One win shy of State — Newcastle rebounds from opening loss before Wheatland eliminates Dogies

The Newcastle Dogies’ season came to an end Saturday afternoon at the 3A East Regional Tournament in Buffalo, but not before a team that landed a top seed after starting the year 0-8 showed the resilience that defined its season.

After dropping a defensive battle to Torrington in Thursday’s opening round, the Dogies fought their way back through a win-or-go-home game Friday against Glenrock before falling 54-35 to Wheatland in another elimination game Saturday — one victory shy of qualifying for the state tournament.

Despite the disappointment, head coach Allen Von Eye said the tournament results did not diminish what his team accomplished over the course of the season.

“It was an amazing season and we are so proud of our kids,” Von Eye said. “We were short-handed all year and hampered by injuries early, but our players kept getting better and better. They worked hard and did everything that was asked of them.”

Newcastle finished the season by splitting its final 16 games at 8-8, and secured the fourth seed at Regionals after beginning the year winless through its first eight contests.

Torrington 35, Newcastle 28

Newcastle’s regional tournament opened with a defensive struggle against the No. 5-seeded Torrington Trailblazers.

Going in, the Dogies knew Torrington would adjust defensively after Newcastle’s earlier 60-54 win over the Blazers in the Dogie Dome. With 6-foot-8 Kaleb Booth back in the lineup, Torrington packed the paint and challenged Newcastle to win from the perimeter.

“We knew they would zone us and try to force us to beat them from the outside,” Von Eye said. “That’s been the weakest point of our offensive game this season.”

The plan worked early. Newcastle opened the game 0-for-10 from 3-point range while Torrington surged to a 16-2 lead after the first quarter. The Dogies answered with strong defense in the second quarter, holding the Blazers to just four points, but could only manage two themselves as Torrington carried a 20-4 lead into halftime.

Newcastle adjusted offensively in the second half and chipped away, outscoring Torrington 24-15 over the final two quarters, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.

"We had dug ourselves too big of a hole to get out of before the final horn sounded," Von Eye lamented.

Coen Tavegie led the Dogies with 13 points, while Dustin McCarthy added eight. Kyan Allen finished with six points and nine rebounds. Despite the loss, Newcastle dominated the boards, outrebounding Torrington by 13.

Newcastle 49, Glenrock 44

Facing elimination Friday, Newcastle squared off with Glenrock in a matchup between two teams familiar with each other after splitting a pair of close contests during the regular season.

Expecting Glenrock to employ a zone defense similar to Torrington’s, the Dogies were prepared.

“We knew they’d come out in a zone after watching the Torrington game,” Von Eye said. “Fortunately we came out hot.”

Early 3-pointers from Colten Hatheway and Coen Tavegie forced Glenrock out of the zone and into man defense, creating a back-and-forth contest that remained tied 24-24 at halftime.

Newcastle gradually took control in the second half behind balanced scoring and strong rebounding. The Dogies made timely shots and free throws down the stretch to secure the five-point victory and keep their season alive.

Kyan Allen led Newcastle with 18 points and eight rebounds. Hatheway added 12 points, while Tavegie finished with six points and seven rebounds. Landen Hill pulled down nine boards, and Teddy Troftgruben contributed seven points, six rebounds and three assists.

Wheatland 54, Newcastle 35

The Dogies’ season ended Saturday against Wheatland in another elimination game.

Newcastle came out strong and built an early 11-5 lead before the Bulldogs seized control. Wheatland closed the first half on a decisive 29-4 run while Newcastle struggled to generate offense.

Trailing by 19 at halftime, Newcastle regrouped and traded blows with Wheatland after the half, but the damage had already been done.

“After making some adjustments to our offense, we were able to get rolling  and played them evenly in the second half,” Von Eye said.

Kyan Allen led the Dogies with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Coen Tavegie added nine points and Dustin McCarthy finished with six points and nine rebounds.

Troftgruben closed his Newcastle career with six points in his final game. While the regional loss brought the season to a close, the Dogies’ late-season surge — sparked by the return of their senior leader — transformed the trajectory of the year. Troftgruben capped his career among the program’s all-time statistical leaders, finishing 10th in scoring with 637 points, 11th in games played with 73, eighth in rebounds with 349, sixth in assists with 144 and fourth in steals with 126.

He was the spark that helped Newcastle go 8-8 over its final 16 games after starting the season 0-8, earning the No. 4 seed in the regional tournament and positioning itself one win away from the state tournament.

“This crew was followed by people around the state and so many were rooting for them,” Von Eye said. “They had some incredible wins and were very exciting to watch.”

Stat Report

Torrington 35, Newcastle 28

Points by quarter Torrington 16-4-13-2 — 35 Newcastle 2-2-13-11 — 28

Field goals: Torrington 13-38 (34%); Newcastle 10-53 (19%) 3-point shooting: Torrington 3-16 (19%); Newcastle 3-25 (12%) Free throws: Torrington 6-11 (55%); Newcastle 5-10 (50%) Rebounds: Torrington 24; Newcastle 32 Turnovers: Torrington 14; Newcastle 18 Assists: Torrington 8; Newcastle 4 Steals: Torrington11; Newcastle 7

Top Dogies: Coen Tavegie: 13 points (3 three-pointers), 5 rebounds, 4 steals Dustin McCarthy: 8 points Kyan Allen: 6 points, 9 rebounds Teddy Troftgruben 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

Newcastle 49, Glenrock 44

Points by quarter Glenrock 12-12-9-11 — 44 Newcastle 12-12-12-13 — 49

Field goals: Glenrock 18-54 (33%); Newcastle 20-50 (40%) 3-point shooting: Glenrock 5-22 (23%); Newcastle 5-16 (31%) Free throws: Glenrock 3-7 (43%); Newcastle 4-13 (31%) Rebounds: Glenrock 26; Newcastle 37 Turnovers: Glenrock 12; Newcastle 17 Assists: Glenrock 8; Newcastle 10 Steals: Glenrock 7; Newcastle 4

Top Dogies: Kyan Allen: 18 points, 8 rebounds Colten Hatheway: 12 points Teddy Troftgruben: 7 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists Coen Tavegie: 6 points, 7 rebounds Landen Hill: 9 rebounds

Wheatland 54, Newcastle 35

Points by quarter Wheatland 16-18-14-6 — 54 Newcastle 11-4-10-10 — 35

Field goals: Wheatland 20-51 (39%); Newcastle 14-41 (34%) 3-point shooting: Wheatland 7-20 (35%); Newcastle 3-19 (16%) Free throws: Wheatland 7-12 (58%); Newcastle 4-6 (67%) Rebounds: Wheatland 30; Newcastle 25 Turnovers: Wheatland 7; Newcastle 15 Assists: Wheatland 7; Newcastle 7 Steals: Wheatland 8; Newcastle 3

Top Dogies: Kyan Allen: 12 points, 7 rebounds Coen Tavegie: 9 points, 4 rebounds Dustin McCarthy: 6 points, 9 rebounds Teddy Troftgruben: 6 points