The Mineral County High boys basketball team got back to work last weekend when thwy went 4-0 at the Comstock Classic.

Coach Summerbell posted the scores: MCHS 58 Coleville 26 MCHS 66 Battle Mountain 39 MCHS 64 Virginia City 48 MCHS 64 McDermitt 37

He said, “The Serpents continued to play very good team defense holding teams to an average of 38 points a game. The guards are doing a great job of putting pressure on the ball and disrupting offenses. On the offensive side of the ball, the boys made a great improvement in cutting down turnovers to an average of 12 per game compared to 25 the week before. They are sharing the ball better averaging 17 assists per game, which shows they are working better as a team instead of individually. We are improving and growing stronger as a team as the younger players gain more experience and confidence.”

Isaac Torres had 14 points in the game with Coleville.

Drake Spanier led the way with 11 against Battle Mountain. Tristan Jones, Jaevaun Jones and Nick Davis each contributed eight points. Four players in double figures in the win over Virginia City were Davis with 15, Tucker Johnson, 14, J. Jones, 13 and T. Jones, 10. Against MeDermitt, the leading scorer was T. Jones with nine points and Davis, J. Jones and Cade Torres each added eight points.

The Mineral County girls basketball team is struggling in the early part of the season.

Veteran coach Amada Jones recognizes, “It is because we are very young and inexperienced. The girls didn’t get to play in 2020-21.” From a team that was 24-4 in 2020 and state runner-up and lost eight players via graduation last year, “this year is “definitely a rebuilding year.” Jones said. “I have six freshmen, who last played as 7th graders, one sophomore, three juniors and one senior. Very inexperienced. We go in spurts.”

She said last weekend at the Comstock Classic in Virginia City, “We went in spurts. We lost 61-6 to Coleville, 50-15 to Battle Mountain, but won our first game on Saturday edging Virginia City 32-29, and then lost to McDermitt 56-27 in our final game.” She said the freshman players, who had not been able to play since they were 7th graders and are now thrown into varsity competition, “are really trying hard to get better. I told them if you stick with me during your career, I believe we can build a very good team. A feisty little bunch.”

This week, the Serpent teams had a non-league game on Tuesday at Smith Valley. The game planned with Lone Pine this Friday has been canceled as Lone Pine wouldn’t have enough players available.

The week between Christmas and New Years, only the Serpent boys play at Bishop, Calif, Dec. 28.

Conference play for the Serpents boys and girls begins Jan. 7 at Round Mountain, then Jan. 8 at home facing Tonopah.