WILDCATS TO OPEN SEASON AT TIP OFF TRNY
By JEREMY WEBER Hungry Horse News
Senior Matthew Morrison and the Wildcats will open the basketball season at Stillwater Christian Saturday.
The Wildcats will be looking to rebound from last year’s 4-17 season as they open their 2017-18 basketball campaign Saturday at Stillwater Christian School in Kalispell.
With six seniors on this season’s squad, head coach Chris Finberg is hoping experience will be the key to success.
“Having that level of experience should make a tremendous difference for us this season,” Finberg said. “Three of the six seniors we will have this year got a lot of playing time on the varsity level last year and two of them got a ton of playing time on the junior varsity level. Our other senior is a transfer from Glacier, so he will not be able to play until the end of the semester and will miss our first 12 games. He will be ready for the end of the season and tournament time, though.”
The Wildcats lost three seniors from last year’s squad, but Finberg feels this year’s team will have a deeper bench, which should open up more options on both the offensive and defensive side of the court.
“Last year, we had to slow things down because our depth was not where we wanted it to be. This year, we should have a little more depth and more athleticism, so we should be able to get up and down the court a little better. A lot of that will be dictated by how these guys show what they can do in practice and games. We should find our identity as the season goes along,” Finberg said. “We will have a chance to do some pressing on defense this season, but again we will have to pick our spots of when to use it. We probably will not press a lot, but we will have that option.”
Finberg says the senior trio of Austin Green, Matthew Morrison and Quintin Schriver should provide a tough matchup for opponents.
“We will be looking for those three to use their experience from last season to help lead us this year. Those three, along with Drew Morgan and Glacier transfer Tucker Salmonsen should help make us a tough squad,” Finberg said. “I think we have some strong competitors on this year’s team, and that’s what we want to see. We have some kids that just came off a state championship in football, and that should helps us, too.”
The Wildcats averaged 43 points-per-game last season while giving up 56 per contest, but Finberg says he hopes to see those numbers reversed with the experience and depth this year’s team brings to the court.
“We will just try to get better every game and hope that we are playing our best basketball come tournament time. That’s our goal,” he said.
The Wildcats will travel to take on Stillwater Christian School in their opening game of the season Saturday, a team that defeated Columbia Falls in February last season, 75-43. The frosh will tip off at 1:30 p.m. with the junior varsity playing at 4:45.
The Wildcats will be back in action in Missoula Dec. 8 as they take on Dillon in the Tip-Off Tournament at 4:15 p.m. The team will continue the tournament against Frenchtown at 11:45 a.m. the following day.
The 2018 conference tour
nament will be in Ronan Feb. 15-17 with divisionals in Butte Feb. 22-24. The state tournament will be in Bozeman March 1-3
BROWNING RUNNIN INDIANS
The Browning Runnin' Indians head into the 2017-2018 season entering a new conference, the Western A. The Indians had been members of the Central A for the past 20 years since 1987-88. The Indians' new foes from Western A are Columbia Falls, Whitefish, Polson, Ronan and Libby. With only four conference opponents in the five team Central A last year, Browning picks up two more conference games in the 6 member Western A. The Indians will begin play with two early opponents from the SW A at the Missoula Tip-offs and also has home/away dates with old Central A rival Havre, for a total of 14 games against Class A opponents. That's four more Class A games than Browning has played for many years. Browning faces two Class B opponents in home/away contests including old historic rivals Shelby and Cut Bank. The Indians drop their traditional Fairfield and Conrad games who have had trouble fielding full Junior Varsity and Freshman teams for the younger Indians to compete with.
With the more competitive schedule looming, do not despair. Although Browning has not advanced to the State tournament since the 2012-2013 season, that could change as they bring back their top two scorers and rebounders from last year's squad in Senior Brandon Aimsback (11pts 8reb) and Junior Tyree Whitcomb (10.5pts and 7rebs). The squad replaces seven graduating Seniors with seven more on the Varsity team led by a slimmed down but even stronger and quicker footed Power Forward Aimsback who last year led the Indians in 2pt field goal percentage at 54% with his strong wide frame and fleet footedness in the paint. Billings Senior varsity basketball transfer and sharp shooting guard Nano Stiffarm is fundamentally sound in his defense, ball handling, passing and free throw shooting; just an all around good pick up for the Indians. Stiffarm's parents moved back to the area this summer, so Nano got to play summer ball with the team, and his talent was noticed immediately. The super athletic, versatile and strong Loring twins Derek and Dylan who stand at 5'11" should be set to finally break out in basketball after their record breaking football season at QB and RB and with their strength and athletic ability, they can play the 1-4 positions. 5'10" James Gilham had a good summer season and has potential to be a solid player this year at guard. Rounding out the Seniors are 6'2" small forward Peyton Crawford, an offensive spark off the bench and center Taylen Edwards whose 6'7" height and long arms could present match-up nightmares for shorter teams and can help neutralize taller opponents.
Five Underclassman bring different attributes that will contribute to the Indians success this year. Of course we already know about 6'6" Whitcomb's points and rebounds, but he also presents an outside shooting component to his game, having led last year's squad in three point field goals and percentage last year. Tyree was also first in Free Throw percentage and second in steals, although he also led in turnovers which should be neutralized by his growing experience. One other thing to mention is Whitcomb and Junior Ethan Running Crane spent the summer playing AAU ball with an all-star Montana Native squad, playing in Spokane and Las Vegas. Running Crane is 6'3" and a smooth ball handler and is deadly from three point range. He has a knack for jumping balls in the passing lanes and his long strides cover a lot of ground on the break. CJ Smith is also lanky and athletic and good in the fast break and scrappy on defense. He shined in summer ball this year, so his transition from JV to Varsity should be seamless. Rounding out the underclassmen on Varsity are Sophomores Deion Madplume and Justin Burd. These two players could be special in due time, having bested some talented juniors on the JV squad to make the Varsity team. Like Whitcomb and Running Crane, they play a lot of summer ball together, winning many 3 on 3 tournaments aroung the state over the years. Deion is about 6'1"-6'2" and a perfect basketball physique with ball handling skills and has an equally sound inside and outside game. 5'6" Justin is used to being undersized and uses it to his advantage. He is a quick and shifty point guard with great court awareness and can get lost in trees and come out of there with two.
