Fossil basketball wins double-header against Rocky Mountain

From+Left%3A+Will+Hemme%2C+Brock+Mishak%2C+and+Ty+Brown+after+the+game.

From Left: Will Hemme, Brock Mishak, and Ty Brown after the game.

Dylan Heinrich, Sports Writer

The Fossil Ridge High School Boys and girls Basketball teams both won their second matchup against the Rocky Mountain Lobos.

The two teams played back-to-back on the road, with the girls playing first and winning 63-48. 

This was Fossil’s second time playing the Lobos within a week, winning the first matchup at Fossil 68-40. Despite winning by less the second time, the Sabercats felt confident during their rematch.

“We learned to be persistent. Doing the same things consistently helped a lot,” said sophomore, Kaycee Steinke.

Steinke scored eight points against Rocky, six of which came from the free throw line.

The two matchups against Rocky have allowed Fossil’s offense to flourish, scoring two of their top three point totals during their games together. This marks a continuing trend for the Sabercats, as the team has averaged 58 points per game in their last six games.

“We have at least six players who can put up 15-20 points every game, so it’s good to have a lot of scoring depth in our short lineup,” Steinke said.

This marked the 14th time in a row the Sabercats have defeated Rocky Mountain, with their last loss coming on February 17, 2012. It also extends Fossil’s winning streak to eight games, and their ninth victory in the past ten games.

Senior Jessica Rockwell dimed up four assists during the game. Rockwell leads the team averaging 3.6 assists a game.

However these were not the only milestones set last night, as there were several big moments during the boys victory 90-77. 

The game started with a bang, as senior Brock Mishak scored his one thousandth career point on the first possession of the game. Mishak has been a leader on the Sabercats’ roster as a starter for the past three years. He has led the team in scoring this season, averaging 21.5 points. 

“It’s surreal, I’ve been dreaming about it since I was a little kid. To get it tonight in a big cross-town rivalry game, it means the world to me. To do it with my guys, they kept trust in me…I love them,” Mishak said. 

Mishak currently sits at 18th in Colorado in points per game.

The milestones do not stop there, as junior Matthew Boldt played in his first game of the season after tearing his ACL ten months ago. Boldt received surgery two months after the tear, and has been recovering and working his way back into game condition. The crowd was electric to see him return, getting a massive ovation from the Fossil fans.

“It feels awesome, I’m just glad to play the game again…we’re playing well and I’ll try to contribute when I can. If we keep winning, I’m happy,” Boldt said.

Boldt will be a part of the rotation moving forward, looking to make an impact heading towards playoffs.

The game was close throughout, as Rocky held with Fossil for the second game in a row, even leading 42-41 at halftime. The Sabercats were able to shift their mindset in the second half, outscoring the Lobos 25-21 in the third quarter and 24-14 in the fourth to seal their sixth road win of the season.

“Since the Horizon game, we learned that anything can happen in the fourth quarter. So we just need to take deep breaths and handle the ball,” said junior, Nick Randall.

Randall scored most of his points in the second half, playing a crucial part in the Sabercats’ victory.

Randall led Fossil in scoring with 24 points shooting 11-14 from the field. This game marked Randall’s 19th game this season in which he shot 50% or better from the field. Randall continued to dominate inside the paint, displaying a wide array of post moves allowing him to get open frequently.

“We learned that we can get into the post every time and score. They were doubling Brock [Mishak] every time so there was always an open man…I knew how to stop, how to pump fake, and pull off all the double moves,” Randall said.

Both teams continue to succeed, as they will both look to capture the conference championship as the regular season comes to a close. Both will face a large test against Legacy High School on Friday, February 11, with the girls traveling to Legacy and the boys playing them at home.