Gosar snags All-State basketball honors

By Robert Galbreath, rgalbreath@pinedaleroundup.com
Posted 3/23/23

“Basketball is a true love thing for me,” Gosar said. “I can pick up a basketball and be happy. Basketball has always been there for me and it’s never let me down.”

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Gosar snags All-State basketball honors

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PINEDALE – Pinedale High School junior and Wrangler varsity boys’ basketball guard Josh Gosar calls the gym “my second home.”

“I love being in the gym,” Gosar said. “It takes my mind away from how crazy life can be at times and is an outlet for me to go out there and play basketball.”

In addition to showing up for practice throughout the long winter season, Gosar rose early to “fine tune” his technique for at least an hour before school and frequently stayed late after practice.

During the offseason, Gosar traveled to Idaho to compete on a traveling team for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), playing in tournaments from Los Angeles to Seattle.

On top of the winter season with the Wranglers and the AAU season that runs from early spring to mid-summer, Gosar attends numerous basketball camps.

Gosar’s commitment to basketball is the product of an enduring passion for the sport.

“Basketball is a true love thing for me,” Gosar said. “I can pick up a basketball and be happy. Basketball has always been there for me and it’s never let me down.”

Gosar’s dedication and hard work over the years culminated in the Wyoming Coaches Association naming the junior to the 3A All-State and All-Conference rosters for the 2022-2023 season.

“It’s awesome to be selected for those awards and to be on the roster with the other athletes who got All-State,” Gosar said.

Trial by fire

Gosar’s mother organized a local traveling team when Gosar was in fourth grade. His friends and future teammates on the Wrangler varsity squad – Bridger Kaiser, Owen McMillen, Jayce Ramage and Brody Hamby – also signed on.

“We’ve been playing together since the fourth grade,” Gosar remarked. “We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and we are able to play off of them really well.”

The sport took a few years to click.

“I wasn’t the best player at first, but I put in a lot of time to get better,” Gosar noted. “I kept at it, and that helped me improve.”

Gosar looked up to his older brother, Wrangler All-State and All-Conference recipient Danny Gosar.

“Sibling rivalry helped me compete,” said Gosar. “If (Danny) did something, I always had to try and one-up him.”

Circumstances placed Gosar and his teammates on the varsity starting lineup as freshmen for the Wranglers.

“It was nerve-wracking at first,” Gosar said. “The first couple of games were a different change of pace – they were fast and intense.”

Refusing to allow nerves to pull him down, Gosar continued to put in the work and seek guidance from from former Wranglers like Jordan Costello, who also started as a freshman.

Gosar developed a hunger for competition.

“Even though my opponents were bigger and stronger than me, I always had that fire in my eyes.”

As juniors, Gosar and his teammates found themselves filling leadership roles. Gosar emphasized the importance of leading by example.

“I feel like I’m the guy who is going to push you to see your full potential.”

Turning the tables

Despite putting up a fight, the Wranglers struggled to score a victory when Gosar started for the team as a freshman and sophomore. After toughing out a near-winless and winless seasons, the Wranglers found redemption in 2022 and 2023.

Pinedale posted 11 wins this winter and secured three conference victories. The Wranglers kicked the season off with a 68-47 victory against Rawlins on Dec. 8 and went on to defeat Powell, 58-55, on Dec. 10.

“Getting our first win in two years against Rawlins was a highlight,” said Gosar. ‘Taking down the No. 4-ranked Powell at the beginning of the season was also great.”

Two years of blood, sweat and tears had finally paid off for the Wranglers.

“Having several years under our belts helped us progress and take some wins,” said Gosar. “Even if we lost, it was an accomplishment because we knew we had gotten so much better over the last couple of years.”

Pinedale went from being the team that opponents could use as a punching bag to a tough, “solid” adversary striking fear in the state and conference, Gosar added.

Gosar and his teammates will become seniors on a formidable team in 2023-2024, capable of rewriting Wrangler history at Regionals and State.

“I was proud of the team and our growth this year,” Gosar said. “It was nice to be running with the pack this year. Next year, we’ll be the top dog.”

Gosar thanked coaches Marcus Helland, Brady Schaefer and Jake Brunette for “pushing me every day.”

Gosar expressed gratitude to his older brother and his mother for “showing love and support.”

Gosar also gave a shoutout to Shane Costello for “helping me grow as a human and be a better basketball player.”