Last year, Browning was second in Class A in scoring with 62.8 points per game. With the top scorers back, they could well lead in that category this year. If Browning has an Achilles heal, it could be Free Throw shooting which they were dead last in a season ago. The Indians were second in rebounding behind Hardin last year, and that could go up with a much taller team this year. Browning also led Class A in Steals and Assists which they should be able to continue to do with their style of basketball. Speaking of which, despite all those steals, Browning was third to last in defense last year.
That could be where new Head Coach and longtime Junior Varsity coach Dan Connelly separates his style from seasons past. The previous coach was a players coach, whereas Connelly is a more in your face, high energy coach which served him well at the JV level with three consecutive undefeated seasons. Connelly stresses hard nose defense and will yank you out if he catches you sleeping on that side of the ball. Many former players are glad to see Connelly finally get his shot and will tell you he was heavily involved in the the crunch in varsity games under Ray Augare and Mark Magee as an assistant. All the signs for this year point toward a deep State run for the Browning Indians who are loaded with any kind of player a coach needs for any situation and the coaching experience Connelly possesses will surely exploit that wealth of talent to the Indians advantage.
#mtscores by- Lockley J. Bremner for Pikanni Press
PIRATES READY TO TRANSITION HEADED INTO 2017 SEASON
November 16, 2017 at 9:53 am | By Jason Blasco
J'von Niemeyer (Jason Blasco photo)
(Jason Blasco photo)
Last year the Polson Pirates’ boys basketball team was one of the perennial favorites to be in the mix to compete for a Class A state championship basketball title.
Though the Pirates didn’t get to their ultimate goal of capturing the title, they didn’t disappoint behind their senior leadership of forward-center Matthew Rensvold and point guard Tanner Wilson.
Both players were so athletically inclined they became the first Polson players to sign with the University of Montana-Grizzlies since Kirk Murphy did so in 1987.
The other significant change was one that affected several teams at the beginning of 2017. When the Montana State High School Athletic Association reclassified and aligned several teams in several classifications, it changed the competitive landscape of Class A.
The additions to the NWA Class A conference include two towns known for their strong basketball tradition. This includes Libby, Browning, and Ronan.
Pirates coach Randy Kelley said he felt he and his team will be ready for the new challenge they will face from their opponents and losing significant contributors to their team.
“I think when you bring in those three teams, it makes our conference stronger,” Kelley said. “We will have a District Tournament and everything will be just a little bit different.”
The Pirates lost Matthew Rensvold, Tanner Wilson, Jeremiah North Piegan and Jaden Bautista all to graduation.
“It’ll change and we will be missing an inside presence,” Kelley said. “We hope to open up a little more offensively and we are going to have to get after people. We are going to have to have a little bit more of a half court game. It changes every year and we’ve been kind of lucky to have the kids that we have. It’ll change our dynamics offensively and defensively. We will have to play a little harder, a little more aggressively and play team defense.”
Kelley said he is “encouraged” by his team’s summer participation this year.
“We actually had good turnouts for our open gyms and we have twenty to thirty kids playing basketball) two nights a week,” Kelley said. “We had the Whitworth Tournament in Spokane and we had ten kids play in that. That has been part of our gelling process for us and we are kind of excited.”
This December, the Pirates will play in a total of seven games. Kelley said he “isn’t worried” about the difficult schedule of basketball his team has in front of them before the Christmas break.
“We are kind of excited for the month of December because we will have seven games before Christmas,” Kelley said. “That will be a lot to ask of some of younger kids.”
Traditionally, the Pirates open up with a difficult schedule but unlike in previous seasons, they will now open their season up against Dilon and Frenchtown.
“We open up with Stevi, Butte Central, Corvallis, Hamilton and everyone from the southwest this year except Dillon,” Kelley said. “We possibly won’t see them until the divisional tournament.”
Because of their lack of an established inside threat, Kelley said he felt his team will have to adjust by becoming “more physical.”
“We are going to have to become more physical and maybe our players aren’t football types but we are going to have to get ourselves wrapped around that mindset,” Kelley said. “We have to be more physical, play better defense, and rebound better. Without Rensvold and Tanner, we will have our work cut out for us.”
The official day of practice doesn’t start until today. Kelley said he is “looking forward” to the season with a lot of the young talent he has on the roster.
“Looking forward, it’s going to be a different group and we are going to have to learn from every game that we will play,” Kelley said. “This season is going to be a little different. We don’t have that swagger. It’s going to get kids to step up, improve and knock off the teams we shouldn’t beat.
CHIEFS BASKETBALL GETS READY TO GET HIT THE HARDWOOD
November 16, 2017 at 9:52 am | By Jason Blasco
Aaron Misa (Jason Blasco photo)
Ronan Chiefs’ boys basketball coach Mitchell Wassum said he is excited about his team’s prospects as they prepare to head into the first official week of practice on Nov. 16.
Last year, Wassum’s team fell one point short of claiming a Class B state title birth falling to Deer Lodge at Hamilton Junior High School.
Last season, the team’s biggest strengths included their depth, their ability to shoot from the perimeter and the Chiefs’ senior and team leaders.
The Chiefs will look to build upon one of their hallmarks last season as they were able to successfully utilize their depth to win several closely-contested ball games.
Another emphasis of strength this season will be to be able to rebound. With the team dynamic shifting dramatically from last season with the loss of four seniors and surrendering more height to the bigger schools in Class A, Wassum knows his team will have to put an emphasis on rebounding.
“You have to be able to rebound the ball and we are going to have to be able to force some turnovers and get a lot of second shot opportunities,” Wassum said. “It’ll be be an interesting team dynamic with losing the four seniors in the early portion of the season. Especially since the seniors from last year all started for us at one point in time.”
