Lady Wolves take 4th at state

The Lady Wolves ended their season with a fourth-place finish at the 4A State tournament last weekend.

One player was named All State, while another was awarded All State Honorable Mention. An head coach Rick Carroll couldn't be more happy with his players.

The Lady Wolves' first game took place against Cheyenne Central in a match that Carroll said was some of the best basketball the Lady Wolves played all season.

"We just played really well as a team," Carroll said. "We shot the ball pretty well during that game."

Carroll said the Lady Wolves were also able to create a lot of turnovers and caused problems for the Central defense. The Lady Wolves took a the win 59-37, advancing them to the semifinals against Cheyenne East.

In the second quarter of that game, the Lady Wolves lost one of their key players, Kayde Strauss, to a leg injury. Carroll said Strauss attempted to play during the third quarter, but was unable to remain in the game due to the pain she was feeling.

"I think it's actually a serious injury,"Carroll said.

Despite not having Strauss, Carroll said the team continued to work hard and overcame some deep deficits to the squad from East. However, Carroll said the girls simply ran out of time and were unable to secure the win. The Lady Wolves lost 62-50 to the eventual champions.

The following game for third place pit the Lady Wolves against Sheridan. Carroll said he saw some fatigue from the girls as they played, ultimately losing 58-46.

Carroll said he's happy the season didn't get cancelled and the team was able to stay healthy and avoid COVID-19. The team never had to quarantine.

More importantly, the coach said the girls bonded and worked together throughout the season.

"It was a pleasure for all the coaching staff to work with the team we had," Carroll said. They're really a good group that worked hard."

Throughout the season, Carroll said the Lady Wolves continued to improve and played their best basketball games near the end of the season.

Carroll said many of the athletes also learned the importance of working in the offseason to improve. He said this was especially true with the girls going to the weight room and practice shooting. Carroll said they coaching staff tries to convince athletes to be three-sport athletes to keep their endurance throughout the year and said the girls learned the reason behind that push firsthand.

Three players were named All Conference: Strauss, Tayana Crowder and Megan Counts, with Gabby Heiser and Daryn Macy receiving honorable mention. Strauss was also named 4A West Conference Player of the Year. She and Counts were named All State, with Crowder receiving honorable mention.

The team will lose three players this year when Strauss, Kelsi Angelovich and Crowder graduate. Carroll said they were great leaders and led by example during practice.