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November 4, 2010 I The Lovell Chronicle I 11
Sweeping the championship
Lady Grizz defeat Lady Panthers in three games for State Title
and the teams went back
and forth until there was
no time left to score for
Wright and RM secured
the 25-17 W.
Game three was a
nail-biter and it wasn't an
easy victory for the Grizz.
The game was tied several
times until the Grizz left
Wright in the dust at the
15-point mark, outscoring
them for the final moments
and forcing errors for the
25-21 win.
McMillin has said
throughout the season that
the team's success has been
a team effort.
"Everyone on the team
is a star. They all did their
jobs," she said.
The team was confident
and relaxed in the high-
profile match. "They moti-
vated each other," McMillin
said. "Any time someone
messed up, the rest of the
team was there to lift them
up. Anytime they missed
a point, they would pick
themselves up and focus on
the next one."
Eliza Higgins had 18
kills against Wright, Black-
burn 11, Wilson 10, Hocker
4, Rachael Allred 3. Black-
burn, Peterson and Hig-
BY BRAD DEVEREAUX
The Rocky Mountain
Lady Grizzlies have had a
tremendous 2010 volley-
ball season, going unde-
feated in the 2A Northwest
and dominating at Region-
als last weekend to earn a
first-place trophy. The com-
petition was even tough-
er at State in Casper this
weekend, but the cool play
of the Lady G rizz almost
made winning their first-
ever state title look easy.
The Lady Grizz were
awarded the state champi-
onship Saturday after de-
feating Wright, 25-20, 25-
17, 25-21.
"We couldn't have
asked for a better game,"
said coach Carol McMillin.
"Everyone was where they
needed to be. Lauren [Pe-
terson] had three options
to set to and we were send-
ing all kinds of hits."
The match was under
way about a half hour be-
hind schedule and was over
within two hours. McMillin
noted the high performance
of hitters Leslie Blackburn,
Eliza Higgins and Kallee
Jo Wilson, but noted that
Brianna Hocker and Ra-
chel Allred also added a lot
to the offense.
"We were mixing it up
and making their defense
work a lot," she said.
Grizz hitters were hit-
ting over, around or hard
at the block, McMillin said.
Hitting into the block often
resulted in a point for the
Grizz when the Lady Pan-
thers couldn't get to the
dropping ball, or it would
come over to the Grizz side
of the net and they would
control the ball and set up
another attack.
"They were pretty fo-
cused on every play," Mc-
Millin said. "I don't think
Big Horn or Wright expect-
ed us to play the way we
did."
The Grizz led early in
game one, staying a cou-
ple points ahead of Wright
and claiming the 25-20 vic-
tory. The Grizz were loud
while celebrating every
point, and went crazy on
the court after making the
series 1-0.
In game two, Rocky
started hot and brought
the score to 12-5, until
Wright took over to near-
ly catch the Grizz at 14-10.
The Grizz answered with
5 points to make it 19-11,
Bv~v Ds-cs~ux PHOTOS
Above, Grizzly starting sophomore Kallee Jo Wilson gives the ball a boost toward
the Lady Panthers in Saturday's championship match. Below, brother Jessee
Wilson (center) cheers the team on along with classmates (l-r) Luke Leonhardt,
Brady Winland, Brandon Foster and others.
gins served 100 percent in
the match. Wilson stopped
five kills with solo blocks,
Higgins 2 and Allred and
Blackburn 1 each.
Digging was solid all-
around. Higgins lead the
team with 29, followed by
Blackburn, Peterson, Wil-
son and Rowland, McMillin
said. Allred, Blackburn,
Peterson and Wilson lead
the team in solo blocks.
The team celebrated
on the court after the final
point of the game, raising
their arms for a final ~We
are the Grizz" cheer before
running over to their slew
of fans waiting at the edge
of the grandstands to hug
and congratulate members
of the team.
"There was such a great
crowd. The football team
and all the parents and oth-
er fans really motivated us
and kept the team going,"
she said, adding some fans
from surrounding schools
stayed to watch. "It helped
to hear them cheering on
every play."
Full of excitement, the
team got on the bus and
ate dinner in Casper before
heading home. McMillin
said the team was loud
for the first leg of the trip,
then they calmed down for
a while, before getting a
second wind of excitement
on the trip near Thermopo-
lis.
Several Big Horn Coun-
ty Sheriffs Department ve-
hicles met the team in the
south end of the county
and, with lights blazing,
escorted the bus north to
Rocky Mountain Middle/
High School in Cowley. The
caravan was joined by sev-
eral vehicles along the way,
with a large group jumping
on at the Oasis Junction.
The noisy parade
snaked through the streets
of Cowley near midnight,
and McMillin said lights
were turning on inside of
hous#s as people woke up
to see what the racket was
about. They ended at the
school and the team was
greeted by a large crowd of
supporters.
"I don't think any of
the girls slept much that
night," the coach said. "It
was awesome to see so
many people from the com-
munity show up to congrat-
ulate the team."
This was the first-ever
Rocky Mountain volleyball
state championship, Mc-
Millin said, and it couldn't
have come at a better time.
"This year has had a
new school spirit and a
new start for the district,"
McMillin said. "Our state
championship will be the
first banner hanging in the
new gym. It was a perfect
time for the girls to win the
title and as a coaching staff
we couldn't ask for more."
The team also held a
pep rally Monday at school
to celebrate the victory with
their classmates. The Lady
Grizzlies are now working
to raise funds to purchase
State Champion jackets,
McMillin said.
"It's cool to know you're
the top team in the state,"
she said, adding that the
girls are very excited, yet
humble and not cocky.
"They're very gracious
about it."
Kallee Wilson
Brianna Hocker
2010 State Toumament Statistics
Opponent IQ,,$ Dlgs Block
Pine Bluffs :3 55 S t---~132
Big Horn 4 4
Wdght
Rocky Mountain Grizzly sponsors:
Cowtown Cafe
Bank of Lovell .............
Rachael AIIred
5'-5" Sophomore
"1 thi~k the whole team had
Lot of heart. It's not all a~out
skills, but it's about workinq
hard, too. LDe went in wit~
the .qoa[ to win. I appreciate
ever~ qir[ On the te'a'm, lhet~
att #~in a tot of effort. "~
I 2010 State Tournament StatisUcs ~
+ t Solo i Service j -
Rocky Mountain Grizzly sponsors: ~~1~1~ :~~. ~I.~
Red Apple Supermarket r~-N~ -~i-,~"~m
Miller's Fabrication ~I_-: " --"-"
Ashlee Bridges
Manager
"It was awesome to [~e with
the ~ir[s and watchinc~ them
win ~tate. "]'-~e win paved the
wat~ for ~uture te'ams and
set'up h~h e~pectations."
Hannah Winland
Manager
"As a manao~er and bein~
a freshman, He was real~
awe'some to see the team
win at State. I wilt be sad to
see the seniors ~o.
Rocky Mountain Grizzly sponsors:
Pryor Mt. Engineering
S&L Industrial
Rocky Mountain Grizzly sponsors:
Miller's Fabrication
North Big Horn
Hospital Dist.