Wassum’s team will be entering uncharted territory this season as they prepare to play some of the Class A schools but Wassum echoed the sentiments of the Chiefs’ head football coach Matt Detwiler, who said he is embracing the challenge of moving up in classification.
“We are going to change up the tempo of our offense a little bit,” Wassum said. “This year, we lost two of our big kids to transfers and with that, we lost some size. So we will have to move into more of an uptempo offense and try to get teams out of their element to make them uncomfortable. That will help us out against some of the bigger teams.”
This year, according to Wassum, Ronan looks to have more of the same as they prepare to head into the 2017-2018 campaign.
“I am really excited to get the season rolling,” Wassum said. “Being on the football staff, we have high expectations coming up from Class B to A. We aren’t going to roll over and battle. There are a lot of good Class A teams and we’ve been very competitive in open gym with about 30-45 kids participating in open gym.”
LIBBY BOYS BASKETBALL: COACH WEIGHS IN ON COMING SEASON
The Western News
Coach: Josh Bean
How many seniors are on the roster? We have three seniors: Brian Peck, Logan Christensen, and Nik Jones.
Who do you consider to be team-leaders and why? Brian Peck and Ryggs Johnston. They are the only returning players that had substantial time at the varsity level last year. Everyone will look to their experience to help them out. Keith Johnson (sophomore) and Jay Beagle (freshmen) have shown great promise in the past couple weeks. They have shown they can contribute at the varsity level. Ryan Goodman (sophomore) and Chandler Bower (sophomore) expanded their skills over the summer and fall and should provide quality minutes.
Who are your strongest competitors and why? Coming back into the Northwest A will be tough every night. Browning I believe has the most complete group of kids. We played them this summer and they were really tough. Polson has been the mainstay at the top of the Northwest A. They lose three really good seniors but bring back a good group of role players and sub varsity kids. (But) we can’t sleep on anyone in this conference. It will be a tough contest every night.
Is the conference a strong one? I believe the conference is average with the exception of Browning. I believe the Southwest A and the Eastern A are the toughest conferences in the state.
What excites you most about the coming season? We have another group of kids that absolutely loves basketball. They are so eager to compete everyday when they come to practice. We are changing up our offense and defense a little so it is new and the kids are excited about the opportunities it will provide them.
What is your biggest challenge? Our biggest challenge will be defending teams that are tall. We lost our height to graduation. We will have to find ways to contain those teams that have a dominate post player.
BULLDOG BASKETBALL PRACTICING DEFENSE HEADING INTO OPENER
November 28, 2017 at 2:34 pm | By Daniel McKay
Ryan Kemm rises up for a floater during a recent Bulldogs practice. (Daniel McKay/Whitefish Pilot)
The Bulldogs are back on the hardwood and preparing for a season-opening showdown with Eureka next week.
The boys opened practice Nov. 16. Head coach Sean Duff returns to the court after a serious kidney failure left him hospitalized in early August.
This year’s squad will be led by seniors Caleb Meehan, Brendyn Peacock and Noah Fauth, as well as returning starters Lee Walburn, Dillon Botner and Ryan Kemm.
Sophomore Sam Menicke, measuring 6’5”, will join 6’6” Botner in the post to give the Dogs some height in the paint.
Duff said he’s not worried about offense with this team, despite losing last year’s leading scorers Derek Kastella and Sawyer Silliker.
“Defense is going to be the key, like always, with this group,” he said. “If we do that, points will take care of themselves. We won’t have a problem scoring. I can see us going a long ways.”
Last season Whitefish finished 7-13 overall and 2-4 in conference play.
Duff said he’s hoping to get a good idea of where his team is at right off the bat.
Following Tuesday’s game against Eureka, Whitefish will travel down to Missoula for this year’s Tipoff Tournament, where they’ll face Dillon and Butte.
Dillon finished last season with a perfect 24-0 record and a state championship, and Butte finished right behind in the Southwest A conference at 14-11.
“We’ll know right away how good we are and where we stack up, because we play Dillon and Butte. I would pick them for preseason one and two in the state,” Duff said.
Whitefish will host Eureka on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Whitefish High School.
Butte Central junior Cade Holter is one of six Maroons with varsity experience. Here he is guarded by Dillon's Jamey Richardson during the semifinals of the 2017 Class A State tournament at the Butte Civic Center. (Butte sports photo)
By Bill Foley
It is an unusual mix to be sure.
When the Butte Central boys’ basketball team opens the 2017-18 season next week, the Maroons will do so without a single senior on the roster. The Maroons will also be playing with a team loaded with varsity experience.
“There’s six guys with varsity experience from last year. That helps,” said BC head coach Brodie Kelly, who is entering his 14th season in charge of the Maroons. “We still are young. We’ve got to keep that in perspective, too.
“It’s an unusual mix of youth and experience. You usually don’t see that many young guys with that much experience.”
Juniors Cade Holter and Dan McCloskey will be playing varsity for the third year. Sophomores Luke Heaphy, Aaron Richards, Matt Simkins and Jared Simkins are in their second year playing varsity.
Junior guard Dylan Sestrich will join the varsity squad after missing last season with an injury.
Sophomores Braden Harington, Trevor Neumann and Thomas McGree will also figure into the varsity mix for the Maroons, who advanced to Saturday morning of the Class A State tournament at the Butte Civic Center in March.
Heaphy, McCloskey, Holter, Richards and Matt Simkins will be the starting five to begin the season. Sestrich will be the first guy off the bench.
Jared Simkins, who broke his arm in BC’s playoff football game in Dillon, will likely be cleared to play again on Monday, Dec. 11.
Kelly, a coach who is rarely — if ever relaxed — during the basketball season, said his team is closing in on being ready to play.
“I’m comfortably uncomfortable,” Kelly said. “I’m excited, I am. If Jarred was in the mix right now, I’d be feeling much better.”
One reason Kelly is upbeat to start the season is his roster. To be more specific, he likes the “height” column of his roster.
Butte Central will be quite literally looking down on most of the competition this season.
