Mountaineers Win Own Invitational

By John Severance

RESERVE – The Reserve boys basketball team took first place and the girls team finished third at the three-day Mountaineer Invitational on Jan. 16.
In the finals, the Reserve boys defeated Academia Juarez 65-51 and in the consolation finals, the Reserve girls topped 51-41.

“The kids are playing really good defense,” Reserve boys coach Stan Thompson said. “We don’t have a lot of size but we are using our speed to our advantage. We just try to put pressure on teams.”
And that pressure seems to be working.
The Mountaineers (13-1) defeated Cobre 67-44 and Santa Fe Waldorf 66-57 to get to the finals.
“We pressed them and we played man to man,” Thompson said of the Waldorf game. “They had two really good ballhandlers and one kid who shot well. We put one of our toughest defenders on him. He got his points but the rest of the kids did not. Our kids played really well.”
Tanner Lengstorf, Nolen Snyder, Scott Johnston, Trevor Kaber made the all-tournament team.
In the finals against Juarez, Snyder scored 23 points, Kaber and Mark Estrada added 12 each and Scott Johnston had 10.
“Everybody is doing their job and we are playing as a team,” Thompson said.
“We could not ask for more effort than that.”
The Reserve girls (4-10), meanwhile, defeated Cobre in the third place game 51-41.
Lorissa Estrada led the way with 30 points and Sara Baca added 10 and Mariyah Delgado added eight points.
“We did OK,” Reserve coach John Payne said.
“We have begun to shoot better and we are starting to run our offense better.
“ The girls have gained a lot of confidence and by playing well that should be a boost for us for the rest of the season and they realize they can compete.
Both Reserve teams will be at Cobre Jan. 28.

Mountaineers Win Own Invitational