Remembering a great season
Coach Chadd Laws was most moved when his team rallied around him after he lost his father in December.
Hope Reid goes up for a rebound at the district tournament in Libby.
The Hot Springs Lady Heat win their second consecutive District Championship by taking down their arch rival Charlo.
Last week a wild and crazy year of basketball ended for the county.
Now, it's time to look back at the year and us here at the Valley Press wanted to give the coaches an opportunity to share the highs and lows of their season.
This week we have questions and answers from Chadd Laws, coach of the Thompson Falls Bluehawks, Jason Reimer, coach of the Lady Hawks and Scott Wigton, coach of the Hot Springs Lady Heat.
Last week a wild and crazy year of basketball ended for the county.
Now, it's time to look back at the year and us here at the Valley Press wanted to give the coaches an opportunity to share the highs and lows of their season.
This week we have questions and answers from Chadd Laws, coach of the Thompson Falls Bluehawks, Jason Reimer, coach of the Lady Hawks and Scott Wigton, coach of the Hot Springs Lady Heat.
Chadd Laws
What is your final overall record and conference record?
Overall record: 7-16 Conference: 2-8
What is your favorite moment of the basketball season?
The kindness that my team showed me after the passing of my father. The team put my fathers initials (HL) on their jersies and also presented my mom with flowers in rememberence of my late father.
What was your biggest challenge of the season and how did your team respond to it?
My biggest challenge was mentally getting ready for the games just following the death of my father. Biggest challenge for the team was mentally getting ready for the distict tournament going in as the 6th place seed. We responded by defeating Plains, our first over them this season, for a third place finish. This was a huge win for our team this year given the level that Plains has played at all year long.
In what areas did you see the most improvement?
Our defense was the biggest improvement during the entire year.
When and how did you see great character exhibited by your team?
We showed great character after we lost to Troy in the opening round of the district tournament and came back to defeat Mission in the loser-out game the next morning.
Who is your MVP of the year and what is special about that player?
I don't believe we have any MVP. In my opinion we a have a Most Valuable Team. Offensively we really relied on Mike Wood. He was also a great defender and rebounder. But to label him MVP would not be accurate since he could not have accomplished anything without his teammates.
Who is your most unsung hero and why?
My unsung hero or heroes would have to be our PEP BAND. Our Pep Band under the direction of Rebecca Haag never missed a tournament game of the boys and girls program.
Who were the seniors on your team and what is something special you can say about them?
Will Dalby- Great athleticism and was great at driving to the rim and finishing
Mike Wood - Tenacious rebounder and had a great motor.
Brandon Wakefield - Good shooter that finished the season offensively very well.
Chris Pavlik - Great leadership skills, especially to our younger players.
Jason Reimer
What is your final overall record and conference record?
Overall Record: 10-14 Conference Record: 6-4
What is your favorite moment of the basketball season?
We had several great team moments. Most great moments in a season come "behind the scenes." It is hard to pinpoint one favorite moment. From jumping jacks in the locker room of an early morning game, flapjack feeds, and the "sink your teeth in" during pre-game huddles - coaching basketball and being part of a team is a blast !!
What was your biggest challenge of the season and how did your team respond to it?
Following a tough stretch of losses versus Big Fork, Charlo and Loyola. The girls could have wilted, but they got back up and kept moving forward. They showed a lot of courage the days following that tough stretch of games.
In what areas did you see the most improvement?
I think as the season went on we found a style that best fit this team. That style was more uptempo mixed with some full court defense.
When and how did you see great character exhibited by your team?
When I think of character exhibited by our team, I think of our team leader Karli Cavill. Karli is full of character in every phase of the game.
Who is your MVP of the year and what is special about that player?
I am not a big fan of the term "MVP." However, as I mentioned previously, Karli was our leader. In addition all of our seniors this year were great to coach. They are such good people and as a coach I was fortunate to work with these four seniors on a daily basis. I admire them all a great deal.
Who is your most unsung hero and why?
My wife is an "unsung hero." She supports the team and I from start to finish. Also, I have a great assistant coach in Sandra Kazmierczak.
Who were the seniors on your team and what is something special you can say about them?
Karli Cavill, Hannah Peters, Kyla Molzhon, Beca Gunderson These four girls always came ready to listen, learn, and get better. They were people you just enjoy being around.
Do you have any other general comments on your season?
Every season has its own unique journey. This season was not perfect and in some ways we obviously hoped for a little more than we got. However, there is so much more to this game than just the overall record. We had some great moments and games as a team and I believe we came a long way from start to finish.
Scott Wigton
What is your final overall record and conference record?
Overall: 20-3 Conference: 10-0
What is your favorite moment of the basketball season?
By far the best moment of the season was celebrating our district championship.
What was your biggest challenge of the season and how did your team respond to it?
Our biggest challenge this season would probably be replacing spots from the previous year. Last season, we lost an all state player (Matea Depoe) and two all conf. players (Jordon Fisher & Whitney Wood), the hardest thing to figure out was how and where these new kids this season would fit in and how they would perform at these new spots and rolls.
In what areas did you see the most improvement?
I would say that the team playing as a team was our biggest improvement from start to finish. We became very unselfish and looked for our teammates first.
When and how did you see great character exhibited by your team?
We talked about heart and fight when we found ourselves behind and against the wall during the Divisional Tournament vs Twin Bridges and Drummond. The fight and their heart really came through even though they didn't win.
Who is your MVP of the year and what is special about that player?
MacKenzie Wood, four year starter, three time Class C All State and our do everything player. She is our leader on and off the court and is a huge roll-model for our younger kids. Her work ethic and dedication to me and our team will be tough to match by anyone.
Who is your most unsung hero(s) and why?
Randi Arnold SR. and Devon White Sr., these two seniors have been very impactful the past 4 years even though their names aren't always mentined first. Our teams wouldn't be what they have been without kids like them filling in the pieces.
Who were the seniors on your team and what is something special you can say about them?
MacKenzie Wood, Devon White, Randi Arnold, Elsa Schmeidbauer... These seniors top to bottom will never be replaced. It has been a pleasure to coach them and they will be missed but not forgoten.
Do you have any other general comments on your season?
To come back and win our second straight district championship was huge for these kids because people did doubt what we could accomplish this year. I am very proud of our effort all season long. Next season we get a valuable player back from injury (Lindsey Salmi), our next senior class will easily step up as the roll models and tradition keepers of the team, our younger kids got valuable playing time this season with Alyssa Foster(soph. next year) leading the way at the guard spot. We have a large new freshman class of possibly eight or nine kids coming in that will have adjusting to do, but some could see some valuable time early in the season. I am really excited to see what our off season brings, and can't wait for next season.
Look for more coach's comments on their season and their players as they answer these questions in next week's Valley Press.