Sadly, the 7th grade ladies were quarantined and were unable to compete this week. They will be back next week to take on North!
However, The 8th Grade Lady Broncos hosted Adams MS school last night (Thursday) in what was the last home basketball game they will ever play on Kyle Shaw Court.
Allow me to set the scene a bit…
The Lady Broncos are coming off of a 10-day quarantine - and are also playing without five key players thanks to injuries and extended quarantine times. After some player movement, the ladies finalized their rosters at (8) A-team players, (7) B-team players and (7) C-team players. In case you don’t follow sports, basketball is played 5 v. 5 - so our East girls only had 2-3 subs to use. Needless to say, these girls were on a collision course for some wobbly legs at the end of the game.
C-team started off the night against a 10-player, very athletic (and big) Adams team. The Lady Broncos were never able to get their feet under them, and ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. All the ladies battled so hard throughout the game. Elizabeth Hostenske enjoyed a ton of playing time in her second basketball game ever. She hustled her tail off and had fun during the entire game. Hazel Clements had a motor that just kept on going. Hazel was flying all over the place and was a pest to the Adams squad. Harumi Hayakawa had a blast as she confidently brought the ball down the court and transitioned well to defense. Ellis Summers enjoyed being one of only two post players available. Ellis competed all night and fought for rebounds and loose balls. Ellis also put up four points. Riley Warren went into typical "Riley-Warren mode" as she was able to sprint back and forth, up and down the court all game long, showing no signs of tiring. Bella Churchill-Dowd came out of a long break ready to play. Bella’s presence in the paint made it clear she was happy to be back on the court. Alanna Adams-San Miguel once again lead the team on the offensive side putting up four points and tactically went for multiple defensive steals. All and all, the ladies played their hearts out, but eventually ran out of time for their comeback. Player of the game honors go to Hazel Clements for her tremendous hustle, heart and desire throughout the game.
B-team also played against an athletic Adams team. Big shout out to Amanda Adams-San Miguel for putting the team before her personal accolades. Amanda willing came down from A-team to help out her B-team teammates out so that the Lady Broncos could have enough players to compete. Amanda’s leadership and confidence greatly contributed to the Lady Broncos success. Amanda put up 5 points., and played well defensively. Ava Beaty put on a defensive clinic last night as she used her fancy footwork to obstruct the path her opponent wanted to take. Just when an Adams player thought they had a path to the basket, Ava was there to shut them down. Tatum Montgomery played her signature style of basketball and continually crossed up Adams players again and again. Tatum used a contrasting approach to Ava - and just as an Adams player thought she was going one direction, Tatum crossed the ball over to blow right by her defender. Tatum also laid her body on the line as she battled through a twisted ankle and an opponent’s arm to her face. Rachel Arrington put on a show last night as she continued her Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde routine. She’s the nicest person off the court, and an absolute animal inside the lines. Rachel battled for every loose ball, every rebound and contributed 11 points. Rachel added tremendous proof she is a force to be reckon with when it’s game time. Ellie Dalton rose to the occasion as she played up last night to help with roster numbers. Ellie quickly stepped up to face a very challenging B-team opponent. Ellie scrapped every moment she was in - and her defensive relief was much needed in the physical game. Kimber Kerrigan got the start last night and contributed key minutes and 2 points throughout the match. Kimber put up quality shots, played solid defense, and handled the ball well. Lauren Sanchez once again brought her physical style of play - and kept the Adams teams at bay. Lauren’s desire to dominate never wavered once. Lauren chipped in 6 points and came up with several rebounds and loose balls. As a team, the Lady Broncos found themselves in a hole early on and throughout most of the game. Their GRIT and determination went into a higher gear as they fought their way back to victory. Final score was East 27, Adams 24. Player of the game honors have to go to Ava Beaty for her outstanding defense as she regularly shut down most Adams scoring threats.
A-team finished the night off battling with one less team member (reminder of Amanda Adam-San Miguel’s selfless act). Starting early in the game, and never once losing the lead, the Lady Broncos wrote a suspense filled story ending with another victory. Mallory Sherrer led the team from the point guard position. Time and time again, Mallory handled the ball well to get quality looks. Mallory finished the night with 7 points including a quality, dagger-like 3-pointer. Claire Pafford has been cooking all week as she was sure to be shooting hot in the Adams matchup. Claire indeed had a high shooting percentage from three-point land. As I was driving to school this morning, I had a huge smile on my face when I realized Adams had to use their best player to guard Claire all of the 4th quarter because they were scared the East-Sniper would surely hurt them if they didn’t prevent her from shooting. Not only does my face smile from this thought, my heart smiles as well. Reagan Roberson once again stepped up to the challenge of guarding the most potent Adams player. I wish I could find a way to bottle up Reagan’s motor and drive because I could become a millionaire selling it - and could also single handedly put Wheaties out of business. Reagan also found success beyond the arc hitting a key 3-pointer in the game. Grace Chen was back to her 100% physical status - and played solid throughout the night. Grace hustled, handled, and flew to the ball all night. Grace chipped in two points and it was so beneficial to have both defensive studs available. Kennedy Paul once again battled all game with a huge smile on her face. It is awesome to see a girl have so much fun as she legitimately aims to shut down opposing players. Kennedy’s leaping ability and strength showed out once again. Kennedy played strong defensively and contributed 4 points to the Lady Broncos offense. Paige Slater was once again a pillar of the East offensive and defensive force. After winning the opening tip, Paige continued to showcase her athleticism and fighting heart the whole game. Paige put up 6 points and 4 rebounds adding to her dominant season. Cambry Smith also scrapped all night long as she stayed physical with the athletic, Adams players. Cambry played solid all game, and hit a critical free throw late in the game to help seal the East victory. Landry Sherrer lead four of the five major categories last night. Landry played multiple offensive positions and also matched herself up against Adams’s best player on a few possessions. Landry earns Player of the Game honors for sinking 16 points and having 4 assists, 5 steals and an amazing 4 blocked shots. Final score was Lady Broncos 41, Adams 35.
Overall, the ladies did an outstanding job being both fresh off a quarantine and short five key players. We are all so proud of you. What an amazing way to represent yourselves and your school in your last home basketball game. All of your parents, teachers, friends and coaches (even Shaw and Bryan) are proud of the way you showed out on our home turf. The last 8th grade game of the season is against North (at North) on Thursday. Way to go Lady B’s… let’s finish this season off right!
Go Broncos!
