Matt Scoggins PHOTO
RANGELY | The Rangely boys locked up two league wins starting with a 40-35 victory at Caprock Academy on Thursday. The Panthers jumped to an 18-8 lead after the first quarter and took a 23-14 lead into halftime. Bryson Anderson led Caprock’s comeback efforts, scoring 12 of his 16 points in the second half. However, neither team seemed willing to take control in the fourth quarter.
“We didn’t control the tempo or situations at the end of the game like we needed. But the boys earned their victory on the defensive boards by limiting Caprock’s second-chance points,” said coach Kyle Boydstun.
Sydney Cole and Gabe Polley both had nine rebounds each. Polley scored 10 points and Sydney Cole scored 11 of his 17 points in the second half to help the Panthers seal the victory. The JV team also earned 42-30 win over Caprock’s JV.
Rangely hosted the West Grand Mustangs Friday, a team that wanted to press the Panthers throughout the game. The strategy worked in the first quarter and the Mustangs led 5-12. The Panthers settled down in the second quarter and pulled within two, 17-19, at half-time. Five Panthers scored in the third quarter to help fuel a 22-13 run and a 39-30 lead. The Mustangs found themselves in foul trouble in the fourth quarter and this time the Panthers capitalized. The Panthers had found net on only two of 16 chances in the first half, but Keihlin Myers led the Panthers out of their funk in the final stanza sinking four of his five free-throws, sealing the 54-43 league win.
“We survived a slow start, but Timothy Scoggins and Ryan Richens helped spark our defense. And after the first quarter, we showed much more poise on offense. It was a good team effort,” Boydstun said. Sydney Cole again led the scoring effort with 15 points while Timothy Scoggins and Dylan LeBleu scored 11 and 10 points respectively. The Panther’s JV team also tallied their second win of the weekend, defeating the Mustang JV 48-39.
Rangely travels to Soroco on Friday, Jan. 31 to take on the Rams—games start at 4 p.m. On Saturday, Feb. 1, the Panthers host the Hotchkiss Bulldogs with games starting at 1 p.m.
