TMS girls playing hard

Thermopolis Middle School's seventh and eighth grade basketball teams have been busy this past weekend, playing against Worland, Lovell, Cody and Powell.

Eighth grade coach Ginger Ward said Worland's A team outscored the girls 7-29 in the first game.

Cadence Steadman, who has never played organized basketball before, came on strong, pulling in five rebounds along with Mariah Brooks.

"These girls soak up what we are teaching at practice and try to remember it during the game," Ward said.

While the score-book wasn't complete for the Worland B team game, Ward said the girls came out on the court working hard and never stopped.

"They fill me with joy to work with," she said. "It is a privilege."

The girls turned around and beat Lovell's A team, 20-16.

Caydence Becher blocked out, fought and scrambled her way to pull down the most rebounds.

They worked the ball into the key and the guards, Kamry Bowman, Mariah Brooks and Bronwyn Dobbins, found a way to drive in to the hoop and get some quality shots druing the first half. The second half showed some good post work by Becher and Steadman.

The Lovell B team also came up short, losing to Thermop, 27-10.

Michelle Burgess and Ashlynn Harvey rebounded extremely well.

"They get better every practice," Ward said. "We put up a lot of shots in close to the hoop and with a little more focus and practice, these shots are going to fall consistently, which I look forward to happening.

Cody's players have developed quality habits, according to Ward, and are fun to watch, even though their A team beat us, 35-5.

"I look forward to our girls competing against them," Ward said. "With our determination to get better, work ethic and drive, we can get there. It takes time to develp and overcome some poor habits, but these girls are up to the challenge."

Ward added, Dobbins really exhites her with her determination to correct her shooting form and praises her for it. Top rebounder for the game was Bowman.

The B team lost to Cody as well, 17-1.

Ward said they went to play four games with nine players and the girls trooped through the pain and tiredness.

"The parents and grandparents support us and helped keep stats," she said. "It is a blessing for them to be there."

Hallie Martinez grabbed top rebounding honors and led the team through some pressure.

The A team then had a win over Powell's A team, 30-18.

Bowman hit the boards hard, grabbing seven points.

"We were a little more patient with the ball," Ward said. "Defensively, we learned we must keep our arms back and move our feet a little more, but the girls kept battling and their determination paid off."

It paid off for the B team, too, as they beat Powell's B team, 22-12.

The fourth game of the day for the girls and with no breaks (and no tears), they soared through a few more minutes.

Dobbins was top rebounder for the game, and Ward said between her and Julie Johnson's focus on correcting their shooting form, she was really impressed.

Becher and Steadman kept working in the post and finding holes. The guards would sneak it into them every once in a while and Ward is looking forward to seeing their practice post moves come alive in game action this week.

On the seventh grade side, coach Dhestinny Rangel said she has 11 girls out for the season and they've shown tremendous improvement.

"We had a quad this past weekend," Rangel said, "and those girls worked very hard and fought for everything."

Their best game came against Powell.

"These girls have a ton of potential and come to practice ready to work and learn every day," she said. "I can't wait to see what the rest of the season will look like."

The seventh grade A team lost to Lander, 22-10. The B team only played a half-game against Lander with no score kept.

The A team lost to Riverton, 24-16, and Meeteetsee beat the B team, 18-15.

The A team didn't fare any better against Worland, losing 42-12, but the B team came in and won against Worland, 23-10.

A team lost to Cody, 34-16 and Powell, 39-26, as did the B team, losing against Cody 27-14 and to Powell 24-20.