Raft River basketball: Echo Hansen profile

In early April, I visited Malta, Idaho, and visited with Raft River basketball sensation Echo Hansen, who was one of the school's best student-athletes. Here is the article that will appear in her team's basketball yearbook.

Echo Hansen:

Her family’s athletic tradition lived on

and gave Trojans the offense it needed

By Bruce Smith

Matchup
 

            At the start of Raft River’s 2011-12 girls basketball season, it was easy for Echo Hansen to wonder, “what if …?”

            Her best friend, Hailey Greenwood, was gone. She had moved with her family to Afton, Wyo. When she left, so did Raft River’s state championship hopes.
            Hansen and Greenwood had helped Raft River to a 20-7 record, the South Division regular-season title and a berth into the 1A Division 1 state tournament.
            When Greenwood left, a lot was responsibility was placed on Hansen. She was already a 4.0 student and a three-sport athlete. When the basketball season started, it didn’t take long for her to step up.
            “Every game, it was somebody’s goal to shut me down,” she said. “It was still my best season. “It would have been better if Hailey had been here, but I had a lot of fun. We were young but a lot of girls got experience and they will be good.”
            As the 10^th of 16 children, she always had to deal with competition. She started playing basketball at age 6 and, by the time she was a ninth grader, showed she might be a special athlete.
            “I played volleyball because it was fun and I competed in track because it was expected of me, but I always loved basketball.”
            Track, however, is where she stood out. Shortly after the basketball season, she competed well in the hurdles and sprint relay and earned a scholarship to Utah Valley University, where she expected to join her older sister, Sally.
            “Until this year, my best memory  was competing at the state meet with her (as a freshman),” she said. “I think I was the only freshman there and that was a special time.”
            Her fondest memories this year were on the court. She also made the varsity basketball team as a freshman and, in her career, ended up going to the state tournament three straight times.
            As a 5-foot-9 senior, she was easily Raft River’s leading scorer, averaging 16.7 points per game. She had a high game of 33 points in the Trojans’ biggest win, a 59-58 victory over Grace. There was also a four-game stretch in early December when she averaged 24.2 ppg and that led to her being selected athlete of the week by KMVT Television and by the Twin Falls Times-News.
            “We depended on Echo the entire season,” said Raft River coach Garth Steed. "Echo was our ‘2’ guard and Wynter (Holtman) was our post and they worked well together. They carried us and everyone else pitched in.”
            “We had a lot of potential,” said Hansen. ”Our record wasn’t that great, but it was great to see the crowds at our home games. They really supported us.”
            She said her best memory was against Grace. Her 30-point effort against the Grizzlies four weeks earlier was not quite enough. With another big home crowd, she concluded the best-scoring night of her career with a three-pointer at the buzzer that lifted the Trojans to a 59-58 win.
            “Coach told me to take the ball and go,” Hansen recalled. “I pulled up and thought it was a ‘two’ (pointer) but then I looked at the scoreboard and it read 59-58. Then all the players were hugging me and I realized we had won.”
            That victory allowed the Trojans to tie Grace for the South Division title. At the district tournament, Hansen also scored eight of Raft River’s final nine points in its 31-30 win over Shoshone in the first round. That would be the team’s final moment of glory as it dropped consecutive road games to Glenns Ferry and Hagerman to end the season.
            Hansen was later named first team all-conference and the Times-News put her on its all-area second team. She also played in a postseason all-star game.
            All of those experiences helped the “what if ..?” thoughts fade. And, as her athletic career continues, they will likely fade more. At Raft River, however, she will always be remembered well – at least until another member of the Hansen clan arrives.

Glenns Ferry basketball: Cassi Garza profile

In early April, I interviewed Cassi Garza of Glenns Ferry. She had one of the most interesting stories to tell. Below is the article that will appear in the team's girls basketball yearbook.

Cassi Garza:

Pivotal decision to be part of the team

resulted in long-lasting memories

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

            It’s easy to be impressed by Cassi Garza.

