Two league wins for Panthers

RANGELY | The Western Slope League basketball schedule kicked off for Rangely as they hosted Hayden on Jan. 5. The Rangely boys started strong with a 16-2 run in the first quarter. However, the Panthers got careless on defense in the second quarter, sending the Tigers to the charity stripe multiple times. With a 35-14 score at halftime, the Panthers kept up the defensive pressure, finishing with a 70-28 victory.
Patrick Scoggins paced the Panthers with 19 points, eight boards and four assists. Cameron Filfred stepped up his game, pitching in 12 points, while Doug Denison had the hot hand from the three point line in the second half, finishing with 11 points. Kobe Broome contributed nine points.
“Our defense was much better tonight,” said head coach Kyle Boydstun. “Our seniors played very well, but I was particularly proud of our juniors. They gave us quality minutes when our starters rested.”
In addition to the varsity action the Panther C-team played one quarter and the JV played a full game. “I appreciate the hard work of our freshmen and sophomores and our coaching staff. The younger guys are developing nicely and we are seeing consistent execution on offense,” coach Boydstun said.
The Panthers traveled to Soroco on Jan. 6, duplicating their defensive effort from Friday night. While the hard charging Rams attacked the paint early and often in the first quarter, the Panthers more than kept pace. A 17-6 lead in the first quarter led to a 33-18 advantage at the half.
“I was pleased with our defensive effort coming back from halftime. The third quarter has been a problem for us at times,” coach Boydstun said. The Panthers proved they had few problems in the third quarter against the Rams, as they outscored Soroco 28-12. Patrick Scoggins paced the Panthers with 18 points on the way to a 70-52 victory. Cameron Filfred pitched in 13 points and Devin Ramirez’s defensive effort led to his 11 points. All but three varsity members scored and the bench once again contributed quality minutes. The JV also picked up a 79-41 victory.
The Panthers are now 4-3 overall with a 2-0 league record. Their schedule was packed this week as they traveled to Aspen on Jan. 9, and host Meeker and Cedaredge on Jan. 11-12.