Mission Mountain mascot mayhem 2016:
Rendezvous with another rendition of that rambunctious rez roundball rivalry wrangle
by John Heglie
Polson basketball teams travel to Ronan this upcoming Tuesday, February 2, for their annual cross county clash on the hardcourt. Rivalry games tend to level the playing field irrespective of which team comes into the contest with stronger credentials. This 2016 rendition will be played in the Ronan Events Center, where visitors are advised to exercise care when entering this domain. Emblazoned into the floor of the court and stenciled onto a hanging banner is an innocuous greeting of perceived hospitality that conveys an underlying double entendre: Welcome to “R” House.
The initial “welcome” portion of the greeting seems straightforward enough. We’re glad you’re here. But warm and fuzzy feelings merit being tempered to some extent. No red carpet that is going to be rolled out such as done for celebrities attending Academy Awards. The sea of colors in the stands are laden with orange & black hues. Orange may convey a measure of warmth, but it is tempered with black, a color associated more with the ominous and foreboding.
The subsequent “house” portion of the greeting conveys a sense of hospitality and security. But visitors are advised to not get too comfortable without taking into account the qualifying term denoting whose house this abode belongs to. This place is designated “R” House. The latitude accorded to the visitor on their home court doesn’t necessarily apply here. The guidelines under which this house is governed are Ronan rules. The host team expects to be accorded a certain amount of respect. The Chiefs and Maidens are intent upon giving their visitors a game by which they will be remembered. They want you to recall such visits to “R” House. For all intensive purposes, the “R” denotes their resourcefulness that could reconfigure any game under their ceiling into roof of reckoning, residence of reciprocity or rendezvous with repercussions. Rivalry wrangles run the risk of reverberating with retribution, reprisal or revenge. “Welcome to R House.”
BOYS RIVALRY WRANGLE – Tuesday, February 2nd, 5:30 pm
Calculating the caliber of Chiefs
The host Chiefs feature a 6-5 record excluding the outcome of games with Loyola and Libby prior to playing Polson, having averaged 55 points per game at this juncture. One of the strengths of the Chiefs this season is a balanced spread-the-wealth offense. Thus far, a pair of their more potent point producers have been the Misa brothers.
Football all-state, all conference junior 6-4 forward Aaron Misa has turned in a quintet of double figure scoring outings to give him card carrying century club credentials on the season that include a pair of double-doubles. He has been the leading rebounder for the team at this juncture who will have surpassed the varsity career century club rebounding threshold by the time of tipoff as well as surpassed the double century (200) varsity career scoring threshold.
Football all-conference (2nd-tm WR,K) and track all-conference (long relay) sophomore 5-10 guard Zeke Misa has been the most prolific scorer to date with an octet of double figure scoring outings that include a trio in the 20s accompanied by a career high 33. He is slated to have surpassed the 200 point scoring threshold on the season by the time of tipoff, has dished out more than 50 assists as well as has been the most prolific purloiner of prized possessions with steals.
The Chiefs have a pair of seasoned seniors among their roster in 6-1 center Ethan Blevins and 5-9 guard Ty James. A lineman during football season, Blevins tends to be assigned roles when bodily presence is called upon to clog lanes when a given opponent is taking too many liberties around the paint. James transferred from Polson two season ago and has crested the century plateau for seasonal scoring the past pair of seasons among the junior varsity, where he turned in ten double figure scoring outings that included a career high 22. His varsity contributions last season were more of a supplemental role which has been greatly expanded this season.
Further junior contributors include football all-conference (2nd-tm LB 2014) 6-0 forward Kasey Mock, track thrice all-conference (800,1600,3200) 5-10 guard Jackson Duffey and 6-1 forward Elijah Cahoon. Mock surpassed the century mark for scoring in both seasons among the developmental squads and has turned in a quartet of double figures scoring outings this season which include knocking at the door of a double-double in a recent contest. Duffey likewise surpassed the century mark for scoring in two seasons among the developmental squads and tends to be among the array of Ronan sharp shooters from beyond the arc. He turned in one double figure scoring outing earlier in the season. Cahoon has turned in a pair of double figure scoring outings this season and is on pace to crest the century plateau for season scoring before the postseason commences.