            She said her primary goal in high school was academics. She was one of the smartest kids in Glenns Ferry. Her goal was to study pre-med in college, and ended up earning a scholarship to the University of Idaho.
            However, there was an athletic part of her, too.
            In the summers, she was a lifeguard at the Glenns Ferry pool. She was studious, but also liked to stay active. One of the biggest decisions she made in her high-school career took place on a cold day in November.
            Garza had just finished a successful season on the school’s girls soccer team. When basketball approached, her friends asked her to be part of the team.
            At first, she compromised. She asked to be the basketball team’s scorekeeper, but it didn’t feel satisfying.
            “I realized it just wasn’t right,” she said. “After the second game, I told (coach) Kelli (McHone) I wanted to play. I had known some of the plays, but I had to learn the others very quickly.”
            The rest is history.
            McHone quickly got her a uniform, and she was a regular at practice, joining her friends again and her sister, Melissa, a freshman. McHone also found a new scorekeeper. Within two weeks, Garza started becoming another key part of the Pilots’ success.
            “I didn’t know what to expect,” Garza said. “Every game was exciting.”
            Garza had extensive playing time and ended up being able to include athletics and academics in her high-school career. She maintained her high grade-point average, and followed basketball with a fine softball season.
            She may never play competitive sports again. But, during this time, she accomplished all that she could.
            Physically, Garza didn’t stand out. She was 5-foot-5 and slender, but showed an aptitude in athletics that was as good as her academics.
            She said she developed an attitude in soccer. She only began playing as a junior and decided to go “all out.”
            “I got really intense,” she recalled. “I decided it was either all-out or nothing.”
            She also learned a lot about herself.
            “You could say I react well,” she said. “In soccer, I was the goalkeeper and I was the catcher in softball. I just adjust to the game that’s being played.”
            Her attitude was noticed immediately. In her first game, she scored six points in an important 47-36 victory over Hagerman. She played in 22 games and averaged 2.1 points per game. Her best effort was a 10-point, 5-rebound performance at Challis, when she took over for Ellee Bryant, who was hurt.
            In most games, she came off the bench and provided necessary depth.
            “We ended up needing her,” said McHone. “When she joined the team, I don’t think she expected to play as much as she did.”
            For Garza, it was a memorable year. The Pilots soccer team reached the state tournament and, for the first time in 15 years, the girls basketball team did, too.
            “I wasn’t much of a shooter, but I could rebound pretty well,” she said. “I look back on it now and it was awesome to be part of two teams that made it to state.”
            Garza had another good game in Glenns Ferry’s district tournament game. After earning the top seed from the North Division, the Pilots took on Hansen and she scored seven points in the 63-41 win.
            About the only disappointment was how it ended. She injured her ankle in Glenns Ferry’s tournament opener against Prairie and played sparingly after that.
            She still cheered vividly for her teammates and joined in the celebration following the win over Hagerman in the second round.
            “It was a fun year,” she said. “We had our goals and we ended up accomplishing what we wanted. I’ll never forget it.”

Glenns Ferry basketball: Jade Gorrell profile

In early April, I interviewed Glenns Ferry's Jade Gorrell, who excelled in basketball and rodeo. Here is the article that will appear in this year's Glenns Ferry girls basketball yearbook.

Jade Gorrell:

