Gonzales recovering from concussion

According to Saratoga Middle-High School Activity Director Rex Hohnholt, Jerriah Gonzales is, "doing really good right now." This is after Gonzales was injured late in the second quarter of Saturday's basketball game against Pine Bluffs.

At the end of a Panthers drive to the basket, Gonzales was left unconscious on the floor. A South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services ambulance team was on the scene in approximately 14 minutes. Gonzales was transported to Memorial Hospital of Carbon County and held overnight for observation. According to Hohnholt, Gonzales suffered a concussion and will have to observe protocols to monitor the injury.

In Saturday's 39-75 loss, both the Panthers (0-6 conference, 1-14 overall) and the Hornets (5-0, 16-2) looked flat in the second half after Gonzales' injury.

Saratoga came out with a fierce attitude against the 2A Southeast conference leading Pine Bluffs boys. "We didn't care how big they are and how good their record was," Panthers Head Coach Jason Williams said.

While the physically larger Hornets took control of the game early, the Panthers battled to within 3 points with 3:24 to go in the first quarter. In the last minute of the first quarter Pine Bluffs increased their lead to 9 points ending with a score of 10-19. The second quarter saw an 11-point run by the Hornets and ended with the Panthers down 17-42.

On returning to the court after the Gonzales injury Williams said, "I was real proud of the guys and how they rallied." This was evidenced by Saratoga's 5-foot, 3-inch Aaron Kerbs putting a fearless back-court press on Pine Bluff's 6-foot 10-inch, 225-pound Hunter Thompson.

Darian Williams led the scoring effort against Pine Bluffs with 15 points, also racking up four rebounds. Jace Berger had another double-double against the Hornets with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Rodrigo Escobedo continued his strong season adding four assists to his team-leading assist stats and pulling down eight boards.

In Friday's away game at Burns (2-4, 8-11), Williams said the Panthers came out hard in the first half keeping it to a 6-point game before going to the locker room. Williams said the Panthers struggled with the Broncs' press in the second half and suffered a third quarter point-run by Burns. In the end, the Burns Broncs bested the Saratoga boys 40-58.

Against the Broncs, Berger scored 16 and had five rebounds while Escobedo put up 8 points with five assists. Cameron Lehr had a good night finding the rim against Burns with 11 points.

Summing up the weekend, coach Williams said, "We have faced adversity this year and the guys get out and play hard no matter who's on the floor."

The Panthers host two non-conference games this week, one against a team they beat in December. On Friday, the boys will play the Hanna-Elk Mountain-Medicine Bow Miners (3-0, 8-5) starting at 7 p.m. Saturday will bring the Lingle-Ft. Laramie Doggers (3-0, 8-8) to Saratoga with tip off at 7 p.m. for the boys.