan. 13, and with a late addition to the schedule, the rivals will meet one more time in a rubber match on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
In the meantime, Mancos prepares for its Highway 184 rivalry game with Dolores on Thursday night, while DC hosts Ouray at The Dawg House on Friday for a matchup between former 1A district opponents.
