The seventh grade boys basketball team at Barone Middle School remains undefeated after last weekend’s games in Steamboat Springs. The eighth grade team lost their games. | TANIA VALERIANO PHOTO
RBC I The Rangely eighth grade boys basketball team has played eight games this season. The A Team is 2-2 with victories over Meeker and Sleeping Giant, and losses to Meeker and Steamboat. The B Team is 0-4 with losses coming to Meeker twice, Sleeping Giant and Meeker’s seventh grade A team. Rangely opened the season on Oct. 16 hosting an eight-team tournament. The B team lost a one point nail biter, 28-27 to Meeker’s eighth grade B team, while the A team was matched up against Steamboat’s A team. Steamboat jumped out early to a 20-0 lead. The A team fought but lost 45-15.
On Oct. 23 county rival Meeker made its way to Rangely. The B team played well but were outpaced by Rangely 32-26. The A team played a solid game paced by Chase Cochrane’s 15 points, as they held off a late Meeker push and won 33-27.
On Oct. 30 Rangely traveled to Meeker for a three team tournament. Rangely’s B team squared off with Meeker’s seventh grade A team and lost 56-6. The B team played well but were outmatched by the talent of the young Meeker team. The A team was short-handed when they matched up with Meeker’s A, and got off to a slow start trailing 12-2 at the end of the first quarter. Rangely failed to close the gap all game and fell 39-31. Sleeping Giant, a new school based out of Steamboat, showed up with 13 kids to play four games (two against Rangely, two against Meeker). The A team started the game and played until half time, notching a win 22-10 and being led by Taylor Gibson and his team high nine points. After halftime the B team took over and struggled to break the Bears press. The Bears went on a 25-0 run at one point, and the final score was 39-29.
On Nov. 5 the Hayden Tigers visited Rangely for three games. The Rangely eighth graders matched up with the Tigers A team and came out on the short end of a five point “cat” fight. Both teams started strong with a 7-6 game at the end of the first. Hayden widened their lead to 13-9, as both teams struggled against good defense in the second quarter. The third was an exciting one for the home team as the Panthers scored 12 and took a 21-19 lead headed into the fourth quarter. Rangely slowed down and scored six while Hayden exploded for 13 and took the win 32-27. Rangely was paced by Taylor Gibson and Lincoln Harris both scoring eight apiece.
