Tipping off a new season
By Sam and Noah Capelli
It’s that time of the year again for the Cody Bronc and Fillie basketball teams to prepare for the start of the season. For the Broncs, they return an exceptional senior class filled with many different skill sets. Some of whom include all-conference players in Maddax Ball, and Chase Hatch. Grady McCarten, a lethal three-point shooter, also returns to the court for the first time since his sophomore year. Cody moved down from 4A to 3A this year, so this group of seniors aren’t strangers to tough competition in any way.
In regards to the season, Chase Hatch said that he believes the team can and will get the job done at state this year because this group of seniors are very close and have a lot of varsity experience. Hatch has his sights set on being an all-state player and winning a basketball championship in his final year of high school basketball. This squad has plenty of experience when it comes to making a playoff run, as just two years ago many of these kids were starters or key role players in a Cody team that ran the table and fell one game shy of a state championship appearance. The Broncs look to capture some of their previous magic this year, and bring home a state championship trophy for the first time in ten years.
Turning to the Fillies, it’s a team that has had successful season after successful season. Despite losing last year’s Gatorade Player of the Year, Molly Mays, they return three all-conference players (Sophia Radakovich, Grace Hays, and Ellie Talich), and many more with lots of potential. Coach Chris Wagner has done an amazing job as the head coach, as not a single one of the girls on this year’s team have ever lost a game on their home court.
Like the Broncs, the Fillies moved down to 3A this year, and being one of the top schools in their previous class, they’re a force to be reckoned with. We caught up with Ellie Talich about the upcoming season, where she said, “I think it’ll take some time to adjust to new team dynamics, but I think we have some great leaders that are ready to step up.” You can catch both the Broncs and Fillies making their home debut’s on January 25, or stream all the games on NFHS or listen live on KODI Radio.
