The Fossil Ridge Boys’ Basketball Team finished second, losing in the championship game during their second tournament of the year.

The T-Ridge/Chaparral Tournament is an extremely prestigious 8-team tournament in which each team played three games over the course of four days. The field included #1 ranked ThunderRidge, #3 Chaparral, #7 Smoky Hill, Chatfield, Valor Christian, Rocky Mountain, Legend, and Fossil who entered the tournament ranked 6th.

The Sabercats opened the tournament defeating Castle View 94-56, scoring more than 70 points for the only time this season. Fossil was led by point guard Brock Mishak, who scored a career high 35 points shooting 67%. He also added five rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

Fossil Ridge then faced #3 Chaparral in the semifinals, marking their second game against a top ten opponent this year. The Sabercats rose to the occasion, winning 67-63, out scoring the Wolverines by seven in the fourth quarter. Junior forward Nick Randall scored a career-high 29 points on 14-15 shooting, and dominated the glass with 12 rebounds.

“I couldn’t miss. Every shot I took I knew I was going to make it so I just kept shooting,” Randall said.

The Sabercats finished the tournament against #1 ThunderRidge in the championship, losing 81-68. Fossil led the game at halftime, but were outscored 18-5 in the third quarter, leading to their first loss of the season.

“We held our own against them[ThunderRidge]. We played a really good first half, the second half didn’t go so well…but we learned, if we see them later on we’re going to beat them,” Randall said.

Due to their impressive performances, Fossil Ridge is now ranked third in 5A, with a 5-1 record. Fossil will play another tournament at home starting Thursday, December 16th. This tournament is different from the previous two, as it will include several teams from Wyoming.