Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Even with his team experiencing success and learning to play with confidence, Soroco boys basketball coach Sam McLeod refuses to look past this weekend's slate of games.

Despite playing two teams the Rams beat earlier this year by a total of more than 50 points, McLeod said the last thing Soroco can do - as it travels to play Moffat County's junior varsity today and North Park on Friday - is look ahead to next week, when the Rams start to play some of the top teams in their district.

Today and Friday's games begin at 7 p.m.

"We're not experienced enough with success to do anything but take it one game at a time," McLeod said. "They can't afford to take games or plays off."

But the Rams, 7-1 overall, already have won more games this season than the previous two seasons combined. McLeod has sensed a change in his team's mentality and said that will have to continue with games against league favorites Hayden, Meeker and Plateau Valley still on the schedule.

Still, the coach said today's game against the Moffat County junior varsity team will be a good test and good preparation for what is to come.

"They're very competitive. They are a 4A school with athletes," he said. "They are going to compete with you. There is no way they are going to be a pushover."

Although North Park is a younger team that struggled against Soroco earlier this year, McLeod said he'll use the game to try to solidify his rotation. McLeod said he's pretty confident he's got his top six or seven players set, but he would like to find that eighth or ninth guy as the season progresses.

"I'd like to find a ninth player, especially from the guard position that I can rotate in," McLeod said. "We're really trying to find that extra guy. Obviously, you don't take anybody for granted, but my main goal is to find that seventh, eighth or ninth guy that's going to step up."

Soroco girls back on track

The Soroco High School girls basketball team will try to get back into the win column today against Moffat County's junior varsity team.

The Rams host the Bulldogs at 5 p.m.

Soroco then plays at 5 p.m. on Friday at North Park.

The Rams (4-4 overall) are coming off a 63-36 loss to Rangely on Saturday. Despite playing the up-tempo type of game coach David Bruner likes, the Rams struggled to score, shooting just 16 percent in the first half.

Soroco already has played Moffat County and North Park earlier this year, losing both games. Bruner said this weekend should show how much the Rams have improved.

"We're doing what we need to do shooting-wise," Bruner said. "When they start falling we'll be all right. They're getting more used to the new system. It's just (about) making our shots when we got them."

- To reach Luke Graham, call 871-4229 or e-mail lgraham@steamboatpilot.com