Other than Heaphy (5-foot-9) and Neumann (5-10), the BC roster is full of players standing at least 6-foot.
“This is the biggest team that I’ve ever coached,” Kelly said.
How big? Well, the coach had a hard time believing it when he was finalizing his roster for the season.
“We asked them their heights the other day, and we felt like some guys were fudging,” Kelly said. “So we took out the tape, and Aaron, Matt and Jared are all legitimate 6-4 and half. Sestrich is 6-3.”
McCloskey and Harrington stand 6-1, while Holter and McGree are 6-foot.
“We had a team one year that was a 6-and under team,” Kelly said. “We’ve had a couple like that.”
The Butte Central varsity squad is so big that the junior varsity players aren’t big enough to really challenge them in practice. So, don’t bet on the junior varsity winning the Maroon and White scrimmage, which begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Maroon Activities Center.
“You’ve got a 5-10 guy guarding a 6-4 guy in the post,” Kelly explained. “It’s coming too easy.”
So, as you can imagine, the Maroons will feature more of an inside game than in the past. Actually, the transformation from the offense that shot a ton of 3-pointers each season has been a slow process that began a couple of years ago.
“The last few years we’ve been kind of tweaking our offense from what we used to run when we were shooting so many threes,” Kelly said. “We still have it in our package, but our offense now is much more post-oriented.”
The size will help the Maroons as they look to replace three long-time starters — Sam Johnston, Tanner Kump and Nate McGree — to graduation. The Maroons also lost senior Tyge Yelenich to the season with a knee injury he suffered on the golf course.
Central will play Whitefish and Polson in the Tipoff tournament at the Adams Center next Friday and Saturday in Missoula.
That is the start of a brutal December schedule for the Maroons. BC will play its home opener against Dec. 15 against Frenchtown. After hosting Stevensville and Belgrade, the Maroons close the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule at Hamilton on Dec. 22.
January doesn’t start off any easier. The Maroons come back from the holiday break Jan. 4 at Dillon. The Butte High-Butte Central game is Jan. 11.
(Complete schedule)
No seniors, no problem for Butte Central boys
BUTTE — A late foul in the semifinal of the Class A state tournament was the only thing that kept the Butte Central Maroons away from taking third place in 2016.
The team hasn’t forgotten.
“We all just have a bad taste in our mouth (after) coming so close,” said Central junior Cade Holter. “I think that definitely brings some motivation to the table to do a lot better this year.”
The Maroons are a squad with a chip on its shoulder this season. One thing it does not have is a senior. However, that doesn’t mean Central is totally lacking in experience or chemistry.
“This is a group of guys that really loves to play together,” said head coach Brodie Kelly. “You can see the enthusiasm that these kids play with and the way they like to play together — that stuff matters.”
Every team in the state will notice right away that this is among the bigger teams in Class A.
“That’s a strength of ours this year, unusually,” Kelly said. “We don’t usually have a lot of tall players…We got a lot of guys that can post, even including our guards.”
Other than “experience,” Central doesn’t have a glaring weakness on its roster. And when you add in the revenge factor, that makes for a team that can make a run, come March.
Eagles feature good size to open boys basketball season
By Bill Vander Weele Sidney Herald
Bridger Larson drives to the basket against the defense of brother Conner Larson.
Bill Vander Weele | Sidney Herald
Sidney’s boys basketball squad will feature a different look this season, but the Eagles should again contend near the top of the Eastern A standings.
Returning starters for the Eagles are senior guard Alec Lovegren and 6-6 junior Bridger Larson. Also back with some varsity experience are 6-3 senior Conner Larson, 6-2 senior Max Peters, 6-0 junior Aaron Entz and 6-0 sophomore Cooper McGlothlin.
Sidney Coach Dan Strasheim said Sidney’s inside game won’t only feature tall players but most of those players have football lineman type builds.
“We definitely have size,” Strasheim said. “We look to be a lot more physical.”
Another strength should be outside shooting. Although Sidney lost some three-point threats from a season ago, the Eagles are in good shape from long range with B. Larson, Lovegren, Peters and Entz.
“We have better overall shooters for sure,” Strasheim said. “But we won’t be as quick.”
Although the Eagles will still apply full-court pressure at times, Sidney will rely on zone defenses more than in the past.
“We have a couple different zones that we haven’t done for a while,” Strasheim said.
Other varsity players include senior Trenton Lambert, sophomore Carter Johnson, junior Trev Stewart, junior Ryan Howell, junior Alex Lee and freshman Ian Jurgens.
“I think everybody is looking forward to the season,” Strasheim said. “We will probably be picked fifth out of the six Eastern A teams.”
The coach noted that Hardin and Billings Central each return All-State players. Laurel lost all of its starters, but the Locomotives have an excellent junior class. Miles City returns six of its top nine players.
“Glendive will be improved,” Strasheim said. “I think the Eastern A will be loaded as always.”
As far as the teams from the Central A, Strasheim feels Lewistown might be one of the best teams in the entire state.
Sidney opens its season in Wolf Point on Friday.
The Eagles return home to play Havre on Dec. 8 and Lewistown on Dec. 9.
Dillon looking for three-peat in tough Class A boys' field
JORDAN HANSEN 406mtsports.com
Junior Michael Haverfield will try to carry on his brother's legacy at Dillon.
Walter Hinick, 406mtsports.com
Can Dillon make it three in a row?
It certainly won’t be easy for the winners of the last two Class A boys' basketball championships. The Beavers lost both Tanner Haverfield and Troy Andersen to graduation, easily two of their best players.
Haverfield is now a freshman at Montana Western, playing basketball, while Andersen took his talents to the Montana State football team. That said, there could be a new budding start waiting in the wings – Tanner’s younger brother, Michael, who is a junior.
The younger Haverfield was named honorable mention on the All-State team a year ago, while
The Beavers have been in the state championship four years in a row and have enjoyed a long run of success. That said, even though Dillon has gone 46-2 over the past two seasons, it's hardly the only threat to take the Class A crown.
