Basketball Recap: Jake Scott's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Cherokee Trail over Mullen

Cherokee Trail was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They lost to the Mullen Mustangs on the road by a 69-50 margin. The Cougars were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Mustangs apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in February of 2024.

Cherokee Trail's loss came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jake Scott, who posted eight points and three steals. Mark Petre also deserves some recognition as he posted his first block of the season.

Mullen was led to victory by Grayson Bauer and Ben Medina. Bauer went 9-for-13 en route to 25 points and three steals, while Medina went 6-for-13 on his way to 15 points in addition to five rebounds and five steals. The dominant performance gave Bauer a new career-high in steals. Another player making a difference was Sam Schwertner, who had seven points.

Cherokee Trail's defeat dropped their record down to 8-12. As for Mullen, their win was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-6 and their overall record up to 9-11.

Cherokee Trail and Mullen could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Colorado Rankings. Cherokee Trail (ranked 69th) will meet Eaglecrest (ranked second) at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Cherokee Trail has given up an average of 61.2 points per game this season, so hopefully the team got some defensive drills in this week. Similarly, Mullen will face off against Smoky Hill at 7:00 p.m. on Friday down 45 places (64 vs. 19).