The Pueblo County Hornets lost against the Mesa Ridge Grizzlies back in February of 2023, and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Saturday. Pueblo County took a 65-49 bruising from Mesa Ridge. While losing is never fun, Pueblo County can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 140th, while Mesa Ridge is ranked 23rd).
When it comes to explaining why Pueblo County lost, one person who can't be blamed is Dominic Mauro. Despite the final result, he almost dropped a double-double on 19 points and nine rebounds. Another player making a difference was Johnathan Gonzales, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 12 rebounds.
Leading Mesa Ridge to victory were Bryce Riehl and Tevin Riehl. Riehl scored 20 points along with four steals and three blocks, while Riehl scored 20 points along with seven steals and five assists. Riehl is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed three or more in the last seven games he's played. Zander Iwanski was another key contributor, scoring 13 points.
Pueblo County has not been sharp recently as the team has lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 11-8 record this season. As for Mesa Ridge, the victory (which was their 13th in a row) raised their record to 17-2.
Pueblo County will head out on the road to challenge Pueblo Central at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Pueblo Central is coming into the game with four straight losses at home, meaning Pueblo County will have to defend against a squad hungry for a victory. Mesa Ridge will take on Harrison at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Averaging 68.16 points so far this season, Mesa Ridge's high-powered offense has been in full-swing lately, so Harrison better be ready for a challenge.