The Rams have been the runner-up for each of the past two seasons and while they only return one starter, it’s an important one – junior Chrishon Dixon. Second on the team in points (12.2) and rebounds (6.1) they’ll count on him to lead the charge.
Lewistown returns two of the best players in Class A in Tanner Trafton and Jaden Graham. Graham is a certified sharpshooter and hit 41-percent of his three-pointers last season on his way to averaging 15.2 points and 6.1 rebounds a game. Trafton was a beast on the boards as well, hauling in 8.3 rebounds 13.2 points from his forward spot.
The Eagles finished 11-7 during last year’s regular season, but failed to make the state tournament. It was their first winning record since 2008 and they’ll be looking for a lot more this season.
Polson and Belgrade took third and fourth, respectively last season. It was Polson’s second-straight third-place finish, though the team will have plenty to replace. The Pirates’ lost All-Conference performers Matthew Rensvold and Tanner Wilson to the Montana football team.
Some other teams to watch?
Livingston, Hardin and Hamilton.
The Bulldogs lose three seniors after making the state tournament last season. Famous Lefthand will be set to lead Hardin after averaging 11.7 points and just over four rebounds per game last season and certainly will be a force to be reckoned with.
The Bulldogs also get back David Evans, a second-team All-Conference player last season.
Hardin lost its two state tournament games by a combined six points – 60-55 to Dillon in the first round and 68-67 to Belgrade in the first consolation game.
The Panthers finished fourth, while the aforementioned Beavers were state champions.
Hamilton will be attempting to make its third straight Class A state tournament appearance while Livingston will be trying to get back to the tournament for the first time in several years.
Lewistown juniors look to turn the tide for program that hasn't played a state tournament in decades
- KYLE HANSEN 406mtsports.com
Lewistown juniors Tanner Trafton, left, and Jaden Graham are aiming to help lead the Golden Eagles to their first state tournament appearance since 1998. The two started all of last season as sophomores.
KYLE HANSEN, 406mtsports.com
Editor's note: This is the third in an eight-part series profiling some of the state's basketball stars as 406mtsports.com previews the 2017-18 season.
LEWISTOWN — Last basketball season when Tanner Trafton and Jaden Graham were sophomores for Lewistown, the two were thrown into the varsity mix as starters from the beginning.
For two young players seeing big-time minutes, one would think that the pace and flow of the game would be the toughest aspect to remember to get ready for. However, it was not the play that needed getting used to, but pregame situations — namely, the national anthem.
"We weren't used to doing the national anthem before games because we started walking out just to go line up for the (tip-off) because that's what we do in freshman games," Trafton admitted. "'Oh no guys, we have the national anthem,' and we're like 'Oh yeah, right, it's varsity.'"
But the two caught on quick with the varsity level and helped lead Lewistown to an 11-7 regular-season record, the school's first winning record since 2008. Graham was named all-state and both were named to all-conference teams as Lewistown entered the Central/Eastern A Divisional with high expectations.
The Golden Eagles fell just short of making state, losing to Billings Central in the Saturday morning game, which clinched a state berth for the Rams.
But Lewistown returns almost its entire roster from a year ago. And Trafton, Graham, head coach Scott Sparks and Co. have the town buzzing in a way it hasn't in about 20 years.
"Last year was really cool," Graham said.
"Kind of unexpected," Trafton added. "We knew we'd play, but it was a little unexpected to be pushed right in there."
+2
Lewistown's Jaden Graham (20) looks for an opening to pass during a game against Billings Central on Jan. 20 at Billings Central High School.
406mtsports.com file photo
The 6-foot-5 duo started all of last season for Lewistown. There were growing pains as the two learned the ins and outs of everything and their new teammates. Getting stronger for the varsity level was a tough adjustment, as was as the mental side of the game and losing some close games. But the result almost got the Eagles into the state tournament, a feat Sparks said hasn't happened for the school since 1998.
The Eagles earned a first-round 48-46 upset of Hardin at the Divisional, a game Trafton and Graham said they had never played in that sort of magnitude. After plenty of close losses throughout the season, including a 72-70 overtime loss to the Bulldogs early in the season, they finally pulled out a win in that situation, with Trafton leading his team in scoring with 12 points. Though they lost to Central, the win over Hardin was a sign of things that could come this year for Lewistown.
"That was a turning point for us, winning a big game at a big time tournament like that," Trafton said. "We can do this. We can win big games. So now we know what to expect in those big games and how to execute in the end."
They continued to work on their craft in the summer and played AAU basketball in cities like Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Seattle. There, the two kids from Lewistown — population 6,000 — had their eyes opened to some of the nation's top recruits.
"It's kind of a reality check," Graham said. "You're good for your state, and then you get out and there's these 6-foot-6 kids with 44-inch verticals, and they're all way bigger. It was a blast."
The two grew up with Lewistown's history and the school's postseason drought. That state tournament drought made the two juniors want to break the trend.
"Fergus, if you look back, there's nothing on the banners for 30 years," Graham said. "Nobody wins, nobody tries, athletes are partiers. So we were just kind of were raised differently and just came up as winners. And then we both have aspirations for college sports, so we both go and put ourselves out there."
"We're just trying to change things around here from a losing record and 'Who cares? We'll go party,'" Trafton said. "We're trying to keep our friend group tight, not do anything stupid, and try to be as successful as we can and have fun with it for sure."
Graham said the team as a unit has come back bigger, stronger and with more confidence and experience. Trafton added that the team feels more tight-knit as a group heading into the year, something that has come with the expectations and the experience of playing in big games together. That includes playing NBA 2K tournaments, competitions the two said can get testy between teammates because of how competitive everyone is, but all in good fun.
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Lewistown's Tanner Trafton (3) shoots the ball on Feb. 24 during the 2017 Central/Eastern A Divisional basketball tournament at Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark.
406mtsports.com file photo
As for Sparks, who is in his third year as Lewistown's head coach, he knew early on Trafton and Graham would be special.
