Lady Bulldogs recap season at basketball banquet

The Lovell Lady Bulldogs basketball program held their end-of-season banquet on Tuesday night in the LHS multi-purpose room.

Head coach Chris Edwards welcomed everyone and began by recognizing and thanking his assistant coaches, Dan Wolvington and Dane Robertson, for their dedication and commitment to the program.

He then announced the following letter winners by grade level: Celeste Lindsay, Becca Nichols, Lauryn Marchant, Breeah Jones, Kennadee Owens, Libby Mickelson, Raegan May, Kenadee Rael, Madison Wolvington, Krysta McIntosh, Keyanna Walker, Summer Teter and manager Paige Thomas.

“To kind of highlight the 2023-24 season, we definitely had a lot of bright spots and success at all divisions,” Edwards said, noting the winning seasons of the freshman and junior varsity squads.

The varsity team ended the season with a 13-13 record.

Edwards mentioned the one-point loss to Lyman at the regional tournament and the tough position it put the team in to have to face Powell to clinch a spot at State.

“But when I look back on this season, I can’t help but think of all the experiences they gave
me and the positive moments on and off the court,” he said.

Although the basketball season is officially from November to March,
the players participate year around in activities
and training.

The girls had the opportunity to attend the Utah State team camp over the summer and capped off the trip with a fun day at Lagoon Amusement Park.

The team shared in lots of laughter and games on the bus trips and enjoyed interacting with one another off the court, as well.

Coach Edwards thanked the senior girls for what they’ve brought to the program and the energy and passion they gave over their four years.

“They came in as a group of four and left as a group of four, and that’s a pretty strong testament to them,” he stated.

“Each one of them is going to leave a positive impact on the program, and the legacy they leave behind is going to be a great one for the underclassmen to follow,” Edwards continued.

“As a coach, I’m a better person for having had the opportunity to be around those four girls.”

In regard to the underclassmen, he said the sky is the limit for what they could accomplish in  the basketball world.

Team awards

The three team awards were voted on by the players and had multiple girls deserving for each title, Edwards said.

The Defensive Player of the Year award was presented to Kenadee Rael for her efforts on the court.

Rael led the team in steals, deflections and charges taken, and she tallied an impressive 12 steals in a single game during the Big Horn Basin Tournament.

Libby Mickelson was announced as the team’s Offensive Player of the Year.

Mickelson was the team leader in scoring, free throw attempts and offensive rebounds on the year.

“We appreciated Libby’s desire to expand her game and stretch out her range,” Edwards said. “She scored a lot of points in transition and showed her versatility as she was a post player that could knock down three-pointers.”

The Bleed Blue Award went to Keyanna Walker.

“This award goes to the girl who wants the program to be as successful as possible, and I don’t think you’d find a better teammate or individual who always gave her best effort,” Edwards said of Walker.

Lastly, a special award was given to team manager Paige Thomas as this year’s MVP.

“We’ve never had an individual of this caliber in our program, and Paige never failed us,” Edwards said.

Thomas always made sure the team never left without the ball bag, uniforms, equipment or scorebook, and she took pride in her role in the program, Edwards noted.

All-conference

Edwards acknowledged how tough and competitive the all-conference meetings can be as coaches from every team are pushing for their players to be selected.

“But honestly, it was a pleasure sitting in this year’s meeting as other coaches praised our players for their performances,” he said.

“This year, we were fortunate enough to get two players selected with Libby Mickelson and Kenadee Rael.”

To close the banquet, the seniors had prepared a slideshow of photos taken throughout the season, and Edwards hoped that, when the girls look back on this season, they will remember those fond moments the most.

He also thanked the parents for their support and expressed appreciation for all they’ve done to provide opportunities
for their daughters over the years.