Rattlers hit the road

The Tucumcari Rattlers will try to shake of the Christmas break with two tough road games, said head coach John Span.

The Rattlers came out of the break at 6-5 following their 1-2 finish of the Texico Wolverines Basketball tournament.

“It has been tough with two of our starters down,” Span said. “We have had to rely on two younger players to fill the void.”

Span said the younger players still lack confidence, though as they continue to play they are getting comfortable shooting the ball. He said the entire team has responded well to the need to fill in for the starters.

“Having these younger players fill in so early in the season can help us out in the long run,” Span said.

The Rattlers play at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at East Mountain and 6:30 p.m., Saturday at Dexter. Tucumcari’s last game was on Dec. 30, a 56-38 loss to Clayton at the Texico Tournament.

“These next two games are going to be a test for the Rattlers,” Span said. “All we can do is make the adjustments to continue playing and gain strength as we go.”

The Tucumcari Lady Rattlers will try to defend their crown at the Bean Valley Tournament this weekend at Estancia.

“The girls need to shake off the rust from the winter break,” said Garry Hittson, Lady Rattlers head coach.

Hittson said the team looks sluggish during practice since their return from the break. He said the team has not played a game since the Dec. 22 67-22 win over Penasco at Tucumcari.

“The girls have the heart, dedication to get back into playing form,” Hittson said. “Teams struggle to get back into shape both mentally and physically after an extended break.”

The Bean Valley tournament begins on Thursday with the Lady Rattlers playing at 2 p.m. against Rehoboth Christian.