Rattlers battle for seeding

The Little Snake River Valley (LSRV) Rattlers finished their regular season with a crucible of conference games, with two against the Farson-Eden Pronghorns and two against the Cokeville Panthers. Head Coach Jack Cobb knew it was going to be a tough week with two games on the road and two at home.

Rattlers on the Road

Being on the road didn’t help the Rattlers in their first match against Farson-Eden on Monday. It helped even less when they faced the Panthers on Tuesday.

“We were in control of the Farson game almost until the end and then they came back and took care of business where we didn’t.” Cobb said. “The next night at Cokeville, we just didn’t show up for the first four minutes. They jumped on us and we didn’t fight back hard enough.”

On Monday, LSRV fell by four points to the Pronghorns, 50-46. Against Cokeville, the Rattlers were dealt a double-digit deficit with a final score of 63-41.

Rattlers at Home

While returning home, LSRV became stranded in Rock Springs due to winter weather and only allowing the Rattlers one practice before a rematch against Cokeville.

“It worked out okay because we learned a little about ourselves as we got ready for a rematch against Cokeville,” said Cobb.

Whatever the boys learned about themselves worked as they hosted the Panthers. The game was close, but when the buzzer sounded, the Rattlers were ahead 32 to 30.

“It was a good win for us,” Cobb said. “We didn’t let them get ahead of us and score like they did when we faced them at home. First we got a lead and then they got a lead and it went back and forth.”

Cobb said both teams had chances to win.

“We made the shots when we needed to and made the stops when we needed,” Cobb said. “Honestly it was big that we won.”

Then Saturday night the Rattlers faced the Pronghorns for the second time of the week.

“Farson is a scrappy team, that is disciplined in what they do, but we got a seven to eight point lead we took to the half,” Cobb said. “We kept it going like that until the 4th quarter and then hit a couple big threes and got some rebounds, while we missed some shots and the next thing you know, it was tied.”

At the buzzer a shot was rebounded in by the Pronghorns.

With that shot, the Rattlers became the fourth seed.

Cobb said the teams in regionals feel more balanced than last year. 

“To me seeding doesn’t matter quite so strongly as long as you understand that you have to win two games before you lose two,” Cobb said. “It is about playing two good games and honestly I am fine where the boys are as far as where we are seeded.”

Cobb has confidence in his team when they are on.

“We just have to go up and hit our shots and play our brand of basketball and if we do that, we can beat anybody,” Cobb said. “If we don’t, then we will get beat by anybody.”

The team left on Monday for regionals to avoid a snow storm that has been predicted for Tuesday.