Getting to play in a state championship game is indescribable with all the emotions,”

Senior Brody Roberts

By Robert Galbreath

rgalbreath@torringtontelegram.com

LINGLE – Lingle-Fort Laramie (LFL) swept the basketball postseason accolades, culminating in three athletes garnering the all-conference player of the year awards.

Junior Skyla Wunder captured the 1A East girls’ basketball player of the year award.

“It’s a great honor,” Wunder said. “I could not have done it without my teammates, coaches and family by my side.”

Junior Brady Cook was named the 1A East boys’ basketball player of the year.

“It’s a pretty cool deal,” Cook said. “It’s definitely not just me, though. It’s the whole team, family members and coaches. It’s a blessing to play with these guys.”

LFL senior Brody Roberts snagged the SEWAC player of the year award.

“All glory to God,” Roberts said. “I’m super thankful for this award. It’s a relief to know all the hours we put into the gym finally paid off.”

Skyla Wunder

Wunder dates the beginning of her basketball career to elementary school.

“I would just practice in the driveway with my dad,” Wunder added. “He was a big motivation for me. At recess, I was always trying to get my hand on the ball. I kind of fell in love with the sport.”

Wunder joined a local traveling youth basketball league in elementary school and continued to play in middle school. As a freshman at LFL, Wunder first started for the Lady Doggers during a game at regionals.

“That was a really big confidence booster and I did really well in that game,” Wunder remarked.

The rest is history and Wunder is now a staple on the Lady Doggers varsity squad. The junior specializes in the shooting guard position for offense. Wunder shoots with dead-eye accuracy from both inside and outside the perimeter.

“My range is anywhere on the court, really,” Wunder noted.

Defensively, Wunder’s primary job is “pressuring the guards” and snapping up steals.

In addition to the hours spent each week at practice and games, Wunder can be found at open gym or in the weight room. During the offseason, Wunder participates in basketball camps and continues to practice her shooting in the gym “whenever it’s available.”

Wunder developed her strong work ethic from family and teammates.

“You’ve got to want it (in basketball),” Wunder said. “You need to have a strong mentality. If I set a goal, I’m going to achieve it.”

Wunder’s passion for basketball makes the weeks, months and years of blood, sweat and tears worth it.

“I love being with my friends and teammates – they’re my family, too,” Wunder added. “Celebrating every point, every play. Doing something great – it feels amazing. Seeing that hard work pays off sets you up for life.”

The Lady Doggers finished the season with an impressive 23-6 overall record and went undefeated in the 1A East with a 10-0 record. The turning point in the season, according to Wunder, was the January 28 game against Morrill when the team really started to gel.

“Avary (Rising) and Charlotte (Speckner) were working down low, getting the rebounds, making moves toward the basket,” Wunder recalled. “Brenly (Shipp) was doing well with her defense and making threes. Jordynn (Speckner) shined too, getting steals and going for layups.”

Wunder’s goal for next year is to make a run for a title at state.

“I was proud of the team and myself for how far we came along this season,” Wunder said. “I believe that we can win state next year.”

Basketball is a “team effort,” Wunder stressed, where success revolves around the team’s ability to find the right mindset.

“Everyone has to check their attitudes, be up, be hyped,” Wunder added. “The energy has to be through the roof. Staying balanced is also key. If something doesn’t go your way, you just have to shake it off and get the next thing. If a bucket doesn’t go in, you play good defense, or vice versa.”

Wunder is one of the team leaders on the Lady Dogger squad and takes younger players under her wing. Patience and kindness are crucial when showing less-experienced players the ropes.

“You’ve got to encourage other players and not bring them down,” Wunder said.

Wunder is a multisport athlete and is going out for the Torrington Lady Blazers’ softball team this spring. She also started for the Lady Doggers’ volleyball team this fall.

Wunder thanked each of the people who made a positive impact on her basketball career:

“My family, for sure – they were with me every step of the way. I love playing (basketball) with my sister. Jordynn Speckner – I’ve been playing with her for a long time. I couldn’t have done this without the Lord as well.”

Brady Cook

Cook picked up a basketball before he learned to read.

“Mom and dad got me a little hoop,” Cook recalled. “Dad thought, ‘Nah. He’s not going to use that thing.’ And the first night I got it, my parents had to take it away from me so I would go to bed. Basketball has always been part of my life.”

Cook joined a local youth league in elementary school – the team went undefeated one year. He also traveled to compete at tournament across Colorado and Wyoming.

Cook attributed his work ethic to his parent’s influence.

“They taught me to want the next best thing (in basketball),” Cook said.

Cook’s father coaches the Doggers and his mother played Division I volleyball in college.

“I remember in sixth grade, I was having trouble rebounding and getting the tip,” Cook said. “My mom went out and schooled me for two hours.”

Cook first started for the Doggers as a freshman.

“My first starting game was against Southeast at home,” Cook noted. “I ended up getting two free throws with two seconds to go and sent the game into overtime.”

