Bradie Schlabs adapts to new style of play as senior leader for Cheyenne East

As a result, East spent last week’s practices focusing on the aforementioned areas, especially playing inside-out. Those areas contributed to double-digit victories at Campbell County and Thunder Basin in Gillette.

Senior guard Bradie Schlabs was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the offensive style.

She averaged 18.5 points, 3.5 steals and three assists to help the T-Birds win in hostile environments. Those efforts also earned Schlabs Prep Athlete of the Week honors from WyoSports’ Cheyenne staff.

“It wasn’t necessarily about how those teams were defending us as much as it was about what we were doing,” Schlabs said. “There were open looks because girls were crashing the boards and getting extra possessions. Especially against Thunder Basin, there were a lot of kickouts for wide-open (3-pointers).

“A lot of credit goes to the team for getting rebounds and moving the ball until we got open looks.”

Schlabs has put herself in line for the fourth first team all-state nod of her career. She currently ranks sixth in Class 4A in scoring (14 points per game), fourth in assists (3.7 apg) and is tied for third in steals (4.5 spg).

The Black Hills State University signee has done that while adapting to a different tempo offensively. East rode a run-and-gun style to state championships in 2021 and ’22 and a third-place finish last winter. The T-Birds either used full-court pressure to trigger turnovers leading to high-percentage chances, or they corralled rebounds and beat the opposition up the court.

They still employ both tactics, but do so less frequently due to the skillsets of the players on this year’s roster.

“(Schlabs) used to be able to get the ball to (Boden Liljedahl) or (Jordan Jones) or other kids who could really get out and go,” East coach Eric Westling said. “Now, we have to make a concerted effort to make sure we’re in control and getting the ball where it needs to be.

“I’m really happy with how she has adapted and taken this team where it needs to go. She could have drawn a line in the sand and said, ‘This is how I play.’ But she only cares about winning and understands what she needed to do for this team.”

Graduation caused quite a bit of turnover on East’s roster. A handful of players from the T-Birds’ sizable sophomore class gained considerable varsity experience as freshmen, but they’ve stepped into new roles this winter. As a result, building team chemistry was a must.

“Ary (Booth) and I are older than most of our teammates, so we had to find ways to get close to them,” Schlabs said. “That started off the court and has benefitted us on the court. We’re doing fun activities to build chemistry, playing competitive card games and things like that at team dinners, road trips and team hangouts.

“It’s helped us grow together. Our numbers are getting better, and you have to credit team chemistry for that.”

This is typically the point in the season when Westling and his assistants work to address deficiencies, and the struggles against Natrona accelerated that.

“It’s getting to crunch time, so we need to improve those little things that are really important,” Schlabs said. “We were locked in during practice and focusing on those small things we need to fix.”

Others recognized for their efforts:

n Jordynn Brennan, girls basketball, Cheyenne South: The senior forward averaged 15 points and nine rebounds across the Lady Bison’s losses at Sheridan and Natrona County.

n Cashlynn Haws, girls basketball, East: The sophomore forward averaged 12 rebounds and 11 points to help the top-ranked Lady Thunderbirds win at Campbell County and Thunder Basin.

n Carsten Freeburg, boys basketball, Pine Bluffs: The sophomore guard averaged 18.3 points to help the Hornets go 2-1 on the week.

n Jessica Hoffman, girls basketball, Pine Bluffs: The junior forward averaged 13.3 points to help the Lady Hornets to wins over Kimball, Nebraska, Southeast and Burns.

n Izzy Kelly, girls basketball, Cheyenne Central: The junior averaged 14 points and 7.5 rebounds during the Lady Indians’ losses to Campbell County and Gillette.

n Mason Medley, boys basketball, Burns: The junior averaged 18 points as the Broncs lost to Lusk and Pine Bluffs.

n Joe Sawyer, boys basketball, Central: The senior, averaged 21.5 points to help the Indians go 1-1 on the week.

n Layne Warburton, boys wrestling, South: The senior 157-pounder picked up two wins by major decision in duals with Cheyenne Central and Laramie.