The Krogh Code: Broad Run’s Road to Glory

“Something about Broad Run crowds, they’re special. We’re going to put on a good show.” — Coach Krogh.

Last season, Broad Run Basketball ended the year with a 19–6 overall record, went undefeated in region play (8–0), and secured its first district championship in 23 years. Yet, through a close, hard-fought regional semifinal game against Heritage, their season ended with a heart-wrenching buzzer-beater. 

Broad Run generated its scoring primarily from the three-point line, averaging nearly 70 points per game. However, Coach Krogh looks to shake things up by not relying as heavily on the three-point shot, explaining that “I think in that playoff loss vs. Heritage, we missed a ton, a ton of threes. If you live by the three, you will die by the three.” He believes there’s more to winning than relying on the three-point shot, suggesting that a more diverse shot diet can reduce variability.

Along with diversifying their offense, Coach Krogh also wants to reshape their identity on the defensive end. Broad Run managed to limit its losses by 1–2 possessions. They allowed just 52.4 points per game, showing persistence until the final buzzer. “You can’t control the games you’re going to make threes. What you can control is the defensive end.”

There was only one game last season where Broad Run was faced with a never-ending nightmare. They were caught in a 32-point blowout loss vs. Potomac Falls, which completely blindsided Coach Krogh. “I don’t know what happened on the court that night, but afterwards, we had a very real, very raw conversation.” It was a complete meltdown that had a bittersweet result. Since that moment, Broad Run went on its biggest winning streak of the season, winning five straight games and outscoring opponents by an average of 20 points.

After coaching Broad Run Varsity Basketball for five years, Coach Krogh is approaching 70 wins with the program. He’s been with this batch of seniors for over three years, knitting a close bond. This year, he’s realized more than ever that this group is potentially the most committed, hard-working, and talented group he has ever coached from top to bottom, something that became clearer than ever after last season. These players have been putting in work when no one’s watching. 

Coach Krogh has played basketball for most of his life; he understands firsthand how important a coach can be in helping players grow into the best versions of themselves. “It’s just like giving back to the universe,” Coach Krogh stated. Broad Run Basketball has an end-of-year banquet where they send their seniors off to college. When Coach Krogh gets the opportunity to catch up with his former players, he stated, “They don’t really reminisce about the wins and losses; they reminisce about the interpersonal stuff or the way you were there for them.” 

When we asked Ryan Brzezanski, a returning senior, if he had any memorable takeaways from when he played under Coach Krogh, he replied: “Definitely, a couple were just his little pre-game speeches. He always likes having a little quote. Also, the relationships we’ve built. We’ve had workouts together, or he would let me in the gym. I’ve never had a relationship like that with my high school coach, so it’s a lot closer.” It’s a reminder of how much his care and guidance can have a lasting impact on the lives of the players he coaches. 

A preseason goal Coach Krogh set, and one that we can reflect on, is guiding the team back to the district championship, while also focusing on being the best version of themselves. Even with last year’s success, Coach Krogh stresses the importance of staying realistic. “We’re not a perennial superpower or anything, We don’t have our tickets punched to states,” said Coach Krogh. Nevertheless, it’s never too late to start changing that narrative. This young and  gritty group feeds off the student section’s energy, one of the best game night atmospheres around. “We’re going to run up and down the floor. These kids play hard. We’ve got some great schools coming to play us.”

This group is ready to get battle-tested with some big matchups circled. Coach Krogh is ready to bring the ball home against rival schools who have beaten them in the past, such as Tuscarora, Heritage, and Potomac Falls. Brzezanski, joined by another returning key senior Adam Perdue, were asked which game they’ve circled coming up. Both expressed their eagerness going into a matchup vs. Heritage. Adam stated, “I definitely have Heritage Friday night scheduled. That should be a really fun one.” Ryan followed up by saying, “Obviously Heritage. They took us out last year so we’re looking forward to that.” Broad Run’s biggest matchup will be against South Lakes, back-to-back state champions led by Coach Desmond. However, they did lose their star player, Jordan Scott, who committed to Michigan State, which makes the matchup more in Broad Run’s favor.

There’s a lot to be excited about this upcoming season. There are a bunch of stars on the team who put on lights-out performances from game to game, and the team is able to put up a high-scoring offense with a relentless defense. “I think it could get a little bonkers,” Coach Krogh suggests. With a vigorous crowd at 7:30 in the gym, these games can get packed. In order to get a feel of how important a lively crowd is, Brzezanski and Perdue gave us a game-day thought process when entering the gym. “It makes everything so much more fun. It just brings the team to a whole other level of energy. I can’t even describe it,” Ryan emphasized, and Adam added onto that by saying, “Those are the moments you remember, walking out to that packed crowd. That’s where you know, all right, this is why I practice. This is why I work. These are the moments I play for.” There’s unfinished business from last season that this team will look to address in order to make sure this season doesn’t end on the wrong end of a buzzer-beater. All that’s left now is to turn preparation into performance and let the work they’ve done in the dark shine on December 1st vs. Lightridge.