Rocky middle school boys respond after tough Powell tests

The Rocky Mountain Middle School boys basketball teams plowed through a busy week of basketball with the teams playing four game dates in eight days.

Powell at Rocky Mountain January 26:

A Game -- Powell 45, Rocky 30

Powell brought a very talented group to Rocky on January 26, and the A team battled throughout the contest, finishing with 30 points. Hudson Moore and Dally Malson each led the way with 7 points, while Ty Samson and Madden Cooley added 5 points apiece. Will Simmons and Xavier Hetland chipped in 3 points each to round out the scoring.

B Game -- Powell 45, Rocky 2

The B team faced the same challenge against a skilled Powell squad and continued to compete hard from start to finish. Trevin Green accounted for Rocky’s points in the contest, finishing with 2. While the scoreboard didn’t reflect the effort, the experience proved valuable for the group as they worked to improve execution and intensity.

C Game -- Powell 57, Rocky 10

The C team saw contributions from several players in their matchup with Powell, finishing with 10 total points. Gus Loyning led the scoring with 6 points, while Kaiden Adey and Bryden Beall each added 2. The game provided important learning moments for the young squad as they looked ahead to their next opportunity.

Coach McKay Baxendale recognized the strength of Powell’s program, saying, “We put these games behind us pretty quickly, and our boys responded pretty well the following days with some extra determination at practice. Our goal is to always improve from our last game, and we’ll put that to the test when we see them again here soon.”

At Meeteetse January 30:

The boys traveled to Meeteetse and came home with two solid wins Friday. The technology that normally tracks game statistics didn’t cooperate, but the scoreboard told the story.

B Game -- Rocky 31 Meeteetse 14

The B team rolled to a 31-14 victory Friday, showing clear growth on the offensive end. Coach Baxendale was thrilled with the progress, saying, “Our B team made some major advances in offensive execution. It was exciting to see the offense begin to click for them.”

C Game --  Rocky 30 Meeteetse 4.

The C team followed with a dominant 30-4 win, continuing to build confidence and teamwork on the court. Baxendale also praised the work being done with the younger squad, noting, “Coach (Aric) Hanusa has done a great job of getting everybody involved on the C team, and it’s fun to see him fostering positive experiences.

At Riverside January 31:

A Game -- Rocky 39 Riverside 19

The Grizz led 14-6 at halftime, then exploded for 20 points in the third while holding Riverside to 4. The final was 39–19.

Moore scored 17 with three 3-pointers. Malson added 6 points and three rebounds. Samson had 5 points, while Wyatt Blank, Cooley and Hetland each scored 3. Kaden Baker added 2.

“I’ve been seeing a lot of progression from our bench players, and in this game that progression turned into production,” Baxendale said.

B Game -- Rocky 26, Riverside 25

It was a thriller. Down two with 11 seconds left, Rocky went the length of the floor. A timeout with 4 seconds left set up the final play. Baxendale, filling in for Colton Hodge, said, “The boys wanted to go for the win. I drew up a play for Tripp (Hopkin) at the top of the key for a 3. The boys executed, Tripp hit the shot, and that was the difference.”

Wyatt Blank led with 11, and Hopkin had 5, including the game-winner. Baker, Karter Miller, Green, Aiden Wallman and Maddox Ward each scored 2.

C Game -- Rocky 35, Riverside 6

Rocky dominated from the start, outscoring Riverside in every quarter. Beall scored 11 points to go with eight rebounds. Eli Wallman had 10 on 5-for-5 shooting. Loyning added 8, Adey 4 and Canyon Weinand 2.

“We were able to play like a team, execute our offense and see some good things come together,” assistant coach Aric Hanusa said. “Everyone on our team has had a chance to start, and everyone has scored a basket this year.”