The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Open season at home Tuesday, December 3 at 5:30 p.m.
By Than Acuff
Last season was baptism by fire for the Crested Butte Titans girls’ basketball coach Anna Bressnick. It was her first year as the head coach and she was relatively new to Crested Butte and took on a team of 14 players with just two seniors. While the cards were stacked against the Titans, Bressnick, assistant coach Ethan Bacani and the team worked hard through it all and finished the season 10-12 with several young players getting massive reps at the varsity level.
Bressnick admits she had a moment of panic over the summer that she wouldn’t even have enough players for her second season, so she called on a couple of her returning starters to start inviting other girls to play basketball and the result surprised Bressnick.
“All summer I was a little worried,” says Bressnick. “I asked them to find two or three more players and we got about 15. Basically, the entire soccer team showed up for basketball.”
Not only that but the commitment to basketball has increased exponentially as well. Now, with one year under her belt and numbers nearly doubled her second season at the helm, Bressnick looks forward to building on what she and her players started last year beginning with off season work.
“There’s a dramatic difference from last year,” says Bressnick. “I had two or three players at open gyms last year and this year we’ve had between 18 and 20 during two weeks of open gym workouts leading up to the season. It was good to get in there and work on fundamentals.”
The players took that momentum onto the court when they were able to “officially” start on Monday, November 18. And while Bacani moved over to help coach the boys’ team, Bressnick found Garrett Dimon to help her coach a team that is a mix of both experience and players new to basketball.
“I put out a Hail Mary and he answered the call,” says Bressnick. “He’s fantastic and I think he’s going to be a wonderful addition to the program. He’s all in.”
Bressnick will look to senior captain Grace Bogard, junior captain Molly Miller and returning point guard sophomore Calla Fenlon as the core for her to build around and has a host of other younger players who bounced between varsity and JV last year.
“We got three returning starters and a whole stable of competitive kids,” says Bressnick.
In addition, Bressnick herself is better prepared for the upcoming season with one already under her belt and going in knowing much more about the players and how they play.
“I had an entire off season to make a plan knowing what I’m working with,” says Bressnick. “I’m coming in with an overall plan to put us in a position to succeed so we can hit the ground running. Capitalize on our strengths and continue working on our weaknesses. We’re definitely further along at this point than last year.”
Aside from the X’s and O’s, Bressnick sees a team with one major identity that can’t be coached but is a solid foundation for progress.
“They have this competitive grit that we didn’t have last year,” says Bressnick. “They’re gritty, young and raw and they all want it really bad.”
The Titans will have their hands full with their opening game against the Salida Spartans on Tuesday, December 3 at 5:30 p.m. and then remain at home to face the Sanford Farmers on Friday, December 6 at 5:30 p.m.
“Those first two games are going to be very challenging,” says Bressnick. “We are jumping into the fire headfirst, but we’ll take these games and see what we can do.”
