The Coronado basketball team is off to a solid start to their season, and are showing a lot of growth as a relatively young team. The Cougars have already picked up three wins, making their record 3-2.

Against Fruita Monument on Thursday, 12/7, the team narrowly lost 63-57 in their first game of the Ponderosa Tournament. Head Coach David Thomas attributed the defeat to Fruita’s “cohesiveness early in the season” and his team’s sluggish movement, which they could not afford against Fruita Monument. Despite the team’s loss, however, sophomore Ladarius Mays had a great showing, accumulating 25 points. Jareth Morey also contributed a solid ten rebounds and two blocks before fouling out. The game served as a developmental experience for the Cougars as they moved forward to the rest of their games in their Ponderosa Invitational tournament. Coach Thomas reflected after the game that “it was a really good learning moment for [the team] and [displayed] some things that we can work on.”

The next day, Coronado’s varsity took on fellow District 11 school Mitchell, whom they decisively defeated 56-45. Senior Ashton Rogers was the team’s leading score of the match, dishing out a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. Mays tallied 13 points in the Cougars’ favor before fouling out. Junior point guard Bryce McKee also made a solid showing, putting up four rebounds, four assists, and five steals. Through this performance the Cougars boosted their record to a solid 2-2.

In the final game of the tournament the Cougars took on Vista Peak Prep, a team who beat them last year in the same tournament, in hopes of claiming fifth place. With an all-around strong effort, the team defeated Aurora’s Bison 63-53. The Cougars’ height paid off against the smaller Vista Peak Prep players: four players pitched in five or more rebounds to keep the ball in the Cougars’ hands, making as many rebounds in the senior quartet of Kaddin Standley, Justin Dwinell, Ashton Rogers, and Jareth Morey as the entire Vista team. Morey also contributed thirteen points and seven blocks to the team’s effort, and Mays pitched in 21 points. This matchup prepared and fine-tuned the Cougars for upcoming matches and helped them evaluate their current strategy.

Ladarius Mays has undergone a transformation from a minimal role on varsity last year- only playing in two games- to being the leading point scorer of the team this season. Head Coach Thomas attributes his success to his athleticism and work ethic: “Ladarius is a phenomenal athlete and I think because he is a multi-sport athlete he just works so hard and has a different intensity”. Coach Thomas believes that his will to win gives him a competitive edge on the court that allows him to step up in moments where it counts.

Mays and seniors Ashton Rogers and Jareth Morey will be critical to the Cougars’ upcoming games once they come back from break, and the team hopes to pull off wins against evenly matched, athletic teams coming up soon.