A trio of sensational sophomores include 5-10 guard Perry Panzetanga, 6-1 forward Isaiah ArrowTopKnot and 5-7 guard Nathan Dennis. Panzetanga has generated two double figure scoring outings this season and is anticipated to surpass the century demarcation for season scoring toward the close of the season. ArrowTopKnot was the leading scorer among the froshmore team last season with ten double figure scoring outings that included a pair in the 20s. Dennis surpassed the century threshold in scoring last season among the froshmore squad and his quickness can create havoc for opposing ball handlers.
Reserve freshman 6-1 forward Anthony Camel has been emerging as a more influential factor in his supplemental capacity in relief of others, where he has flirted within reach of a pair of double digit scoring outings thus far this season as well as improved as a rebounding asset.
Ronan’s most impressive win thus far has been the dispatch of Class A Frenchtown during the Tip-Off tournament despite having to contend against their substantial height advantage that included countering 6-8 Austin Means and 6-5 Andrew King.
Pondering Pirate potential
The 2015-16 rendition of the Polson Pirates enter the rivalry wrangle with a 7-3 record averaging over 60 points per game at this juncture, their trio of losses coming in close games against AA Kalispell opponents and a buzzer beating nail biter against frequent state contender Dillon. The Pirates feature a quartet of seasoned seniors in 6-3 forward/post Wyatt Ducharme, 6-3 forward Hudson Smith (FB off: all-state, all-conf 1st-tm WR 15; FB def: all-conf hm CB 13), all-conference honorable mention 5-10 guard Payton Lefthand and all-metro (Peninsula/South Bay hm), twice all-league (SCVAL-EC co-mvp 13-14, hm 12-13) Northern California transfer 6-3 guard Julian Jones (FB def: all-league SCVAL-DA OL 2014).
After missing last season due to a leg injury, the supplemental reserve role of Hudson Smith tends to create matchup problems for opponents since he plays with the level of intensity of a player making up for time sidelined. At this juncture, Smith is on the verge of cresting the century plateau for both career scoring as well as rebounding.
Ducharme recently turned in a new varsity career high in the teens and has been the second leading rebounder for the Pirates, ranked third among the NWA conference elite. He is on pace for a seasonal century club triple-double in both scoring as well as rebounding.
Lefthand is one of the playmakers for the Pirates, ranked among the top ten elite of the NWA conference hierarchy for triples, deuces, combined shooting percentage, free-throws, total points, steals and assists. He is working on his second hundred set of points for the season while knocking at the door of his varsity career three hundredth.
Jones leads the NWA conference for assists per game while stratified among the top ten strata of other stat categories for triples, deuces, combined shooting percentage, free-throws, total points, rebounding and steals. For long time Ronan basketball fans, Jones most closely resembles Moss Tanner in multi-pronged capabilities from this viewer’s estimation. When Jones has the ball in his possession, a defender has to pick their poison as to whether to stick to him close or slack off because Jones can shoot just as well as he can dish it off for an assist.
A quintet of juniors infusing the formidable Pirate arsenal include all-conference (2nd-tm) 6-2 guard/post Tanner Wilson (FB def: all-state, all-conf 1st-tm S; FB 2x all-conf off: 2nd-tm QB 15, hm WR 13), all-conference (1st-tm) 6-4 post Matthew Rensvold (FB all-state, 3x all-conf def: 1st-tm IL 14-15, hm 13; FB off 2x all-conf: 1st-tm SB/TE 15, 2nd-tm SB 14), Ronan transfer 6-4 forward/post Jeremiah North Piegan, 6-1 guard J’von Niemeyer and 6-1 post Kabe Forman-Webster (FB off: all-conf 2nd-tm OT).
Wilson stratifies among the lower eschalon of the NWA conference hierarchy for deuces, combined shooting percentage, total points and dishing out assists. Wilson blends quickness with savvy ball handling skills and is working toward his varsity career 500th point scored.
