MEEKER | The Rangely High School boys basketball team split a pair of home games this past weekend.
On Friday, the Panthers hosted the Olathe Pirates and fell 68-38. The last meeting between the teams came during the 2021-22 season, when Rangely traveled to Olathe and won 59-35.
Rangely struggled to find consistent offense and fell behind early. The Panthers were limited on shooting opportunities and second-chance points but competed on the boards and showed defensive effort against a disciplined Olathe squad.
Senior Landon Bollinger led Rangely with 10 points and eight rebounds, while Wyatt Petty added eight points and a team-high nine boards. Porter Yates contributed seven points and seven rebounds, and Kacey Allred finished with six points and six rebounds.
“The biggest challenge honestly was sickness and energy against Olathe,” first-year head coach Clint Hill said. “We had kids miss most of the week of practice and kids just trying to battle through. But it hit us hard at the wrong time. It did show that we still have work to do even with that. We have to learn to take care of the ball better.”
Despite the loss, Rangely battled until the final horn but could not string together enough scoring runs to challenge Olathe down the stretch.
The following day, Rangely rebounded on senior day with a 59-45 victory over the West Grand Mustangs. The teams last met last season on Dec. 13, 2025, when Rangely won 54-41 at home.
“The message to the team heading into Senior Day was simple,” Hill said. “I told them we learn from our losses but don’t dwell on them. This is a new day and a new game to show what we can do. Go out there with lots of energy, effort and a good attitude.”
Senior Landon Bollinger described his approach to the game: “My mindset coming into Saturday was the same as it has been for every other game. My focus was to bring intensity on defense, stay calm on offense, and always make the right play. Going into the game, we knew the other team was much taller than us and that we’d have to crash the boards to stay in the game. All week in practice, we worked on closeouts and boxing with focused intensity. So winning the rebound battle meant a great deal to us.”
Bollinger added, “Having the experience of a senior has given me a perspective on how important the little things are to succeeding. We learn things like boxing out and battling for rebounds from an early age, and we sometimes take it for granted, but those fundamentals still remain a vital part of being a good player and a good team. We have had a few tough losses recently, but our team has continued to push each other to improve and grab that elusive win. So winning this game in front of our home fans was very satisfying to say the least.”
The Panthers built momentum in the third quarter and maintained control the rest of the way, using strong defense and balanced scoring to limit West Grand to 45 points and few second-chance opportunities. Rangely turned defensive stops into transition points and shared the ball effectively.
Bollinger led Rangely with 17 points and 11 rebounds, controlling the paint. Chase Cochrane and Jeren Blankenship added three points each, while Wyatt Petty contributed six points.
Rangely also benefited from effort and fundamentals across the roster. “This season, we have been blessed with players and coaches who bring intensity and desire into each practice,” Bollinger said. “Our effort in practice is evident throughout this game in our defense, rebounding, and hustle plays. Seeing the improvement from our first games to now has been awesome to be a part of, and I look forward to what we will be at the conclusion of our season.”
Defensively, the Panthers recorded several blocks and forced turnovers that slowed West Grand’s offense. Sanjay Geffers paced West Grand with 18 points, while Stran Lechman added 10.
Hill said he is encouraged by the team’s growth despite the season’s challenges. “I am more worried about how we continue to get better and progress and try not to focus on the losses and wins. We are able to learn a lot from the losses, though, which has helped us get better. They never bring the loss to practice or the next game — they are always there to work hard and put in great effort.”
The win improved Rangely’s record to 5-11 and capped senior day with a strong performance. The Panthers will travel this weekend to Caprock Academy on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. and Grand Valley on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m.
Hill said the focus for the upcoming road trip is clear: “We need to make sure to have good defense and to once again handle the ball on offense. I want them to have fun and play basketball — don’t overthink it. I want tighter defense, pressure on the ball, and to not get soft on defense no matter if we are down or up. Keep intensity up the whole time.”
With the win over West Grand, the Panthers demonstrated resilience and senior leadership, proving that hard work, focus, and teamwork can turn a tough stretch into a memorable victory.
Photo is from a prior Rangely game. The Panthers will travel this weekend to Caprock Academy on Feb. 19 and Grand Valley on Feb. 21