Hildebrand's squad finishes fourth at regionalFor the first time since the 2001-02 season, the Powell High School boys basketball team has earned a trip to the state basketball tournament. The Panthers picked up the much-sought-after state berth during last week's Class 3A West Regional in Worland with a 60-49 victory over none other than the event's host team — the Worland Warriors. The victory over WHS, a squad that just more than a week ago was ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, came during a loser-out game at 1 p.m. Saturday. Prior to the contest, PHS lost its opening-round game against Jackson Thursday morning. On Friday and facing possible elimination from the event, the Panthers (13-11) rebounded with a convincing 47-30 decision over the Cody Broncs. That set the stage for the battle with the Warriors, who opened the tournament with a win over Lyman Thursday and followed with a setback to Lovell Friday night. “The Worland matchup was definitely the game of the tournament for us,” said PHS head coach Troy Hildebrand. “We knew it was going to be a challenge because Worland has a very talented team and because they were playing in their own gym. But we had a tremendous crowd behind us as well. The (Lady Panthers) were there cheering for us, and a lot of people from Powell made the trip. “It was just an incredible experience to have that kind of support behind us when we clinched a berth in the state tournament. It was great to witness our guys playing with so much effort and energy against a quality opponent like Worland in their gym and with so much on the line. Our kids showed a tremendous amount of character, and I was so glad to see that pay off the way it did. They've worked really hard this year, and they deserve this kind of opportunity.”With the victory, PHS advanced to the game for third place, where they were rematched with Jackson. The Panthers lost that contest and settled for fourth place in the West Region. The first-place team at the tournament was Kemmerer. The Rangers defeated Lovell 32-25 in the championship game. Those two teams will join Powell and Jackson as the representatives from the West Conference at this year's state tournament.The following is a review of the Panthers' four games at the West Regional Tournament, starting with their final game of the event Saturday. Jackson 49, Powell 47After opening the tournament with a 2-1 mark, the Panthers found themselves in the contest to decide third place Saturday at 5:30 p.m. They were matched against Jackson, the same team that handed PHS a loss during the first round. Riding the momentum of the victory against Worland in the 1 p.m. matchup earlier in the day, PHS was able to race to an 18-12 advantage over the Broncs by the end of the first period. Powell led by as many as 10 points during the first eight minutes. However, the Broncs began chipping away at Powell's lead and moved ahead 30-28 just before the half.“Having played such an emotional, hard-fought game earlier in the afternoon took its toll on us,” Hildebrand said. “We started out well, but you could tell in the second and third quarters that we were tired and weren't playing at the same level as earlier in the day. But our kids still found a way to make it close at the end.”In the third period, Jackson continued to build on its lead. By the 11:42 mark, the Broncs were ahead 39-28 and appeared to be pulling away. But early in the fourth period, and with the Broncs holding a 41-31 advantage, PHS began showing signs it wasn't going to end the tournament on the receiving end of a double-digit loss. The Panthers slowly climbed back into contention for the win, and with less than a minute to play, they almost came through with the plays needed to score the victory.Powell's Gavin Mills cut Jackson's lead to 49-44 with a 2-point basket with 22 seconds remaining. Immediately after that, Galen Mills recorded a steal, and the Panthers quickly converted the Jackson miscue into points when Jordan Brown connected on a 3-pointer with 11 seconds showing on the clock.Jackson's Damon Smith was fouled after Brown's basket, and he promptly missed the front end of a one-and-one situation with less than 10 seconds to play. Matt McArthur grabbed the rebound for the Panthers and set up PHS for a potential tying or winning shot. Brown made PHS's last shot attempt as time expired. His 22-footer hit the front end of the rim and then the backboard, but it failed to find its way in the basket.A disappointed Brown grimaced and doubled over near where he took the shot as time expired. As he suffered through the pain of missing the potential game-winning shot, Jackson's Rob Caesar took time to console Brown as his fellow Bronc teammates celebrated their third-place finish. An official also commended Brown for his effort throughout the game. Brown's anguish quickly turned to a smile as his teammates reminded him that games still remain to be played at the state tournament, which begins later this week.“We would have loved to have won that game,” Hildebrand said. “It was disappointing to lose it, but I'm extremely proud of our guys. They put in as much effort as they had left in them, and we'll have a lot of positives to build on during practice as we get ready for state.”Against Jackson, the Panthers had seven players reach the scoring column. Brown and McArthur paced the team with nine points each. The remainder of the scoring output was credited to Gavin Mills (8 points), Ryan Brandt (7), Galen Mills (6), Matt Kifer (5) and Brandon Sullivan (3). McArthur led the Panthers with 13 rebounds, and Gavin Mills added seven boards. Galen Mills finished with a team-high six steals, and Brown added a squad-best four assists.Caesar led Jackson with 17 points and seven rebounds. Michael Leahey added 12 points and eight rebounds. Powell 60, Worland 49Early Saturday afternoon, the Panthers earned their ticket to the state tournament with an 11-point decision over the Warriors.The game opened with Powell taking a 12-10 advantage by the end of the first period. During the first eight minutes, the two teams swapped the lead six times. In the ensuing period, the Panthers gained a bit of separation from the Warriors, leading by as many as nine points before settling for a 28-20 lead at the break. Following halftime, PHS extended its lead by outscoring the Warriors 21-13 and carried a 16-point lead into the game's final period.