RMMS cagers survive busy week with multiple wins

Diving into the busiest week of the year so far, the Rocky Mountain Middle School basketball teams played 13 games in six days during the past week, though one game was postponed.
The Rocky eighth grade team won three games last week and over the weekend. The Grizz crushed Meeteetse Thursday in Meeteetse, 59-12, then stopped Burlington Friday, also on the road, 43-31. Playing at home Saturday, the Grizzlies ripped Shoshoni 49-19.
The Grizz blew out Meeteetse early on Thursday, leading 16-3 after the first quarter and 34-3 at halftime. Mason Moss led the Grizzlies with 19 points, hitting nine of 11 shots from the field. Cooper Ward added 13 points, Zach Unruh 12, Cooper Winland 6, Jaxon Hayes 5 and Leland Hetland 4. Moss led the team with five steals, and Winland had four rebounds and four assists.
Rocky got a test from Burlington Friday. The Grizz led 33-16 after three quarters, but Burlington outscored the Grizzlies 15-10 in the fourth quarter to cut into the deficit. Moss and Winland scored 14 points each, hitting six of seven and seven of eight shots from the field, respectively. Hayes added 8 points, Ward 5 and Kreegan Jones 2.
Rocky Mountain led Shoshoni 18-2 after the first quarter and cruised from there. Moss led the way with 23 points on 11-of-14 shooting, and Winland added 18, hitting all nine of his shots. Ward scored 6, Hayes 2. Winland snared six rebounds, Moss and Ward five each. Moss added five steals.
A Monday night game in Powell was postponed until tonight (Thursday) due to illness on the Rocky squad, and tip-off is set for 4 p.m., Rocky athletic director Rod Winland said.
Results of a game at Greybull Tuesday were not reported by press time.
Seventh grade
The Rocky seventh grade team had an up-and-down week. The Grizz crushed Meeteetse Thursday, 42-4, fell at Burlington Friday, 41-25, edged Shoshoni 19-18 at home Saturday and fell to Powell Monday at home, 36-31. Greybull results were not reported by press time.
The seventh graders shut out Meeteetse in the second and third quarters to lead 29-2, then won the fourth 13-2 to win the game 42-4. Jaxx May recorded a double-double, leading the Grizz with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jaxson Sponsel added 8 points, Lukas Miller and Tejeo Scheeler 5 each, Jayden Scheeler 4, Rowan Hanusa 2 and Cameron Minchow 1.
Burlington outscored Rocky 15-2 in the second quarter to lead 24-10 at halftime, then went on to win 41-25. May scored 10 points, Sponsel 9 and Jayden Scheeler, Tejeo Scheeler and Minchow 2 apiece.
In a defense-minded Shoshoni game Saturday, Rocky Mountain trailed 16-13 after three, then edged the Wranglers 6-2 in the fourth quarter to win by one, 19-18. Sponsel scored 11 points for the Grizzlies, and May added 7 points and 14 rebounds. Madden Cooley added 1 point.
Monday at home, the Grizzlies stayed close to the Panthers in the first half, trailing 16-14 at halftime, but Powell outscored Rocky 12-5 in the third to lead 28-19. Though Rocky won the fourth, 12-8, the Grizz couldn’t quite make up the difference.
May led the Grizz with 10 points and seven rebounds, and Sponsel added 9 points, Tejeo Scheeler 5, Gary Gardner 3, Unruh and Ward 2 each.
Sixth grade
The RMMS sixth-grade squad hosted Greybull Thursday and stopped the Buffs 41-8, then topped the Burlington Huskies on the road Friday, 33-18. There was no sixth-grade game against Shoshoni Saturday.
Rocky Mountain gradually pulled away from Greybull Thursday, outscoring the Buffaloes 9-2, 10-4, 8-0 and 14-2 in the four quarters to win. Cooley led the team with 9 points and 10 steals, and Ty Samson and Tyler Crosby added 8 points each, Hudson Moore 6, Dally Malson and Brooks Brost 4 each, Dane Wilson 2.
The Grizzlies led Burlington 21-6 at halftime Friday, then matched the Huskies in the second half. Cooley scored 9 points, Wilson and Crosby 8 each, Samson 6 and Malson 2. Wilson pulled down 13 rebounds.
Monday at home, the youngest Grizz clobbered Powell 30-9, leading 18-9 after the third quarter and shutting out the Panthers in the fourth, 12-0. Malson, Samson and Crosby scored 8 points each, Brost 6.
No results of the Tuesday game at Greybull were available by press time.
Schedule
While the eighth graders play in Powell this afternoon (Thursday), the sixth-grade team will play in Greybull once again, tipping off at 4:15 p.m. Friday, Rocky will host Ten Sleep for two games at 2:30 p.m., and on Saturday the seventh- and eighth-grade teams will travel to Thermopolis for games starting at 9:30 a.m. Monday, the Grizzlies will host Greybull for a trio at 4:15 p.m.