Following a year when the Powell Middle School eighth grade girls’ basketball team came close to a conference title, the Cubs finished at the top this season with a 13-3 record.

The Cubs started the year 5-0, with all five wins coming by double digits.

Powell lost its first game on the road to Cody, and lost a second in a row to Sheridan to move to 5-2.

The Cubs then defeated Buffalo and Worland before suffering their third and final defeat of the season to Lovell.

Powell then reeled off six straight wins to end the year. Two of the three wins came over Cody, including a 46-31 win at home and a 37-33 win in the championship game.

“It was more of a dogfight the third time,” coach Dale Estes said. “About midway through the fourth quarter we were down three, and Jersee [Erickson] hit a three and tied it up 33-33. Then we were able to get a couple of quick baskets and then stall it out as best we could to the end … I was just happy it all came through. That was probably my last hurrah. It was nice to go out with a win like that.”

Throughout the season the Cubs were faced with injuries as well as foul trouble at times, which played factors in their loss on the road in Lovell.

In the tournament, the Cubs got revenge on Lovell as well, as Blayke Tharp scored 30 points to help earn a 49-35 win in the semifinal.

Along with the eighth graders, the seventh grade Cubs took the conference crown in a rare achievement.

“That doesn’t happen very often … That was really neat for that to happen this year,” Estes said.

The Cubs had a number of talented players on the team, including the speedy Finley Franklin and Maci MaGill while Kaysen Park took on a bigger role inside when Tharp went down with an ankle injury against Lovell.

“She (Park) grew a lot in that time that Blayke was out, and it just made us stronger as a team, knowing that she could get the job done as well,” Estes said.

The Cubs also got plenty of contributions throughout the season from Erickson as well as Iyla Whitlock in a strong guard rotation for the team.

“She’s (Erickson) a baller for sure,” Estes said. “One of the nice things about our team is that we didn’t have to depend upon one girl, we could take girls out and still not be completely lost. We were still able to carry on and score points and get the job done.”

The team used a strong work ethic as well as hustle to continually find ways to win, working hard until the end regardless of the scoreline.

“In all the games that we won and lost, they never quit the whole time right to the end no matter how bleak it looked,” Estes said. “They were just out there working hard, always scrapping for the ball … They just would not give up … Then they worked as a team and helped each other out on defense.”

Estes feels this group has a lot of potential moving forward, and will continue to get better as some of it comes from simply playing more, while also getting in individual work to become better shooters.

“We could be better shooters. Just basketball IQ, playing more and just reading the defense better. We’ve come a long way,” Estes said. “Just working more on shooting, ball handling and court experience.”

He said the ‘B’ team led by Tracy McArthur ended the year with a 9-4 record, and showed great improvement throughout the season.

This was the final hurrah for Estes, as this was his final season coaching the Cubs after announcing his retirement this month at the end of the school year after 42 years.

“It’s a good place to end on a good note like that. It was a lot of fun and a good group to work with,” Estes said. “It’d be nice to stick around for another year with the group behind, but you’ve gotta say goodbye sometime and this is going to be the year.”