RANGELY I The Rangely High School boys’ basketball team began its regular conference season play with a victory Friday night against a solid Plateau Valley team from Collbran.
In the first half, the game went back and forth, and playing on the road added an additional challenge.
The Panthers were in foul trouble in the second quarter with both Kaulan Brady and Brennan Noyes on the bench after picking up their third foul.
Collbran took a one-point lead into the locker room at the half, but the Panthers came out in the second half and took control of the game, scoring 20 points in the third and fourth quarters.
Patrick Scoggins led all scorers with 22 points, 11 in the third quarter alone. He added seven rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Troy Allred had eight rebounds and two blocks while Kaulan Brady and Brennan Noyes each added eight points.
Austin Ficken played a great game with nine points and seven rebounds and Mikey Shepherd added four points and three rebounds. Devin Ramirez helped close the game out with four points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists while Kobe Broome rounded out the even-scoring team victory with seven points and three assists.
Coach Kyle Boydstun said, “We struggled to score and stay out of foul trouble in the first half, but the boys came out in the second half and really had each other’s backs. I could not be more proud of the way they handled adversity.”
Rangely hosted a very tough Cedaredge team on Saturday, and early on the Bruins looked to be too big for the Panthers to handle.
“The Bruins’ size and physicality affected our shooting and shot selection,” Boydstun said.
Rangely trailed after eight minutes16-6 and by 28-16 at the half, but they made great adjustments and came out playing a more physical game in the second half.
They outscored the Bruins 16-9 in the final period, proving they can compete with the best, but they fell short at the end .
“We fought back admirably through foul trouble and injuries,” Boydstun said. “This team just keeps impressing me with their toughness and teamwork.”
Brennan Noyes led the scorers with 11 points, Kaulan Brady had 10, Troy Allred added seven and Patrick Scoggins had six. Austin Ficken had four points, Mikey Shepherd and Kobe Broome had two and one point, respectively. Noyes and Brady also led in rebounds with seven boards each.
The Panthers host Paonia on Saturday afternoon with the games being played at Parkview Elementary School.
The Panthers showed in their first two games that they have several offensive threats as well as top-notch team play, and they look to be improving quickly, making them a threat as the season progresses.
