By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
For the first time in many years Raton High basketball has started off the season in November with two single games followed up by the TSC Tourney.
The first trip was down to Mora where the boys under new head coach Bob Walton lost their first game of the season to the Mora Rangers 54-40. The teams travelled to Questa where the boys took that game 83-65. The girls started their season off under new head coach Vanessa Armijo. Armijo has noted it will be a long season as most of the girls did not play last year so they are having to learn how to play together all over and with new team mates. In there first game at Mora it was a 55-12 loss and in Questa another loss followed with a 49-16 score.
Both teams competed in the TSC Invitational Tourney held at Scott Gym on the TSC Campus where once again both teams struggled a bit especially at the free throw line where they missed more than they made. The girls first game came against a well groomed team coached by long time coach George Dasko, who has been coaching high school basketball for many years. Hoehne toppled the Lady Tigers 50-8. The boys also played the Hoehne Farmers in the first round of tourney action and they too not only struggled from the line but missed several three point shots, but only lost by seven 55-48.
The girls took to the court on Friday for their second game of the tourney where they battled the Lady Bulldogs from Primero. With the new foul rules in effect Raton only went to the free throw line in the third quarter making only 2 of 9 attempts. The Lady Bulldogs on the other had went to the free throw line 11 times making only five points for their efforts. The game ended with a win for Primero 44-25. The boys second game of the tourney was against Des Moines. While Des Moines returns a few players many lack a lot of experience but made up for it with aggressive go get play. The game was tied in the third Raton takes the lead and Des Moines battle back to take exchange the lead in the late minutes of the fourth quarter. With just over a minute to play Raton falters and Des Moines take advantage of the situation and takes the lead holding Raton back for the win at the final buzzer 41-36. Could the fact that Raton only sunk three of 11 free throws contributed to the loss for the Tigers. The boys could meet in the Cowbell but that is unlikely as they are on opposite sides of the bracket. The next time the two teams will meet is in January when they are scheduled to play in Des Moines.
Saturday morning the Lady Tigers faced off with a very new team in the FWC Academy Coyotes from Pueblo. This is a brand new school and basketball program and the first games of the season for the Coyotes. Raton took the lead and never looked back as they went into halftime with a 44-4 lead. When the game ended the Raton Lady Tigers marked the win column with a 55-8 victory. The Boys took the court next where they too met up with FWC Academy. The boys gave Raton a run for the money but soon fell behind giving Coach Bob Walton a chance to play all of his players through out the game. In this game Raton went tot eh free throw line 22 times making only 11 points. FWC made it to the line 21 times making only seven shots. When the buzzer sounded the final score on the board read 78-43 marking the win column for Raton.
Both Raton Teams will compete in the 87th Annual Cowbell Tourney to begin in Springer on Tuesday December 10, 2024.
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