Bulldogs open season with 2-0 record after wins over Peetz & Fleming

Jan. 18 marked the start of Season B, including high school basketball under new guidelines set by the Colorado High School Activities Association. With just the required nine practices under their belt, the Haxtun Bulldogs took the court in Peetz on Friday to kick off 2021 basketball action.

The team is under direction of new Head Coach Jayden Stieb and Assistant Coaches Tanner Serrato and Lance Chapdelaine. Stieb takes the reins after serving as Assistant Coach the year before when the team finished 10-13 under then Head Coach Bryce Bivins.

The Bulldogs' season opener in Peetz got off to a quick start as the Haxtun team took the court with a fast-break offense. The Bulldogs put up 18 points while holding Peetz to 14 to go up by four after the initial quarter. Haxtun added another 20 to hold onto a 38-22 advantage at half time. The Bulldogs upped their lead by 11 in the third and 14 in the fourth while holding Peetz to just 21 points in the entire second half to go 1-0 with a 63-43 win on the road.

According to stats provided by Stieb, senior Ryan Tempel led the Bulldogs on the road Friday night with 15 points. Three other teammates hit double digits in the scoring column including Owen Knode with 14 points, Maclin Tempel, who put up 13, and Michael Gerk with 10.

Haxtun hosted the neighboring Fleming Wildcats the following night in the 2021 season home opener. The Bulldogs jumped to an early 12-7 advantage after a quarter of play and added another 19 points in the second to hold a 31-18 lead over Fleming at half time.

The Bulldogs came out from the half-time break, adding another 19 points while defensively holding the Wildcats to 13 to keep the lead. Haxtun outscored their opponent by two in the final quarter to hold onto the lead to claim a 66-45 win, giving the team a 2-0 start to the season.

Ryan Tempel led his team for the second night in a row, this time putting 20 points on the scoreboard. Knode added eight for the Bulldog team as did David Avery. Osman Coss, Kyle Fryrear, Isaac Andersen and Maclin Tempel each added six points.

"I thought we played well last weekend," Stieb said Monday evening. "We had a few hiccups and mental lapses, but that is to be expected the first few games. The boys have worked hard in practice and it was clear that they were ready to get out and play some games. We definitely saw some things we will need to work on and we saw some positives. We have some tough games coming up on the schedule so we will have to be prepared for them."

Haxtun stays home for the next two contests as the team prepares to host Wray on Friday and Prairie on Saturday. The 2-0 Eagles are set to face off with the hometown Bulldogs at 4 p.m. on Feb. 5. According to Maxpreps, the Mustangs from Prairie are 0-2 so far this season. Haxtun faces off with the Mustangs on Saturday, Feb. 6 beginning at 2 p.m.

Due to local COVID-19 restrictions, parents only are allowed at sporting events for the time being. Fans can watch all sporting events on the Haxtun Schools' YouTube page. Follow the Haxtun Fightin' Bulldog Booster Club Facebook page to stay up to day on event links.