Filly Basketball Looks to Build Upon First Weekend Tournament

THE CODY FILLIES BASKETBALL TEAM OPENED REGULAR SEASON PLAY IN GILLETTE LAST WEEKEND TAKING PART IN THE RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS TOURNAMENT. THE FILLIES WOULD GO 1-2 OVER THE WEEKEND GARNERING A BIG 59-56 OVERTIME VICTORY OVER CAMPBELL COUNTY. I SAT DOWN WITH HEAD COACH OF THE FILLIES CHRIS WAGNER AND HE GIVES HIS THOUGHTS ON HOW THE WEEKEND WENT.

“OFFENSIVELY, I FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT OUR WANTING TO GET OUT AND PLAY UP TEMPO AND THEN EVEN ONCE WE GET INTO THE HALF COURT I REALLY ENJOYED LOOKING AT OUR BALL MOVEMENT. EVEN ON FILM, JUST SEEING MULTIPLE PASSES, WORKING INTO THOSE NEXT OPEN SHOOTERS, SO THAT WAS SOLID. DEFENSIVELY, I FELT WE WORKED PRETTY HARD IN THE POST. WE WERE PROBABLY GIVING UP WAY TO MANY EASY DRIVES TO THE BASKET, SO KIND OF A POINT OF EMPHASIS THIS WEEK IS TRYING TO IMPROVE ON OUR ON BALL DEFENSE.”

COACH WAGNER GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE OT WIN CAN BE A SPRINGBOARD FOR THIS YOUNG FILLY SQUAD.

“I THINK IT KIND OF GAVE US THAT FIRST STEP IN UNDERSTANDING THE INTENSITY OF THE TRUE 4A LEVEL. I MEAN PLAYING A TOP NOTCH TEAM WITH THUNDER BASIN AND JUST HOW AGGRESSIVE AND IN THEIR FACE THAT THEY WERE. SO KIND OF USING THAT AS A LEARNING POINT AND BUILDING OFF OF IT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT’S A LOT OF WHAT WE WANT TO SEE.”

UP NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE CODY WILL HOST PARK COUNTY RIVALS, THE POWELL LADY PANTHERS. THIS WILL BE COACH WAGNER’S FIRST FORAY IN THE BIG HORN BRAWL AND TALKS ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A PART OF A RIVALRY GAME.

YEAH I MEAN I’M NAIVE TO HOW COMPETITIVE IT REALLY WILL BE BETWEEN THE GIRLS. I FEEL LIKE OURS HAVEN’T BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT AS MUCH WHICH, I DON’T KNOW, IT’S A GOOD THING, I ALWAYS TRY TO KEEP IT’S ANOTHER OPPONENT. BUT YEAH, BASKETBALL RIVALRIES, THERE’S NOTHING BETTER. THOSE ENVIRONMENTS ARE AWESOME, SO I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.”

AS FOR WHAT COACH WAGNER IS LOOKING FOR OUT OF THIS GROUP, HE SAYS THEY MUST LEAVE IT ALL OUT ON THE FLOOR.

“I MEAN, THEY’VE GOT TO PLAY WITH A NO REGRETS TYPE ATTITUDE CAUSE YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET ANOTHER GAME FOR TWO WEEKS AFTER THIS. SO THEY’VE GOT TO LEAVE IT ALL OUT ON THE COURT. IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG CHRISTMAS BREAK AND IT ALWAYS IS AND YOU GET TIRED OF PRACTICING EACH OTHER AND NOT SEEING GAMES. SO THIS IS OUR ONE LEFT, SO WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO AFTER IT.”

THE CODY FILLIES HOST THE POWELL LADY PANTHERS INSIDE THE SWEITZER GYM FRIDAY FOR THEIR FINAL GAME OF 2019. YOU CAN HEAR THE CALL OF THAT GAME ON KODI AM 1400 AND 96.7FM WITH PRE-GAME AT 5:15, TIP-OFF AT 5:30.