Worland alum shine against best of the best

WORLAND - The best Wyoming has to offer in football and basketball competed over the weekend in the Shrine Bowl and Wyoming vs. Montana basketball All-Star games.

Worland's Haley Schneider helped lead the Wyoming All-Stars to a 71-64 victory over the Montana All-Stars Friday evening at Sheridan College. Wyoming was down 42-33 at the half but the girls would outscore Montana 38-22 in the second half for the win. Schneider contributed five points to victory. The following day Wyoming and Montana played again this time in Billings at Rocky Mountain College. Schneider poured in 17 points but Wyoming would fall 62-56.

The Wyoming boys All-Stars dropped both games to Montana on Friday and Saturday. In Friday's game at Sheridan College Worland's Hoyt Nicholas added nine points in 93-79 loss. Then in Saturday's game scored 20 points in the 102-81 loss. Nicholas was also named 2016 Mr. Wyoming Basketball.

"It was a blast," said Nicholas, "It was fun to play on a team with guys you've been going against your whole high school career, so to finally be teammates is a lot more fun than playing against them."

Saturday afternoon the North and South went head to head in the 43rd Shrine Bowl at Natrona High School in Casper. Worland's Mauricio Caballero helped the North to a 41-26 victory, raising the North's win streak over the South to four.

Ten Sleep football coach Andy Ray also attended the Shrine Bowl as an assistant coach, his first time coaching in the competition.

"It was an unreal, incredible experience. It's the best of the best and there's a lot of talent on both teams. The players picked up on everything very quickly, so as a coach you feel like a kid in a candy store," said coach Ray, "I was thankful to be selected, we were able to come away with a win and kept the trophy in the North."