Her competitiveness and athletic skills
led to basketball and rodeo success

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

             Jade Gorrell’s high-school career was a busy one.
            After growing up in Glenns Ferry, she moved from Gooding in seventh grade but returned after her sophomore year and instantly became an important part of the Pilots’ basketball team.
            She wasn’t tall (5-foot-2), but she was quick, athletic, competitive and sported a feisty attitude. Those traits played a role in almost everything she did.
            When she wasn’t on the court, she was active in other school activities.
            And when she was away from school? That’s easy. She was probably on a horse.
            “I love rodeo,” she said. “I do everything. Last summer, I couldn’t go to the Walla Walla (Wash.) tournament with the team because I was getting ready for state. Basketball was fun, but rodeo is what I do best.”
            Basketball, however, is a team sport and Gorrell was needed. She played in every game as a junior as Glenns Ferry turned around its program with a 16-8 record. She averaged 7.0 points per game and had a high of 15 points against Castleford.
            She moved into the starting lineup as a senior. Her average increased to 7.9 ppg, and so did her importance. Gorrell, Karli McHone and Sara Arellano gave the Pilots an impressive scoring combination and prevented opponents from focusing on a single player.
            “Last year was exciting at the beginning, but was depressing at the end,” he said. “Our season (record) wasn’t as good (this year), but we made it to state. That was always our goal after last season ended. It was a fun ride.”
             Gorrell was all over the court and was given the team’s “hustle” award at its postseason banquet.
            She easily led the team in steals and was second in assists and rebounding. She had 19 points against Oakley, 15 vs. Shoshone and scored 12 points in the Pilots’ 62-49 victory over Cascade that put them into the 1A Division 1 state tournament.
            “There were a couple of games where we got a lot of points turnovers and that gave us a lot of momentum,” Gorrell said. “It allowed us to pull off some victories.
            “Cascade was an important game,” she added. “They had a girl who posted me up. She could dribble with her left hand. We had the lead the whole game, though, and coach took us (the starters) all out at the end.”
            Gorrell said she didn’t feel like she played as well at state, but it was still a highlight. She had some good memories and was proud of the team’s accomplishments.
            “I remember the (public address) announcer and he was the best I had ever heard,” she said. “It (the tournament) was different than what we had experienced in our tiny town. It was great to win there. Afterward, we had some hop in our walk.”
            The lowlight? That’s easy. Playing against her former Gooding teammates seemed surreal. In the first game – at Gooding – she picked up three quick fouls and eventually fouled out in the Pilots’ 55-40 loss. Three weeks later, though, she had eight points, four steals and two assists in a 61-55 victory.
            “I knew all the girls there (on the team),” she said. “The second time we played them was a lot more fun.”
            Gorrell remained active after the season. She was a big fan of the Glenns Ferry boys team, and cheered them on as they won state. She also traded in her tennis shoes once again for cowboy boots. In the future, the boots are likely to get more use.

Glenns Ferry senior profile: Sara Arellano

In early April, I interviewed Glenns Ferry senior Sara Arellano and we talked about the team's recently concluded basketball season, her sports career and her family. Here is the article that will appear in the Pilots 2011-12 girls basketball yearbook.

Sara Arellano:

She provided much-needed scoring

and came through in the clutch

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

             During the long high-school basketball season which, for the Glenns Ferry girls, lasted about four months, there are a lot of everlasting memories.

            The highlight for the team, of course, was making the 1A Division 1 state tournament. Sara Arellano, however, will relive a certain play for as long as she can remember.
            Glenns Ferry down by two points to Hagerman in the district tournament and 3.5 seconds left. A victory would send the Pilots to state for the first time in 16 years. She had to make both free throws to tie the game …
            We all know the outcome. With the fans cheering, including her grandpa and the rest of her family, she made them both. A 65.7 percent free-throw shooter on the season, she finished the night perfect (4-of-4) at the line.
            “My heart was pounding. I just focused,” she said. “Their girls were walking up behind me and telling me I was going to miss.”
            Hagerman went on to win the game, but it didn’t spoil the moment. Grandpa’s effort to make it to every Glenns Ferry game this year had a big effect, and so did the cheers from her nine siblings. Now, when Arellano ever practices her free throws, she can step up and remember the event time and time again.
            It wasn’t just at the free-throw line where Arellano excelled. She played in every game for two seasons and scored 583 points. As a senior, she was the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 11.7 points per game, and was the top rebounder.
            She finished strong, too. Her high game was a 19-point effort against Hagerman at state. In fact, she scored in double figures in each of the Pilots’ last six games. She admitted that she liked to shoot the ball, but she also became pretty good at scoring.
            “Teams liked to focus on Karli (McHone), so that made us use our other threats,” she said. “It was either me or Jade (Gorrell). I had to try and get free and was (running) all over the place.”
            Arellano said her best games were at state, but that almost didn’t happen. She broke her finger late in the year and the first doctor she visited told her it had to be placed in a splint and she would be unavailable for two weeks. She got a second opinion, however, and that physical let her play.
            “It was really close,” said coach Kelli McHone. “For a while there, we didn’t know.”
            Arellano had 18 points in Glenns Ferry’s 62-49 win over Cascade, which put them into state. She was the top scorer (10 points) in the opener against Prairie, and made 7-of-8 free throws. She said her biggest effort came the next night against Hagerman.
            “I was ‘on’ in that game,” she said. “I don’t know how it happened, but it was one of my best games.”
            Glenns Ferry led 27-10 at halftime, but before Hagerman could rally, Arellano connected on three straight three-pointers. The Pilots ended up winning comfortably. It was their only win of the tournament, but a memorable one.
            “That was one of our biggest wins of the season,” said coach McHone. “It was important for us to make it to state, but it was also important for us to play well there.”
            Arellano was one of the best athletes at Glenns Ferry this year. Besides basketball, she played on the Pilots softball and track teams. In track, she competed in the shot put and discus. She recorded her career bests as a senior and scored the team’s only point at the state meet with an eight-place finish in the discus.
            When the basketball season ended, she said her senior year was the best.
            “We felt more like a team,” she said. “It was a family.”

