THE HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SEASON IS WINDING DOWN. FOR THE CODY BRONCS AND FILLIES, THEY CLOSE OUT THEIR FINAL GAMES AGAINST CONFERENCE OPPONENTS. WITH TWO KEY GAMES UPCOMING I SAT DOWN WITH HEAD COACH OF THE BRONCS AND ASSISTANT COACH OF THE FILLIES AS THEY PREPARE FOR THE HOME STRETCH.
FOR THE CODY BRONCS, THEY SIT AT 6-10 ON THE SEASON. AFTER GOING 1-3 AGAINST THE SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE, CODY IS EAGER TO RETURN TO QUADRANT PLAY. THE BRONCS SIT AT 2-1 IN THE CONFERENCE, A THREE-WAY TIE FOR FIRST PLACE AND A NUMBER 1 SEED A POSSIBILITY. HEAD COACH JAKE KRAFT ON THE MENTAL MAKE-UP OF THE TEAM GOING BACK INTO CONFERENCE PLAY.
“I THINK THE KIDS KNOW THE OPPORTUNITY THAT EXISTS IN FRONT OF THEM. I KNOW THAT IF WE CAN WIN OUR LAST 3 GAMES, 2 OUT OF 3 AT HOME, PUTS US IN A REALLY GOOD SITUATION GOING INTO THE REGIONAL TOURNAMENT. I THINK EVERYBODY ALSO KNOWS, BASED ON THE SCORES THAT WE’VE SEEN, THAT ANYBODY CAN REALLY PLAY WITH ANYBODY. IF YOU HAVE 4 GOOD QUARTERS, PLAY GOOD DEFENSE, ALL OF THESE GAMES ARE WIN-ABLE IN THE WEST. CONSEQUENTLY THEY’RE ALL LOSE-ABLE.”
THAT PLAYOFF MINDSET BEGINS NOW FOR THE BRONCS WHO WELCOME KELLY WALSH INTO THE SWEITZER GYMNASIUM, FRIDAY, BEFORE TRAVELING TO ROCK SPRINGS SATURDAY. LAST TIME AGAINST THESE TWO TEAMS CODY LOST TO KELLY WALSH AND DEFEATED ROCK SPRINGS. FRIDAY NIGHTS GAME HAS BEEN CIRCLED ON THE BRONCS SCHEDULE SINCE THAT LOSS AND COACH KRAFT TOUCHES ON THE TEAM’S PREPARATION FOR KELLY WALSH AND THE CHALLENGES ROCK SPRINGS PRESENTS.
“JUST PLAY REALLY SOLID MAN DEFENSE, UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR ASSIGNMENT IS, IF WE GO INTO OUR ZONE OR OUR TRAP AND THEN OFFENSIVELY WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE WORK INSIDE TO OUT, IN THAT ORDER IF WE WANT TO HAVE SUCCESS. ROCK SPRINGS IS A VERY ATHLETIC GROUP, THEY HAVE GOOD LENGTH TOO ALL AROUND ON THEIR SQUAD. THEY’VE COMPETED, THEY’VE BEAT KELLY WALSH. THEY’VE COMPETED AGAINST STAR VALLEY AND ALMOST GOT ONE OVER THERE. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHO WE’RE GUARDING. WE KNOW WHAT THEIR STRENGTHS ARE AND MAKE SURE WE TRY TO TAKE AWAY SOME OF THOSE.”
THE CODY BRONCS ARE OFFICIALLY IN PLAYOFF MODE.
“THEIR’S NO LULLS. THE KIDS KNOW THAT EVERY GAME MATTERS FROM HERE ON OUT. THE BEST THAT WE CAN FINISH HERE IN THE FINAL THREE GAMES WILL HOPEFULLY PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN BE A HIGHER SEED AT A REGIONAL, HOPEFULLY. IF YOU’RE GOING TO PLAY THESE 4A TEAMS CONSISTENTLY YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE FOUR STRAIGHT QUARTERS OF COMPETITIVE MISTAKE FREE IF POSSIBLE AT TIMES, BASKETBALL. IF WE’RE ABLE TO DO THAT I THINK WE’RE IN GOOD SHAPE FOR THE REGIONAL.”
FOR THE CODY FILLIES THEY HAVE HIT A ROUGH PATCH LATELY GOING 2-7 OVER THEIR LAST NINE GAMES. HOWEVER, THIS YOUNG TEAM IS CONFIDENT THEY CAN TURN THINGS AROUND AND IT ALL STARTS THIS WEEKEND WITH A TRIP BACK INTO THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT. I CAUGHT UP WITH ASSISTANT COACH OF THE FILLIES JILL LYNN AND TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TEAMS FINAL THREE GAMES.
“I JUST THINK, ESPECIALLY FOR THE YOUTH OF OUR PROGRAM RIGHT NOW, JUST THE IDEA OF UNDERSTANDING THE WINS AND THE LOSSES THIS TIME OF YEAR AND HOW THAT CAN PLACE YOU FUTURISTICALLY IN THE TOURNAMENTS. SUCH A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS YEAR, JUST FOR THE PROGRAM TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKS, FUTURISTICALLY.”
COACH LYNN GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IT WILL TAKE FOR THE FILLIES TO PUT TOGETHER A SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND.
“FOR US RIGHT NOW IT’S JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE’RE GETTING EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THE RIGHT WAY. SO WHETHER THAT BE THE STARTERS, WHETHER THAT BE THE BENCH AND MAKING SURE THAT WE’RE PUTTING EVERYBODY AT THE RIGHT SPOTS AT THE RIGHT TIME, SO THAT WHOEVER HAS THAT NIGHT AND IS READY TO GO, WE’VE GOT THEM ON THE FLOOR AND THEY FINISH THE GAME FOR US.”
AND LASTLY, COACH LYNN TALKS ABOUT THE JOB HEAD COACH CHRIS WAGNER HAS DONE IN HIS FIRST YEAR AS HEAD COACH.
“HE’S JUST YOUNG AND ENERGETIC. I LIKE THE ENERGY THAT HE BRINGS TO THE PROGRAM AND JUST HIS DRIVE TO IMPROVE THE PROGRAM AND THE PLAYERS IN GIVING THEM OPPORTUNITY BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY. HE’S COACHING THEM FROM EVERY ASPECT. FROM WATCHING FILM TO LIFTING TO JUST BASKETBALL SKILLS. AS MUCH OPPORTUNITY AS HE CAN GIVE THEM.”
THE CODY BASKETBALL TEAMS RETURN TO NORTHWEST 4A CONFERENCE PLAY THIS WEEKEND HOSTING KELLY WALSH FRIDAY, ON THE ROAD AGAINST ROCK SPRINGS SATURDAY. BRONCS LOOK TO MAKE THEIR CASE A NUMBER 1 SEED, FILLIES GO FOR THEIR FIRST QUAD WIN. CATCH ALL THE ACTION ON KODI. FRIDAY’S GAMES GT UNDERWAY AT 5:30PM, SATURDAY’S CONTESTS START AT 3:30PM.