Rensvold is emerging as beastly among Class A behemoths. He leads the NWA conference hierarchy for deuces, combined shooting percentage, total points and rebounding while also represented among the stratification for blocks, steals and assists. He has scored in double figures in every game he has played thus far this season with a new varsity career high of 31 supplemented by another trio in the 20s. He has turned in a pair of double-doubles thus far this first half of the schedule with another quartet knocking at the door of that threshold a single board shy. His scoring average is just a smidge under 20 points per game and he will be approaching his hundredth rebound of the season when the rivalry wrangle gets underway. He will be approaching his varsity career 700th point when the rivalry wrangle tips off while working toward reeling in his varsity career 400th rebound.
NorthPiegan will be familiar to the Ronan constituency as the Chiefs second leading scorer last season. NorthPiegan has been awaiting the fulfillment of transfer eligibility requirements, so hasn’t seen much varsity court time thus far this season. What can be said is that he has been scoring in double figures platooning with other players in junior varsity contests and has accrued several double-doubles along the way. It will be interesting to see to what extent he recalls some of the sweet spots he liked on the court of his former gym.
A pair of supplemental reserves include Niemeyer and Forman-Webster. Niemeyer has emerged as a top ten presence among the NWA conference elite as a dedicated dispenser of dishes (assists) having turned in a season high half dozen performance in a game during reserve minutes. Niemeyer acquired double century scoring credentials last season, but it is his quickness and speed that wreaks havoc with ball handlers. Forman-Webster was part of the quartet that included Wilson, Rensvold and Niemeyer which went undefeated at the 2013 Spokane 3-on-3 tournament for their age bracket.
A pair of sophomores supplementing the lineup include 6-1 forward/post Shade Main 6-2 forward Haden Smith. Main has shown a penchant for footwork finesse and a soft touch around the basket. He was a triple-double century credential holder for both scoring and rebounding among junior varsity competition last season. Haden Smith led the froshmore team in scoring last season with over 200 points tallied and as a supplemental varsity reserve this season has made contributions in limited action.
The visiting Pirates are loaded this season with enviable depth at multiple positions to the extent that some pundits consider them a viable contender for the Class A crown once the postseason gets underway. But being preferred on paper isn’t the same as being plucky along with persistent when point production is needed during a game. Even goliaths sometimes stumble to the wiles of a dedicated David despite the odds makers. One need look no further than the recently completed AFC championship game in which New England was favored to outperform Denver on account of the multiple weapons at the disposal of their future Hall-of-Famer quarterback. But the team playing in SuperBowl 50 will be the Broncos instead of the Patriots. That being pointed out, there is no sugar coating the task that lies before the Chiefs. They will need to bring out their A game if they want to contend with the likes of their visiting Class A neighbor.
The history between the Chiefs and Pirates has featured both cardiac capers as well as blowouts. Widest scoring margins include Ronan besting Polson by 19 in Dec 2006, while Polson once clobbered the Chiefs 88-50 back in February 2010 when five players scored in double figures that included Kyle Bagnell and Tyler Krell combining for 43.
One of the more memorable games I recall took place at Lindermann Gym in January 2007 when Ronan’s Nolan Harris was seemingly imparted with a special birthday dispensation when he netted 31 points against the Pirates, going 10-15 from the floor that included 8 treys. Ronan won that one handily, but the majority of games tend to fall within the parameters of ten points (Polson over Ronan 54-45 Tu05Jan2010, 46-36 Th12Feb2015), many of those within the scope of a single basket. Examples of these closer matches include Ronan over Polson (47-44 Fr06Feb2009, 29-28 Fr21Dec2012, 55-53 OT Sa03Jan2015), Polson over Ronan (64-62 OT Fr04Jan2008, 50-48 Fr09Jan2009).
It is these arrhythmia amplifer types of contests that more closely reflect many of the qualities of a genuine rivalry that bring two opposing teams into parity with one another despite perceived levels of disparity between talent levels or depth of bench strength. These games by rule of thumb are decided by points produced, not by the prognostications of postulating pundits. For these reasons among others, players representing each team hold court on the hardwood while witnesses in the stands weigh the evidence presented by each side. Each opposing team presents their best offensive arguments and defensive strategies for inspection in an effort to bring about that rendering of a favorable verdict. Court is now in session. Let’s play some ball!
The NWA Pirates vs. 6B Chiefs game commences at 5:30pm on Tuesday, February 2.
