SOUTHERN COLORADO — As five Southern Colorado high school basketball teams look to punch their ticket to the state title games this weekend, two of those teams are not supposed to be playing right now.
The 9th-seeded Pueblo South Colts have upset not one, but two teams in their road to World Arena, which includes taking down No. 1 seed Windsor on Tuesday night and a buzzer beating three by junior Tarrance Austin in the Sweet 16.
"Everyone under estimates you," explained Austin, when asked about the Colt's Cinderella run. "Going into every game, everyone does not take you seriously."
"I think we are just the underdogs," Pueblo South head coach Shannan Lane. "Not one expected us to be here."
The best part about the Colts? They are lead by Lane who first female coach from Pueblo to win a boy's high school basketball playoff game.
"We have gone to Windsor, we have gone to Erie," joked Lane. "We might as well go to Longmont for the state title game if we win. I mean forget the Springs."
Then there is the Manitou Springs Mustangs. This small 3A school has had big dreams since the start of the season.
"I told them last night we are playing with house money," stated the Mustangs head coach Brian Vecchio. "Let's have some fun and see what we can do."
The Mustangs have already re-wrote the records books this year. This year's team led by senior Joah Armour broke a 10-year Final Four drought and now look to make the state championship game for the first time in nearly half a century.
"It is kind of a cool story," explained Vecchio. "Joah's day was on that '91 team. And my dad coached Joah's dad and now I am coaching Joah all the years later is pretty cool."
But for Armour, he can't look to far ahead. A rematch with rival and no 1 seed St. Mary's tomorrow night is the only thing on his mind.
"The job is not done," said Armour. "(We) need to to beat St. Mary's tomorrow night. And hopefully get that championship spot."
