Years of sharing the court together from a young age brings about a special bond when athletes spend months together at practices, tournaments on the road and a lengthy regular season schedule.

The Douglas Bearcats split their first two games of quadrant play this past weekend.

The Douglas Lady Cats aren’t wasting any time showing folks around the state just how stacked with talent they are once again.

High expectations are the norm. When any time goes on a run as dominant as the Lady Cats, people take notice. With the team hitting the court for their first practice Nov. 25, everyone is back on the daily grind.

Haedyn Rhoades leaped into the arms of teammate Allyson Fertig, threw up the number one on her hand and let out an emphatic scream for everyone in the Casper Events Center to hear. Riley Seeds looked on from directly behind Fertig, a wide smile stretched across her face as she watched Rhoade…

For the second time in a week, the Douglas Bearcats came through in the clutch behind a boisterous home crowd.

Assistant coach Evan Helenbolt reminded the Douglas Bearcats at the end of Monday’s practice that they want to be peaking at the right time – the end of the season. There’s still 25 days and seven games separating the Cats (10-4,1-2) from the regional tournament and a possible trip back to Casper.

When the Douglas girls varsity basketball team knew they would be playing at the Energy Classic Invitational in Gillette Dec. 27-29, a tournament of national recognition, they wanted to push the junior varsity girls in practice.

After missing all of last season due to suspension, Tait Larson was elated to be back on the court with his teammates. His elation quickly turned to points as he helped lead the Bearcats to two wins this past weekend at the East/West Classic in Buffalo.

The main point of emphasis for first-year boys varsity basketball coach Chase Plumb is pretty simple: Construct a team that buys into the process and believes in what they’re trying to accomplish.

With 20 seconds left in the game, the starters came off the court. Tears of joy welled up in the eyes of athletes and coaching staff.

The anticipation of the crowd hung thick in the gym as the final seconds counted down, the Lady Cats behind Buffalo, 58-57.

Seniors and their family parade across the court to the cheers of friends, family and fans before their last home game. A game that would keep everyone on the edge of their seats, and the first step to earning second seed in the quadrant.

Most teams can’t wait for those cycles of senior heavy teams with lots of experience on the court. It’s often equated with a successful season. But the undefeated Lady Cats have only one senior this year, Madison Hoopman.

Despite a rough set of pre-season losses, the Bearcats are optimistic for a turnaround as they develop into a cohesive team and gain some experience on the varsity court.