There is nothing worse in sports than losing to a rival. The feeling of disappointment is worsened when the team loses every time they play that rival. This is the case thus far in the season for the varsity boys basketball team at Ashland High School. The only other team in their division, the Eagle Point Eagles, has been victorious over Ashland both times that they have met in the 2011-2012 season. The first time the two rivals met, on January 31 at the Eagles’ house, the Grizzlies lost the game 70-54, with a very poor performance in the first quarter.

This time around the Grizz made the game closer, within single digits, but lost 62-56 all the same. The Grizzlies just could not seem to stop the electrifying trio of Eagle Point scorers (Garrett Snow, Jonathan Bolston, Tyrone Holmes) for any long period of time. The three Eagle stars combined for 57 of Eagle Point’s 62 points. The spot-up-shooter Snow had a field day from outside the arc, burying six three-pointers, and finishing with 20 points in the scorebooks. With opposite play styles to complement one another, slashing guard Bolston had 22 points, while bulky post player Holmes dominated in the paint to end up with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The scoring for Ashland was led by sharpshooting senior Billy Hansen with 20 points, followed by Adam Good who contributed with 10 points.

Despite the loss, Ashland had a larger crowd than normal; many of the fans were students. This turnout could very well be the product of a tailgate hosted by the Ashland High School Leadership program prior to the game.

“The game had a great atmosphere, and even though we lost, it was truly a battle till the end,” stated junior guard Connor Kaegi.

The Grizz have lost the last three of their four games, falling to 10-11 on the season. Their next game is at home on February 14, against the Roseburg Indians.