Photo by Joel Reichenberger
Hayden's Jorge Valdez goes up for a shot on Saturday against Little Snake River.
Intensity of Hayden boys hoops not enough in 66-53 loss
Sunday, December 18, 2011
2011-12 Tigers boys basketball schedule
- Dec. 8 to 10: Cowboy Shootout in Meeker
- Dec. 8: Hayden 43, Crested Butte 42
- Dec. 9: Meeker 66, Hayden 35
- Dec. 16: Hayden 59, North Park 41
- Dec. 17: Little Snake River 66, Hayden 53
- Jan. 6: Meeker 51, Hayden 42
- Jan. 10: Hayden 53, Vail Mountain 41
- Jan. 13: West Grand 68, Hayden 55
- Jan. 14: Hayden 70, North Park 45
- Jan. 20: Hayden 64, De Beque 36
- Jan. 21: Hayden 59, Vail Christian 50
- Jan. 27: Hayden 59, Soroco 40
- Jan. 28: Hayden 74, Rangely 60
- Jan. 31: Hayden 88, Vail Christian 72
- Feb. 3: Plateau Valley 79, Hayden 66
- Feb. 4: Hayden 75, Paonia 67
- Feb. 10: Hayden 69, Soroco 53
- Feb. 11: Hayden 61, West Grand 55
- Feb. 17: Hayden wins through forfeit again Vail Mountain
- Feb. 21: Hayden 73, Soroco 53
- Feb. 24: District Tournament: West Grand 58, Hayden 55
- Feb. 25: District Tournament: Hayden 73, Paonia 57
- March 2 and 3: at Regional Tournament
Hayden — They certainly weren’t looking for a loss, and no one associated with the Hayden High School boys basketball team is happy with a 2-3 record. But the squad found some hope in the latest set back, a 66-53 loss at the hands of Little Snake River, one of Wyoming’s best teams.
Hayden knew it had to be at its very best just to have a chance, and with four minutes to go, trailing by six, it at least had that chance.
“It’s good to finish with that kind of effort, even if it’s in a loss,” Hayden coach Mike Luppes said. “They showed they had it in them, and that’s important. Now we can work on it.”
Hayden got a huge game from junior forward Jorge Valdez, who scored 22 points and had 13 rebounds.
Valdez added several spectacular plays, including two massive blocked shots and one basket he made while falling backward, nearly on the ground before he let it go.
Mark Doolin had 11 points and nine boards, and Hunter Johnston scored 14.
Hayden trailed through the entire game, and at times, the Rattlers seemed a play away from blowing the game open. Hayden cut the deficit from 12 to 6 in the fourth quarter, but a pair of quick 3-pointers and a few Tigers turnovers kept things from getting any more interesting.
“It was a real good game. Our intensity was up 20 times higher than it’s been in the other games,” Johnston said. “We obviously have talented players, and (Saturday) everyone was playing hard. That’s what’s been missing.”
— To reach Joel Reichenberger, call 970-871-4253 or email jreichenberger@SteamboatToday.com
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