The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - In a season that has seen more lows than highs, the Dayton Bulldog boys' basketball team continues to play hard and get better as a team. Still, last weekend saw Dayton lose two road games: to the Asotin Panthers, 55-40, on Friday and to Walla Walla Valley Academy, 53-9, Saturday.

The Bulldogs played close to the Panthers all night, until time was running out and they were forced to start fouling. Asotin hit most of their free throws and pulled away down the stretch.

Saturday's game wasn't nearly as close. Fatigued by a good defensive effort against Asotin, Dayton just couldn't find the range.

"We played hard, a little tired and we missed shots." Coach Roy Ramirez said after Saturday's game. "We played hard and took good shots; we just didn't make many."

The Bulldogs now find themselves at 0-12, but Ramirez says his team won't make excuses. When asked about what needs the most improvement going forward, Ramirez said, "The team needs to make more shots and take care of the ball."

Two days before Christmas, in one of the Bulldogs most lopsided games, Colfax forced 24 turnovers and allowed just three field goals in a 53-9 victory over Dayton. But two days earlier, on December 20 against the tough Irish squad of DeSales, the Bulldogs came out strong, taking a 13-10 lead into the second quarter.

DeSales righted their ship with a smothering defense that did not allow a field goal from the end of the first quarter until well into the third. Dayton was outscored in the second quarter, 18-5.

After a 6-2 run by DeSales to start the third, the Bulldogs went on a 6-0 run of their own, to end the quarter trailing just 34-26. It was a tough defense and subsequent turnovers that derailed Dayton in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs lost that night, 50-34.

Ramirez says that he coaches because of the players. "They're really good kids. They have really good attitudes," he said. "Winning or losing, it doesn't matter because we worry about us, the team."

Ramirez says his team is learning how to compete through competing. It's about every practice and every game, he says. It's also about players with less experience, and junior varsity players as well. It's about a team learning and growing together.

On December 16th, against River View, Dayton found a way to look impressive enough, in bursts, to beat any team on the schedule. This was a back-and-forth contest through the first half, one in which Dayton seemed to control with intense defense and good shooting.

And though the Bulldogs had a 12-11 lead going into the second quarter, it was their inconsistency on offense and their inability to protect the ball that allowed River View to take control, and the lead, 17-14 at the half.

Both teams came out strong defensively to start the second half and neither team scored a field goal until the 5:32 mark, when River View's Chance Williamson drove to the basket and got fouled. This is where the momentum shifted to the Panthers as Williamson completed the three-wpoint play, one of two in the quarter.

Dayton didn't do themselves any favors, turning the ball over seven of their first nine second half possessions. But a swarming defense, one that saw Zach Waggoner foul out, kept the Bulldogs within striking distance heading into the fourth, down 29-20.

The final quarter was as intense as any quarter in the season. The first several minutes were high speed and an "in your face" type of basketball where neither team gave an inch. Both Dayton and River View were making shots and playing defense.

With less than four minutes remaining and down by ten, the Bulldogs went on a run, outscoring the Panthers 9-0 in a two-minute stretch that saw Ian Smay, Andrew Mendoza and Derek McCleary each drain shots.

In the end the Bulldogs couldn't stop River View's aggressive play to the hoop, nor could they stop the clock. Panther shots stopped dropping while time concerns forced Dayton to foul. With ten free throw attempts in the quarter, the Panthers eventually won, 42-32.

With seven games left on the schedule, the Bulldogs remain focused. Ramirez says they are committed, as a team, to continue to practice hard, play hard and develop less experienced younger talent, including junior varsity players. "We are trying to get better, and we are trying to get better by doing things correctly in practice," he said.

Ramirez says he is always passionate about his team and team chemistry. He admits that the season has been frustrating at times, but the pride he has in his team hasn't wavered.

"I am very proud of this team," he said. "We will continue to play strong."