Farson evades Tigers

While Old Man Winter’s subzero temperatures canceled a number of games over the weekend, the Encampment Tigers hosted the Farson-Eden Pronghorns for their first conference game of the season.

Prior to the game on January 13, the Pronghorns were ranked at No. 4, just behind Encampment with Farson-Eden 5-4 for the season and the Tigers 7-3. Despite cold temperatures, Saturday’s game showed that nothing can be taken for granted in the competitive 1A Southwest Conference as things begin to heat up on the hardwood.

“I thought the team competed well and gave a good effort throughout the entire game,” said Jake Johnston, head coach of the Encampment Tigers. “The team shared the ball well and played unselfishly.”

Despite the good effort, Farson-Eden was able to evade the Tigers’ claws.

“Farson out-rebounded us and that is something that makes it difficult to win games,” said Johnston. “We need to be more fundamental about boxing out and going after rebounds.”

Having pushed ahead of Encampment, the Pronghorns left Tiger Nation with an 18 point lead, with a final score of 70-52 in favor of Farson-Eden.

With their first conference loss, the Encampment Tigers are now 7-4 for the season and 0-1 for conference play, putting them at No. 5 in the 1A Southwest. Farson-Eden’s first conference win has them at No. 1, though for how long remains to be seen.

The Encampment Tigers will have hosted their Valley and conference rivals, the Saratoga Panthers (7-0, 0-0) on January 16. They will be hosted by the Little Snake River Valley (LSRV) Rattlers (5-5, 0-0) at noon on January 20.