RMMS boys finish with strong showing at conference tournament

Third-place finish highlights growth for A team

The Rocky Mountain Middle School A team boys closed out their season at the Big Horn Conference tournament in Thermopolis Saturday, finishing third after winning three of four games. Their only loss came on a last-second buzzer-beater against Burlington.

Rocky 43, Ten Sleep 18

The Grizzlies delivered one of their most complete performances of the weekend with balanced scoring across the lineup. Ty Samson led with 9 points. Dally Malson, Xavier Hetland and Madden Cooley each added 6, while Wyatt Blank scored 5 and Will Simmons had 4. Hudson Moore added 3, with Brooks Brost and Tyler Crosby scoring 2 each.

Rocky 25, Greybull 20

In a defensive battle, Rocky leaned on its core scorers. Malson led with 13 points, Cooley added 8, and Samson finished with 4 as the Grizzlies held on late.

Burlington 35, Rocky 33

The toughest game came in the third round. Rocky led most of the way before Burlington rallied for a buzzer-beater. Malson poured in 21 points to lead all scorers, while Moore and Cooley added 5 each and Samson chipped in 2.

Rocky 39, Riverside 22

Rocky closed the tournament strong, securing third place with a balanced win over Riverside. Samson scored 11, Moore added 10 and Malson finished with 9. Cooley contributed 4, while Crosby scored 3 and Brost added 2.

Head coach McKay Baxendale summed it up best: “It was a bittersweet end to our season this weekend. Losing to Burlington at the buzzer after losing a 10-point lead in the fourth is brutal, but we got to end the season with a couple of nice wins to secure third place. All of the boys have grown as ballplayers this season. This group of boys has a lot of basketball IQ, and I’m excited to see what they can do at the high school level.”

The third-place finish capped a season defined by growth and resilience. The wins showed progress, the loss showed how thin the margin can be and the future looks bright as this group moves on to the high school level.

B and C teams win three at Thermop jamboree

The Rocky Mountain B and C teams wrapped up their seasons Saturday at the Thermopolis Jamboree, a bracket-free day focused on development and improvement. Both squads showed strong individual moments and steady effort to close the year.

Assistant coach Colton Hodge said the B team showed noticeable progress.

“The conference jamboree had them playing the strongest they have all season. Resisting pressure and aggression under the basket were key highlights,” he said, adding he’s excited to see the group continue improving next year alongside Coach Baxendale.

Assistant coach Aric Hanusa echoed that sentiment for the C team.

“It was fun to watch the kids improve. They remained resilient as they progressed and really supported each other,” he said.

B team

Rocky 32, Burlington 15

The B team opened strong with a dominant first half and controlled the game throughout. Tripp Hopkin led all scorers with 15 points, followed by Aiden Wallman with 8. Eli Wallman added 4, Karter Miller 3 and James Demers 2.

Hodge credited the group’s composure under pressure and improved physical play inside as key factors.

Thermopolis 48, Rocky 24

Rocky started well but struggled in the second half against a strong Thermopolis surge. Aiden Wallman led Rocky with 13 points, followed by Hopkin with 7. Eli Wallman and Miller each added 2.

Even in the loss, Hodge emphasized growth. “I look forward to seeing continued growth and development next year,” he said.

C team

Greybull 32, Rocky 21

Despite a slow offensive start, the C team battled through a physical Greybull squad that held a size advantage. Rocky trailed 17–7 at halftime before finishing stronger in the second half. Gus Loyning led the Grizzlies with 10 points, followed by Ryker James with 5, Bryden Beall with 4 and Kaiden Adey with 2.

Hanusa noted the challenge. “We got in early foul trouble and were missing some players. We were outmatched pretty badly in height,” he said.

Rocky 33, Meeteetse 9

Rocky C bounced back with its most complete performance of the day, pulling away early and finishing with a balanced scoring effort. James paced the team with 10 points, while Beall added 7. Loyning and Liam Twomey each scored 5, Kamari Meriwether had 4 and Alex Ackerman added 2.

“The last game was fun,” Hanusa said. “The players who didn’t play a whole lot earlier got a lot of minutes and found success.”