Zoe Bosch moves toward the basket during the Broncs’ 63-17 loss to Teton (Idaho) High School at Jackson Hole High School. Bosch, who is a freshman, led the Broncs with a seaon-high nine points.
Zoe Bosch moves toward the basket during the Broncs’ 63-17 loss to Teton (Idaho) High School at Jackson Hole High School. Bosch, who is a freshman, led the Broncs with a seaon-high nine points.
“We’re playing a game of chess, and right now we’re pawns,” said the Jackson Hole High School girls’ basketball coach. Other teams have “castles, and they’ve got rooks, and they’ve got bishops, and they’ve got a queen, and they’ve got all those pieces, and they’re taking big steps across the board, and we’re one step at a time. We’ll turn into a full chess set eventually.”
Until then it’s not easy. But there is progress, even in a 63-17 defeat last Thursday to Teton (Idaho) High School.
The Broncs came into the game 0-6, facing a team that played for the 3A state title in Idaho last season. But they also came out fighting, taking an early 5-4 lead on two baskets by freshman point guard Zoe Bosch, including a 3-pointer.
“That was our best start,” Shockley said. “Our kids were scared to death to play at home. They were nervous. There was somewhat of a crowd here. I was pleased with how we started. We have to focus so hard because our habits aren’t what they need to be, so we mentally wear out and we physically wear out. And some of those mistakes build up as the game goes on, and it gets out of hand.”
After Bosch, who had a season-high nine points, scored again on a little flip shot inside to make it 12-7 Teton, the Timberwolves went on a 20-0 run en route to a 31-9 halftime lead.
The Broncs are struggling with turning the ball over, which they did 28 times against Teton, and shooting. Jackson shot just 20%, compared with 43% for the Timberwolves.
And the schedule hasn’t exactly been kind. The Broncs’ closest game was their season opener against Cheyenne South, a 35-20 loss at the Bill Strannigan Memorial Classic in Riverton. That was Cheyenne South’s only win of the season so far, as the Bison are now 1-9. But the cumulative record of all seven teams Jackson has played is 51-22, including games against undefeated Laramie (10-0) and Mountain View (12-0).
Shockley and the players see progress, though. After all, scoring 17 against an 11-4 Teton team is far more impressive than 20 against Cheyenne South.
“Teton’s a much better basketball team than Cheyenne South,” Shockley said.
“I’d say that’s the best we’ve played together as a team,” said captain guard Naomi Roper, the only senior on a team that returned no varsity players this year.
“I’m so proud of all these girls for being willing to come out,” Roper said. “They’re all so young and being put in a really tough position.”
But Roper also had a prediction: “We will win a game.”
“I’m so proud of all these girls for being willing to come out.” —Naomi Roper Jackson senior captain
Sports Editor Mark Baker grew up in a newspaper family in TrackTown, USA. He's reported for papers in Oregon, Washington, California and Alabama, but now makes his home at "The End of the Trail."
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