CHEYENNE — A three-game weekend faced the Bulldogs as they came off their holiday break to take on 4A teams at the James Johnson Invitational in Cheyenne starting Thursday. WHS went head-to-head with Kelly Walsh who started out hot, as they were the first on the scoreboard, shaking off holiday rust. But senior Brock Peasley took a dime drop from Jacob Hyche and tied it up.

The Trojans proved to be a team that was not afraid of shooting, and the ball dropped for them without issue as they started a lead 13-6 midway through the first minutes of play. Though the Bulldogs were patient, setting up smart plays, the Trojans just kept shooting and had a 10-point lead at the end of the first period.

The second quarter started with a bang for the Trojans yet again as they established a big lead as they scored three times unanswered, and the scoreboard sat at 22-6. Man-to-man defense was making Bulldog scoring difficult.

Seniors Bryce Stenson and Brock Peasley powered through, and both finally scored back to back buckets, closing the gap to 27-10. This fired up the ‘Dawgs as they began to chip away as Tate Nichols hit a big three toward the end of the first half, but Kelly Walsh hung on to the lead at 31-14. The Bulldogs were haunted by 13 turnovers in the first half of play while the Trojans only gave up six.

Coach Mick Cochran tried to turn up the heat after the half and made good use of his bench. After some uneventful pass arounds, the Bulldogs came on a little stronger and took advantage of some missed shots on the Kelly Walsh end. A steal by senior Lee Raser ignited some momentum and Hyche scored off Raser’s steal. With important defensive rebounds and smart passing, the ‘Dawgs scored four times unanswered, putting themselves within four points of their opponent. The Bulldogs caused the Trojans to lose the ball 13 times and took better care of the ball in the third period.

The fourth quarter found both teams working hard and battling understandable fatigue. Kelly Walsh scored twice without issue, widening their lead once again. With just a couple minutes of play left, Peasley muscled through to score on a drive, but the Trojans answered that basket without hesitation. And even though Hyche scored with only seconds left, the Trojans came out on top 47-38. Top scoring for the Bulldogs were Raser with 12, Peasley with 9, Hyche with 10, and six for Stenson. The Bulldogs had a 15-nothing run in the third quarter and fought when it mattered, and came back to play well in spite of the loss.

Day two of the invitational brought the Red Devils from Evanston into view, and according to Kent Smith on the KZEW broadcast of the game, this pairing has not been seen since about 1991.

Senior Lee Raser came on strong and was the first to score, with a quick answer from the Devils. Despite that, the Bulldogs were looking fresh and scored three buckets without interference and ended the first quarter with 11-7 lead.

The second quarter was much like the first; Trojan Zone keeping the Bulldogs from getting away with a lot, and the Bulldogs patient on plays, looking for that premium shot. In final seconds, WHS was trailing by one with low scoring on both sides; but a three by Stenson established a small lead followed by a three-point opportunity as Stenson got hammered on a drive and went to the free throw line. Raser then powered through a crowd making good to end the half.

Peasley came out hot after the half, taking the ball out of the Devils’ hands more than once. Turnovers and rushed play kept both teams from scoring for a bit, and even though Evanston traded steals with Peasley, there were no scoring results. After a technical foul on behalf of the Red Devils, Stenson went to the line and was good for three freebies, establishing a four-point lead for the Bulldogs.

The Red Devils drew blood from Hyche and Raser on two separate occasions; and Evanston closed the gap on a drive. But Peasley was quick to answer with a sinker from the arc. With a minute left, junior Nolan Schaffner hit a bucket, but the Devils scored immediately. WHS maintained their lead 30-26 at the third quarter buzzer.

With 17 seconds left in the game, both teams were under pressure and the Red Devils outscored the ‘Dawgs with the board standing at 39-26. Peasley hit a clutch three with three seconds on the clock, putting the game into its first overtime.

Overtime play saw both teams sharing points, steals, and fouls. Nichols hit a big three and after a Devils turnover the buzzer sounded, and double overtime commenced. With 38 seconds left and several missed shots by both teams, the Devils hit a three-pointer with 12 seconds left on the clock. Stenson tried for a three, but it bounced out. The Devils drew a foul and went to the line, hitting the charity shot at the end of a heartbreaker, winning 51-36. Leading the game on scoring was Stenson with 16, Peasley with 11, Raser with 8, Nichols for 3 and Schaffner for three.

The third game of the weekend found the Bulldogs facing the Cheyenne South Bison, who came into the tournament with zero wins, despite a player that was averaging 20 points per game. With a long weekend of play under their belts, this game was on the quiet side, neither team taking a lot of shots. Tate Nichols was the first to score for WHS with a three pointer. He then drained a three with 25 seconds left in the first period, then followed that with another from three-point land, tying the game 12-12.

The second half opened quietly with low scoring. Peasley started the action with a three keeping the Bulldogs on top, and keeping the Bison’s top scorer to a minimum, resulting in a win for the persistent Bulldogs, 46-22. Nichols was the top shooter with 12 points. The Bulldogs garnered 7 three-pointers between Nichlos and Raser. The ‘Dawgs forced 21 turnovers for the Bison and ended the weekend on a high note.

 The WHS boys face the Gering Bulldogs on Thursday, and according to coach Cochran, Gering could be a challenge with four guards who will “shoot from anywhere.”