1
00:00:10,870 –> 00:00:13,630
The Durango High School
Boys Basketball Team
2
00:00:13,630 –> 00:00:16,520
had to learn the meaning
of on-the-job training
3
00:00:16,520 –> 00:00:18,500
when the pandemic literally halted
4
00:00:18,500 –> 00:00:22,770
all preseason practice and
play last Summer and Fall.
5
00:00:22,770 –> 00:00:25,690
But with six games under their
belt, three and three record
6
00:00:25,690 –> 00:00:27,820
and a tough victory over Fruita,
7
00:00:27,820 –> 00:00:30,120
a highly ranked five-A high school,
8
00:00:30,120 –> 00:00:33,140
the Demons have demonstrated
that attention to detail
9
00:00:33,140 –> 00:00:35,920
and team spirit will win the day.
10
00:00:35,920 –> 00:00:37,660
If you watched our first couple of games
11
00:00:37,660 –> 00:00:42,660
you would see passes that
weren’t anybody, you know,
12
00:00:42,660 –> 00:00:45,110
cuts nobody’s expecting you to cut there,
13
00:00:45,110 –> 00:00:48,140
defensive rotations that
were just out of place.
14
00:00:48,140 –> 00:00:51,300
And we’ve just been eliminating
some of those errors
15
00:00:51,300 –> 00:00:52,970
every single time we get out on the court
16
00:00:52,970 –> 00:00:55,150
and looking out from here.
17
00:00:55,150 –> 00:00:57,480
Johnson, a senior and Flint, a junior,
18
00:00:57,480 –> 00:01:00,580
are co-captains of the
Demons Boys Basketball Team.
19
00:01:00,580 –> 00:01:03,710
And they take their roles
as mentors seriously,
20
00:01:03,710 –> 00:01:06,330
both on and off the court.
21
00:01:06,330 –> 00:01:08,300
I think the biggest way that I can support
22
00:01:08,300 –> 00:01:13,240
is just offering my
experience and my knowledge
23
00:01:13,240 –> 00:01:15,653
in the classes that I’ve taken.
24
00:01:16,570 –> 00:01:18,080
Lots of times they’re struggling
25
00:01:18,080 –> 00:01:20,070
in a specific class
that I’ve already taken.
26
00:01:20,070 –> 00:01:21,990
And so that’s the one
thing that I can offer
27
00:01:21,990 –> 00:01:23,300
that a teacher maybe couldn’t
28
00:01:23,300 –> 00:01:26,290
or somebody else that’s their age.
29
00:01:26,290 –> 00:01:27,700
I’m like, “No, I took this class.
30
00:01:27,700 –> 00:01:29,970
I know what this unit’s all about.”
31
00:01:29,970 –> 00:01:32,660
So, you know, that’s another
part of the team sports.
32
00:01:32,660 –> 00:01:34,730
You know, you have
somebody to fall back on.
33
00:01:34,730 –> 00:01:38,790
I’m more than willing to help
kids with schoolwork and yeah.
34
00:01:38,790 –> 00:01:41,760
Yeah, and I think from more
of an athletic standpoint,
35
00:01:41,760 –> 00:01:44,560
is just constructive criticism.
36
00:01:44,560 –> 00:01:48,840
So just not bringing them
down if they make a bad play
37
00:01:48,840 –> 00:01:50,980
’cause we all make mistakes in basketball.
38
00:01:50,980 –> 00:01:55,380
But, yeah, just really, really
saying, “Oh, this was good.
39
00:01:55,380 –> 00:01:57,300
But then in the future you can do this.”
40
00:01:57,300 –> 00:02:00,180
And I feel like if everybody
really takes it to heart
41
00:02:00,180 –> 00:02:02,300
and instead of just
getting mad, like, “Oh,
42
00:02:02,300 –> 00:02:04,430
they just don’t think I’m good.”
43
00:02:04,430 –> 00:02:06,630
But if we just really work as a team
44
00:02:06,630 –> 00:02:09,060
and just build each other up.
45
00:02:09,060 –> 00:02:10,280
Both team captain say
46
00:02:10,280 –> 00:02:13,900
that building a cohesive
team takes patients, trust,
47
00:02:13,900 –> 00:02:17,070
mutual support and sometimes
a little forgiveness too,
48
00:02:17,070 –> 00:02:19,240
especially when someone makes a mistake.
49
00:02:19,240 –> 00:02:20,630
But the effort is worth it.
50
00:02:20,630 –> 00:02:21,463
And they say
51
00:02:21,463 –> 00:02:24,400
the friendships they’ve
built with their teammates
52
00:02:24,400 –> 00:02:25,883
will last a lifetime.
53
00:02:26,740 –> 00:02:30,970
It feels that much better
when it’s a collective win.
54
00:02:30,970 –> 00:02:33,470
It’s so much better than
just an individual win.
55
00:02:33,470 –> 00:02:36,070
You know, I play tennis,
I’ve won individually.
56
00:02:36,070 –> 00:02:38,550
It feels so much better to win as a team
57
00:02:38,550 –> 00:02:41,750
and celebrate with the 14
other guys in the locker room
58
00:02:41,750 –> 00:02:43,780
and really just get that
feeling through everybody
59
00:02:43,780 –> 00:02:45,943
that we worked hard, we won the game.
60
00:02:46,890 –> 00:02:49,730
And I think it’s just you
develop a lot of relationships
61
00:02:49,730 –> 00:02:52,010
that carry you past high school.
62
00:02:52,010 –> 00:02:54,070
‘Cause I know a lot of people…
63
00:02:54,070 –> 00:02:55,720
I have a brother who’s in college.
64
00:02:55,720 –> 00:02:58,240
And the people that he still
talks to from high school
65
00:02:58,240 –> 00:02:59,890
is who he played sports with.
66
00:02:59,890 –> 00:03:02,680
And I think being able to just
develop those relationships
67
00:03:02,680 –> 00:03:04,110
and just be comfortable with each other.
68
00:03:04,110 –> 00:03:07,620
‘Cause I played with him for
three years, four years even.
69
00:03:07,620 –> 00:03:10,530
And I think he’s one of my best friends.
70
00:03:10,530 –> 00:03:13,600
And so I think that’s one
of my favorite aspects
71
00:03:13,600 –> 00:03:15,210
of the team sport.
72
00:03:15,210 –> 00:03:17,330
With COVID restrictions in play,
73
00:03:17,330 –> 00:03:19,320
game attendance is limited.
74
00:03:19,320 –> 00:03:22,130
But you can catch broadcasts
of Demon basketball
75
00:03:22,130 –> 00:03:25,730
on nfhsnetwork.com.
76
00:03:25,730 –> 00:03:28,333
I’m Wendy Graham Settle
for the Demon Spotlight.