"They were well-coached coming up, I think that's the big thing," Sparks said. "They had a high basketball IQ when they came into the program as freshman. We made a choice to keep them down on the freshman team so they could play with their teammates and learn how to win ... Those two guys were great players for us last year, and they've come back from their summer on the AAU circuit with way more confidence. They're going to be tough matchups."
Seniors Andrew Lalum and Noah Agostinelli as well as junior Jake Clinton join Trafton and Graham as players with a wealth of varsity experience from last year. Seniors Landon and Cody Henderson and junior Wes Jameson should also see expanded roles for the Golden Eagles. Trafton and Graham said while they were seen as the go-to players a year ago, any one of their teammates can be counted on in crunch time, a trait that makes their team that much more dangerous this season.
"You can't replace experience," Sparks said. "To have eight kids playing that have substantial varsity time goes a long way when you're in crunch time. We've been a young team the past couple of years, so its nice to have that more experienced team. We've got a lot of guys on a given night that can lead us in scoring. I'm excited. They all play hard for each other, and it should be a fun year."
The team's confidence is high, and the expectations are even higher.
"I think we're pretty good contenders this year," Trafton said. "As long as we run good offense, play tough defense, be gritty and stay together as a team — which I don't think will be a problem with the group that we have. So I'm really confident coming into this year, but we can't look past anybody."
Graham added with a laugh, "We've got a $50 bet with Chrishon Dixon that we sweep them."
Dixon, Billings Central's junior point guard, plays AAU ball with Trafton and Graham.
"Hopefully we can get a little shoe money out of that," Trafton said.
Class A boys basketball overview: New-look Dillon eyes repeat; Billings Central again a contender
By Richie Melby
Billings Central's Chrishon Dixon (3) and the Rams advance to the State A semifinal game. (BRANDON SULLIVAN / MTN Sports)
Dillon basketball fans are used to booking hotels through Sunday morning at the state tournament. The Beavers have played in four consecutive state title games, winning the past two, each against Billings Central. Fans in Beaverhead County are already talking about a fifth straight Saturday night appearance, but this season’s program has big shoes to fill.
“Obviously we lost a great group of kids to graduation with Troy (Andersen), R.J. Fitzgerald and Tanner Haverfield,” said Dillon assistant Jeff Edwards, who was filling in for head coach Terry Thomas, who was unavailable. “We pretty much lost six of our top seven players. We return Michael Haverfield, who has put a tremendous amount of work in. We have a great group of seniors coming in that work really hard and are good individuals, and I’m excited to watch them play and get the opportunity to show their talents.”
Andersen, who recently was named Big Sky Conference football freshman of the year, and the elder Haverfield, who is a freshman at Montana Western, willed Dillon to the title game last March. Andersen scored 44 points in three games, while Haverfield poured in 59, including a 26-point performance in the 59-45 win over Billings Central in the finale.
That scoring, along with the contributions from Fitzgerald, will be missed by the Beavers this winter. But Michael Haverfield, now a junior, added to his already-polished game in the summer months, giving Dillon a go-to guy on the offensive end.
“Michael has done a tremendous job in the offseason working on his game,” said Edwards. “I feel like he’s going to have a really solid year, but I think everyone will do their best to fill the roles that are left. I’m excited to see what they can do, and all of the hard work they put in this offseason will hopefully pay off.”
Dillon’s roster is filled with capable athletes – senior Clay Alison is listed at 6-foot-9; Andrew Lemiuex, Coby King, Jake Ferris and Anders Westman each enter their senior campaigns; and the program consistently reloads more than it rebuilds. Capturing another undefeated season is certainly a daunting task, but once the competition starts, carrying on the tradition kicks in.
“I’m excited to see, we have a lot of new kids playing their first varsity basketball. I want to see how they compete once the ball is tipped,” Edwards said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun to see some new faces and see them compete at a very high level and to play against other opponents rather than practicing against yourselves, that’s always fun.”
While Dillon seeks to find its identity early in the season, Billings Central appears in prime position to make another state championship appearance. Coach Jim Stergar returns one of the state’s most prolific athletes in Chrishon Dixon. Entering only his junior season, Dixon will set the tone for the Rams this season after averaging around 12 points and six rebounds per game as a sophomore.
“Chrishon is a great athlete,” said Stergar. “He did a lot of his scoring inside last season because he is so quick, but if he continues to improve his 3-point shooting he will be a challenge to defend.”
Stergar and Central will look to replace the likes of Peyton Hanser, Jet Campbell and Shay Dantic, each of whom contributed throughout last season. But the Rams’ coach points to senior guard Isaac Meyer as an athlete to keep an eye on this year. He says a familiar name also joined the program this winter.
“Liam Clancy is a name everyone knows from the golf season,” Stergar said about the Class A state champion and future University of Wyoming golfer. “He didn’t go out (for basketball) last year, but he’s here this year and we’re hoping he can step right in.”
Polson edged Belgrade in last year’s consolation game at the state tournament, but each team has its own holes to fill this year. The Pirates lost seniors Tanner Wilson and Matthew Rensvold, while the Panthers return senior Dawson Fowler to the fold. Fowler will be relied on more heavily this season after Brock Salsbury graduated last spring.
Stergar said Class A offers a bevy of individual talent for fans to follow this season. He was particularly keen of Hardin’s Famous Lefthand and says Lewistown’s combo of Jaden Graham and Tanner Trafton will be a handful each night.
Stergar also expects Pat Hansen and Laurel to make a push in the Eastern A.
Columbia Falls, which last month won the program’s first State A football title, goes head-to-head with Dillon in the first game of the season next weekend. Hamilton, which finished runner-up in that football finale, returns eight players from the state tournament team last season. Carter Kearns and Hunter Omlid were all-state selections, but the Broncs lack the size of some Class A teams, leaving Travis Blome seeking rebounding help on each end of the floor.
Young Hardin squad looking to surprise teams in Class A this year
FAMOUS LEFTHAND (BRONTE WITTPENN PHOTO)
BILLINGS — Anyone watching the Hardin Bulldogs boys basketball team on Thursday would've thought to themselves, "Wow, this team is quick and athletic."
