by Scott Sacry
The Hamilton Lady Broncs are the #2 seed from the west and play Hardin, the #3 seed from the east, on Wednesday, March 9th at 6:30 pm in Missoula at the Adams Center. Hamilton Coach Richard Griffin said of Hardin, “They are a great team and Coach Farmer has a great program – they are playing really well right now.” Griffin continued, “They have excellent guards, and they are a very physical team. They like to trap, are hard charging, and play in your face. So it’s going to be a fun challenge for our girls.”
When asked about the keys to success at state, Coach Griffin said, “The biggest thing for us is to stay mentally focused. We know there will be challenges and things won’t always go our way, but we will have success if we stay focused and mentally sharp.”
The Lady Broncs are a young team. Rylee Brackmann is the only senior on the roster and was injured during soccer, so she couldn’t play. Coach Griffin singled her out as an inspiration for the team. “She shows up for every practice and has been a great leader.”
Griffin said the most rewarding part of the season has been “the girls figuring out how they fit together as a team. They are a new group, so I’ve loved seeing how they have molded together. Each girl contributes in her own way, even if it doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet.”
When asked about team leaders Layne Kearns and Taryn Searle, Griffin said, “Layne and Taryne are terrific leaders on and off the court and it has been great for the other girls to learn from them and compete against them in practice.”
Griffin is enthusiastic about the opportunity to play at state. “It’s going to be fun. Tournament play can be so unpredictable, which makes it exciting.” Griffin relishes the chance to compete.