Trigers triumph over Lady Rattlers The 2A Lady Rattlers lost their season opener to the 3A Raton Tigers at Raton. The junior varsity girls team played first, 43-30, losing to the Jv Lady Tigers. Despite the loss, Jv coach Kerri Bollinger said the team played well. “We got our first game jitters out of the way,” Bollinger said. “We just need to work on starting the play and executing it all the way through.” On the varsity side of the court, the Lady Rattlers lost 67-38 to the Lady Tigers. Coach Gary Hittson and the Lady Rattlers received less then a warm welcome in Raton. Their bus was shot by paintballs as it entered the town. “It was a wild crowd,” Hittson said. “It was a real physical game with a loud crowd.” Despite the less then friendly atmosphere, Hittson attributes the loss to poor free-throw shooting (11-31 from the line) and unforced turnovers. “We just need to work on ball control and putting the ball in the hoop more,” Hittson said. “We had some good moments in the game and we had some full court presses and fast breaks that turned out well for us.” The Lady Rattlers were to be in Clayton Tuesday to compete in the three-day Orange & Black Tournament. “We are going to play against some tough schools at the tournament and look forward to the competition,” Hittson said.