Cody Basketball in the Heart of Conference Play
Written by Cole Havens on January 23, 2020
“HAVE A LOT OF ENERGY AND BRING THE INTENSITY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.”
THOSE WERE THE WORDS USED BY HUNTER HAYS BEFORE SATURDAY’S WIN AGAINST RIVERTON. THE BRONCS OPENED CONFERENCE PLAY WITH A WIN VS. THE WOLVERINES AND NOW LOOK TO BUILD ON THAT GOING FORWARD. THE BRONCS HAVE WON 3 OF THEIR LAST 4 GAMES AND HEAD COACH JAKE KRAFT SAID MONDAY NIGHT WAS ONE OF THE BEST DEFENSIVE PRACTICES THEY’VE HAD ALL YEAR. AS FOR WHAT HE WANTS TO SEE THE BRONCS IMPROVE ONE?
“YOU KNOW WE STRUGGLED IN THE HALF COURT OF HELPING THE HELPER, DEFENSIVELY, PLAYING GOOD TEAM DEFENSE IN OUR ROTATIONS. SO WE’RE GOING TO WORK ON OUR ROTATIONS THIS WEEK. YOU KNOW THE OTHER THING I THOUGHT WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB OF IS BOXING OUT AND CERTAINLY REBOUNDING AT A HIGHER MARGIN WHICH WE’VE BEEN ACCUSTOMED TOO. UNTIL THE LAST FEW WEEKS.”
THAT BEING SAID COACH KRAFT TALKS ABOUT WHAT HE WANTS TO SEE FROM THE BRONCS OFFENSIVELY.
“I THINK GETTING TO THE FREE THROW LINE HAS GOT TO HAPPEN MORE. WE’RE NOT SHOOTING ENOUGH FREE THROWS. THE SOONER WE CAN GET INTO THE BONUS BY ATTACKING THE RIM IN OUR OFFENSE THE BETTER. OF COURSE CONTINUING TO TRY TO GET DUNCAN, OUR INSIDE PRESENCE, TOUCHES AND OPPORTUNITIES AND GETTING HIM TO THE FREE THROW LINE AND GETTING PEOPLE OFF THE FLOOR BECAUSE OF FOUL TROUBLE IS WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO WORK ON.”
UP NEXT, THE BRONCS CONTINUE 4A NORTHWEST PLAY AS THEY MAKE THE TRIP BACK TO CASPER FRIDAY TO FACE KELLY WALSH AND HOST ROCK SPRINGS SATURDAY. COACH KRAFT ON THE CHALLENGES THOSE TWO TEAMS PRESENT.
“I THINK BOTH TEAMS HAVE EXPERIENCE COMING BACK FROM LAST YEAR AND HAVE GOOD SENIOR LEADERSHIP. SO WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO PLAY FOUR QUARTERS OF BASKETBALL, BOTH GAMES, IF WE EXPECT TO WIN THEM.”
SWITCHING GEARS AND TAKING A LOOK AT THE CODY FILLIES BASKETBALL TEAM. THE FILLES HAD THEIR 5 GAME WIN STREAK SNAPPED LAST WEEKEND AS THEY FELL TO NATRONA COUNTY AND RIVERTON, THE WOLVERINES HELD THEM TO THEIR LOWEST SCORING OUTPUT OF THE SEASON, JUST 28 POINTS. HEAD COACH CHRIS WAGNER ON WHAT HE WANTS TO SEE FROM THIS TEAM OFFENSIVELY.
“WE DEFINITELY WORKED WITH OUR POSTS ON JUST BECOMING MORE OF A FORCE INSIDE AND LOOKING MORE TO SCORE RATHER THAN JUST PASSING OUT RIGHT AWAY. I THINK THAT’S GOING TO HELP EVERYONE. WE’RE NOT GETTING TO THE FREE THROW LINE NEAR ENOUGH RIGHT NOW AND I THINK GETTING THEM TO TRY TO BE MORE FORCEFUL INSIDE IS GOING TO GET US TO THE LINE A LITTLE BIT MORE.”
EVEN WITH THE LOSSES THE FILLIES ARE STILL A GAME ABOVE .500 AS THEY SIT AT 5-4 WITH A CHANCE TO GET BACK INTO THE WIN COLUMN THIS WEEKEND VS. KELLY WALSH AND ROCK SPRINGS. COACH WAGNER ON THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE.
“WE’VE GOT TO GET MORE PHYSICAL, WE GOTTA LEARN TO ATTACK AND KEEP PRESSURE ON PLAYERS WITH OUR LOWER BODY INSIDE. WE GAVE UP, WHAT, SEVEN POINTS OFF SECOND CHANCE PLAYS IN THE RIVERTON GAME. A GAME LIKE THAT, THAT’S A HUGE DIFFERENCE. WE JUST GOTTA BE MORE PHYSICAL IN WANTING TO WIN A SPOT IN OUR REBOUNDING AND OFFENSIVELY IN TRYING TO POST UP AND WANT TO BEAT THE OTHER PLAYER. INCREASING THE PHYSICALITY WAS DEFINITELY AN EMPHASIS THIS WEEK.”
AS FOR THEIR TWO OPPONENTS, COACH WAGNER TOUCHES ON THE AREAS OF THE FLOOR WHERE BOTH KELLY WALSH AND ROCK SPRINGS EXCEL.
“KELLY WALSH IS TOUGH. ANY ONE DAY ONE PLAYER MIGHT HANDLE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THEIR SCORING SO THEY’RE ACTUALLY A TOUGHER SCOUT JUST CAUSE SO MANY DIFFERENT PLAYERS CAN COME IN AND DO THINGS. WE GOTTA PICK AND CHOOSE THE COUPLE OF PLAYERS THAT WE REALLY GOT TO SHUT DOWN. ROCK SPRINGS, THEY’RE PRETTY MUCH ONE PLAYER ORIENTED. THE JENKINS GIRL, SHE’S A PHENOMENAL ATHLETE, GREAT YOUNG PLAYER AND THEY TRY TO CREATE A LOT OF STUFF THROUGH HER. SO ALWAYS JUST BEING AWARE OF HER.”
THE CODY BASKETBALL TEAMS CONTINUE CONFERENCE PLAY THIS WEEKEND AS THEY ARE ON THE ROAD FRIDAY MAKING THE TRIP BACK TO CASPER TO TAKE ON KELLY WALSH. THE GIRLS GET UNDERWAY AT 5:30 WITH THE BOYS TO FOLLOW. ON SATURDAY BOTH CODY TEAMS WELCOME ROCK SPRINGS INTO THE SWEITZER GYMNASIUM FOR AN AFTERNOON DOUBLE HEADER THAT BEGINS WITH THE GIRLS AT 3PM FOLLOWED BY THE BOYS. ALL THOSE GAMES CAN BE HEARD ON KODI.
