State 1A/2A Basketball Preview: 2014

As you head to Casper to root on your favorite 1A or 2A team, here are some things you might not have known.

Previews are based on surveys returned back to Wyopreps and historical knowledge.  Thanks to wyoming.football.com and their research as well.

2A Boys:

Wyoming Indian is looking for their fourth state title in six seasons.  Their only loss came to Big Piney, at Big Piney.  The Chiefs have beaten the Punchers back twice now, once being in the West Regional Championships last weekend, 62-44.

Big Horn capped a 28-0 season in 2011 with a state title.  The Rams come into state this weekend at 16 and 9, but, they are playing their best basketball as witnessed with a 10 point win over Lusk for the East Regional title.  Ask a Ram what "Golden Dragon" means.

Burns hasn't won a state title since 1972.   That year, Dave Gorman was the coach.   He's the late father-in-law of now Broncs coach Sean Patterson.

Pine Bluffs hasn't hoisted a state title trophy since 1983.  Greybull won their last in 2006.  Jim Prather is one of the longest tenured coaches in the 2A field in his 15th season with the Buffs.   Rich Murray of Lusk is in his 24th season for the Tigers.

Patrick Schmeidt of wyoming-football.com reports that Big Piney hasn’t won a first round game at state since 1982.  Their first round opponent, Pine Bluffs, hasn't won in the first round since 1995.

Rocky Mountain is back at state after a two year hiatus.  Its just the 2nd time in seven years the Grizz have played past regionals.  They've won a lot of games but just can't seem to find the win column against the higher ranked ones....yet.   The team is still young and has potential for Michael Simmons.   Rocky hasn't won the state title since winning back to back crowns in 97 and 98.

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2A Girls:

Tongue River at state.  Pretty much enough said, but let's talk more anyway.  Diane Moser is in her 40th season at TR.   Her team was undefeated last year and has only 1 loss this year when her team was still not 100% due to injury.   Moser graduated 5 seniors off last year’s State Championship team. She had a starter from last year transfer to Sheridan and her two All-Conference seniors (Tara Stimpson and Sarah Rawlings) were both recovering from knee surgeries early in the season.   Despite that, the Lady Eagles are the odds on favorite to win their 2nd in a row and third in the last five years.

Lovell is the other team you need to mention when talking 2A Girls Basketball.  Lovell and TR have combined for the last 4 titles.  Despite a season ending knee injury to one of their starters, the Lady Bulldogs won the West Regional by a dozen over WIHS.

Hard to believe, but, Bart Trautwein is in his 9th season coaching the Southeast girls.  Their motto this season is that of Russell Wilson from the Seahawks in "Why Not Us".  Southeast's last state title was in 1A in 2008.

Kemmerer won their first state volleyball title since the mid 80's back in November.   Now, the Lady Rangers are hoping to end a basketball drought that has never seen Kemmerer win a girls hoop title.   Tia Tiller, headed for Western Wyo to play hoops, scored her 1000th point back in December.  Patrick also reports that the Ranger girls haven’t advanced past the quarterfinal round since 1986.

Andrea Baker has a story in Pine Bluffs.   The All Conference player had a kidney transplant in September and got cleared to practice/play in mid-November!  She is a 4 year starter for coach Lindsay Forbes who says, "Andrea is a tough, hardworking kid who has overcome a tremendous amount of setbacks."

Wyoming Indian is finally at full strength.  Last weekend at Regionals was the first time that coach Aleta Moss had her full team on the court at one time all season.  Thermopolis has played for the 2A title in the last two seasons.  First year coach Rob Anderson pulled off an upset last weekend just to get to state when they beat Wind River.

Sundance could be the dark horse.  If you get a chance, check out Kacie O'Connor, she's been putting up great numbers all season long.  The Lady Bulldogs were ranked off and on this year for the first time in a while.

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1A Boys:

Little Snake River has won the last three 1A boys titles.  They have a new coach this year in Jack Cobb.   The Rattlers finished 2nd last week at the West Regional to Burlington.  While it seems the Huskies are on the top step nearly every year, they have only won it once since 2007.

