Huskies ready for districts
This is time-honored tradition. Get interviewed, get grief from your teammates.
So, in Beckley’s defense, Feldman – just remember Beau and company were the only ones to blank you last fall on the soccer field.
The Huskies can laugh a bit about life after Tuesday’s big win at Delta in pig tails. Battle Mountain’s in districts and it’s a new season.
“It is the greatest feeling coming from where we came and how we had to fight to get into districts,” Beckley said. “So it’s that much better. We’re going to cherish it. We’re that much more excited.”
“We’re looking at it two ways,” Huskies coach Philip Tronsrue said. “No. 1, this is an opportunity for seniors who really didn’t get to be involved in the team when they went to districts last year. This is kind of their last hurrah. For the younger guys – Connor (Drumm) and Chris (Romero) and some other guys – this is going to give them some experience for next year. We’re looking at it both ways.”
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One person whom they’ll definitely be watching is Rifle’s Ryan Shideler, who’s done some damage each time he’s seen the Huskies.
“We’ve got to keep him off the foul line. They like to go to him a lot. So we’re going to have to control him,” Tronsrue said. “We put Blake (Gammon) on Delta’s big guy last night and Blake held his own. We’re probably going to switch him on and off a lot so we keep some fresh guys on him and keep as much pressure as we can.”
After Rifle, Battle Mountain faces the winner/loser of No. 4 Steamboat-No. 5 Montrose.
The Rifle game begins tonight at 8:15 at Mesa State College.
“We’re going in and we have nothing to lose,” Tronsrue said. “We’re the eighth-seed and everyone doesn’t think we’re going to do anything. But like we’ve talked about, we’re not the team that everyone’s seen. We have a chance to do some things and make a little noise.”
Girls confident
If a 3-16 basketball team can have a swagger, the Lady Huskies have found theirs.
And, why not? The Huskies are playing their best ball this season, going into their district game against top-seeded Moffat County today at 6: 30 p.m. at Mesa State.
“I keep telling the girls, top to bottom we’re talented,” coach David Hite said. “We don’t have any problems putting in any girls off the bench. It just took a couple of wins to get that confidence going.”
The Huskies will need to keep that confidence going against a talented Bulldogs team which beat Battle Mountain convincingly twice during the regular season.
“They have just outstanding talent top to bottom,” Hite said. “They’ve got a good point guard, big girls underneath. They’re well-disciplined, well-coached. It’s going to be a tough game. But I think the way our girls are playing right now, we have a very good shot.”
Battle Mountain plays the winner/loser of the Steamboat-Cortez game on Friday.
Chris Freud is the sports editor for the Vail Daily. Contact him at (970) 949-0555, ext. 614 or by e-mail at cfreud@vaildaily.com.