Last season ended on an upward swing for the Ignacio High School girls basketball team.

The Bobcats qualified for regionals after a 1-6 start and finished 8-14.

They lost three seniors and their two top scorers but return a group bettered by the experience.

“Last year, we did have a rocky start, and hard work is what led us to have a successful postseason,” said IHS junior Chrystianne Valdez, daughter of Chris and Cindy Valdez. “Now we are trying to take postseason and start off strong and finish strong.”

IHS (2-2) is off to a better start this year after losing to Pagosa Springs to open the season and going 2-1 at the Mountain Top Classic in Alamosa, defeating then-Class 2A No. 8 Rye on the tournament’s final day.

The Bobcats will play at home for the first time this season at 6 p.m. Friday at the SunUte Community Center against Center. They’ll have to play most of their games there this season because of the high school’s renovation project.

IHS has been bolstered by the return of senior point guard Sky Cotten, who missed much of last season with an injury.

“It’s the most amazing feeling ever,” said Cotten, daughter of Fred and Jennifer Cotten. “I missed playing so much, and last year it killed me not being able to help my team out.”

The Bobcats also will lean on junior Ellie Seibel and freshman Hilda Garcia.

“We have some returning varsity players. I think we’re a little bit deeper, more experienced,” IHS second-year head coach Shane Seibel said.

That experience should lead to a fast, physical style on the court for the Bobcats.

“We’re not going to be bigger than anybody, so we’ve got to be really tenacious and mentally tough,” Seibel said. “No giving up.”

For Seibel and the Bobcats, the goal is to return to the state tournament after last year’s absence.

“Every team wants to achieve state, that’s a given,” Valdez said. “We want to bond a lot tighter. Last year when we started to be more of a team was when we started to be more successful.”

kgrabowski@durangoherald.com