Local coaches voted 14-C’s basketball Coaches of the Year
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MISSION VALLEY – After a great season of court action, two Mission Valley coaches were named 14-C’s Coach of the Year. Arlee’s Zanen Pitts and Charlo’s Bret Thompson are to be honored with that title.
While chosen in the same fashion as All-State Conference, the Coach of the Year awards are nominated and voted on by other coaches in the district.
In his second year as head coach of the Arlee Warriors, Pitts led his team to a State showing after an undefeated regular season. The team ended with a 23-3 overall record.
The Warriors, being a fairly young team, surprised everyone in their Cinderella year with multiple opponents blindsided by the organization with smart playing power. Fans and opponents watched play after play unfold in front of them with Arlee nailing points to the scoreboard — all of this carefully planned and executed from the mind of Pitts.
“I told the boys all season long, you know I can’t do this without you and you can’t do this without me,” Pitts said. “I couldn’t of done it if the kids wouldn’t of bought into the program that my coaching staff and I put out there.”
Veteran Coach Bret Thompson has been doing this a long time — 29 years to be exact — and in those years Charlo’s Lady Vikings have enjoyed a well decorated history; this season was no exception.
With a second place in conference and in Districts, and with an 18-5 overall record, the Lady Vikings showed poise and confidence on the court. That allowed them to steamroll over just about every opponent they faced, including rival and the first-placed Scarlets, who Charlo beat in front of a very loud hometown crowd.
A very humble Thompson gives his appreciation to his team and thanks the other coaches for honoring a fantastic season.
“I think we had a really good year,” Thompson said. “The girls had a good season and played well, we definitely made some improvements from the year before.”
From District titles filled with adrenaline racing final plays to nurturing a heartbreaking loss, it’s those kind of moments that remind us what great coaching does for a team – great coaching brings victory. Both Pitts and Thompson certainly fit that mold.
“It’s so cool the things that have been accomplished,” Pitts said. “It’s rewarding and it’s an honor.”
