The Kemmerer High School boys’ basketball team hosted the Fossil County Classic over the weekend, and while the Rangers played hard in all four games, the home team had just one win to show for their efforts.

The Rangers (4-7) opened play Thursday against the Rich, falling to the Rebels 64-59. Kemmerer bounced back Friday night with their only win of the tournament, a 52-46 win over Shoshoni. The Rangers opened play Saturday with a tough 50-44 loss to Cokeville, then closed out the tournament that same day, with a 43-23 loss to Farson-Eden.

“It was a little bit of a rough weekend for us,” said KHS head coach Matt Stewart. “I thought the boys played pretty well, we just struggled a bit offensively, especially when it came to finishing around the rim — we missed a lot of easy buckets we don’t typically miss. That was the frustrating part for us. Rebounding was also an issue for us, especially in the Rich game. A few more rebounds, a few more made shots around the rim, we might win a couple more of those games.”

The Rangers have a busy week ahead, with Saratoga coming to town Thursday, and conference play opening on the road Saturday at Big Piney.

“Saratoga is a pretty good 1A team — I think they’re ranked third,” Stewart said. “It will be a big challenge for us. Conference play starts Saturday at Big Piney, and that’s the one that matters. I told the boys we don’t want to dig a hole like we did last year in conference — we didn’t win a game in conference until the last two, so we need to change that. It’s a big game for us.”

Rich 64, Rangers 59

The Rangers opened the Fossil County Classic Thursday against Rich, a team that’s quickly become a familiar rival the past few seasons. The Rebels got off to a fast start, but Kemmerer quickly made up ground in the second quarter to hold a slim 32-31 lead at the break. Rich re-took the lead, and created some separation in the third quarter, and the Rangers were unable to catch up in time, losing 64-59.

“I thought our boys played well against Rich; they’re always a tough game for us,” Stewart said. “They have some kids that shoot the ball well. We’ll get to see Rich again, so we’ll be excited for that one.”

Chase Bowen led the Rangers with 31 points, followed by 13 points from Ethyn Perkins. Kaden Witbeck, Bryson McGill and Gabe Wiswell added four points apiece, while Cage Bowen and Skyler Rogers