THE CODY BASKETBALL TEAMS NOW GET SET FOR A LONG ROAD TRIP AS THEY PREPARE FOR MATCH-UPS WITH EVANSTON AND GREEN RIVER. I CAUGHT UP WITH BOTH TEAMS HEAD COACHES TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE UPCOMING SLATE OF GAMES.
FOR THE BRONCS AND HEAD COACH JAKE KRAFT THEY SIT AT 6-8 ON THE SEASON. THIS WEEKEND’S ROAD CONTESTS COULD PROVE TO BE A STATEMENT WEEKEND FOR THE BRONCS AS THEY HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO GET BACK TO AN EVEN .500 RECORD ON THE SEASON. COACH KRAFT ON
“YOU WANT TO SEE WHERE YOU STACK UP ON THE OTHER SIDE. YOU KNOW, WE’VE SEEN ONE WAVE WHERE, WE’RE BETTER THAN JACKSON. STAR VALLEY GAVE US A CHALLENGE, WE’D LIKE THAT ONE AGAIN. THE OTHER TWO IN THAT CONFERENCE, OR THAT QUAD, IT’D BE NICE TO SEE THEM UP CLOSE. WE’VE SEEN THEM ON FILM, OF COURSE, BUT WE WANT TO SEE HOW WE STACK UP ON THEIR FLOOR BECAUSE IN A COUPLE WEEKS WE’LL BE DOWN IN EVANSTON FOR REGIONALS.”
AS FOR WHAT EVANSTON AND GREEN RIVER PRESENT ON THE HARDWOOD…
“EVANSTON IS A TEAM THAT HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE AND A LOT OF SIZE. THEY MANAGE THAT REALLY WELL DURING THE GAME. SO WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO REBOUND, OBVIOUSLY, WE’RE GOING TO SCORE THE BALL AT A HIGH CLIP AND TRY TO GET GUYS OFF THE FLOOR THAT HINDER US AROUND THE RIM. GREEN RIVER IS MORE PERIMETER ORIENTED AND THEY USE THEIR QUICKNESS TO GET UP-AND-DOWN THE FLOOR. THEY’VE KIND OF HAD LITTLE BIT OF AN EMERGENCE WITH A SOPHOMORE INSIDE. SO THEY’VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A POST PRESENCE TOO, NOT JUST A PERIMETER ORIENTED TEAM.”
AND THEIR IS A CERTAIN GROUP OF PLAYERS COACH KRAFT IS LOOKING FOR TO STEP UP FOR IT TO BE A SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND FOR BRONC BASKETBALL.
“WE NEED OUR BENCH TO SCORE AND WE NEED OUR BENCH TO ALSO GUARD. IF WE CAN DO THOSE TWO THINGS, I MEAN WE CAN GO EIGHT, NINE, TEN DEEP TOTAL IN OUR VARSITY. I FEEL REAL CONFIDENT THAT, THAT KIDS CAN COME ON THE FLOOR AND PARTICIPATE.”
FOR THE CODY FILLIES, THEY’VE BEEN HANGING AROUND THE .500 MARK THE LAST FEW WEEKS AS THEY SIT AT 7-7 ON THE SEASON. THE FILLIES HAVE GROWN OVER THE SEASON A SHOW A RESOLVE WEEK-IN AND WEEK-OUT THAT IS UNMATCHED. COACH WAGNER ON THE GIRLS FIGHT.
“WHEN IT COMES TO A GAME SITUATION, THEY’RE COMPETITORS. EVEN GOING BACK TO THE STAR VALLEY GAME. YOU KNOW WE’RE DOWN 20 OR WHATEVER IN THE FOURTH QUARTER AND BRITTAN AND TORRIE ARE STILL JUST WORKING HARD ON DEFENSE, RUNNING AROUND EVERYWHERE. EVERYONE KIND OF STARTED TO FEED OFF THAT A LITTLE BIT. I FELT LIKE THEY REALLY BOUGHT INTO IT AGAINST JACKSON. YOU KNOW IT TURNED INTO A LOT OF GOOD THINGS.”
AS FOR THEIR UPCOMING OPPONENTS GREEN RIVER IS A TOP 5 TEAM IN CLASS 4A AND COACH WAGNER DISCUSSES WHAT MAKES THEM, AND EVANSTON, TICK.
EVANSTON, THEY’RE PHYSICAL. THEY GET AFTER YOU. THEY’RE TOUGH TO PLAY AT HOME. I THINK THE JACKSON GAME WAS A GOOD PREPARATION FOR THAT CAUSE JACKSON WAS OUT HITTING US, HAMMERING US. I THINK THAT PREPPED US PRETTY GOOD FOR WHAT WE’LL SEE AGAINST EVANSTON. GREEN RIVER’S JUST, I FEEL LIKE THEY’RE THE MOST BALANCED TEAM IN OUR CONFERENCE. THEY HAVE SOME GREAT POSTS INSIDE. THEY GOT SOME SOLID MOVES THEY CAN GO TO. THE HEISER GIRL IS JUST A GREAT POINT GUARD, CONTROLS THE GAME REALLY WELL.”
COACH CHRIS WAGNER GOES ON TO ADDRESS AN AREA ON THE FLOOR THAT HAS TO BECOME MORE PRODUCTIVE.
“THE WAY THE SEASON’S GONE, WE ALWAYS FEEL LIKE WE’RE AN OUTSIDE SHOOTING TEAM AND WE HAVE TO RELY ON THE 3-POINT BASKET TO GET THINGS GOING. SO I THINK WE GET A LITTLE BIT PASSIVE INSIDE WHETHER WE’RE TRYING TO PASS IT IN THERE OR JUST ARE POSTING UP. SOMETIMES WE JUST STAND THERE AND DON’T REALLY LOOK FOR THE BALL INSIDE. SO WE DEFINITELY NEED TO GET BETTER AT BEING A BIGGER FORCE INSIDE.”
THE CODY BASKETBALL TEAMS HIT THE ROAD THIS WEEKEND FOR CONTEST AGAINST EVANSTON AND GREEN RIVER. YOU CAN HEAR ALL THE ACTION ON KODI AM 1400 AND 96.7 FM AND ONLINE AT MYBIGHORNBASIN.COM.
