Bobcats put the pedal to the metal in Lander

After finishing last season in fourth place – with just one win in their division – the Hot Springs County High School Bobcat basketball team drops down to Class 2A this season – and looks to fare far better this year and to make the play-offs. In early voting, the team is ranked number three among 2A teams.

To kick off the season, the team traveled to Lander last Friday, to play their former Class 3A rival. Despite a 2A team playing a 3A team, the game went to the visiting Bobcats, who led the Lander Tigers from the tip-off. At game’s end, the Cats were ahead by a score of 72 to 54.

The Cats are a much more veteran team this year, with four returning seniors - Del Dukes, Brody Potter, Chris Arends and Ryan Arends. They are joined by seven juniors - Ellis Webber, Bridger Peil, Cody Bomengen, Zak Hastie, Nolan Collins, Cole Keller and Armani Dukes. The varsity team is rounded out with sophomores Jordan Garrison and Brody Welch. The Cats look to benefit from a great deal of experience gained last year, and if the game at Lander is any indication, that experience is already paying dividends.

On Friday night, the Cats came out, setting a withering pace, which the Tigers were clearly not ready to face. After running the score to 12 to 2, the Cats forced the Tigers into the first of two time outs called in the first quarter.

Last year, the Bobcats had shown they were a bit weak against a full-court press. Seeking to gain an early advantage, the Tigers immediately deployed a heavy press - which would have caused significant problems for the Cats last year. Not so this time around. The Bobcats made known that they have gained skill at breaking out of the press, and at scoring several points in succession when they do. It did not take long for the Tigers to get the message, and they soon abandoned the tactic.

In a game that was never in doubt, the Cats were firing on all cylinders, suffocating the Tigers on defense, and putting up impressive numbers on offense. The team benefited from shooting from outside the arc from Dell Dukes, Bridger Peil and Cody Bomengen (2). Senior Zak Hastie went five for seven from three point range and led the team from downtown.

The maturity of the veteran team was demonstrated in the fourth quarter, when Brody Potter pulled up for a wide-open three, but passed the ball to teammate, Zak Hastie, who drained his fifth three-pointer. While there is, certainly, something to be said for “riding the hot hand,” Potter’s unselfish play, leaves no doubt that he is a player with whom anyone would want to take the court.

That the Cats have gained important skills, by having played together and have gained insight into one another’s game, could be gleaned by Zak Hastie coming up with a steal in the third quarter; passing the ball to Armani Dukes, who then blind passed the ball back to Hastie for a two-point bucket. Having been fouled on the shot, Hastie made the free-throw to complete a three-point play. And with that, without hesitation, the Cats headed down the court to take up their defensive positions.

Interviewed after the game, coach Shane Corpening commented, “We are feeling pretty good about our abilities. We played very well at times, and at other times, we looked a little disheveled. We have a lot to work on, but I was really pleased with what we saw in Lander.”

The team now goes to Green River to play in the Flaming Gorge Tournament. Twenty-two schools are expected to compete, and the Cats will be up against some talented teams. This tournament draws teams from Class 2A, Class 3A and Class 4A, and will be a good test for the Cats. The Bobcats will play teams from Glenrock, Riverton and Rock Springs.