BY ROGER CLEAVELAND
WOODBURY – Traditionally when they reach the postseason, teams look for an added advantage that can raise the level of their game and give them an edge over their opponents. The Nonnewaug girls basketball team didn’t have to look far.
The Chiefs, 22-2 and seeded No. 2 in the Class MM state tournament, found the inspiration they needed from a tool they have used all season: The hustle board.
“My assistant coach, Toby Denman, and I were talking a couple years back about the things we really wanted to see our girls to concentrate on that would allow them to say after games, ‘These are the things that I contributed tonight,’” coach Adam Brutting said.
“You want girls thinking, ‘There’s a loose ball I can grab that will make a difference. Am I getting my hands up in the passing lane? Am I moving my feet to get into position to help on defense or close down dribble penetration?’ All those are things we can work on and be in control of.”
So, while other teams chart rebounds and assists during the game, the Chiefs wait to tally them up watching the game film afterward. During the game, Denman charts the number of times players dive on the floor for loose balls, tie up a ball, tip passes, move into position for help defense or communicate with a teammate.
“We talk about the categories pregame, and then we talk about them at halftime, because (Denman) also charts the opposing team’s hustle plays on the board so we can see where we stand competitively,” Brutting said. “Then we will also talk about it postgame, because it makes us understand what made us successful in the game and gives us a focus for the next couple days in practice.”
Each game there is an individual winner recognized on the board for total hustle, and the coaches also give out a game ball the call the “Chief Heart,” that is awarded to the player who makes one or more special plays. That could go to the hustle board winner or someone who does something beyond the norm.
Brutting singled out senior co-captain Maddie Woodward as someone who has consistently scored well on the hustle board throughout her career. He also praised senior Abby Scheurich for her intangibles. Woodward said she would throw Maddie Roden, Ashley Hennessey and Sam Conti into the mix as regular hustle board contenders.
“I would have to say that everyone on our team has a very high work ethic and is always after the ball,” Woodward said. “We work really great together. Everyone on the team has a ton of talent. And the combination of the talent and the hustle has really led us to great things.”
The Berkshire League regular season and tournament champions only scored 47 points in their first-round Class MM state tournament game Tuesday, but they held their opponent, Ledyard, to only 11 field goals and 33 points.
“Our hustle board definitely makes everyone feel like they have a chance to contribute something to the team because we emphasize more than just the points,” Woodward said. “It helps get everyone motivated and ready to work hard, because it acknowledges all the extra little things girls do on the court that might not be in the scorebook. Girls realize they are contributing and have value even if they aren’t scoring.”
Woodward averaged only 5.5 points per game during the regular season, yet Brutting said she played as big a role as Hennessey, the team’s leading scorer and fellow captain, because she anchors a lot of the really good things the Chiefs do as a team.
“I realized early that I didn’t have to be the leading scorer to impact games,” Woodward said. “Scoring obviously impacts the outcome, but the importance of working hard all the time, getting loose balls, tying up the ball when possible and hustling on defense, that really tilts the game in one direction or another.”