Cook dedicates countless hours to basketball both during the season and the offseason, driven by a love for the sport.

“I just really enjoy basketball,” Cook said.

Cook specializes in “post jobs” for the Dogger offense.

“Playing post is fun,” Cook remarked. “You can get a better matchup with people, especially against bigger guys. I can show them what I’ve got.”

On defense, Cook excels at blocks. As a junior, Cook already holds the LFL record for career blocks at 215 (and counting). He broke the individual season record for blocks the previous year (83) and is sixth in Wyoming for all-time blocking.

“In middle school, I never got to block because I was always called for fouls,” Cook said. “Now I get to be the bully on defense.”

The Doggers posted an historic season, going undefeated through the 2025 1A state title game for the first time since the program’s inception in the 1930s. Highlights were many, but Cook singled in on the home game against Southeast on January 30.

“It was a rowdy crowd,” Cook said. “That was what state and regionals were like the past few years and we didn’t handle (the crowds) well. We handled it well this year. It’s fun to kind of shut crowds up.”

LFL defeated Upton for the regional title on March 1 in another memorable game for Cook.

“Ned (Nelson) had a really good game and it was fun to see him all sorts of pumped up,” Cook recalled. “He had a 15-0 run just by himself in the second half. When you see other guys get pumped up, you get pumped up.”

Cook stressed the importance of finding a mental balance on the court.

“You have to stay even keel and chilled out the whole time,” Cook noted. “If you don’t, it can go bad, fast.”

The previous year at Regionals, the Doggers allowed negative thoughts to creep in, compounding mistakes on the court.

“This year was much different,” Cook said. “If something went wrong on the offensive end, everyone would sprint back to defense.”

Cook took on a leadership role this year and enjoyed helping underclassmen learn the ins and outs of basketball.

“During JV games, you can see they are thinking about different passes of moves,” Cook said. “You’re like, ‘That’s right. Just slow down a little bit or just wait a second.’ When they figure out that stuff, it’s really cool.”

Cook is also a multisport athlete, playing football and going out for track in the spring. Over the summer, when he isn’t in the gym, Cook can be found “helping out on the (family) farm.” He is also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Cook expressed gratitude to God and his family.

“I wouldn’t be able to get to this point without Him, or the people around me, especially my mom and dad.”

Cook also thanked his coaches over the years, from youth league to the high school staff led by his father, Chris Cook. Finally, Cook gave a shoutout to his teammates.

“This is a great group of guys that like being around each other.”

Brody Roberts

Roberts kicked off his basketball career in elementary school and joined a traveling team in fourth grade. He followed in his family’s footsteps – Roberts’ brother played college hoops and his father was a member of an overseas league.

“I guess it runs in the blood,” Roberts said. “I grew up with basketball. My dad always took me to the gym, got me up early to teach me the fundamentals.”

Roberts first started playing on the Doggers’ varsity squad as a freshman.

“My basketball IQ had to grow really fast,” Roberts recalled.

Roberts has played with the same group of basketball players since elementary school – a group held together by especially strong bonds.

“I don’t think any other team in the state has the chemistry (the Doggers) have,” Roberts noted. “We’ve played together since we were seven years old. We know exactly where the other player will be on the floor without saying a word. I believe that’s what got us the state championship.”

Roberts credits his father for instilling in him a strong work ethic.

“My dad told me from a young age what it takes to be great: ‘We can be average and just go home right after practice or not shoot around in the morning. But to be where you want to be, you need to do those things.’”

On defense for the Doggers, Roberts specialized in “full-court pressure.” Offensively, Roberts proved a versatile athlete.

“I was pretty good at everything coach (Chris Cook) threw at me,” Roberts recalled. “If we needed to bring the ball down, I was the point guard. If we needed a shooting guard, I would be in the corner shooting threes. If we needed a 3-4, I was at the high post or on the wings.”

Roberts perfects his basketball skills during the offseason as well and he competed in seven regional tournaments the previous summer.

“It’s just the love I have for the game,” Roberts noted. “The guys around me made it fun and memorable. It was always something I had with my dad.”

Defeating Pine Bluffs at the Hornets’ Nest on February 22 was a season highlight.

“It’s always a pretty big rivalry – kind of like the Super Bowl of the year,” Roberts said. “That was a fun game to win, especially since we haven’t gotten the win in quite a long time.”

The game for the regional title against Upton was also memorable for Roberts, but the standout for the season was defeating the Bobcats again for the 1A state title.

“Getting to play in a state championship game is indescribable with all the emotions,” Roberts said.

As a senior this year, Roberts took on a leadership role, especially talented at keeping the team levelheaded during “high blood pressure moments” in games.

Roberts is looking at playing college basketball. The senior is interested in pursuing a degree in ag-business or business.

Roberts is a multisport athlete and played football and is going out for spring track. He also participates in rodeo as a team roper.

Roberts concluded his interview with gratitude:

“All glory to God for everything we accomplished throughout the years. Thank you to all the coaches and families as well.”