Women’s basketball opens season with Shootout

RANGELY I The lady Panther basketball team will open the season with a first round bye in the 2012 White River Electric Cowboy Shootout in Meeker and will play the winner of Soroco and Hayden in the semifinal round Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Quintin Kent will take over the head coaching duties this year after assisting coach Jimmie Mergelman the past three years.
“This is something I’ve always wanted to do and I’m excited about the opportunity,” Kent said about being a head coach.
“We have a good bunch of kids that work hard and have a lot of potential, we just need to find a way to reach it,” Kent said. “I’m really excited about our senior leadership.”
Rangely only graduated one senior (Haeley Enterline) from last year’s team and this year they will be led by six seniors including Brittany Babineaux, Quincey Thacker, Kelsey Prosser, Leslie Hernandez, Myriah Moreno and Shelby Neiberger.
Kent said 17 players are out for the team and he will be assisted by former Rangely coach Kurt Douglas, who is Kent’s father-in-law.
“Believe it or not, I’m excited about my father-in-law coming back to help,” Kent said. “He brings 30 years of experience with him.”
The lady Panthers finished third in the league last year and Kent expects the league competition to be good again this year.
“It’s pretty open, much like it is every year, with Paonia, Meeker, Vail Christian and Soroco all having good programs,” Kent said. “Really it’s anybody’s game, it just depends on who comes out with the best game plan and who executes the best.”
Rangely, Soroco, Hayden, Little Snake River of Baggs, Wyo., Nucla and Meeker will make up the bracket of the White River Electric Cowboy Shootout this weekend. Rangely’s JV team will play in the JV bracket.
“I’m excited to see what we have,” Kent said of the first game of the season, which will be Friday at 6 p.m., in Meeker.