Delta coaches Luis Meza, center, and Clayton Curtis congratulate 152-pound senior Hunter Brasfield after an upset win sent him into the 4A Region 4 semifinals.
Hotchkiss senior Joe Boyle controls Ruben Chagoya of Basalt to win a 3A Region 1 title. He is one of 7 Hotchkiss state qualifiers.
Hotchkiss and Paonia boys will square off this week on the basketball courts. Both are 6-4 in league play.
Delta senior Brooke Taylor scores two of her 12 points against Summit after grabbing an offensive rebound.
Paonia 195-pounder Tyler “TK” Kendall sets Rangely’s Drew Collins up for a pin.
Paonia freshman Bo Pipher sets TJ Richard of North Park up for a pin in Saturday’s regional semifinal round. He is one of 13 Paonia wrestlers headed to state!
Surrounded by coaches and his dad, Conner Beard signs Letter of Intent to play football for the University of Nebraska Kearney.
Hotchkiss' Jacobe Galley signed a Letter of Intent to play football and study engineering at Colorado Mesa University.
Hotchkiss senior Cody Bartlett signed his National Letter of Intent to run cross-country for Hawaii Pacific University.
Photo by Tamie Meck Lady Bulldog Alexis Westergren (23) blocks Paonia’s Tyler Rapke after Rapke pulled down an offensive rebound in the Lady Eagles’ 51-29 win over Hotchkiss. The two teams have one more scheduled meeting, on Feb. 19, that counts in WSL play.In their first year in class 2A competition, the Hotchkiss Lady Bulldogs are enjoying a successful season. With Western Slope league competition beginning this week, Hotchkiss has a 6-3 record that includes a season-opener loss to 3A Olathe.
But they just can't get past Paonia.
Just two weeks earlier, the two teams met for the first of three games this season at the First Colorado National Bank Delta County tournament. Hotchkiss lost by 13, and trailed by three at the half.
This time, Paonia was ready. The Lady Eagles press didn't allow Hotchkiss past half court for the first minute and a half of play. With 10 seconds remaining in the first period, Katie Richards scored the first two points for the Lady Bulldogs from the free throw line. With eight seconds remaining, Kylie Hodges hit the team's first field goal from down low and under heavy pressure. Hotchkiss trailed 4-14 at the end of the first quarter.
Paonia never let the Lady Bulldogs back in the game, leading 35-12 at the half. The Lady Eagles pulled their starters with just over a minute remaining in the third.
Paonia guard Chelsy Reed scored a game-high 13 points, including two three-pointers, and Mandy Bushta also shot two three-pointers to end the game with 12 points.
The two teams will face off in a conference game on Feb. 19 at Hotchkiss.
