RANGELY | The Rangely Panthers boys basketball team returned from winter break with a pair of games over the weekend, starting Friday night on the road against fellow “Cat” Conference member Hayden.
The last time the teams met, Rangely hosted Hayden on Jan. 10, 2025, and came away with a 49-41 victory. This time, traveling to Hayden, the Panthers fell 55-43. Rangely struggled offensively, shooting just 31 percent from the field. Senior Wyatt Petty led the team with six points and six rebounds, while sophomore Chance Allred added two points and a team-high seven rebounds. Senior Landon Bollinger contributed four points and six boards, and junior Kacey Allred recorded three assists and a steal.
“The first game after a long break is always interesting,” head coach Clint Hill said. “The Hayden game showed me what I need to do better as a coach to help them succeed. The team worked hard every day and are learning and putting in the work.”
The Panthers returned home Saturday to face the visiting Soroco Rams. The teams’ last meeting on Jan. 11, 2025, saw Rangely win 49-41 at Soroco. This time, the Rams could not get revenge, falling 67-34 at Rangely. The Panthers found their rhythm on both ends of the floor, with Kacey Allred leading all scorers with 14 points while adding two steals and two assists. Chance Allred also scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and led the team with five assists. Senior Landon Bollinger added 13 points and four blocks, Wyatt Petty contributed 10 points and four rebounds, and Porter Yates dominated the paint with 12 offensive rebounds and 14 total boards.
Kacey Allred said the team’s offensive adjustments and focus on finding open teammates were key to the win. “What was working well offensively that day for me was the team finding the weak spots in the defense where I was open so I had enough time to shoot the ball,” she said. “The team adjusted after the Friday game by creating for others and finding the open man more often. Balancing my scoring and facilitating is very crucial to me because I love scoring, but I would rather win, so finding the open guy leads to points which helps us get the win.”
Chance Allred added insight on his role running the offense as a younger player. “I approach running the offense and finding my teammates in scoring positions by trying to be aggressive in pushing the ball to the rim and trying to draw other defenders to me. This will either help me score or get an easy pass for a teammate. I handle stepping into a leadership role as a younger player by trying to be an example of hustle and uplift every teammate. The adjustments we made after the Hayden game were to hit the boards harder and come out with more energy. I balance my scoring and moving the ball by reading the defense and taking what they give to me. As the season progresses, the main focus that I’ll be working on is my outside shooting.”
Hill credited the team’s effort and attitude for the win. “I was so proud of them to come back and have the attitude they had. They were ready and wanted it badly. The team really helped each other more. We took pride in our defense and effort, and I think that was a big part of holding Soroco to 34 points.”
With the win, Rangely improved to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in Western Slope League play. Hill said the team is focused on consistency as the season progresses. “Being consistent in a positive way is what we are working towards. Many reps and learning every practice will keep us moving in the right direction.”
The Panthers will travel to Meeker on Tuesday before returning home to face North Fork on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 4 p.m. Hill said the upcoming road matchup presents challenges, but he is focused on his team executing its game plan. “Going to someone else’s house, especially Meeker, has its challenges. The crowd is loud and the atmosphere is so fun. We just need to try and play the game we play and not get caught up in anything we don’t need to. A win would be great, but if the guys hustle, pour their hearts into it, and implement the tweaks we’ve been working on, that’s a success in my mind.”
