RANGELY | The Rangely High School boys basketball team came up just short on the road last Friday night, falling 46–43 to Vail Mountain in a tight league matchup.
The Panthers entered the contest looking to avenge a 65–35 loss to the Gore Rangers last season in Rangely on Jan. 24, 2025, but were unable to complete the comeback.
Senior Landon Bollinger led Rangely with 14 points, shooting efficiently inside and pulling down eight rebounds to anchor the Panthers on both ends of the floor. Sophomore Chance Allred led the team with nine rebounds, while junior Kacey Allred added eight points and a team-high four assists. Porter Yates chipped in seven points. Rangely held Vail Mountain to 39 percent shooting but struggled offensively, finishing 16 of 51 from the field.
Rangely trailed by just three points late and had opportunities down the stretch, but couldn’t convert enough possessions to swing the outcome. “We really fought back to make it that close,” coach Clint Hill said. “We need to just try and keep the intensity up all four quarters.”
Despite the loss, Hill saw some positives. “We were able to move the ball better at times inside and out on offense, which was good to see,” he said. He emphasized the lessons he wants the players to take away: “That you are never out of it. We never gave up.”
With the setback, Rangely dropped to 4–6 overall and 1–2 in league play, sitting sixth in the standings. Hill said the focus is now on moving forward. “We are definitely more focused on what each week holds, trying not to focus on the past and have goals for the future. Can’t change what has happened, but learn and get better from the past,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of small details in close games. “As you can tell from the last game, the small details add up real quick, and then you have to dig yourself out of a hole. It is important to just not let them compound on each other.”
Rangely will try to rebound this weekend when they host Plateau Valley on Jan. 30 at 7 p.m., then travel to De Beque on Jan. 31 for a 4 p.m. tipoff. “Once again, we will be focusing on defense. We need to clean up how we are running our defense,” Hill said. He added that home court provides an energy boost. “Always nice to have home court and get the home crowd to cheer you on. That gives an energy all on its own, which helps.”
Looking ahead, Hill said success isn’t solely defined by the scoreboard. “We need to play together as a team and help each other out on offense and especially on defense. If we can have good defense throughout the weekend and minimize silly turnovers on offense, I will take that every weekend.”
Despite the setback, the Panthers showed resilience by battling back to within three points late and never backing down on the road. Rangely will look to build on that effort as it returns home to host Plateau Valley before closing the weekend with a road matchup at De Beque, focusing on tightening the small details as league play continues.
By | JARED HENDERSON
