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Moffat County boys look to bolster WSL record

Nate Waggenspack
Miguel Cruz watches his shot during a Moffat County home game earlier this season. Cruz and the Bulldogs play two road games this weekend, at Coal Ridge and Grand Valley.
Nate Waggenspack

This weekend...

Moffat County at Coal Ridge

• JV 4 p.m. Friday

• Varsity 7 p.m. Friday

Moffat County at Grand Valley

• JV 11 a.m. Saturday

• Varsity 2 p.m. Saturday

Check CDP_Sports on Twitter and the Craig Daily Press Facebook page for game updates

This weekend…

Moffat County at Coal Ridge

• JV 4 p.m. Friday

• Varsity 7 p.m. Friday



Moffat County at Grand Valley

• JV 11 a.m. Saturday



• Varsity 2 p.m. Saturday

Check CDP_Sports on Twitter and the Craig Daily Press Facebook page for game updates

The Moffat County boys basketball team has been perfect since break, but now the Bulldogs will have to prove they can get wins on the road as well.

The Bulldogs (9-1, 6-1 Western Slope League) will play Coal Ridge Friday in New Castle and Grand Valley Saturday in Parachute in a weekend WSL doubleheader. Both teams have gone 1-10 to start the season, but getting wins will still be important for the Bulldogs, who are sandwiched between Roaring Fork and Aspen atop the league standings.

It will be Moffat County’s first game against Coal Ridge, but Eric Hamilton saw them play and said they have been improved since the beginning of the year.

“Coal Ridge, I’ve seen them play,” Hamilton said. “They’ve got a big 6-5 kid who’s a great athlete, they’ve got a lot of quick guards. I expect some pressure from them. I know they’re improved. They’re coming on.”

The Bulldogs beat Grand Valley by 41 in December, but the Cardinals have seen multiple players added to their roster since then due to transfer rules and injury, including guard Scott Parker, who has scored 30 points in two games since his return.

Hamilton said the Cardinals will be tougher than in the teams’ first meeting.

“They got three or four guys back,” he said.

Sophomore Miguel Cruz thinks the Bulldogs need to bring what they’ve had in their home games on the road with them.

“Just keep what we have going on in our streak,” Cruz said. “Keep what we’re doing. The same intensity that we’ve had, just take that to the away games.”

In order to create that sameness, Hamilton said the Bulldogs have practiced the same way they always do. He wants the team to focus on their own style of play.

“We haven’t done anything different,” he said. “We’ve just got to stay focused and work hard. You can’t play a road game any different (than a home game), so we’re going to play our brand of basketball and get after people.”

Regardless of the level of its opponents, Moffat County is planning on bringing its “A” game.

“The other teams are really quick,” Cruz said. “Grand Valley’s got a new team, they’re not going to be the same. We’ve still got to work hard.”

Nate Waggenspack can be reached at 875-1795 or nwaggenspack@craigdailypress.com.


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