Year in Review: January through June

Andrew Towne
Posted 12/31/20

Part one of two looking back at the top sports stories from 2020

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Year in Review: January through June

Posted

Jan. 8, 2020

Blazer boys win Cabela’s Holiday Tournament

SIDNEY, Neb. ñ The Torrington High School boys’ basketball team swept the Sidney’s Cabela’s Holiday Tournament, winning the championship defeating Gordon- Rushville, Neb. a

Part one of two looking back at the top sports stories from 2020

On Monday, the Blazers raced out to an 18-4 lead, cruising to a 63-37 victory over Gordon-Rushville.

“We played noticeably better than we had,” THS coach Neil Baker said. “We came out against Gordon-Rushville really, really good defensively.”

Torrington was able to speed up the game, making life difficult for the younger Gordon-Rushville team.

“That was the difference early. We got their kids sped up, turning the ball over a couple times, and it made a real difference for us,” Baker said. “Once we got started, we did a really nice job of moving the ball.”

Jan. 22, 2020

Carson reaches

milestone win

DUNNING, Neb. ñ Southeast High School senior wrestler Tate Carson reached the 100-victory milestone for his high school career on Saturday at the Knights Invitational.

Carson reached the milestone with a pair of pins to reach the 195-pound championship match, where he came up short being pinned by Mullen, Neb.’s, Ty Kvanvig.

Carson was one of six Cyclone grapplers to place on Saturday.

Brock Blevins (113 pounds), Greg Logsdon (138) and Will Baker (285) ended the day with wins in their respective championship matches.

Feb. 5, 2020

Anderson collects career win 200 at EWC

TORRINGTON ñ The Eastern Wyoming College women’s basketball team scored wins over Sheridan College and Northwest College last week.

On Wednesday, the Lady Lancers jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the first four and a half minutes en route to a 79-68 victory over the Sheridan Lady Generals.

The win marked career No. 200 for EWC coach Tom Andersen.

Feb. 5, 2020

Cyclone duo place at

Ron Thon Invite

RIVERTON ñ The Southeast High School wrestling duo of Tate Carson and Will Baker placed at the annual Ron Thon Invite in Riverton over           the weekend.

Carson led the way with a third-place finish at 195 pounds. He reached the semifinal round with a pin and an 11-6 decision victory before falling to Trent Clark of Star Valley.

Carson battled back with a pair of 3-1 decision wins over Dawson Stinson of Douglas and Charlie Beaudrie of Cody to finish the weekend with a 4-1 record.

At 285 pounds, Baker won his opening match but suffered his first loss in the quarterfinal round to Lovell’s Coy Trainor by an 11-2 major decision.

Baker responded by rattling off a pair of pins in the consolation rounds to reach the consolation semifinal round, where he was beaten by A.J. Kelly of Rock Springs.

March 4, 2020

Carson, Blevins win

state championships

CASPER ñ The Southeast High School wrestling team capped off a historic weekend with senior Tate Carson and junior Brock Blevins winning individual state titles at the Wyoming State Wrestling Championships on Saturday afternoon at

the Casper Events Center.

The pair of individual championships were the first for Southeast since 2008, and the fifth-place finish tied the schools best finish at state, also coming in 2008.

“We could have had one more pin anywhere in the tournament and we could have won ourselves a trophy,” Cyclone coach Mark Bullington said. “That’s the way it goes. That’s why you come to compete.”

March 11, 2020

Southeast boys fall in third-place game at state

CASPER ñ The Southeast High School boys’ basketball team won their opening round matchup on Thursday against Tongue River before falling to Sundance and Big Horn in the final two games of the Class 2A State Tournament.

On Thursday, the Cyclones opened the state tournament with a 50-47 win over the Tongue River Eagles.

Southeast led by as many as 22-5 in the second quarter before Tongue River mounted a comeback in the second half.

The Eagles outscored the Cyclones 19-8 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 37-35. Over the final eight minutes, Southeast kept Tongue River at bay, not allowing them to take the lead, holding on for the three-point win.

Junior Sawyer Anderson led the Cyclones with 13 points, while junior Brant Fullmer added 11. Junior Bodie Herring grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds.

The win advanced the Cyclones to the semifinal round, where Southeast fell 46-44 in double overtime.

March 13, 2020

Doggers fall in fifth-place game at state tournament

CASPER ñ The Lingle-Fort Laramie boys’ basketball team finished the season with a 1-2 trip to the Class 1A State Tournament in Casper over the weekend.

On Thursday, the No. 2-seeded Doggers fell 40-35 in double overtime to eventual state champion, Farson-Eden.

The Pronghorns grabbed an 8-4 lead after eight minutes in an extremely slow-paced matchup.

The Doggers knocked down only three field goals in the first half – two by senior Caeden Riley and the other by senior Bailey Powell.

