Anthony Mori
Elko Daily Free Press
WELLS — In its first action in the second half of the league season, the Owyhee boys basketball overhauled Wells.
On Friday, the Braves rode a 21-point second quarter to a commanding 31-point victory of 64-33 over the Leopards.
Wells struck first on a three from the left wing by senior Joe Dahl, but Owyhee pulled to within one after a steal by senior Takota Matsaw.
Dahl was fouled on a three and cashed all the free throws for a 6-2 lead, but sophomore Carter Smartt answered with a triple on the other side.
The Leopards went up 8-5 on a spin move by junior Olen Morrison after an assist from sophomore Tripp Spainhower, but the Braves pulled to within two after a free throw by junior Kelan Jones.
Owyhee senior Treyvyn Hanks tied the game at 8-all on an inbound pass, and Jones gave the Braves the lead for good with an inbound three.
Junior Damon Thomas put the Braves on a top 13-8 with a runner, but Dahl’s second three of the frame cut Wells’ deficit to two.
Junior Luis Martinez sliced the gap to one with a free throw, but the Braves closed the first on a 6-0 flurry with a pair of deep shots — the first by freshman Uriah Tobey and the second from Smartt at the buzzer.
Going to the second, Owyhee led by seven at 19-12.
Jones drained his second three of the contest, and Smartt scored on a dish from Hanks on the right block.
For the Leopards, freshman Gavin Martinez finished on the right side from a cross by Luis Martinez.
Owyhee sophomore Micah Phoenix dropped a floater, and Hanks added a free throw for a 27-14 lead.
Wells junior Skyler Harney buried a pair of free throws, but Smartt positioned himself for a deuce on an inbound pass.
Harney made a nice dish on a screen-roll to junior Charles Peterson for a bucket on the block, but Phoenix connected on an inbound three on the other end.
The Leopards’ final point of the half came on a free throw by Morrison, but Tobey scored on a steal by Smartt.
At the break, the Braves were up 15 by a score of 34-19.
Opening the third, Owyhee pulled away with a 6-0 spurt.
Smartt booked a putback on the offensive glass, Phoenix tacked on a free throw on two occasions and Smartt scored on a find from Tobey.
Spainhower stemmed the tide on a long runout before Hanks and Dahl traded free throws.
Phoenix drilled a triple on an assist from Smartt, and Harney was hacked and hit one foul shot.
Owyhee went up 23 with a pair of foul shots by Phoenix, but Spainhower rolled to the rim after a steal for Wells.
Harney finished on a nice reverse with his left hand along the baseline, but Jones cashed two free throws on the other side.
Going to the fourth, the Braves led by 21 with the score at 48-27.
Down the stretch, Owyhee closed the contest on a 16-6 run.
Dahl finished in the middle and brought the margin back to 19, but the Braves responded with a 6-0 personal streak by Smartt — who scored on a dime from Tobey, once on an offensive rebound and again on a jumper from the elbow.
Freshman Alex Garcia knocked down a jumper for Wells, but Smartt answered with a And-1 plus the free throw on a feed from Thomas and cashed his third three for a 5-0 personal run.
Wells’ final points of the game were recorded on a muscle finish through traffic by Gavin Martinez.
Smartt pulled up from the elbow and drained a J, and Owyhee closed the contest with a nice take against a closeout by junior Akian Black.
In the end, Owyhee was too much and overhauled Wells by 31 points in a 64-33 ballgame.
Smartt dropped a game-high 28 points and hit three 3s, he was joined in double digits with 12 points and two 3s from Phoenix and Jones neared double figures with nine points and two triples.
Dahl led Wells with two treys and 12 points.
For the Braves, Tobey turned in five points, Hanks finished with four and the offense was capped with two points apiece for Matsaw, Thomas and Black.
For the Leopards, Harney closed with five points, Gavin Martinez and Spainhower scored four apiece and Morrison mounted three.
Wells’ offense was rounded out with two points each for Alex Garcia and Peterson and a free throw by Luis Martinez.
Carlin at Wells
On Jan. 22, the Leopards leaped to a 56-11 home victory over Carlin.
Morrison led the way with 11 points, Dahl and Spainhower poured in eight apiece — Dahl connecting on two 3s — and Harney hooped in seven.
Junior Marcos Cobian and Gavin Martinez finished with five points each, Luis Martinez followed with four and Alex Garcia and junior Aron Hansen both knocked down a three.
Wells’ offense was capped with a deuce by Peterson.
For Carlin, seniors Jacob Stucki and Gage Lewis each buried a three.
Sophomore Evan Brown booked two points, and the Railroaders’ scoring was rounded off with a free throw apiece for sophomore Layne Martin, freshman Jhon Vicente and freshman Caston Stanfill.










Pictures from the Jeff Remington Chimney Rock Classic Wrestling Tournament
Wells High School and Wells Junior Wrestling Club
January 30-31, 2026




January 25, 2026
Huge shoutout to our Wells Jr. Wrestling Club athletes for a strong showing at the Chimney Rock Classic! 💪🔥
🥇 1st Place
• Jedediah O (12U Boys)
• Joanna G (12U Girls)
• Jackson G (14U Boys)
🥈 2nd Place
• Emmylou S (8U Girls)
• Gus H (10U Boys)
• Adika M (12U Girls)
🥉 3rd Place
• AJ C, Jackson B, Paisley G (8U)
• Quincy B, George “Leo” C, Kooper T, Brody B (10U)
• Nikon G (12U Boys)
• Quinn S (14U Boys)
🏅 4th Place
• Maverick O (8U Boys)
• Hesston G (10U Boys)
• Taya C (12U Girls)
• Noah C (14U Boys)
So proud of these athletes!






