THE CODY BRONC BASKETBALL TEAMS SEASON CAME TO A CLOSE EARLIER THIS MONTH AT THE REGIONAL TOURNAMENT IN EVANSTON. WHILE THE BRONCS FAILED THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL OF REACHING THE STATE TOURNAMENT IT WAS A SUCCESSFUL SEASON FOR THEM ON THE HARDWOOD. THE BRONCS FINISHED THE SEASON 7-12 OVERALL, 1-2 AT THE REGIONAL TOURNEY. THEIR EIGHT WINS DOUBLED THEIR TOTAL WIN COUNT FROM A YEAR AGO. NOW THAT THE DUST HAS SETTLED, I CAUGHT UP WITH HEAD COACH OF THE BRONCS, JAKE KRAFT AND HE REFLECTS ON THE SEASON.
“I’M REALLY HAPPY WITH THE DIRECTION OF OUR PROGRAM. I’M REALLY PLEASED WITH WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS YEAR. WE DOUBLED OUR SEASON WIN TOTAL FROM FOUR TO EIGHT, THIS SEASON. FIVE OF OUR EIGHT WINS WERE AGAINST 4A OPPONENTS. WE FINISHED 3-3 IN THE CONFERENCE. IT’S A VERY COMPETITIVE FIELD THAT WE’RE A PART OF AND I FELT LIKE, THIS YEAR, THAT THE KIDS TOOK ANOTHER STEP IN THAT DIRECTION OF BEING COMPETITIVE ON A WEEKLY BASIS.”
THIS YEARS SQUAD WERE LED BY FIVE SENIORS: COY NOVAKOVICH, HUNTER HAYS, TRISTAN BLATT, DUNCAN RADAKOVICH AND JACKSON DAVIS. COACH KRAFT HAS COACHED THIS GROUP SINCE HE MOVED TO CODY AND TALKS ABOUT WHAT MAKES THIS GROUP SPECIAL.
“INDIVIDUALLY THEY HAVE GREAT ATTRIBUTES BUT COLLECTIVELY THEY SHOW UP, THEY PUT THE WORK IN. THEY DO A LOT OF THINGS THAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T SEE IN THE OFF-SEASON OR IN THE WEIGHT ROOM. THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES TO COMPETE AS AN ATHLETE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. YOU GOT TO PUT TIME IN, GOTTA SHOW UP. THESE KIDS CERTAINLY DID AND I THINK IT SHOWED FROM THEIR JUNIOR YEAR TO THEIR SENIOR YEAR. THEY WERE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GROUP OF KIDS WHO WERE MORE CONFIDENT ON THE FLOOR.”
AS FOR WHAT’S NEXT FOR CODY BRONC HOOPS, COACH KRAFT OUTLINES THE CURRENT STATE OF BRONC BASKETBALL.
“COLLECTIVELY, THE PROGRAM IS IN GREAT SHAPE. OUR NUMBERS ARE SO-MUCH-SO THAT WE HAD TO MAKE CUTS. WE ALSO ADDED A SOPHOMORE PROGRAM OR AT LEAST WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING ONE. MOVING FORWARD WE’LL HAVE A MORE COMPLETE SOPHOMORE SCHEDULE, WHICH ALLOWS MORE KIDS MORE TIME ON THE COURT, WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED MORE THAN ANYTHING, JUST GAME EXPERIENCES.
LAST WEEK THE WYOMING COACHES ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCED ITS ALL-CONFERENCE AND ALL-STATE SELECTIONS. TWO BRONCS, COY NOVAKOVICH AND HUNTER HAYS EARNED ALL-CONFERENCE AND HONORABLE MENTION ALL-STATE. COACH KRAFT ON COY GARNERING THE AWARD.
“COY WAS A TREMENDOUS FLOOR LEADER FOR US, THIS YEAR. THE PREVIOUS COUPLE YEARS HE WAS KIND OF A ROLE PLAYER AND ACCEPTED THAT ROLE ON A GREAT LEVEL AND THEN THIS YEAR HE REALLY STEPPED UP AND LED US. NOT ONLY AS A FLOOR GENERAL BUT YOU KNOW HE WAS A VOCAL LEADER, HE TOOK SHOTS WHEN HE NEEDED TOO. I THOUGH HE REALLY CALMED US DOWN, REALLY WAS THE GLUE ON OUR TEAM.”
AND COACH SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON HUNTER BEING AWARDED.
“HUNTER IS OBVIOUSLY A NATURAL ATHLETE, MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE AND A KID WHO IS A GREAT LEADER. HE HAS A GREAT MOTOR. GOSH, HE NEVER STOPPED MOVING. I THINK HE WAS MAYBE THIRD IN REBOUNDING IN THE CONFERENCE FOR US. OF COURSE HE’S IN THE TOP TEN, BOTH HIM AND COY ARE IN THE TOP TEN IN SCORING. THEY WERE GREAT PEOPLE TO LEAD US ON THE FLOOR. NOT ONLY ON THE FLOOR BUT OFF THE FLOOR AS WELL. THEY’RE GREAT CHARACTER KIDS.”
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