Moose massacre: Moffat County basketball teams face Alamosa to finish Glenwood tourney
Moffat County High School’s Cale Scranton stays alert against Faith Christian during the Glenwood Springs Demon Invitational. MCHS boys and girls basketball teams faced Alamosa Saturday in the tournament’s final round. (Photo by Andy Bockelman)
GLENWOOD SPRINGS — Moffat County High School athletes’ final day at the Demon Invitational wasn’t the toughest of the three-day tournament for either Bulldog basketball team given the wide margins of their earlier matches.
Still, however close the score, Saturday was still a hard pill to swallow.
The Mean Moose of Alamosa ganged up on both Bulldog bunches as MCHS boys placed fourth in the Glenwood tourney and girls sixth to the southern Colorado school.
All the Moffat County and Alamosa teams were 1-1 heading into the last day, and the Moose were as hungry as the Dogs to make it 2-1.
Bulldog boys looked like they would take no prisoners if the first quarter was any indicator, leaping to a 19-8 lead. Nine of those points came from outside with a three-pointer by Torin Reed and two from Connor Murphy, back on the court after a knee injury at the prior week’s Mountain Top Classic.
The Bulldog shooting show wouldn’t last as a single field goal by Colby Beaver was matched by the Moose picking up 19 points in the second period to put the Dogs behind 27-21 at the intermission.
Another 19-point stretch in the third quarter for MoCo brought them to within 44-40 only to fall 61-49.
Wesley Counts was again the top scorer for the team with 12 points, plus two 3’s, while Jerod Chacon — also draining two triples — Murphy and Landen Najera each had eight.
Lady Bulldogs were in the hole all too soon as they trailed Alamosa girls 19-10 after one quarter, slowing the Mean Moose enough to catch up at 24-20.
Alamosa’s cushion of four points kept increasing as MCHS struggled in the second half, the Moose in front 42-33 at the end of the third, leading to a 56-45 final.
MCHS boys are 2-4 and girls 3-3 after two weeks of tournament play, and the Bulldogs will host rival Steamboat Springs Dec. 12 for their home opener.
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