Jackson draws Cody to begin Regional play

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The Jackson girls and boys basketball teams both begin 4A Regional play today against their Cody counterparts and both lost those regular season contests, but that is where the similarities end.

For the Jackson Lady Broncs it means the impossible. The #1 seed Cody Fillies (19-0, 10-0) have been unbeatable this season. Literally. The Lady Broncs (2-16, 0-9), seeded 16, have not won a game since December 18.

The #5 seed Jackson boys (8-9, 4-6) face a #4 seed Cody team that is very similar in talent to Jackson. Cody is 6-13 overall, and also 4-6 in conference.

Best in the West

Remove the anomaly that is Cheyenne East and it’s Cody that leads in virtually every statistical category. No team scores more and gives up less than the Fillies. They’re deep, they’re young, and they are getting better as the season wears on.

The backcourt is the best in the 4A (although Green River might have a say in that). Led by sophomore shooting guard Molly Hays and junior point guard Kennedi Neimann, the Fillies handle the ball extremely well. Hays’ 15.4 points a night leads all lady basketballers in the 4A.

And then there’s the coaching. Watching the Fillies, it is immediately obvious these girls know what they are doing. They think several steps ahead. They switch up their complicated defensive sets often and without a hitch. Coach Chris Wagner deserves coach of the year, no question.

Chink in the armor? Cody lacks size inside. If Jackson gets a monster game out of Rachel Noyce (5’11”) and Anna Revill (6’1”) they could make life interesting. But coach Andrea Joyce will have to slow the game down to molasses pour. When Cody gets hot they can put up a 10-0 run in 90 seconds.

The first-round matchup is not a bad one, really, if you’re Jackson. If you want to be the best, you are going to have to beat the best. Why not start at the top? The other consolation is, a run through the loser’s bracket might not be a bad way to get to the end on Saturday. Likely matchup should the Lady Broncs lose to Cody would be Star Valley—a team Jackson can beat and certainly wants to beat after losing to them twice this regular season.

Who are you?

It’s time for the Jackson 5 to start singing and dancing like nobody’s watching. The boys have flirted with greatness, fell on their face, and struggled with putting a complete game together. Now’s the time, boys. Who are you?

Too many times this season, the Broncs have gone into a ‘winnable’ game only to find a way to lose. Cody is a perfect example. Nothing about the ‘other’ Broncs team is particularly scary. Cody record is similar, if not less impressive than Jackson’s. The Cody roster is chocked full of decent athletes but no real standouts.

Jackson shoots better, scores more, gives up less on defense than Cody by the stats. If only someone in Orange and Black believed that when they take the court at 5pm today.

Like most teams, Cody has no answer for Andrew Hanna’s 6’7” frame. Robby Porter (6’4”) will try, as will Wilkins Radokovich (6’4”), but Jackson’s MO going into the first round should be feed their big man in the low post.

Junior Luke Talich is the X factor. The standout quarterback for Cody can carry his Broncs when he finds his stroke from the arc. Coach Hayden Hatfield will likely get Gavin Keelin (6’5”) or someone with size to guard Talich closely and contest his 3-balls.

And Talich has a kryptonite. He doesn’t dribble particularly well, especially in traffic. If he puts the ball on the floor, Jackson has to be hunting takeaways.

If the Jackson boys need any additional motivation for Cody, how about this for the bulletin board. Noting their 52-44 win over Jackson on February 5, Talich told the Cody Enterprise, “I think we drew the right team with Jackson.”

Careful what you wish for.

Jackson Broncs vs. Cody Broncs at 5:00pm Thursday in Riverton.
Jackson Lady Broncs vs. Cody Fillies at 6:30pm Thursday in Riverton.
All the action on Jackson Hole Radio’s KZ95 and the SVI Sports Network.