Caleb Allen is a difference maker. The Manitou Springs boys basketball team got a huge lift at the University tournament last weekend when Allen returned to the court after tearing his ACL during the Season C football season.
He made an immediate impact.
He dropped 18 points as the Mustangs (2-3 overall) captured their first win of the year, beating Frontier Academy 67-53 on Dec. 9. He added 11 in the Dec. 10 one-point loss to DSST: Montview and then went crazy, scoring 29 points Dec. 11 to lead the Mustangs to a win over Alamosa for third place at the tournament.
Allen was a much-needed boost for a team that started the season scoring just 17 points against Peyton, and he’s wasted no time getting comfortable on the floor.
“I felt good,” Allen said. “Everything felt fine and I had quite a bit of time to practice so the game didn’t feel like anything I hadn’t experienced.”
His impact on the floor has certainly been noticeable on both ends. And his presence has opened up scoring opportunities for other players.
John Maynard averaged more than 11 points per game in the three games at University, a far cry from his one-point performance against Peyton. Andrew Rhodes seems to have found a bit of a shooting touch as he knocked down five 3-pointers through the course of the tournament.
The entire weekend provided a much-needed boost of confidence. Turnovers and a lack of shots plagued the Mustangs in the season opener, but in the three games in Greeley, they showed that the loss to Peyton will look like an outlier rather than a sign of what this team is capable of.
“It was a huge confidence boost,” Allen said. “I think some of the guys just needed to see us win and see what that feels like so that we understand the potential that we have.”
The Mustangs faced likely their toughest challenge of the season on Tuesday when they traveled to Kent Denver. The Sun Devils weren’t afraid to place fast-paced basketball and shoot a lot of 3-pointers, and dealt the Mustangs a 109-85 loss.
Manitou opens league play on Thursday, Dec. 16, with a road trip to La Junta.