“The third period was the difference in the game,” Hildebrand said. “We took care of the ball, and we did a good job from 3-point range.”Galen Mills and Brown did much of the damage against Worland's defense in the third quarter by combining to hit five of six 3-pointer attempts. Galen Mills, who was perfect on his three attempts in the period, hit his final one at the buzzer to send PHS into the fourth quarter ahead 49-33.During the fourth quarter, Worland managed to cut its deficit to eight points, but by that time, the clock was showing 1:07 to play. Five successful free throws — four by Galen Mills and one by Dallas Robirds — helped seal the victory in the last minute.Three Panthers finished with double-digit point totals against Worland. Brown led the team with 20 points. He also added three rebounds, five assists, one steal and one blocked shot, and committed just one turnover. Galen Mills turned in a solid performance as well and finished with 17 points, five assists and one steal. Ryan Brandt scored 14 points, and was credited with six rebounds, three assists, one steal and three blocked shots. Matt McArthur and Robirds finished with eight points and one point, respectively. McArthur also had a team-leading nine rebounds to go along with three assists and two steals.“All of the guys that played found a way to contribute,” Hildebrand said. “Galen had a big game for us, and it came at just the right time. Ryan was five of seven from the floor and hit all four of his free throws, and that was a big boost. And, like he's done a lot for us this season, Matt McArthur had another solid game.“Dallas Robirds, Brandon Sullivan and Matt Kifer also played very well and did a lot of things that helped us. They gave us solid minutes off the bench, and did a great job of executing on the offensive end. That was crucial against a team like Worland.”Warrior standout Robert Hyer led WHS with 19 points. Chantz Ramos, Worland's point guard and a player regarded as one of the top scoring threats in the state, was limited to seven points. “Our guys did a great job defensively,” Hildebrand said. “Hyer finished with 19 points, but a lot of those came late and after airball shots by his teammates. Gavin Mills gave us a strong effort defensively, and he really made it difficult for Hyer. Gavin made him work for everything he got, and by playing so well against him, that really frustrated Worland on the offensive end. That was a big key in the game.” Powell 47, Cody 30On Friday and in the second round of the tournament, PHS posted a 17-point victory over the Broncs. The Panthers, who led from start to finish, held a 15-point lead at halftime and went up by as many as 19 during the final two periods. Eighteen of the Panthers points came off of Cody turnovers. For the contest, PHS forced 24 turnovers by the Broncs and committed just 12 of their own. A 44.7-percent shooting clip (17 of 38) also helped the Panthers cruise to the easy win. It also helped them avoid elimination from the tournament.“Our guys deserve a ton of credit,” Hildebrand said. “They came back from a tough, opening-round loss. Cody plays well against us, but our guys weren't going to let them get us. Our eight seniors made sure that our season didn't come to end in that game.”Brandt led PHS's offense with 14 points, and Galen Mills added 10. The remainder of the scoring was attributed to McArthur (7), Brown (6), Kifer (6) and Gavin Mills (4). Gavin Mills also recorded five rebounds. Brown contributed with five rebounds, eight assists and five steals, and Galen Mills added five rebounds, two assists and one steal. McArthur led PHS in steals with four.The Broncs got a team-high 11 points from Brady Gulde, and 10 points from Evan Kuchel.With the win, the Panthers moved to 3-0 against the Broncs for the season.Jackson 55, Powell 44In the opening round of the tournament, the Panthers suffered a disappointing 54-44 setback to the Broncs. PHS held a 14-10 advantage after a period of play and extended that lead to 26-18 by halftime. The Panthers continued to pull away early in the third period and moved ahead 30-18 at the 7:06 mark following a 3-pointer by McArthur. About four minutes later, PHS was ahead 34-25 after a free throw by Brandt, but that's when the Broncs began to work their way back into the contest. Jackson closed out the final 2:52 of the third period by outscoring Powell 7-2 to cut its deficit to 36-32 by the start of the fourth quarter.Jackson tied the game at 38 on a 2-pointer by Caesar at 6:55. For the next minute and a half, the teams waged a back-and-forth battle, but with just more than five minutes to play, Jackson's Jordan King hit a 3-pointer that put the Broncs ahead 44-41. Following his basket, the Broncs went on to outscore the Panthers 10-3 and sealed a berth in the second round of the winners' bracket.PHS had three players finish with double-digit scoring efforts. Brandt led the way with 17 points, and McArthur and Brown followed with 11 and 10 points, respectively. The remainder of the scoring was handled by Gavin Mills (2 points), Brandon Sullivan (2) and Galen Mills (2).Brandt led PHS's rebounding effort with nine boards, and Galen Mills added six.Jackson was paced by Caesar's 14-point effort. Colin Thiel added 12 points, and Damon Smith chipped in with 11 to give the Broncs three players with double-digit point totals. Caesar and Grant Rogers led Jackson's performance on the boards with nine rebounds each. • Up next: The Panthers will open play in the state tournament this week. Their first game will be against Buffalo Thursday at noon in Casper. Buffalo will enter that matchup after claiming first place at the East Regional Tournament last week.

