Panthers pounce to number one

The Saratoga Panthers remain the team to beat in the 1A Southwest Conference, continuing their undefeated streak this past week with two conference wins. On Friday, Saratoga was hosted by the Farson-Eden Pronghorns for a close matchup. Then, on Saturday, Saratoga faced their Panther rivals leaving Cokeville in a double-digit deficit.

Panthers vs. Pronghorns

“Farson came to play. They really wanted to beat us,” said Head Coach Jason Williams. “Frankly, they were more ready for the game than we were.”

When Saratoga hosted the Pronghorns on January 21, the Panther had easily dispatched Farson-Eden with a score of 55-29. This time, it seemed they were facing a different team and the game was a bit too close for comfort. In the 1st quarter, a difference of just two points separated Saratoga from the Pronghorns. By the 3rd quarter, the Panthers had put some distance between themselves and Farson-Eden. The Pronghorns wouldn’t go down, though.

“We were up by 13 at the end of the 3rd quarter, but we just couldn’t put them away,” Williams said. “They have three big guys that are good post players and Farson has always been good at putting on defensive pressure. We lost a little patience and played into their game.”

The loss of patience for Saratoga was a gain for the Pronghorns, who got within 2 points of the Panthers with 10 seconds left and possession of the ball.

“The way they came back in the 4th quarter, I felt if they tied it up, that we were really going to struggle to come out there with a win,” said Williams. “We managed to get a turnover and then they fouled us and we got two freethrows for the final score to make us up by four.”

The final score was 58-54, Saratoga.

Panthers vs. Panthers

Despite a narrow win over the Pronghorns, Williams said his team was focused on dispatching Cokeville on Saturday.

“We knew when we went on the road, the Cokeville game was the one we had to have,” said Williams. “It was the key to winning the conference. I don’t know if it was that or knowing how much we beat Farson the first time if we sort of over looked them. They were not overlooking us and they were ready to play.”

Playing against Cokeville reminded Williams no should should be taken for granted.

“I am hoping it was sort of a wake up call for all of us, that we can’t afford to overlook any team, or take any days off,” said Williams. “This becomes more true as we continue on.”

When Saratoga had hosted their rival Panthers last month, it was the team with the home-field advantage that came away with a narrow win, 64-61. While Saratoga was ready for Cokeville, the orange Panthers weren’t as challenging as the Pronghorns had been the night before.

“The strength of the Farson team is in their post and big guys. Cokeville’s strength is in their guards,” said Williams. “They have three really good guards.”

Saratoga started out with a three-to-four point lead in the 1st quarter and it stayed that way until the middle of the 2nd quarter.

“We made a run in the 2nd quarter and ended up leading by 12 at halftime,” said Williams. “I feel like that run in the 2nd quarter is what pushed us over the edge for the game. Cokeville did get within 6 points at one time in the 3rd quarter, but then we answered and it basically stayed with us being ahead 10-to-12 points.”

Towards the end of the 4th quarter, Cokeville tried to press Saratoga.

“When we get pressed, I feel that it is almost a good thing for us,” said Williams. “We play best when we are playing fast and the press speeds the game up. We have found ways where we can take advantage of that sometimes.”

The final score was 62-46, Saratoga.

Williams was pleased with his team during the away games this weekend, especially Fisher Williams when playing Farson.

“Fisher stepped up and hit some big shots in the 3rd quarter to give us a cushion,” said Williams. “Those three pointers came at a key time. Without that cushion, it could have ended a lot differently.”

Facing off against Cokeville, it was Deke Herring who helped Saratoga gain some ground to secure the win.

“Deke got some big offensive rebounds for us right in the beginning and that got us going and got our energy up,” said Williams. “Then, at the end of the game, he was the one when they were pressing us, got some layups to push up the lead. He did a really good job leading us in the 1st quarter and did a good job of finishing us off in the 4th quarter.”

With two more conference wins this weekend, the Saratoga Panthers remain undefeated and have secured the No. 1 seed for the 1A West Regional Tournament. Williams said the focus this week is to get the team healthy.

“We have a little cough going around this week and we are actually going to cut practices short this week so the boys can rest a little more,” said Williams. “We will be practicing a few things because I think it is important to have a few new looks for regionals and state.”

Along with healing up, the Saratoga coach said he sees some things that need improvement after the Farson game.

“There are some things that came to light we need to work on,” said Williams. “The type of things I didn’t think we needed to work on but, after the Farson game, I realized there are points we need to address.”

As the regular season draws to a close, the Saratoga Panthers are 17-0 for the season and 8-0 in conference play. Saratoga will have been hosted by the North Park Wildcats in Walden on February 14 and will host the Wyoming Indian Chiefs on at 4 p.m. February 17 for Senior Night.