Photos by Joel Priest Monte Vista senior guard Darrius Garcia (3) ignores a defender’s hand in his face while knocking down a first-half three-pointer. Garcia booked 21 points in what would be his final prep performance; the Panthers eliminated the Pirates 82-70.

CORTEZ—Fouling out Wednesday evening, Feb. 20, was unfortunately about the only way David Mascarenas would get the curtain-call exit he undoubtedly deserved. And not just for his heroic effort in one of the 2019 Intermountain League District Tournament’s two play-in contests, but for a prolific Pirate career.
With Monte Vista’s season at stake against tourney hosts Montezuma-Cortez, the senior guard pumped in 13 of his team-high 25 points during the fourth quarter before falling on his own cutlass—so to speak—to stop the clock with 12.5 seconds remaining, keeping alive the visitors’ fading hopes for a miracle.
But with sophomore Cobi Garcia having already fouled out with 4:24 left and classmate Andres Maestas joining him via a loose-ball infraction on a rebound just two ticks later, the Panthers had but senior Darrius Garcia—whose fourth-quarter work (10 points of his 21) was as valiant as his backcourt mate’s—to truly fear in ultimately prevailing 82-70.
Booking ten points—all during the teams’ high-scoring second half—junior guard Jarren Chavez also reached double figures for MVHS, which had M-CHS worried after using two Mascarenas three-pointers to build up a 14-8 lead, capped by a clever Darrius Garcia up-and-under finish around counterpart Michael Diaz, through the initial eight minutes.
But Montezuma-Cortez came alive immediately in the second stanza, with junior forward Titus Jackson scoring the Panthers’ first nine points and junior guard Adrian Mark draining a trey for a sudden 20-16 advantage. Still, Monte Vista wouldn’t wilt; a late Darrius Garcia triple brought MVHS back to 30-29 before M-CHS senior post Cordell Baer converted an assist from junior Teagan Whiteskunk in the waning moments.
Consecutive Chavez hoops opening the second half put the Pirates back out in front, 33-32, but with Jackson registering seven more of his game-high 26 points and Diaz sinking a vital three-ball, Montezuma-Cortez went into the final frame up by an imposing 53-43 count.
Nonetheless, Monte Vista did about everything possible to give themselves a chance to rally by holding Jackson to just four points and Whiteskunk—every bit as feared a scorer throughout the IML as Mascarenas—to four (and just ten for the game).  The burly Baer, however, proved a difference-maker in the paint, racking up 14 of his 20 total points and helping M-CHS win the exciting eight minutes by a 29-27 margin.
Diaz finished with 11 points as the fourth Panther in double figures, and Mark totaled seven as Montezuma-Cortez improved to 15-5 overall prior to facing two-time defending tourney champs Bayfield on Feb. 23 in the semifinals.
Senior forward Steven Martinez finished with six points for Monte Vista—which matched M-CHS’ four three-pointers, but went 6-of-8 from the free-throw line while M-CHS finished 16-of-26—and Maestas managed four, while Cobi Garcia and junior forward Kaidon Wenta each contributed two.
Having posted a 3-7 regular-season 3A Intermountain mark— including a home-and-home split with the Panthers (5-5 IML; 9-0 non-league)— the Pirates finished 4-3 overall in February and concluded the 2018-19 campaign standing 8-12.