Hildebrand's squad finishes fourth at regional

For the first time since the 2001-02 season, the Powell High School boys basketball team has earned a trip to the state basketball tournament. The Panthers picked up the much-sought-after state berth during last week's Class 3A West Regional in Worland with a 60-49 victory over none other than the event's host team — the Worland Warriors.

The victory over WHS, a squad that just more than a week ago was ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, came during a loser-out game at 1 p.m. Saturday. Prior to the contest, PHS lost its opening-round game against Jackson Thursday morning. On Friday and facing possible elimination from the event, the Panthers (13-11) rebounded with a convincing 47-30 decision over the Cody Broncs. That set the stage for the battle with the Warriors, who opened the tournament with a win over Lyman Thursday and followed with a setback to Lovell Friday night.

“The Worland matchup was definitely the game of the tournament for us,” said PHS head coach Troy Hildebrand.

“We knew it was going to be a challenge because Worland has a very talented team and because they were playing in their own gym. But we had a tremendous crowd behind us as well. The (Lady Panthers) were there cheering for us, and a lot of people from Powell made the trip.

“It was just an incredible experience to have that kind of support behind us when we clinched a berth in the state tournament. It was great to witness our guys playing with so much effort and energy against a quality opponent like Worland in their gym and with so much on the line. Our kids showed a tremendous amount of character, and I was so glad to see that pay off the way it did. They've worked really hard this year, and they deserve this kind of opportunity.”

With the victory, PHS advanced to the game for third place, where they were rematched with Jackson. The Panthers lost that contest and settled for fourth place in the West Region. The first-place team at the tournament was Kemmerer. The Rangers defeated Lovell 32-25 in the championship game. Those two teams will join Powell and Jackson as the representatives from the West Conference at this year's state tournament.

The following is a review of the Panthers' four games at the West Regional Tournament, starting with their final game of the event Saturday.

Jackson 49, Powell 47

After opening the tournament with a 2-1 mark, the Panthers found themselves in the contest to decide third place Saturday at 5:30 p.m. They were matched against Jackson, the same team that handed PHS a loss during the first round.

