The 2018 Cowbell Basketball Tourney is now in the record books with both of last year’s champion Clayton Girls and Maxwell Boys returning their cowbells to the tourney and taking them back with wins over Cimarron and Springer respectively.
Both of the championship games were close tough games with scores being tied and leads being swapped during each game. In the girls game it was the Lady Rams who gave the returning champions a run for the money keeping the score close. Neither team ever got more than 10 points ahead in the game all the way down to the end when Clayton won by only nine points. It was the fourth quarter however that did Cimarron in as Clayton outscored them 20-11 for the win. Zoe Salazar for Cimarron took high point honors with 21 going 11 of 16 at the free throw line while the rest of the team went 0-4 at the line. Clayton faired better at the line which helped keep them in the game going 15 of 21 attempts.
In the boys game Coach Johnny Chavez knew what he had to do which was control the Riggs boys who were easily a head taller than the Springer boys and could easily out rebound them. By halftime both Riggs boys were in foul trouble with Kaden Riggs fouling out in the third quarter. Coach Eloy Brazil adjusted and Ben Goebel stepped up to help out with the close in shooting and rebounds.
With the loss of Gabe Garcia in the third quarter Springer had to adjust their game plan to fill that loss. Ball control and making the critical shots however won out for Maxwell and Coach Brazil pulling Kolten Riggs out from under the basket to shoot from the outside and reduce the risk of fouling allowed Kolten to post a whopping 38 points on the evening. Riggs put in 17 of his points in the second quarter, adding another nine in three pointers during the second half. Kolten also went four of four at the free throw line. Owen Burton (13), Jose Urquijo (14) and Diego Maestas (13) all three score double digits for Springer.
Wagon Mound returned a young inexperienced team to the court this year while Roy Mosquero girls fielded a five girl team and played two of the games with only four girls when Tanna Crisp fouled out late in the third quarter against Clayton and Baylee Horn was injured in the third quarter of the game with Raton. Horn later returned to the game in the fourth helping Roy Mosquero to topple the Lady Tigers for a third place finish in the tourney.
Other close games in the tourney were the Raton, Cimarron boys game that went down to the wire with a 53-48 win for Raton. On Thursday night the Roy Mosquero Questa boys game was another tight game going into overtime after Marcus Padilla sunk two free throws to tie the game. Roy Mosquero took the lead and managed to hang on with free throws as Questa found to try and get the ball back.
The third place boys game between Clayton and Raton was another barn burner of a game with Raton pulling it out in the end with a 58-64 win. On the girls side of the bracket the closer games fell on the consolation side with Maxwell beating Questa by six points and the Clayton JV girls ousting a young Springer team. Coach Jesus Urquijo noted that Springer lost several senior girls last year and that they are a rebuilding team as well as having a new coach, coaching the girls. Urquijo is in his first year as a new head coach.
Lets go toe to toe as Maxwell’s Audriana Apodaca and Clayton’s Mandy Crisp meet on the court during the 82nd Annual Cowbell Tourney in Springer Tuesday
Lexi Hoy (23) makes way to the paint as Kaylee Mitchell gets a hand on the ball trying to prevent the upcoming shot during the 82nd Annual Cowbell in Springer.
Hannah Johnson slaps the ball away as Audriana Apodaca goes for the shot Tuesday evening during the 82nd Annual Cowbell in Springer.
Keegan Geary(4) and Valencia Hurtado (5) go for the rebound during the 82nd Annual Cowbell in Springer.
Clayton’s Mercedes Sandoval (13) goes for the shot while Destiny Gallegos (24) and Shiann Weisdorfer (20) work to make the block Tuesday during the 82nd Annual Cowbell in Springer.
Matthew Libby drives the lane as Clayton’s Zac Maynes works to keep him from the shot 82nd Annual Cowbell in Springer.
Roy/Mosquero Landan Maxwell goes for the block as Clayton’s Dario Avila (1) drives the lane for the layup during the 82nd Annual Cowbell in Springer.
Clayton’s Caleb Gonzales goes up for the layup as Matthew Libby works to make the block during the 82nd Annual Cowbell in Springer.
Akira Herrera holds up as Analiese Malaney crowds her for the play on the ball during the 82nd Annual Cowbell in Springer.
Clayton’s Savina Galindo works her way in to ry and bat the ball away from Cimarron’s Angelica Gonzales (1) during the 82nd Annual Cowbell in Springer.
Ben Goebel pushes his way in as Wagon Mound’s Diego Rivera (11) drives toward the baseline during the 82nd Annual Cowbell in Springer.
Javier Gallegos (10) goes for the ball as Wagon Mound’s Adrian Rivera (20) goes for the basket during the 82nd Annual Cowbell in Springer.
Andie Ortega threads the needle as Cimarron’s Mary Ickes and Zoe Salazar close in, Salazar did get a hand on the ball forcing Ortega to chase the ball down during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney Friday night in Raton.
Analiese Malaney tangles with Andie Ortega and Kerrigan Weese to get control of the ball Friday evening in Tiger Gym during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney.
Angel Gonzales got a hand on the ball as Anna Acosta drives in for the layup during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney Friday night in Raton.
Ismael Tafoya drives the lane for the layup as Kaden Riggs gets a hand on the ball during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney Friday night in Raton.
Aden Vanderwater and Kolten Riggs tangle for the rebound during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney Friday night in Raton.
Another battle for the rebound with Kolten Riggs and Aden Vanderwater during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney Friday night in Raton.
Christian Estrada drives the lane for the layup during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney in Raton on Saturday
Koen Overburger inside the lane puts up a short jumper between Austin Vargas and Sean Garcia during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney in Raton on Saturday
Kerrigan Weese and Baylee Horn battle it out on the jump ball with Weese getting her hand on the ball to control the tip during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney in Raton on Saturday
Riley Hopper on the floor tries to get control of the ball as Baylee Horn works to take it away during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney in Raton on Saturday
Kyra Maxwell and Baylee Horn gang up on Andie Ortega to get control of the ball, as Riley Clavel looks on during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney in Raton on Saturday
Aden Vanderwater (13) and Tyler Drumm (24) on the jump ball to begin the boys third place game in Tiger Gym during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney in Raton on Saturday
Matthew Quartieri goes up for the long pass down court as Ethan Lawerence goes for the ball to knock it loose. The ball went on through Quartieri’s hands and out of bounds during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney in Raton on Saturday
Caleb Gonzales and Jose Archuleta try to take control of the ball during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney in Raton on Saturday
Zoe Salazar(5) and Mercedes Salazar tangle on the floor for the ball in the championship game of the 2018 Cowbell Tourney in Raton on Saturday
Kaylee Mitchell (24) runs into traffic as she collides with Olivia Perryman (35) just as she passes it away while Angel Gonzales goes for the ball during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney in Raton on Saturday
Hannah Johnson (1) battles Mary Ickes (4) and Olivia Perryman (35) for the ball on the rebound during the championship game of the 2018 Cowbell Tourney in Raton on Saturday
Hannah Johnson (1) and Alexis Gruver go after the loose ball during the championship game of the 2018 Cowbell Tourney in Raton on Saturday
a battle for the ball as Mandy Crisp and Zoe Salazar battle over the ball during the 2018 Cowbell Tourney in Raton on Saturday
