Champions: In their own words

In the wake of Lovell’s 10^th boys basketball state championship, we asked players and coaches two questions: 1) In your own words, what does this state championship mean to you and your school? 2) What made it happen this year? What propelled the Bulldogs to the top of 3A?

Here are their answers.

PLAYERS

Kaeson Anderson

This championship means a ton to me and the school. Lately, we’ve been pretty good in football, and last year we were a solid basketball team. A lot of the kids in the school have watched both teams fall just short of a championship, so this one is huge.

I think the main thing that propelled us to a state championship is the chemistry and the brotherhood we had. Even when things weren’t going our way nobody pointed fingers and everyone just trusted each other. 

Sam Mayes 

This championship meant a lot to our team and especially our school. No matter if it was a home or away game there was always a large crowd of fans supporting us. The energy that the fans brought really made a difference in the atmosphere and the way the team played. The title just shows how all the hard work paid off.

The key thing this year was our coaches. Coach always pushes us and wants us to be the best. Our team captains were also crucial, always working hard and lifting up others on the team.

Robert Romero

Winning the state championship meant so much to me because it was something I had always wanted. When I first played with the full squad, I knew we’d be contenders. I believed in my team all year, and we had an amazing season that ended with the state title. I loved being part of this team, practicing with them every day and watching all our hard work pay off. The title shows that our school has a lot of talent, and we can compete with bigger 3A schools both athletically and academically.

Our team worked hard all season, with intense practices that pushed us to compete every day. We had great depth and size, and our defense was key to our success. Good defense led to fast-paced offense, and we had strong rebounders. Our coaching also played a big role in our success. All of this helped us reach the top of 3A basketball this year.

Kyle Wilson 

It felt amazing to see all of the hard work that we had put into the season pay off. It is awesome to see the support from our community and how much they celebrate us. We had great crowds wherever we went. This state championship is for them, too. It showed me how great the community support is in our area. I feel blessed to live in a small town with so much support.

Great leadership and defense won us this title. Coach has told us all year that we need to pride ourselves on our defense, and it showed. There were games we didn’t shoot well, but we applied pressure on the defensive end and got it done. Our defense allowed us to get the ball up the floor in transition and get easy shots. The support again was a major factor. Everywhere we went I felt that we had more fans in blue than the home team had.

Davin Crosby

The state championship means everything to me. It was an incredible encapsulation of an incredible season. Knowing that you’re the best in the state is such a great feeling, but what’s even better is the support of the community that came with our success this season. It truly has been an amazing experience.

Our hard-nosed defense and selfless attitudes really helped us get to where we were this year. Everyone was able to do the little things that helped the team be its best. Whether it was sucking it up and playing hard defense for a few more seconds or passing up a good shot for a great shot, we did all that we could to win basketball games, and it paid off.

Cash Wassmer 

It was a great feeling, and it was a special moment. We’ve played with each other for a long time, and it was nice to get a championship under our belt. I think it means a lot to our school and community because they always show out to the games, and for us to win was a good feeling for not only us but to everybody involved.

What made it happen this year was we just had a group of guys that want to win more than anything, and we were gonna do anything in order to achieve that goal. We knew the things we had to do in order to win and worked hard in practice to make sure those things translated to the court which they did, which eventually ended up in the title.

James Blau 

This championship is just the result of a ton of hard work with plenty of early mornings and late nights. It’s crazy that one of the smallest schools in 3A can dominate the division, showing that our tiny, little town can do a lot more than some people might think.

The coaching from Shane Durtsche and him meshing our team together is what made this happen. We were also lucky enough to have loads and loads of talent on one team, making it a once in a lifetime opportunity for everyone on this team. It definitely wasn’t always fun with hell week and others, but a state championship is worth every bit of blood, sweat, tears and more.

Owen Walker 

The state championship means a lot to me because it reflects how hard our team has worked over the past few years to get to this point. Winning basketball state championships runs in my family, so I am glad I could carry on the tradition.

I think our scrappy defense is what propelled us to the top of 3A. Also, our team chemistry. As a team, our chemistry and defense was clearly unmatched.

Matthew Newman 

This state championship definitely meant a lot to not only us  but to the community. It just showed how hard the program has worked over the last couple of years. For me personally, it meant a lot because none of my siblings were ever given this opportunity, so the win felt like a win for all of us.

I believe that it was both the chemistry that we had between all of us and our ability to play aggressive, hard defense that led us to this championship.

Jace Nicholls 

Winning a state championship means everything because all our hard work and dedication paid off. It has brought our school and community together because we have the best fans in the state. It showed we can achieve great things through a common goal.

We all bought into the culture of accountability that Coach Durtsche pushed and understood we all had roles on this team. We had great chemistry on and off the court, and all of us loved to compete.

