'Toga beats Miners 84-69

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

It was a hard fought game, but the Panthers landed on their feet with a 84-69 victory against the male Miners on Friday night in the Platte Valley.

The high-scoring game did not see strong defense from either team, said Saratoga High School coach Rex Hohnholt. Instead, the scoring was high.

For Saratoga, Jake Johnston went up for 35 points. Also in the double digits, David Capozzoli bucketed 20 points while Hayden Hohnholt came out with 16. Hanna Elk Mountain Medicine Bow was not far behind as Matt Larson raked in 22 points, Matt Mayfield had 15 and Justin Palm had 12.

It was a story of strep throat this week for Hohnholt’s team. Seven of his 12 players were home sick throughout the week, leaving four at practice at any given time. They all returned for Friday’s game. “It’s hard to tell them they can’t play,” Hohnholt said. “They went in and did well.”

With a lacking defense, the Panther offense was on their game. They shot the ball well, coming at the basket from the inside and outside.

The Panthers had not won the game by the time halftime came around. Ahead by 10 points as they walked back out from the locker rooms, the Panthers took off from the Miners in the third quarter with enough of a lead that HEM just could not catch them.

The Miners gave Saratoga a run for its money by working the ball inside to the guys they needed to hit, Hohnholt said. The Miner’s 6-foot 5-inch players towered over their 6-foot opponents, making it easy for them to get inside twos.

HEM goes to Little Snake River Valley School at 3 p.m. on Saturday, while the Panthers host Wyoming Indian at the same time.