Glenns Ferry basketball: Ellee Bryant profile

In early April, I traveled to Glenns Ferry and interviewed the Pilots' post player, Ellee Bryant. Here is the article that will appear in the team's 2011-12 basketball yearbook.

Ellee Bryant:

As the anchor player on a small team,

she had her best games at key times

By Bruce Smith

Matchup
 
            First and foremost, Ellee Bryant was an athlete at Glenns Ferry High School.
            As the oldest of six children, she was the first athlete in the Bryant family to make his mark at the school.
            She was busy year-around. Volleyball, basketball, softball … it didn’t matter. Her senior year, she was an instrumental member at a special time. At 5-foot-9, she was the biggest player on the basketball team. The Pilots lacked size, and that fact was often seen as their biggest weakness.
            Without her, it’s difficult to know exactly how the team would have done. With her, they made it to the 1A Division 1 state tournament for the first time in 16 years. That experience, she said, was her best memory of the season.
            “We had been striving to do that for quite a while,” she said.
            The 2011-12 basketball season was a special time. Bryant said it was the team’s goal from the start to make state, and they did it. Bryant averaged 2.7 points per game, and was the team’s third-leading rebounder at 3.9/game. However, it was often the little things that made her stand out.
            Bryant focused mostly on defense. Most of Glenns Ferry’s opponents, especially Hagerman and Challis, had bigger players and that affected her game.
            “One thing I remember most about Ellee is that she always played well against Hagerman and Challis,” said coach Kelli McHone. “She rose to the occasion in some of our biggest games.”
            Bryant’s top-scoring contests was a 10-point effort against Nampa Christian and nine in the district tournament against Raft River.
            Still, scoring was not how she remembered herself.
            “My best memory was playing Cascade,” she said. “I made a steal and got a layin. I felt really good about it.”
            Bryant had six points and six rebounds in that game. She said she felt good about making an extra effort in that game so the Pilots could reach their goal. The celebration afterward was an amazing feeling and it led to more.
            “State was fun and exciting,” she said. “You got special treatment and I felt like a celebrity. We had played in that gym (at Columbia High School in Nampa), but it never felt like this.”
            The most noteworthy games came after the Pilots had dropped their opener to eventual state champion Prairie. Knowing they had to beat Hagerman to stay alive, Glenns Ferry avenged a loss just a week before with a convincing 46-25 victory.
            Bryant was scoreless but grabbed five rebounds. More importantly, Hagerman’s duo of Jessica Regnier and Aly Sauer combined for just nine points. The Pilots grabbed a 27-10 lead at halftime and, for the most part, the outcome was decided.
            “Hagerman was my biggest rival,” Bryant said. “She (Regnier) was two years younger than me and we shut them down pretty easily the first time we played.
            “At district, she was hitting her peak and I think she had talked to her coaches about how to play me. At state, I knew I had to step it up and I played my game. We really wanted to beat them.”
            That victory was the highlight of the postseason and, even though the Pilots lost to Liberty Charter in overtime the next day, it didn’t change how they felt. They had made state, and they felt good about how they did it.
            In the Bryant house, it was also just the start. A couple of weeks later, Bryant’s younger brother, Egan, was part of the Glenns Ferry boys team, which not only made the state tournament but won it.
            Bryant said that high school would probably be the end of her athletic career.
            She said she planned to enroll at BYU-Idaho in Rexburg in the fall, but get involved in intramural sports. Basketball may not be as exciting as what she felt this year, but she appreciated the experience and hoped the Pilots had continued success in the future.

