Cedar Rapids Washington Coach Adam Sanchez is going to be an expert on the boys basketball ratings by this time next week.

That's unfortunate for him.

Washington opened the season Friday night with a 67-35 loss to Bettendorf, which finished 24-1 last year and played for the Class 4A state title in March.

The Warriors visit North Scott tonight for a date with another top-10 club, then they'll finish their brutal stretch next Friday against Iowa City West, the two-time defending state champs who have not lost a game in two years.

Who made this schedule, Satan?

"You have to take it as an opportunity to get better," Sanchez said after facing Bettendorf, which returned four starters this season. "Our football team started the season against three of the best teams in the state and began 0-and-3 and they finished 6-and-3.

"That's kind of our mindset going into it. Get better and give ourselves an opportunity to win."

The BCMoore Rankings list Iowa City West as the No.1 team in Class 4A, Bettendorf as No.2 and North Scott as No.7. That would be a stiff challenge for anyone, but especially for Washington with an inexperienced club that won seven games last year.

Sanchez had a long list of things to work on after Bettendorf opened its season with an impressive performance. Washington was scheduled to open its season this past Tuesday against New Hampton, but that game was postponed due to fog.

"The speed and the size and the physicality inside ... We've got to get better," the coach said.

Nicholas Baer, a 6-foot-7 senior, turned in a strong performance for Bettendorf with 18 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots.

"I was happy with the way Nicholas played," said Bettendorf Coach Curtis Clark. "Nicholas is a very unselfish player, and that's probably his biggest weakness.

"I feel like I always have to tell him, 'We're looking for you to be more aggressive.' And tonight in the first game he was aggressive, so I was happy to see that."

Bettendorf grabbed a 39-22 lead at halftime with an impressive array of shooting, passing, rebounding and defense. The Bulldogs held Washington to just two points in the third quarter and owned a 56-24 bulge heading into the fourth quarter.

Jake Kramer hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter for the Warriors. He did not score again, but led his team with six points.

BETTENDORF (67): Sortillo 3 2-3 9, Dunlavy 2 0-0 4, Clearman 2 0-0 5, Coiner 0 0-0 0, Cassady 0 0-0 0, Lintz 0 1-2 1, Jacks 2 0-0 4, Henson 2 0-0 4, Sawyer 0 0-0 0, McKissick 2 1-2 6, Stone 0 1-2 1, Buhman 4 3-5 11, Cox 1 0-0 2, Baer 8 2-4 18, Schulting 0 0-0 0, Kallenberger 1 0-0 2. Totals 27 10-18 67.

WASHINGTON (35): Anderson 1 0-0 2, Nelson 1 0-0 3, Hoeger 1 0-0 3, Taylor 1 1-3 3, Snitker 1 0-0 2, J.Kramer 2 0-0 6, Arrington 2 0-0 4, Severson 0 0-0 0, Printy 1 2-3 5, Claassen 0 0-0 0, S.Kramer 1 0-0 2, Soenksen 1 0-0 2, Harriott 0 0-0 0, Moore 1 0-1 2, Rodriguez-Bleakley 0 0-0 0, Good-Jones 0 1-2 1. Totals 13 4-9 35.

Halftime - Bettendorf 39, Washington 22. 3-point goals - Bettendorf 3 (Sortillo 1, Clearman 1, McKissick 1), Washington 5 (J. Kramer 2, Nelson 1, Hoeger 1, Printy 1).