Playing on the home court for the Brenda Patch Tournament to open the basketball season last weekend, the Roaring Fork High School varsity girls scored a pair of wins, while the boys team was not as fortunate.
The Lady Rams easily handled Prospect Ridge Academy on Friday night, 63-16, and returned to the gym Saturday afternoon for a more competitive affair with Class 4A Steamboat Springs, eventually securing the 40-20 win.
The boys varsity fell on Friday night to 3A league rival Aspen, 67-37, and again was on the losing end of a 71-51 score on Saturday against Prospect Ridge.
Press defense keys ladies’ wins
A tough full-court press against both of their tournament opponents, and the hot hand of freshman player Riley Bevington on Friday night helped secure the victories for the Roaring Fork girls.
Bevington scored 20 points on Friday, including the team’s first three baskets of the season, while junior Carley Crownhart added 17. Crownhart was the leading scorer on Saturday with 16 points, including a pair of 3-pointers at key junctures in both halves.
Head coach Mike Vidakovich spoke to the Rams’ effectiveness on the press, which forced numerous turnovers by both of their opponents.
“That’s going to have to be our bread and butter, because we certainly have the speed and the defenders to do it,” he said.
Vidakovich just did take the reins last week, after new coach Albert Blanc had to step down just ahead of the season start for health reasons.
“I think there’s still a lot of room for improvement, but it is a young team,” Vidakovich said. “We’re just trying to concentrate on the fundamentals right now, and cutting down on the turnovers and the fouls so that we make sure we keep the other team as our opponent, and not ourselves.”
Rams boys finding their way
The Roaring Fork boys were right in it after the first 8 minutes of play against Aspen on Friday night, tied at 9-9. But Aspen started to run away with the game after a technical foul was called against the Rams in the second quarter, and by the half the Skiers were up 30-16.
Aspen went on to outscore the host Rams 20-7 in the third quarter and 17-14 in the fourth to grab the win and move to 2-0 on the season.
Roaring Fork sophomore Ethan Wilson was the leading scorer for the Rams with 12 points and senior Noel Richardson had 8 points.
Against Prospect Ridge, the Rams opened strong, grabbing a 16-13 lead after the first quarter. But a 26-9 advantage for the Miners in the second was too much for the host team to overcome.
Roaring Fork did have more balanced scoring in its second outing of the season, with 16 points coming from Richardson, 12 again from Wilson and 10 from junior Luis Andrade.
“We are young and still trying to find our roles,” third-year head coach Jason Kreiling said after the tournament. “We’re still learning our strengths and that it’s a faster-paced game, but once we settle as a team they are going to be fun to watch.”
The Rams’ boys were set to take on Rifle at home on Wednesday, followed by a road game at Brush on Friday and then a rivalry matchup with the Basalt Longhorns to open the Basalt tournament at 7pm Dec. 13.
The Roaring Fork girls, meanwhile, are off until the Basalt tournament, Dec. 13-16, with opponents to be determined.
