The Lady Mustangs, the high school girls basketball team, went into the regional tournament last weekend with high hopes. The girls were undefeated in San Juan Basin League play, 12-0, and went 19-5 for the full season.
Last week, the MileHigh Prep Report in its online showcase of 2A girls basketball was also shouting out head coach of the girls Stan Galley as coach of the league. And, on the San Juan League Team, Lantry Galley was named, as was Kendra McCluer. Honorable mention went to Darcy Bray and Shay Snyder.
Sadly, the girls’ state champion dreams ended last weekend when on March 7, they lost to Genoa-Hugo/Karval High School, 21-31. They didn’t get to play in the regional championship game or advance to the state tournament in Denver.
Galley told the Forum he plans to return next year as head coach. He added there’s room for improvement.
“Yes I plan on coaching next year,” he said Monday. “We didn’t play well enough to win. We need to play better competition during the season.”
On a similar note, the Nucla varsity boys basketball team also lost their game against Evangel Christian Academy High School, 52-54. The guys were 16-8 overall and 8-4 in the league. Led by head coach Mike Rummel, the two-point loss at regionals was no doubt sad for the guys.
“Loss was tough at regionals,” said Brycen Rummel. “We haven’t played like that since the beginning of the season when our chemistry was just starting. The team took the loss hard, but most of our varsity players are sophomores, so we are looking forward to next season being our peak.”
Yet, the middle school wrestling team is on fire.
“As a team, we won the tournament by 42 points over second-place Norwood,” said head coach for wrestling in Nucla Rob McCabe, regarding the Panther Invitational in Delta that took place over the weekend. The middle school wrestlers included the crowning of five champions as well as five runners-up, coach said on Sunday.
“We had a total of 16 kids compete, and all 16 finished in the Top 4,” he said. “We had 15 of the 20 weights covered with two kids that were out sick.”
The kids placings are as follows: wrestling at 70 pounds, Austin Schurtz was first; at 75 pounds, Lochlan Schultz was first; at 80 pounds, Oscar Cooper was second; at 90 pounds, Slade Carver was second, at 95 pounds, Wyatt Weimer was second; at 100 pounds, Tristan Rodriguez was fourth; at 105 pounds, Branson McCabe was second; at 110 pounds, Owen Garvey was third; at 115 pounds, Hunter Johnson was first; at 130 pounds, Xaden Caruso was first; at 135 pounds, Jonah Richardson was third; at 145 pounds, Ben Stone was third; at 285 pounds, Wyatt Rowe was third.
And, there are girls this year wrestling for middle school — three to be certain. In the Delta tournament over the weekend, wrestling at 100 pounds, Brier Osborn was second; at 120 pounds, Kynnlie McCabe was first; and Emma Sutherland was also fourth.
The wrestlers head to the regional tournament this weekend in Grand Junction, and many of them are focused on qualifying for the state tournament that will follow.
