Tigers on a roll with three-way Classic win

Encampment's varsity boys basketball team has already shown great promise this year, after winning all three of their games at last weekend's Carbon County Classic.

In those three games, the Tigers most impressively managed a 29-point winning lead over Hayden, Colo., in their third and final game. Coach Clint Bromley said he expected the Tigers' first game, in which they beat Dubois by an also impressive 61-41, to be quite physical as a season starter.

"It seems like they're feeling pretty tough and pushing things around," he said. "You never know what to expect in the first game, but I was pleased with the points we put on the board. I expect us to have bigger games than that throughout the season, but with the first game jitters and all that going on, I think our boys came out and performed pretty well. I think that foul trouble also caused (Dubois) a lot of problems."

Bromley, who has coached for 16 years, is returning as the Encampment boys basketball head coach this year after a four-year break, having previously coached the team from 2005-09. Returning starters this year include Harold Jackson and Matt Jarrett, whom Bromley said started part of the season last year.

Bromley said he expects the team to maintain a good season record and be competitive in the conference, and the seniors in particular to be leaders and role models.

"Last season we finished 15-7 and got beat out in the regional tournament," he said. "We have the same team as last year minus the seniors, so our team includes Harold Jackson, Matthew Jarrett, Brett Miller, David Flauding, Brett Ralston, Darion Vacher, Luke Pantle, Garrett Dale, Guy Erickson, Jared Stewart, Hunter Hammer and KeeGan Johnson."

Every team in 1A, accordingly to Bromley, will always be a challenge this year. He said the three-time state champion Little Snake River Rattlers would definitely make the top of his hard-to-beat team list for 2013-14. He also added Cokeville, among others, as a school that always fields good teams.

"No one in our conference is an easy play and it will be a dog fight every night to get a win," Bromley said. "Ten of the 12 players were on the team last year, but starting out with a new coaching staff and a new philosophy will make this a completely new team. I'm looking forward to getting to know the players, and trying to develop their skills in basketball to a level that will help them advance to the State Tournament for the first time since 2009."

Bromley said he doesn't coach to any standout players, and sees all of his players as of equal importance in the team concept. He said he hopes that each one can be a standout in a game during the season.

"As a coaching staff we are striving to get every player to improve throughout the season," Bromley said. "Hopefully we have a different star every night, and that is what makes you a team that can contend on the regional and state level. I would like to see the team make it to the state tournament and improve upon scoring, and I'm excited about trying to move the team in a positive direction."

The favorite part of coaching for Bromley is teaching players the fundamentals of basketball, and seeing them use those skills successfully in a game setting. He also enjoys the game-time excitement and not knowing what could happen next.

"I don't like to predict any outcome, but I would hope that we could improve on our showing from last year," Bromley said. "The Tigers were a mainstay at the state tournament from 2005 to 2009, during that time they placed third twice, fifth once and state champions in 2008. From 2010 to 2013 we have had a good team that was competitive and had one of the best defenses in the state, but because of some injuries late in the season, they didn't make it to Casper."

Bromley added that he hopes his boys learn the importance of good, full-potential practice in preparation for game time.

"What happens in the game is a direct reflection of what happens in practice," he said. "The team who works the hardest in practice gets rewarded on the court."

The Encampment Tigers' most recent game was Tuesday against Rock River, but scores were unavailable by press time. The next game is at 4 p.m. Friday at Saratoga Middle/High School, where the Tigers will take on the Panthers.

Carbon County

Classic results

Friday, Dec. 6

HEM High School

Encampment vs. Wright

56-48 (win)

Guy Erickson- 17 points

David Flauding- 2 points

Brett Miller- 5 points

Harold Jackson- 2 points

Luke Pantle- 22 points

Jared Stewart- 8 points

Saturday, Dec. 7

Encampment School

Encampment vs. Dubois

61-41 (win)

Guy Erickson- 20 points

David Flauding- 13 points

Brett Miller- 10 points

Harold Jackson- 5 points

Luke Pantle- 8 points

Jared Stewart- 5 points

Encampment vs. Hayden, Colo.

61-32 (win)

Guy Erickson- 19 points

David Flauding- 8 points

Brett Miller- 12 points

Brett Ralston- 1 point

Luke Pantle- 17 points

KeeGan Johnson- 2 points

Jared Stewart- 2 points