Then, they would glance at the roster and think, "Wow, this team is not only that, but they're incredibly young as well. Their ceiling might be sky-high."
Well, Hardin coach Andrew Round Face feels the same way.
The season is early, but Hardin flashed what could earn it success to come on Thursday at the All-American Indian Shootout at Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark. The Bulldogs defeated Class B Poplar 87-49, running all over the court, attacking the basket and knocking down 3's almost tirelessly in a group effort.
Hardin faced plenty of questions coming into this season for two reasons: their youth and the loss of all-state do-everything star Darnell Lefthand. Lefthand was a two-time all-state selection for the Bulldogs.
"Losing Darnell, it was tough. I was kind of wondering how we would respond," Round Face said after the game. "He had really big shoes to fill. Most of these guys played together over the summer and we did pretty good. I was kind of excited to see what it would turn into once we actually got a chance to get everyone in the gym and work with everybody.
"To get in there and get everything rolling and then seeing everybody excited to take it as a challenge to try to replace Darnell. He does things nobody else can do and I'm not asking these guys to be exactly like Darnell because you can't do that. But we have a really surprising and good sophomore class and they're really fun to watch."
On Thursday, Hardin started three sophomores, including Darnell's younger brother, Famous. Famous Lefthand started for the Bulldogs as a freshman, but was running the show at will from the guard position against Poplar. Fellow sophomores Cayden Redfield and Trae Hugs joined Lefthand in the starting lineup, as well as seniors David Evans and Codi Small.
"He's been in the weight room a lot and he's really been eating a lot better now and taking care of himself," Round Face said about Lefthand. "These other boys are starting to follow him now because they've seen what his results are now over a summer. He's toned up his muscles and he's been working so hard to be better. Now he's getting the full spotlight."
Lefthand finished with 23 points, attacking with ease and using an improved and smooth jumper to knock down shots. Hugs added 17 and Evans scored 12. Evans and Lefthand are the team's returning starters from a year ago, a team that competed in the Class A state tournament. Evans was second-team all-conference last year as Hardin's bruiser down low with post scoring and cleaning up the glass. Evans flew under the radar of many last year, but like Darnell Lefthand, was consistently a double-double guy for the Bulldogs.
"Darnell had everything last year and David just kind of fed off of him," Round Face said. "Now it's his responsibility to take care of the paint for us. He's learning and has really stepped up as a vocal leader for us. He's just one of those people that wants to talk to everybody. He's coming in and taking care of business."
Redfield, who scored eight points, was primed to get more minutes last year as a freshman, but a freak injury at the Central/Eastern A Divisional basketball tournament resulting in a broken arm halted that postseason plan. Round Face said Redfield has returned completely healthy, and the lefty looked smooth on Thursday.
"He can open up everything for us," Round Face said. "He can drive it. He has the ability to get up and dunk it and he still has the outside shot. He has so many dimensions to his game."
And for the group as a whole, they couldn't earn enough praise from their third-year head coach.
"They follow everything that I say and that's one thing I think Darnell instilled in everybody before he left was we're going to have to do it our way," Round Face said. "It's been crazy. It was really surprising to me as well when I started getting into practice and started working on everything. You lose Darnell and a couple other seniors and that was our main focus of our team last year and now I have eight guys that I can throw in there at different points of the game. It's kind of funny. I don't know where it came from."
And if everything gels together, watch out for the Hardin Bulldogs not just for this year, but the foreseeable future.
"I'm really excited to see what we could do and where we're going to fit in at," Round Face said. "I think we kind of got written off because we lost Darnell and Darnell was our main person ... So we kind of got written off but I'm kind of glad we did. That gives us more motivation to surprise everybody."
Coach Round Face prepares Hardin young team for boys’ basketball season
By Gary Rood / Big Horn County News
Andrew Round Face, head coach for the Hardin Bulldog boys’ basketball team, is excited for their upcoming season. With the majority of his team standing over 6-foot-1 – and with eight returning players from last year’s team, including two starters – he thinks they’re off to a good start.
The team began the year with more than 78 potential players out, so he was forced to cut some – the current team stands at 34 players.
“It’s really tough [to choose]” he said. “It’s the part of the job I hate the most…everybody wants to play and be part of a winning program.”
Due to a loss of players from last year, Round Face’s current team consists largely of sophomores but, according to Round Face, he isn’t worried. A younger team, he said, allows the Bulldogs more time to grow.
Round Face said the main thing he wants is for his team to fit together. He believes this cohesion has been helped because the team have been playing and practicing together in basketball camps all summer. These excursions included tournaments branching as far away as North Dakota.
“Most of the varsity players are the ones that came in this summer and work on their own game. They work on their shooting, their dribbling, everything,” he said as his players ran drills nearby.
For his final point, Round Face wanted to stress how important not just grades were to the team, but also school attendance. He said his main goal is to get the players moved on from the school to college, whether it be a four year or a two year program.
“I want them to see there is a bigger world outside of Hardin,” he said, “I’d rather have all the kids in there playing all the time instead of having them sit at home not able to play because of grades.”
FERGUS LOOKING FOR SUCCESSFUL RUN INTO MARCH
By:
Lewistown News Sports Editor
The year 2018 could be the year for the Golden Eagle boys’ basketball team. After completing a winning season in 2017, Coach Scott Sparks is very optimistic about this year’s 2018 team.
Sparks, who is in his 16th year as a head basketball coach, has four seniors on a team that came within two points of making it to the Class A State Tournament last season. The four seniors are Andrew Lalum, Noah Agostinelli, Landon Henderson and Cody Henderson. Add to the team four juniors who saw extensive playing time on the varsity last year and the recipe could be a very strong Golden Eagle team. The four juniors include all-conference performers Jaden Graham and Tanner Trafton, along with Wes Jameson and Jake Clinton.
“We have good size on the wings and three strong senior guards to run the offense,” said Sparks. “If we can stay healthy, I think this team has a chance to be really good and make a deep run in March.
