Peetz Falls to Sierra Grande, 55-50

Mike Motz, Sidney Sun-Telegraph

Peetz's Bulldog Boys Basketball team won the 1A District Tournament, and earned a spot in the Regional Bracket of the CHSAA State Basketball Tournament. The Bulldogs definitely did better in the post-season as their 7-12 regular season would indicate, and overall it was a great year for the Bulldogs and the team shows great promise for the season to come.

After shocking the field in the 1A Tournament with three wins and a District Title, the Bulldogs moved on to the Regionals. The 25th ranked Bulldogs matched up with number 8 ranked Sierra Grande, and rather than an easy win for the Panthers, the Bulldogs gave them a battle and almost stole a victory in what would have been a shocking upset.

The Bulldogs had a great first period, surprising the Panthers with their speed and defensive strength. The Bulldogs were sharp and hit their shots, and built a 17-to-13 lead after the first quarter. The scoring pace slowed in the second quarter, but the bulldog's defense stiffened and limited the Panthers to just eight points in the frame. Peetz built a 30-to-21 lead at the halftime break and looked to be a great position to win the game.

The third quarter changed that dynamic dramatically. Sierra Grande came out hot and was able to cool off the Peetz offense while finally figuring out how to get past the Peetz defense. The Panthers put up 25 points in the third period against Peetz's 10 points, and pulled away with a 46-to-40 lead at the end of the third period. The Bulldogs tried to rally in the fourth quarter and were able to get within three points late at 51-to-48, but that was as close as the Peetz boys would get, and Sierra Grande took the 55-to-50 victory and moved on in the tournament before falling to Cheyenne Wells 46-to-35 in the second round.

It was an outstanding finish for Peetz, as they had struggled early in the season trying to build an identity and get their players comfortable playing together. Emerging star Rhyder Bayne is only a freshman, and he will get another season playing with 6' 4" junior Noah Naegele. Look for Peetz to re-establish their dominance in 1A over the next few seasons.