Glenns Ferry basketball: season recap

In April, I visited Glenns Ferry and interviewed coach Kelli McHone and several players following their impressive 2011-12 season. Here is the article recapping the year that will appear in their team's basketball yearbook.

Are these the ‘glory days’?

Led by Karli McHone, Pilots have another great year,
but this time reach the elusive state tournament

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

             The Glenns Ferry girls basketball team may be realizing its “glory days.”

            Last year, under coach Rick Hance, the Pilots started the season with an eight-game winning streak en route to a 16-8 record.
            This season, Kelli McHone took over and guided the team to a 16-12 mark. While that may not seem as impressive as the year before, the Pilot players thought so. McHone said the league was more difficult and they had a lot of pressure to live up to after last year’s success.
            What made it special is Glenns Ferry ended a 16-year state tournament drought and played well in the postseason. Coach McHone and her daughter, Karli, received the Snake River Conference’s highest awards and Karli was an obvious choice for all state.
            “We had a decent team,” said coach McHone, who doubles as the school’s athletic director. “Our three-point shooting is where we had a lot of success. Our offense was built to try to find room to get Karli open.”
            Karli McHone, now a junior, has already shown herself to be a special talent. The team had little height, but averaged nearly six treys per game and shot almost as well from the perimeter as it did inside.
            It’s no surprise that Glenns Ferry’s basketball success started as McHone began to play a bigger role on the the varsity. This year, she led the team in scoring at 17.8 points per game and, in three years, has accumulated 1,173 points. When she graduates, she is probably going to create as big of a spot in the school’s history books as her mother did in the 1980s.
            McHone had a 31-point effort against Nampa Christian and three 29-point games. However, opponents quickly learned she was not a one-person team. Like last year, McHone had a lot of help and that created not just great statistics, but wins.
            * - Senior Sara Arellano finished her career in style, averaging 11.7 ppg and she led the team in rebounding.
            * - Senior Jade Gorrell averaged 7.9 ppg and was second to McHone in assists.
            Ellee Bryant, Deeona Bauman, Paola Rodriguez, Cassi Garza and others also shined at important times. There were several memorable events, like McHone’s fourth-quarter shooting at Nampa Christian, an amazing rally to beat Gooding, and the 50-33 win over nemesis Raft River at the district tournament.
            The Raft River win was part of a five-game win streak the Pilots had late in the season. It ended with a 51-50 loss to Grace and an overtime defeat to Hagerman. However, they made up for it with a win over Cascade in a play-in game that resulted in the team’s biggest celebration of the year.
            “It was a big help for our league to get that extra playoff spot this year. It was great win and it got us into state,” said coach McHone. “It was fun to see the kids realize a dream like that, even though I knew we would play (top-ranked) Prairie at state. I would have loved to have Hagerman’s spot. We would have played Notus and I would have loved to have a shot at them.”
            The Pilots gave Prairie a good game, but they didn’t get down after dropping the 42-27 decision. Coach McHone said the team was probably playing its best at the time, and were a formidable foe, despite receiving a low seed.
            Arellano, for example, really came on late in the year. In Glenns Ferry’s final five games – the district and state tournaments – she scored in double figures each time. Her 19-point effort at state against Hagerman was one of her best memories of the season.
            “I was ‘on’ in that game,” she said. “Sometimes, teams would focus on Karli and we would have to use our other threats. That game helped make it a great year.”
            With two straight good seasons, and the state tournament drought over, the Pilots will look to accomplish something else in McHone’s senior season.
            “She’ll probably do all right, but it won’t be about her,” coach McHone said. “It’s a team game and we’ll try to use this season to give us more momentum next year. It should be fun.”