Riding the momentum of the victory against Worland in the 1 p.m. matchup earlier in the day, PHS was able to race to an 18-12 advantage over the Broncs by the end of the first period. Powell led by as many as 10 points during the first eight minutes. However, the Broncs began chipping away at Powell's lead and moved ahead 30-28 just before the half.

“Having played such an emotional, hard-fought game earlier in the afternoon took its toll on us,” Hildebrand said.

“We started out well, but you could tell in the second and third quarters that we were tired and weren't playing at the same level as earlier in the day. But our kids still found a way to make it close at the end.”

In the third period, Jackson continued to build on its lead. By the 11:42 mark, the Broncs were ahead 39-28 and appeared to be pulling away. But early in the fourth period, and with the Broncs holding a 41-31 advantage, PHS began showing signs it wasn't going to end the tournament on the receiving end of a double-digit loss. The Panthers slowly climbed back into contention for the win, and with less than a minute to play, they almost came through with the plays needed to score the victory.

Powell's Gavin Mills cut Jackson's lead to 49-44 with a 2-point basket with 22 seconds remaining. Immediately after that, Galen Mills recorded a steal, and the Panthers quickly converted the Jackson miscue into points when Jordan Brown connected on a 3-pointer with 11 seconds showing on the clock.

Jackson's Damon Smith was fouled after Brown's basket, and he promptly missed the front end of a one-and-one situation with less than 10 seconds to play. Matt McArthur grabbed the rebound for the Panthers and set up PHS for a potential tying or winning shot. Brown made PHS's last shot attempt as time expired. His 22-footer hit the front end of the rim and then the backboard, but it failed to find its way in the basket.

A disappointed Brown grimaced and doubled over near where he took the shot as time expired. As he suffered through the pain of missing the potential game-winning shot, Jackson's Rob Caesar took time to console Brown as his fellow Bronc teammates celebrated their third-place finish. An official also commended Brown for his effort throughout the game.

Brown's anguish quickly turned to a smile as his teammates reminded him that games still remain to be played at the state tournament, which begins later this week.

“We would have loved to have won that game,” Hildebrand said. “It was disappointing to lose it, but I'm extremely proud of our guys. They put in as much effort as they had left in them, and we'll have a lot of positives to build on during practice as we get ready for state.”

Against Jackson, the Panthers had seven players reach the scoring column. Brown and McArthur paced the team with nine points each. The remainder of the scoring output was credited to Gavin Mills (8 points), Ryan Brandt (7), Galen Mills (6), Matt Kifer (5) and Brandon Sullivan (3).

McArthur led the Panthers with 13 rebounds, and Gavin Mills added seven boards. Galen Mills finished with a team-high six steals, and Brown added a squad-best four assists.

Caesar led Jackson with 17 points and seven rebounds. Michael Leahey added 12 points and eight rebounds.

Powell 60, Worland 49

Early Saturday afternoon, the Panthers earned their ticket to the state tournament with an 11-point decision over the Warriors.

The game opened with Powell taking a 12-10 advantage by the end of the first period. During the first eight minutes, the two teams swapped the lead six times. In the ensuing period, the Panthers gained a bit of separation from the Warriors, leading by as many as nine points before settling for a 28-20 lead at the break.

Following halftime, PHS extended its lead by outscoring the Warriors 21-13 and carried a 16-point lead into the game's final period.

“The third period was the difference in the game,” Hildebrand said. “We took care of the ball, and we did a good job from 3-point range.”

Galen Mills and Brown did much of the damage against Worland's defense in the third quarter by combining to hit five of six 3-pointer attempts. Galen Mills, who was perfect on his three attempts in the period, hit his final one at the buzzer to send PHS into the fourth quarter ahead 49-33.

During the fourth quarter, Worland managed to cut its deficit to eight points, but by that time, the clock was showing 1:07 to play. Five successful free throws — four by Galen Mills and one by Dallas Robirds — helped seal the victory in the last minute.

Three Panthers finished with double-digit point totals against Worland. Brown led the team with 20 points. He also added three rebounds, five assists, one steal and one blocked shot, and committed just one turnover. Galen Mills turned in a solid performance as well and finished with 17 points, five assists and one steal. Ryan Brandt scored 14 points, and was credited with six rebounds, three assists, one steal and three blocked shots.

