RANGELY I Caprock Academy Eagles backers were in high spirits Thursday as they witnessed their basketball squad beat the host Rangely Panthers 74-43 in a league bout. The Eagles flew out to a 35-18 lead at half time and never looked back. With the win, Caprock Academy upgraded its record to 13-2 on the season and a sixth seed in Class 1A RPI. Rangely’s lead scorers were Kenyon Cochrane, Kevin Wren, and Keihlin Myers with 11 points, nine points, and eight points, respectively. The Panther JV team defeated Caprock’s JV 41-29.
Next, the Panthers confronted the Little Snake River Rattlers (Baggs, Wyoming) in Rangely in a non-league challenge, on Friday, Feb. 11. The Rattlers came into the challenge with a 6-7 record after their 55-49 non-league loss to Meeker. Rangely kept pace with the Rattlers throughout the first half. With an 18-20 deficit at half time, the Panthers’ adjustments and patience in the third quarter led to a 15-4 run. The Rattlers struck back in the fourth quarter, but the Panthers were able to survive, earning a 41-38 victory. Wren led the Panthers with 16 points, followed by Myers with nine points. The LSR “C” team defeated Rangely’s C squad 52-19 and their JV team defeated Rangely 47-39.
Rangely concluded its busy weekend by traveling to North Park for their final league contest of the season on Saturday, Feb. 12. The Panthers wrangled a final league victory from the Wildcats, winning 62-37. Rangely featured four players in double digits; Wren led the scoring with 15 points, followed closely by Fisher Winder with 14 points and Myers with 13. Cochrane also contributed 10 points. The Panther JV team also picked up a 36-31 victory against the Wildcats’ JV.
The Panthers’ league record now stands at 5-6 with an 8-10 overall record. The Rangely boys’ team will travel to Caprock Academy on Friday, Feb. 18 for the final game (non-league) of the regular season. They are currently seeded seventh in the 1A/2A Western Slope league standings, and fifth in their district standings. The Panthers await results from league games to see where they will travel for the quarterfinal round of districts on Tuesday, Feb. 22.
Special to the Herald Times