Skyline basketball: Scott Anderson profile

In early July, I interviewed Skyline (Utah) basketball player Scott Anderson and we talked about the Eagles' great season. Here is the article that will appear in the team's 2011-12 basketball yearbook.

Scott Anderson: 

His ability to develop as a role player

helped Skyline to a memorable season

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

             Scott Anderson felt early on that the 2011-12 Skyline boys basketball season could be something special.

            He had a decent game in the opener, a 46-44 victory at Syracuse. But the locker room afterward felt like nothing he had experienced at Skyline.
            “It was buzzing,” he said. “We hadn’t had our offense going very long. We weren’t expecting a victory and we pulled out a tough win.”
            The Eagles had a senior-dominated lineup, but it was junior Garrett England’s three-pointer at the buzzer that won it. Smiles were on every player’s faces as they raced off the court. Not only was it a victory, but Skyline’s first chance to see the roles each player would eventually inherit.
           “That shot was one of my favorite moments,” Anderson said. “I loved all (three) of Garrett’s buzzer-beaters. The kid never missed. Garrett was our man to hit big shots and the Syracuse game actually put him into that position.
            “We didn’t run a specific play,” he added. “Coach (Derek  Bunting) just let us go and it got into Garrett’s hands and he hit it.”
            Skyline’s dramatic resurgence actually started the previous May when Skyline announced that Bunting would replace Bernie Graziano. Shortly afterward, leading scorer Jaden Jackson revealed his family was moving to West Jordan. So, not only did the team have to learn Bunting’s “Princeton” offense and defense system, but the Eagles would have to do it without their most influential player.
            “We started practices in June,” Anderson recalled. “We didn’t do too many tournaments. June was mostly practices every day. There was a lot to learn.
            “We only got the basics with our group. The first few tournaments were tough and hard. We were all messing up.”
            The Syracuse victory showed the team how much progress it had made. The Eagles relied on England’s heroics several times. They won their first four and ended up 16-7. They also came within one win of the Region 7 championship.
                “I don’t think Bunting thought we were going to win as many as games as we did,” Anderson said. “We knew we would be good. We knew we had great potential. We just had to work hard, and the way Bunting coaches, with the defensive aspect of it, we managed to win a lot of close games.”
            Anderson was one of five Skyline seniors that Bunting depended on to carry the load. He averaged 4.9 points per game and was second to England in three-pointers. He had a high game of 13 points against Canyon View in the Steve Hodson Cancer Classic in Cedar City.
            Anderson figured he would play a big role after being one of the top scorers on Skyline’s junior varsity team the year before. He had a 30-point effort against Granger and 28 vs. West. As a senior, however, points were more at a premium.
            Anderson was an early season starter, but sprained his ankle against Cedar and missed the next couple of games. When he returned two weeks later, he mostly came off the bench but his minutes stayed about the same in Bunting’s seven-player rotation.
            “My role was to be a shooter,” he said.
            Skyline’s first-round state tournament game felt a lot like the opener. After the Eagles lost their last two games of the regular season to drop from first place to a No. 3 seed at state, they were considered underdogs against Sky View and Anderson was one of several players who came through.
            “My best game was the Sky View game,” he said. “I played solid all-around.”
            Anderson made 2-3 three-pointers and had an important fast break layup in the fourth quarter. Finally, in the final minute, he made two free throws that essentially clinched the win.
            “The Sky View game was something I’ll always remember. I didn’t feel any pressure when I made the free throws,” he said. “I had practiced that so much; I felt comfortable. I knew I was going to make them. I know it’s tough shooting in the Maverik Center. That’s one reason why I felt so good about how I played there. Most people struggle.”
            Playing basketball, and how the season finished, was the highlight of Anderson’s sports career. However, he was also one of the top players on the Eagles’ golf team. At state, he had the team’s second-best score – 80-80-160 – at the Hobble Creek Golf Course that helped the team to a fifth-place finish.
            After graduation, Anderson planned to attend the University of Utah and major in Exercise and Sports Science. An LDS Church mission is also in his plans.