Matt McArthur and Robirds finished with eight points and one point, respectively. McArthur also had a team-leading nine rebounds to go along with three assists and two steals.

“All of the guys that played found a way to contribute,” Hildebrand said. “Galen had a big game for us, and it came at just the right time. Ryan was five of seven from the floor and hit all four of his free throws, and that was a big boost. And, like he's done a lot for us this season, Matt McArthur had another solid game.

“Dallas Robirds, Brandon Sullivan and Matt Kifer also played very well and did a lot of things that helped us. They gave us solid minutes off the bench, and did a great job of executing on the offensive end. That was crucial against a team like Worland.”

Warrior standout Robert Hyer led WHS with 19 points. Chantz Ramos, Worland's point guard and a player regarded as one of the top scoring threats in the state, was limited to seven points.

“Our guys did a great job defensively,” Hildebrand said. “Hyer finished with 19 points, but a lot of those came late and after airball shots by his teammates. Gavin Mills gave us a strong effort defensively, and he really made it difficult for Hyer. Gavin made him work for everything he got, and by playing so well against him, that really frustrated Worland on the offensive end. That was a big key in the game.”

Powell 47, Cody 30

On Friday and in the second round of the tournament, PHS posted a 17-point victory over the Broncs.

The Panthers, who led from start to finish, held a 15-point lead at halftime and went up by as many as 19 during the final two periods.

Eighteen of the Panthers points came off of Cody turnovers. For the contest, PHS forced 24 turnovers by the Broncs and committed just 12 of their own. A 44.7-percent shooting clip (17 of 38) also helped the Panthers cruise to the easy win. It also helped them avoid elimination from the tournament.

“Our guys deserve a ton of credit,” Hildebrand said. “They came back from a tough, opening-round loss. Cody plays well against us, but our guys weren't going to let them get us. Our eight seniors made sure that our season didn't come to end in that game.”

Brandt led PHS's offense with 14 points, and Galen Mills added 10. The remainder of the scoring was attributed to McArthur (7), Brown (6), Kifer (6) and Gavin Mills (4). Gavin Mills also recorded five rebounds. Brown contributed with five rebounds, eight assists and five steals, and Galen Mills added five rebounds, two assists and one steal.

McArthur led PHS in steals with four.

The Broncs got a team-high 11 points from Brady Gulde, and 10 points from Evan Kuchel.

With the win, the Panthers moved to 3-0 against the Broncs for the season.

Jackson 55, Powell 44

In the opening round of the tournament, the Panthers suffered a disappointing 54-44 setback to the Broncs.

PHS held a 14-10 advantage after a period of play and extended that lead to 26-18 by halftime. The Panthers continued to pull away early in the third period and moved ahead 30-18 at the 7:06 mark following a 3-pointer by McArthur. About four minutes later, PHS was ahead 34-25 after a free throw by Brandt, but that's when the Broncs began to work their way back into the contest.

Jackson closed out the final 2:52 of the third period by outscoring Powell 7-2 to cut its deficit to 36-32 by the start of the fourth quarter.

Jackson tied the game at 38 on a 2-pointer by Caesar at 6:55. For the next minute and a half, the teams waged a back-and-forth battle, but with just more than five minutes to play, Jackson's Jordan King hit a 3-pointer that put the Broncs ahead 44-41. Following his basket, the Broncs went on to outscore the Panthers 10-3 and sealed a berth in the second round of the winners' bracket.

PHS had three players finish with double-digit scoring efforts. Brandt led the way with 17 points, and McArthur and Brown followed with 11 and 10 points, respectively. The remainder of the scoring was handled by Gavin Mills (2 points), Brandon Sullivan (2) and Galen Mills (2).

Brandt led PHS's rebounding effort with nine boards, and Galen Mills added six.

Jackson was paced by Caesar's 14-point effort. Colin Thiel added 12 points, and Damon Smith chipped in with 11 to give the Broncs three players with double-digit point totals. Caesar and Grant Rogers led Jackson's performance on the boards with nine rebounds each.

• Up next: The Panthers will open play in the state tournament this week. Their first game will be against Buffalo Thursday at noon in Casper. Buffalo will enter that matchup after claiming first place at the East Regional Tournament last week.