Mustangs conclude season at tournaments

Traveling to Cody, the Lovell Middle School eighth-grade Mustangs finished up their season at the Yellowstone Conference Tournament. Playing hard, they lost two games.

Opening up against the Rocky Mountain Grizzlies, who were the number one seed, the Mustangs fell 25-16 but showed much improvement from the last time they faced the Grizzlies.

“We saw so much improvement from where we started the season to where we finished the season,” coach Steven Durtsche said. “We played Rocky in the first game of the year and lost by nearly 40 points. I was happy to see how much improvement we made throughout the season.

“We got after it defensively, and I thought we played them tough. We struggled to make buckets, which seemed to be the story of our season. We had lots of looks, but just couldn’t finish. I was just really happy with our fight and the progress we have made.”

Durtsche said Anthony Garcia and Kyson Crosby led the team with 6 points each.

Facing off against Worland in their second game, the Mustangs lost 35-26.

“Worland has been a tough opponent for us all year,” Durtsche said. “We just don’t seem to match up with them very well. We came out flat, which is probably because we put so much energy into our first game and didn’t recover. I was glad our boys didn’t just roll over and let Worland dominate. We did fight and kept it to a nine-point game. Kyson Crosby and Grant Hill led the way in scoring. Kyson finished with 8 and Grant with 6.”

Coach Durtsche noted the progress the team made was exceptional, stating, “No one likes to lose, and it is never fun to lose. I think our boys really started to realize their potential. I think as they continue to grow and mature, they will only get better. Many of those losses have the potential to turn into wins if they continue to work and hone their skills. I am excited to see what the future holds for these young men.”

Seventh graders

The seventh-grade Mustangs headed over to Powell for their final games. Meeting the host Powell Panthers, the boys won 46-36. Reigo Romero led the Mustangs with 15 points, and Weston Hendershot and Kannon Owens added 8 points each, Mac Morgan 6, Mason Leithead 4 and Mike Cornia 2 (three points missing).

The next game was against Thermopolis in the semifinals. The Mustangs lost 52-21. Hendershot scored 7 points, Owens 6, Leithead 4 and Mac and Harper Morgan 2 each.

“One of the greatest memories will be of that first quarter against Thermopolis in the semifinals, and the energy the boys and fans had during that moment of the game,” coach Collin McArthur said. “It was electric, and we hope the kids and their fans push themselves to have that type of energy and enthusiasm in every game they play from this point on.”

Finally in the last game of the day, the Mustangs played Worland, losing 50-33. Owens scored 9 points, Leithead 8, Easton Morgan 6, Mac Morgan and Hendershot 3 each, Harper Morgan and Taysen Yates 2 apiece.

“First, I would like to say that the boys had an awesome season this year as the B team ended with an above .500 season and the A team went 11-4,” McArthur said. “We saw a ton of improvement, and we were able to see them all grow as a team rather than just as individuals. We had a great opportunity at conference to potentially play for the championship, but unfortunately, we lost in the semifinals. We couldn’t be prouder of this group of kids, though, and their resilience throughout the year, and I hope that they continue to build upon those aspects.

“Although we didn’t end where we wanted, the boys know that it is something they can achieve this next season and we do, as well. We hope that their success continues to grow and that their time with us not only helped them to become better basketball players but also better people. We will truly miss this group and can’t wait to see what they achieve in the coming years. We greatly enjoyed the time we spent with every one of them and hope it was a moment that they won’t soon forget.”