Wells High School Art Club Trip to Las Vegas
After arriving in Las Vegas and checking into their hotel, students enjoyed dinner at Topgolf. The next morning, they toured the UNLV campus, including a spotlight tour of the Fine Arts Department. Students had the opportunity to meet local artist Dan Hernandez (@xdan45x).
Their tour guide, Gabriella Phillips (@gabba.photography), a senior BFA photography student, shared her experience at UNLV and showed her digital photography artwork currently displayed in one of the UNLV galleries.
Following the UNLV tour, they visited the Meow Wolf Interactive Art Museum.










Jan 13: Win vs. Jackpot, 46–12
Jan 17: Loss vs. McDermitt, 37–46
Jan 22: Win vs. Carlin, 47–8
Jan 23: Loss vs. Owyhee, 29–59 🏀
Basketball Recap: Wells Comes Up Short
Basketball Recap: Wells Leopards vs. Owyhee Braves
By Team Reports
Jan 25, 2026
Wells dropped to 14-5 on Friday, ending the team's three-game streak of wins at home. They took a blow against the Owyhee Braves, falling 59-29. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Braves this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 56-35 two weeks ago.
As for Owyhee, they pushed their record up to 12-1 with the victory, which was their seventh straight on the road. They have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 contests by 21 points or more this season.
Owyhee found their leader in freshman Misty Thomas, who dropped a double-double with 28 points and 11 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Thomas has scored all season. Anjelique Espitia was another key player, shooting 44% from the field en route to 17 points and five steals.
Looking ahead, Wells will head out to face off against Eureka at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
The Lady Leopards had a great run of games! They picked up a close win over Lincoln County (20–19) at the JV Jingle Jamboree, followed by a strong victory against GV Christian (21–9). After a tough matchup against Virgin Valley, the team bounced back in a big way with a dominant 56–19 win over Wendover!
Way to compete and keep improving—great job, girls! 🧡🐾

The Leopards battled through a busy January schedule, picking up big wins and valuable experience along the way!
✅ Jan 13 – Win vs. Jackpot | 50–17
❌ Jan 15 – Loss vs. Independence | 46–51
❌ Jan 17 – Loss vs. McDermitt | 41–52
✅ Jan 22 – Win vs. Carlin | 56–11
❌ Jan 23 – Loss vs. Owyhee | 33–64
🧡🖤Proud of the effort and growth this team continues to show on the court. Keep working! 🐾
Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026: Wells JV fell to Carlin High School, 38–46.
Friday, Jan. 9, 2026: Wells JV dropped a close contest to Owyhee High School, 42–45.
Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026: Wells JV came up short against Carlin High School, 33–48.
Proud of the effort—keep working and building, Leopards!🐾






Chimney Rock Classic – Boys Wrestling Results
🥇 1st Place
Johnny G – 132 lbs
Max D – 144 lbs
🥈 2nd Place
Ayden R – 106 lbs
🥉 3rd Place
Cade S – 113–120 lbs
Camden G – 150–157 lbs
Gage U – 165 lbs
Jayden K – 126 lbs
Marcus U – 175–190 lbs
4th Place
Brylee H – 113–120 lbs
5th Place
Michael A – 150–157 lbs
🏆 Team Finish: 3rd Place
Way to compete and represent! 💪🤼♂️🐾
CTE on the road was a little different last week. Students from Wells and West Wendover and their teachers took time out of their day off of school to visit the Elko GBC campus. These students understand that they need to do those extra things to be extraordinary.

Saturday, January 24
Team Finish: 3rd Place
Individual Placements:
🥇 Dusty U – 1st Place (114–127)
🥈 RileyJo G – 2nd Place (110–118)
🥇 Tegan R – 1st Place (110–118)
Way to go, ladies! Great performances and teamwork 🧡🐾
Wells High School senior wrestlers were honored on Saturday during the Chimney Rock Classic Tournament, along with their families and friends. Seniors Gage U, Devante M, CD H, and Max D were recognized for their dedication and hard work. Congratulations, seniors! 👏🤼♂️




7th Grade:
Berkley W. & Carlos G.
8th Grade:
Hadley D. & Rhett G.
9th Grade King & Queen:
Dalyann C. & Camden G.
Congratulations to all of our Winter Rally Royalty! 🎉👑
This week they talked about the importance of gathering information about the history of ancestors and understanding where you come from. Learning family history helps people see patterns, traditions, and strengths that have been passed down through generations—and it can help us better understand ourselves and our future.



📅 January 26th
📍 In front of the school (during lunch)
Enjoy FREE hot chocolate ☕ while you:
Download the Family Search App
Learn more about your family history
Discover fun facts about your ancestors
👀 Could you possibly be royalty? Come find out!

Show your school spirit!
Purchase a vintage Wells High School basketball jersey and wear it to the game on Thursday, January 22 as Wells takes on Carlin.
🧡🐾 Boys and girls jerseys available – $10 each 🐾🧡
🧡🐾 Shorts available – $10 each 🐾🧡
Support our basketball teams by buying and rocking a jersey in the stands! 🐆


Wednesday- Camo vs Animal print! Dress in camo or animal print! There will also be bead necklace trading all day in school! How this works! Choose an opponent with a bead necklace and play rock paper scissors shoot! Winner takes all the beads and wears them! Last few will compete at the pep assembly Thursday!

Here’s a little example of what our wrestling coaches and athletes do during their downtime at tournaments!
Go Leopards! 💪🤼♂️