Brody Muller 

This state title means everything to me. As a football player who has fallen short in recent years in the championship game, it means everything to me to finally get one done in basketball.

I think defense is what made it happen. Our defensive effort was something I’ve never seen before, and our love for each other made it easy to give it everything we had for the team.

Owen Edwards

This state championship means a lot to me as a player. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of ever since playing basketball on a plastic mini hoop in the garage. I knew ever since we were young playing on travel basketball teams that we were going to be very good. And as we grew up, played more and grew together as brothers I knew we were going to be something. Winning this championship shows that we put in the work for years, and we finally get to be recognized with it, and we proved that we deserved it. Winning the championship also means a lot to the school and community, it gives them pride for being a Bulldog. Even if they aren’t playing they are still contributing. We would not have been able to do it all without the fans and the support from our community.

What really made it happen this year was the work we put in together over the summer, and when Jace Nicholls moved from Kelly Walsh he fit in perfectly with us and he helped our offense flow much smoother. Not only that but he was a threat on defense, bringing energy whenever he was on the court. Our defense the whole season propelled us to be the basketball team we are. Ever since eighth grade Coach Durtsche has stressed that defense wins championships and he was 100% right.

COACHES

Shane Durtsche — It means so much to me personally. To be able to watch the boys work so hard and put so much into this journey; to be able to watch it play out and end with a state championship is truly special. I’m just so happy for the kids. Everything we preached as a coaching staff and having the kids believe and put all the work in, to have it end in a championship is truly amazing. It’s bringing a state championship back to LHS. Sports are magical. The school and community came together and provided support all year, and this championship is to be shared by all.

The kids believed in their abilities. They worked hard and did what we asked as coaches. They have been working toward this for three years now. The support we as a team get from parents, friends, family and the community helped to make it happen. It truly takes a village, and Lovell showed up and showed out all year.

Nicc Crosby — It’s next to impossible to describe what this title means to me. As someone born and raised in Lovell, winning this for our amazing community is something I’ll always cherish. I’ve won a lot of games as an LHS athlete and coach, but I’ve never been part of a state championship team in Lovell. I have lost three championship games (one as a player and two as a coach). This was a heck of a lot more fun and has gone a long way to erase the sting of those losses. Seeing the number of Bulldog fans in attendance and celebrating with family and friends meant the world to me. Finally, seeing Davin and his teammates finally be able to achieve the ultimate goal they worked so hard to achieve brought me more joy than I can express.

I honestly don’t think this title run happens without efforts of our previous teams. A lot of credit goes to our former players who bought in and helped turn things around. We had a great group of young men this year who were committed to all the right things — improving in the off-season, playing good defense and rebounding. They practiced hard and played hard. They didn’t point fingers, and they didn’t care who got the credit. At the state tournament, they showed they wanted it more and were mentally tougher than their opponents. I suppose when you consistently do what champions do, you eventually become one.

Steven Durtsche — This state championship means a lot to not only me and the school, but to the entire community. I think it proved to everyone that we can compete in 3A. Growing up in Lovell, I always loved going to the games, and we were always competitive. It was great to see the gym packed again this year for home games and watch how our fans traveled to away games to cheer on their Bulldogs. There is a certain sense of pride in being a Lovell Bulldog, and it was awesome to see the community come out in full support this year as we took home the first state 3A boys basketball championship in LHS history. Moving back to my hometown and being able to coach under my brother is something extremely special to me personally. Thanks for creating such a great environment for these boys to play in. It was a season none of us will ever forget!

It’s simple — our boys. We had an exceptional group of young men that have the character and values needed on a championship team. Their work ethic and discipline were unmatched. They give it their all in everything they do. The defensive effort and relentless drive to do the little things made us tough. They were committed. We knew we never had to worry about the failing list or what was going on outside of school. They were hungry. We knew they were going to bring energy to practice every day, and that they were never going to go down without a fight. They compete in everything they do. They are outstanding teammates and lifted each other up and always trusted one another. They were selfless and always made the extra pass. As a small school competing in a larger classification, these are the kind of dudes you need to build a winning culture. The boys themselves are great leaders, and the coaches held them to high expectations. Relentless effort, trust and teamwork and commitment gave us the recipe for success this year.

Jared Nicholls — This state championship highlights the hard work and dedication the players, coaches and managers have put in for this season. It highlights the support from parents, LHS students and community (which has been incredible) cheering the team on, which made each moment of this basketball season so special. It emphasizes the team’s pride in the community, which served as a motivator for the Bulldogs all season.

Under Coach Durtsche’s leadership, the team established a strong culture of accountability. Players learned to trust one another and to understand the importance of individual roles. Chemistry was formed on and off the court where players supported and encouraged one another. This group of young men was special, all representing resilience and a willingness to compete when challenged.