Bravettes go full-court under new coach
One year removed from an amazing run with the Bigfork boys, Sam Tudor takes over a Flathead girls’ basketball program that hasn’t been to state since 2013.
He has some background with girls’ hoops, having helped out Shawn Holmes with Seeley-Swan’s program; he has the winning pedigree in that his Bigfork teams went 111-14 with back-to-back State B titles.
And he might have the players at Flathead -- much of the varsity minutes returns from last year’s young, 4-16 team.
“There’s definitely excitement, for sure,” Tudor said. “I couldn’t single one girl out right now, they’ve all been working hard the last couple weeks. There's been nothing but hard work and smiling faces. Can’t ask for much more than that.”
Jenna Johnson was the leading scorer last season at 11.2 points a game, and she and Kennedy Kanter were the senior mainstays. Three starters return in Maddy Moy, Clare Converse and Akilah Kubi. Kubi and Moy were freshmen and Converse was a sophomore.
That group, plus players like senior Bridget Crowley, are adjusting to Tudor’s pressing, fast-breaking style.
“We have a whole transition set,” said Crowley. “There are a lot of cuts and so many ways to get a good shot up. We’ll start pressing more and have more press-breaker options so we can just get up the floor and get going.”
Crowley is a solid rebounder who fought injuries last season; Tudor hopes to keep her arch/ankle issues to a minimum. The team’s tallest player is 6-foot senior Rebecca Eacker, though the 5-10 Converse averaged 6.4 points and 4.7 boards a year ago (Kubi averaged 4.3 points and 4.5 rebounds; Moy averaged 4.8 points)..
Like Crowley, Converse likes the new approach.
“I feel like we’ll be able to get a lot out of it, once we get it down,” she said. “He’s pushing us a lot, but in a good way, to get better. He expects a lot from us and that’s going to bring out the best from us.”
Tudor retained assistants Hope Hedges and Chase Fairbank from former coach Tricia Dean’s staff, and made it through his first year of cuts at Flathead.
“We had a lot of interest in the program; that’s the hardest part of the job,” Tudor said. “But the program itself, when I look at freshmen through varsity, is solid. There’s a good foundation there.”
It’s something to build on, pandemic or no.
“Sometimes the universe has a way of landing you exactly where you want or where you need to be,” Tudor said. “And this is where I need to be. The girls are clicking and I’m clicking with them and it’s nothing but enjoyment.
“This is so fun, to be able to do something halfway normal in this climate. The girls have enjoyed it and I have, too.”