MANCOS – When asked what he wanted his legacy to be, multiplatinum singer and songwriter Lionel Richie said he wanted to “Let the music play on.”
Richie was referencing a lyric from his smash hit single “All Night Long,” which the singer performed to begin the Closing Ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
The lyric and the legacy seems to be applicable as the mantra for the Mancos Bluejays volleyball program as well, where on Senior Day, the Bluejays recognized the past few years of their two seniors’ journeys, and showcased the future stars of the program who will look to keep the music playing on.
The tune has been really catchy this year for Mancos, reminding local volleyball fans of the late 2000s, when the Jays were the toast of the San Juan Basin League.
Most of the current team was in preschool the last time the Bluejays won the league – raising the banner in 2009 – but with that goal now checked off, Mancos can focus on the bigger prize – aspirations of their first state tournament appearance since 2011.
In their send-off victory over Sanford, 25-20, 25-14, 25-23, the Bluejays cruised to their third straight win over their recently established rivals, while providing a perfect environment to cap the home regular season careers of Teya Yeomans and Haylie Higgins.
“It’s amazing to see the whole community supporting the volleyball team,” said Yeomans, “it’s been a surreal feeling.”
It won’t be the last time the Jays grace the Bluejay Fieldhouse floor, however, as Mancos sits in a prime position to host a regional site, a top 4 team in the most recent CHSAA Seeding and Selection Index.
In the meantime, the appreciation and accolades are rolling in for both of the Bluejay seniors, primarily from a group of underclassmen who have joined the upswell of program success to continue carrying the banner for Mancos volleyball after both Yeomans and Higgins depart for college.
“It’s special to celebrate all of their achievements,” said Mancos head coach Brianna Yeomans-Allison, “they’ve both (Teya and Haylie) have been able to shine in their own ways while helping bring this program up to where it is. They’ve been holding the underclassmen to a high standard while we’ve been developing a different culture.”
A roster full of sophomore and freshmen varsity contributors have witnessed firsthand the ascension of the program built largely on the consistency and gritty work ethic of the program’s lone upperclassmen.
“The rest of the girls know that I love them and that I’m there for them, no matter what,” said Yeomans, “but I’m also going to hold them to a high expectation with tough love – we’re all supporting each other to be best that we can be.”
Much like her athletes on the court, coach Yeomans-Allison is in constant motion, providing the extra lift when the Jays hit a rough patch. Watching her daughter carry over her passion to the court has been a point of pride for the third-year coach.
“Right now, it’s a mix of being excited for the next game while also recognizing the emotion that this is all coming to an end,” said the Mancos head coach.
Yeomans and Higgins will announce their official plans for postsecondary education in the coming weeks, with volleyball a major player in their next steps. For the moment and as it has been for the past four years, however, Mancos volleyball takes center stage.
With ambitions of playing well into November, Yeomans put her team’s focus succinctly – “We’re not done yet.”
Let the music play on all the way to Denver.
