Prep Boys Basketball Roundup: Scores and Reports from The Blast Zone

Rivalry Week — Castle Rock tips the scales on Kalama; and the rest of the area action

Castle Rock’s Jacob Lafever (4) rises up to launch a shot over Kalama’s Drew Schlangen (2) and Quin Hahn (5) during a 58-49 win over the ‘Nooks, Thursday, Jan. 16, in Kalama. — Candy Durgeloh / Cdurgeloh Photography

Jordan Nailon / blastzonenews@gmail.com

It’s been a busy week in the Blast Zone so we’re playing from behind in order to catch up with all the action you might have missed while a series of Civil Wars in Longview stole away our attention here at the BZM headquarters. But other important league games and renewed rivalries were underway elsewhere and we’ve got all the details fit to publish below.

Rockets get tough to top ‘Nooks

Castle Rock’s Owen Keatley powers up a shot in the paint over Kalama’s Gavin McBride (0), Nolan Scott (21) and Abel Koski (12) during a game against the Chinooks, Thursday, Jan. 16, in Kalama. Keatley scored 12 points to lead the Rockets to a 58-49 victory. — Candy Durgeloh / Cdurgeloh Photography

KALAMA — The Castle Rock boys basketball team was able to avenge the honor of their counterparts on the girls team with a win over the Chinooks, Thursday, in a burgeoning 1A Trico League rivalry game.

On Wednesday it was the Kalama girls who took Exit 49 and collected a win in the 22-Mile Tussle, but 24-hours later it was the Rockets who got the last laugh with a 58-49 win over the ‘Nooks on Simmons Court.

Owen Keatley and Colton Warren each scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead Castle Rock, but the visitors were not able to gain an advantage early on. In fact, Kalama led 27-24 at halftime and it looked as if the Rockets might stay out of sorts all game long.

“To be honest they were just outworking us,” Castle Rock coach Jordan Spencer said. “We talked about that at the start of the game and that was our scouting report. They hustled and rebounded well and we just didn’t.”