High Desert Dawgs claim victory at Battle of the Badge game
The annual Battle of the Badge basketball game was held Saturday, Jan. 20 at the Lassen High School gymnasium.

The Battle of the Badge basketball game was one of two fundraising events held to support the Lassen High boys’ basketball team on Saturday; it was preceded by the annual alumni game.
Between attendance at each game, raffle ticket sales and food sales, the 2017-2018 boys’ basketball team raised $5,800.
The Battle of the Badge game pitted employees from High Desert State Prison against those of California Correctional Center, represented by the mascot Dawgs and Coyotes, respectively.

Whether due to some behind-the-scenes practices or just raw talent, the final score of the game favored the Dawgs 80-52.
The Dawgs started on top of their game and they never seemed to drop it.
Quarter one was called with a 25-10 High Desert score on the board.
Quarter two saw the Coyotes slightly catch up to their canine counterparts as they raked in 18 points to bring their tally to 28. However, the Dawgs were determined to keep their performance stellar; in the second quarter, High Desert brought in 24 points.
The Dawgs then established a 31-point lead against the Coyotes by the end of the third quarter, and it was clear the CCC staff was suffering.
In the final quarter, the teams disregarded any fatigue that surely lingered over them in order to finish the game strong. The final score of 80-52 earned the High Desert Dawgs the win.
Members of the winning High Desert team included Kevin Greer, Cody Cavender, James Luna, Cole Leslie, Lance Lively, Jamel Paterso, K.C. Wiser, Charlie Hahn and Josh Hutchinson.
The CCC Coyotes included Steven Lively, Matt Lively, Richard Mata, Matt Burton, Patrick Uptergrove, Tim Baker, Kyle Arthurs, Anna Gallardo, Nathan Williams, Tom Jaso, Mike Clark and Erik Galvan.