“With the Central A conference down to only four teams, it feels like I’m back in the last year of the old 7C,” added Sparks. “We will only play six conference games all season long, so each one is extremely important.”
According to Sparks, Park (Livingston) returns a pile of talent and should be strong. Sparks said Belgrade’s Dawson Fowler is one of the best players in the league, but the Panthers did graduate a ton of talent. Sparks looks for Havre to be down this year, but they will continue to be competitive, even so.
Because the Golden Eagles have only six conference games, they will be playing a number of teams from the Eastern A Conference, including Dawson County (Glendive), Sidney, Billings Central and Custer County. Fergus will again be competing in what is now known as the Eastern A Division come tournament time. The four teams in the Central Conference, along with the six teams from the East, will compete at the Eastern A Divisional Tournament in Billings in February. The top four boys’ teams from the divisional tournament will advance to the Class A State Tournament in Bozeman.
The Fergus boys’ team opens its season on the road this year. On Friday, Dec. 8, the Eagles will play Dawson County in Glendive. On the following day, Saturday, Dec. 9, the team will play in Sidney.
The boys’ home opener is Saturday, Dec. 16, against Huntley Project.
Sparks’ assistant coaches are Derek Lear, Orin Johnson, Jimmy Graham and Kyle Trafton.
CENTRAL A
Belgrade Panthers
Starters returning: Dawson Fowler, All-State and First Team All Conference
Coach says: "Dawson Fowler is one of the best players in Montana and this will be his fourth year playing varsity basketball. We lost four senior starters from last year's successful team who played a majority of the minutes in each game. We will be using the early games to determine chemistry and what our identity will be. The current team is unproven and lack varsity experience. They are very coachable, competitive, athletic, and are working extremely hard."
Etc: Belgrade won the Central A regular-season title and lost in the fourth-place game to Polson in the Class A state tournament. ... Deming is 103-75 in eighth seasons with Belgrade.
Lewistown Golden Eagles
Starters returning: Jaden Graham, Jr; Tanner Trafton, Jr; Andrew Lalum, Sr.
Other key players: Noah Agostinelli, Sr; Landon Henderson, Sr; Jake Clinton Jr; Wes Jameson, Jr; Cody Henderson,Sr.
Coach says: "For strengths we have great size and athleticism. We have strong senior guards. We are returning 8 players with a ton of varsity experience. Our weaknesses are that we are not very physical. I think we have two of the best juniors in the state in Jaden Graham and Tanner Trafton. Both had a great summer with Idaho Select, and have worked hard this off-season to get better. We have 8 kids that can really play and depth at all spots."
Etc: Graham was a All-State selection last season as well as being first team All-Conference....Trafton was a All-Conference selection....Lalum is a three year starter.
NORTHWEST A
Browning Indians
Starters returning: Brandon Aims Back, Tyree Whitcomb
Other key players: Ames Gilham,Sr; Nano Stiffarm, Sr; Tyree Whitcomb, Jr. Ethan Running Crane, Jr.
Coach says: "We have a strong foundation to build around having two returning front court starters (Brandon Aims Back Sr., 11.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg & Tyree Whitcomb Jr. 10.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg). We have talent throughout the program and a core group that is dedicated, determined, and focused. Browning has a strong boys basketball tradition and we are excited about continuing that trend this upcoming season. We look forward to being part of what will be a very competitive conference (Northwest A) and are working hard to become a top team in the State as well."
Etc: Brandon Aims was a 1st team all-conference selection, Nano Stiffarm is a transfer from Billings Senior....
SOUTHWEST A
Dillon Beavers
Starters returning: Michael Haverfield, Jr;
Other key players: Andrew Lemieux, Sr; Clay Allison, Sr; Coby King, Sr; Jake Ferris, Sr.
Coach says: "Good overall team quickness, athleticism, and ability to run the floor on both ends."
Etc: The Beavers were state champions last year going undefeated..... This is Coach Thomas's 13th year as head coach.....Michael Haverfield was 2nd team All-Conference last season.
EASTERN A
Billings Central Rams
Starters returning: Chrishon Dixon, Jr, PG, returning all-state
Other key players: Isaac Meyer, Sr; Jae Hugs, Sr; Sam Gray, Jr; Joe Byorth, Jr
Coach says: “We lost six seniors and leadership. We’ll be young and a team in progress looking to peak and be healthy at the right time again this year.”
Etc. This is Stergar's 6th season at Billings Central and 20th overall as a head high school basketball coach in Montana. In that time, Stergar has compiled a 258-170 record as a head coach ... The Rams have played in back-to-back state championship games, finishing second both times, and have been runners-up three out of the last five seasons.
Glendive Red Devils
Starters returning: Stephen Steinbron, Honorable Mention All Conference; Robby Keiser
Other key players: Lane Walker, Jonny Egan, Logan Boner, David Skerritt, Logan Boner
Coach says: "We are fairly inexperienced, but have some kids who work hard and are fun to coach."
Hardin Buldogs
Head coach: Andrew Round Face
Key Players: David Evans, Sr, PF/C, Famous Lefthand, So, G/SG; Codi Small, Sr, G; Konnolly Shane, Sr, C; Malik Toure, Sr, C; Andrew House, Jr, F.
Coach says: "Our team strength will be our size and quickness. They work so hard and all understand what it's going to take to get back up to the top again."
Etc: David Evans was 2nd team All-Conference last season....Cayden Redfield is coming back after suffering an unreal accident last season during the divisional tournament that kept him from showing his talent.
Miles City Cowboys
Starters returning: Gabe Gundlach, Sr, Kaden Stradley, Jr, Steven Ray, Jr.
Other key players: Clay Prell, Jr, Cameron Muri, Jr.
Coach says: "We will be young but our guys work hard and should improve greatly throughout the season. Our group of juniors saw a good amount of varsity time last year and understand what it takes to compete in the Eastern A."
Etc: This is coach Finn's 7th year as head coach.