That may change this year as Burlington is the favorite coming in at 24 and 1.  Their only loss was to 70 to 60 to 3A Buffalo at a tournament in Powell in December.   The closest anyone has gotten to them since was Dubois in a 15 point difference a coupe of weeks ago.   The Huskies are the West Regional Champs and have the target on their backs.

Speaking of Dubois, the Rams haven't been to State since 2005.  Given that they have their fifth coach in 4 years and really only 5 kids that play significant time, getting third at the West Regional and getting to state is a feat in and of itself.  Mike Carrico and company were featured in Sports Illustrated last week and now head to Casper with upsets in mind.  Dubois hasn't won a title since going back to back as champs in 1993.

Kaycee is peaking at the right time.   Jason Humble, in his 22nd year, coached the Bucs to an East regional title over Guernsey.    The Buckaroos haven't been on the stage with the big trophy since 1998.

Guernsey-Sunrise and Encampment has a new/old coaches.   Casey Moats coached Guernsey for years before stepping down to watch his son play college ball and help coach at college.   He was asked back by the school this year and has a returning All Stater Treasure Hollister to help lead the way.   Encampment has Clint Bromley back on the bench.   Bromley and the Tigers won a title back in 2008 on a last second shot.  After a brief hiatus from the bench, he's back.   He has All Stater Harold Jackson back to help lead.

Upton.   What is up, Upton.   The Bobcats were ranked high early in the year then slipped away.   They did get to state and you can't win a school's first ever title if you don't get there.    They are still 19 and 8 and shouldn't be counted out.       Wyatt Burr scored his 1000th point this season for Upton.  Pete Wilson is in his third year as the head coach.

Lingle-Ft. Laramie is back at state after getting in last year with a 6 and 19 record.  This year, the Doggers return with the exact same record will have to tangle with Burlington first round. Lingle is also looking for their first state title in 1A.   Coach Steve ZImmerman played as many 2A teams as he could, therefore the record may not sparkle.    In Zimmerman's first year, last year, they made it to State for just the fourth time in the last 20 something years.   He did so with 8 players and four of them graduated.   There could be a start of the return of some basketball tradition in Lingle with 13 kids out this year.   They won a 2A title back in 1990.   When you get a chance, look for the rebounding of Barry Greenwald who is pulling down 10 and change a game and has been featured in Peak Preps several times.

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1A Girls:

The Lingle-Fort Laramie girls are on a mission to Casper to make history. They've been ranked #1 most of this season and hope to finish that way.   I called coach Matt Cornelius and asked for stats.  He said, 'No'.   At his girl's request, they weren't giving out individual stats this year.  Its All Doggers for One and All for One Dogger and he's ecstatic about it.   His team only got better after an injury took away a starter for over a month.  But, she's back and they are East Regional Champions and looking for another first place trophy this week.   Coach Cornelius did let this out, however.   Kody Walter is  is currently nationally ranked in ribbon dancing, and is hopeful to compete in the 2016 Olympics.

After winning the title in 2012 in undefeated fashion, Jody Stanley and Little Snake River might be the best challenger to Lingle from the West.  LSR was 4th last year.   They won the West regional last weekend and take momentum into state.

Cokeville is the defending champions and never count them out at state,  in any sport.  The Lady Panthers finished third at regionals but have gone toe to toe with Burlington and Snake River in each meeting this season.

The Upton girls finished third last year and have played well this year.   They fell to Lingle-Fort Laramie for the East Regional title, but, are heading to state with a 23-3 record losing only to 2A Sundance, Lingle, and a team from SD.  They have never won a state championship.

Other teams in the field, like Hulett and St Stephens, are also looking for their school's first ever state championship.  Kaycee won titles in 1986 and again in 1993.  Kaycee is coached by Luke Danforth.  Danforth was the coach at Greybull, then Powell before moving to Buffalo.  Burlington and coach Jerry Patrick have won 7 titles but none since going back to back in 09-10.