By Joanna Chadwick
Now in his second season as the Derby girls basketball coach, Bryan Chadwick led the Panthers to a second place finish in Class 6A and another AVCTL I league championship.
Despite the Panthers’ dominance over the past decade, there was some concern from outside observers due to significant roster turnover following the departure of seven seniors last season. However, the team still boasts one of the best players in the state in junior Macayla Askew.
“This is a young team, and our seniors, Kallie Rickords and Maliyah Lansang, have been the backbone, helping our young players understand our standards,” Chadwick said. “They see those two work hard in practice, take no days off, make no excuses and do great in the classroom. We are blessed to have you two.”
The Panthers have been ranked as the top team in Class 6A for much of the season. The Panthers were riding a four-game win streak but lost their only league game to the Hutchinson Salthawks 58-54. It was a “humbling” experience, according to Chadwick.
“We needed a wake-up call,” Chadwick said. “I think we all got humbled, including me, and it made us all work just a little bit harder.”
From there, the Panthers were able to bounce back and win in a “game-of-the-year” type of environment against the Maize South Mavericks. Derby found themselves down at halftime 16-9 and from there battled tooth and nail to come back and ultimately knock off the Mavericks 49-45.
“That night at Maize South was special,” Chadwick said. “Two great teams, a packed house, and a crowd that was into it. You can’t ask for much more.”