The slow pace continued into the third quarter despite the Pronghorns taking a 17-9 lead early in the quarter.

The Doggers slowly chipped away at the deficit, and with 6:07 left in regulation, Powell converted an old-fashioned 3-point play to tie the game at 24.

March 18, 2020

Canceled: 3A/4A Wyoming State Basketball Tournament called off after getting underway

CASPER ñ The Torrington High School boys’ basketball team hadn’t even completely walked into the Casper Events Center when they were told to get back on the bus because the state tournament had been canceled.

The Blazers were scheduled to take on Big Piney in the opening round of the Class 3A Wyoming State Basketball Tournament on Thursday, March 12 at noon.

Things quickly changed in the morning.

The Lyman girls opened the tournament with a 46-34 win over Newcastle, and the starting lineups were completed ahead of the Douglas and Pinedale girls’ game before the announcement was made about the tournament being canceled.

“It was quite a unique situation,” THS coach Neil Baker said. “About Douglas or so, I got a call from Mr. (THS Activities Director Dave) Plendl saying they had decided to do no fans.”

Not long after that the status of the tournament changed again.

“As we walked in the backside door of the Events Center, Ron Laird (Commissioner of the Wyoming High School Activities Association) was walking by at the time and said, ‘I hate to be the one to tell you this, but we just canceled the tournament,’” Baker said.

April 8, 2020

A waiting game

TORRINGTON ñ In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, spring athletes and coaches are left to wait and see if they will get to experience the taste of victory in the spring.

With last Friday’s announcement that Governor Mark Gordon and State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist extended their orders to close down public places until April 30, it seems less and less likely that will happen.

However, Torrington High School senior Ona Albaugh is still hopeful she and her Blazer teammates can get in at least a partial track season this year.

“I’m really hoping that, even if it’s not a long season, we can get a couple meets in,” she said. “The thought of not having my senior track season isn’t the best feeling in the world because it’s my favorite sport, and it’s what I’ve been looking forward to the most for my senior year. Knowing that I might not have that is heartbreaking.”

Albaugh has more than just state championship aspirations in her individual events. She has college scholarship money on the line, as well.

April 10, 2020

Local Cowboys prepare for senior season in different way this spring

TORRINGTON ñ Around this time every year, there is a buzz in the college football world with teams using this time for spring practice in preparation for the upcoming season.

However, like everything else, this spring is different, and for locals Logan Harris, Skyler Miller and Jeff Burroughs, they are preparing for their season seniors at the University of Wyoming in a different sort of way.

Online classes. Makeshift weight rooms. Position meetings via Zoom – a video, web conferencing communication application. All of that instead of donning the brown and gold pads and helmet at War Memorial Stadium.

“Spring ball is a very important time for the guys, especially for the younger guys,” Miller said. “Spring ball is a time where you gain a lot of experience and get a lot of reps. That’s where you earn your role.”

Miller is a prime example of that fact, turning heads as he made the switch from linebacker to fullback last season, ultimately earning the starting position heading into the 2019 season opener against the Missouri Tigers.

May 27, 2020

Malm transferring to EWC

TORRINGTON ñ Jordan Malm is coming home.

The Torrington High School graduate just completed his redshirt freshman season for Casper College, but announced Wednesday, May 20, he is going to return to Torrington to continue his college basketball career for the Eastern Wyoming

College Lancers and third-year coach Tim Moser.

Malm was a part of a Casper team who finished the 2019-20 season with a 25-6 record in the second round of the Region IX Tournament, while searching for their second straight trip to the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan.

It was an experience Malm wouldn’t trade.

“Redshirting on a nationally-ranked team and being a part of something like that is something I will never forget,” Malm said. “They pushed every day in practice – players, coaches, and the entire staff – and the culture was amazing. There was not one guy on the team from last year that I won’t keep in contact with for some time. It made me a better individual and player.”

When Malm returned to Torrington for spring break prior to everything being shut down because of COVID-19, he spent some time in the EWC gym just wanting to get some work in. When he decided to leave Casper and reopen his options for the future, the Lancers jumped at the opportunity to snatch up the former Trailblazer.

June 3, 2020

Tigers open season 2-2

TORRINGTON ñ The Torrington Tiger senior Legion baseball team split a pair of doubleheaders to open the 2020 schedule last week.

On Wednesday, the Tigers swept conference foe, Wheatland on the road, but on Saturday, fell twice to the Colorado Ducks in the Tigers home opener.

“We certainly got off to a rocky start to the season but, you know, it was just that, it was the start to the season,” Tiger coach Rob Mortimore said. “I was really proud of the guys. No matter what we went through as far as mental and physical errors, they stayed in it.”

Against Wheatland, the Tigers jumped out to a four-run lead in the top of the first inning, but it didn’t take long for the Lobos to battle back.