Ayden Montes (22) plays offense against Lowry.
The Pershing County High School boys basketball suffered two lopsided losses this week.
On Thursday they lost to the visiting Galena Grizzlies 64-17 and on Saturday, they hosted the Lowry Buckaroos and lost 61-25.
The team has faced some adversity due to football injuries.
Luis Sanchez, a junior, just returned and made his presence known on the court. Travis Donaldson and Izayuh McGlothin are still recovering but both are expected back soon.
Most of the team transitioned to basketball from football, following a successful season as league champions and runners-up at state.
Three days after they got back from Las Vegas they left for the Hawthorne tournament.
Luis Sanchez (20) gets ready to shoot for the Mustangs.
They came out of the tournament 1-4, with two close games.
Three days after the Hawthorne tournament they faced Galena (4A) and Lowry (3A) in the PCHS gym.
"They put us against the ropes quick," said coach Jesse Canchola. "We may not have won the games but it shows we're willing to play hard and keep composure even when the going gets tough. These kinds of losses can be bad for a team, but when one has a good attitude, they can be positive. It will only make us tougher down the road."
The boys began league play at home on Tuesday, Dec. 12. They hosted Sierra Lutheran, a Carson City team.
Results were not available at press time. On Dec. 15, they travel to Incline. On Dec. 21 they head to Longhorn country.
The Mustangs play the last game of 2023 in West Wendover against the Wolverines.
The boys hope to make it to the NIAA playoffs like they did last year.
Their coaches remain optimistic. Seniors Aaron Kienbaum, Conner Fecht and Marshall Happy continue to provide leadership no matter the score.
"These kids believe in themselves and trust the process. We just have to stay the course," said Canchola.