GIRLS RIVALRY RENDEZVOUS – Tuesday, February 2 at 7:00pm
Point production paramount for a plucky performance
Polson enters the rivalry wrangle with a 3-8 record averaging 31.8 points per game pending the result from their contest against Frenchtown. Their trio of wins encompass laudable victories over SWA contender Dillon, former NWA now 7B contender Libby and most recently SWA Stevensville. The point tally from one of their Bitterroot loses would have been sufficient to have won half their games last season. Another quartet of loses have been to a pair of Western AA contending Kalispell teams, defending State A champion Hamilton and multiple season NWA Divisional champion Columbia Falls, the latter which one Tip-Off radio commentator thought could contend with much of the competition at the collegiate NAIA level. So although their record is less than stellar, it merits being viewed in this context because the caliber of much of their competition thus far has been brutal. A more palatable schedule might have yielded a much rosier record at a similar midway juncture of the schedule.
The Lady Pirates have a quartet of seniors guiding the helm of their galleon as it sails into the risky reservoir of Ronan for this rivalry wrangle that include 5-11 post Nichole Lake, 5-7 post Erin Sampson, 5-5 guard Marlee Congdon and 5-4 guard Brenna Clarke.
Twice all-conference (14-15 2nd-tm, 13-14 hm) Lake is coming off a recent career high scoring performance having turned in 19 double figure scoring outings, raked in double digit boards on eight occasions while posting a half dozen double-doubles with a career high of 20 thus far. Lake has upper eschalon representation among the rungs of the NWA conference statistical ladder for deuces, combined shooting percentage, total points as well as steals while leading the conference in the category of rebounding.
Softball 14U ASA 2011 state champion as well as track and field all-conference throws (jav 3rd, shot 4th) Sampson was a seasonal century club rebounder last season who is anticipated to emerge as a more influential factor the second half of the schedule.
Tennis twice all-conference (2015 singles, 2014 doubles) Congdon is represented among the upper strata of the NWA conference top ten for triple conversion. She played a timely role in hitting a trio of treys in succession that paved the way for their second win of the season. The Lady Pirates are anticipating she reacquires some of her sharpshooter targeting touch to help bolster scoring for the team.
Soccer all-state, twice all-conference (Northern A 1st-tm 2015, Far West 2nd-tm 2012) Clarke is featured among a trio of statistical categories of the top ten of the NWA conference elite for free-throw shooting, pilfering of steals and the dishing of assists.
A trio of junior contributors infusing the roster include 5-9 guard Lauren Lefthand, 5-8 wing MaKenna Weltz and 6-0 post Mollie Fisher. Lefthand is featured among various strata of a half dozen categories of the top ten of the NWA conference for triples, deuces, combined shooting percentage, total points, blocks and steals. All-conference (NE 1B N hm) Weltz and Fisher both share representation among the NWA conference elite for blocking shots and have collaborated on multiple dozen rebounds.
Other supplemental reserve contributors include junior Ronan transfer 5-4 guard Jordan Bush, junior 5-6 wing Mikayla Croft and a trio of sophomores that include softball all-conference (2nd-tm if) 5-9 guard Kaelyn Smith, cross-country all-conference (2014) 5-7 wing Quinn Motichka and 5-4 guard Kyler Lundeen. The further availability of junior 5-8 wing Haley Fyant remains in a holding pattern awaiting the resolution of unsolicited developments that have sidelined her for the time being. This supplemental group have contributed over two dozen points to Pirate scoring coffers in relief of starters.
Measuring the mettle of Maidens
By contrast, the 6B Maidens enter the rivalry wrangle with a nine game winning streak with a 9-2 record pending results from contests against both Loyola and Libby prior to the Polson matchup. The team has been averaging just north of 60 points per game with a quartet of games stretching into the 70s against less experienced competition.
The current mix of Maidens feature a trio of seniors that include 5-3 guard Jordyn Clairmont, 6-0 post Ashley Peterson and 5-6 wing/post Siliye Pete. This trio has collaborated on close to a hundred points as well as rebounds to the team coffers at this juncture of the schedule. Starting guard Clairmont is closing in on her varsity career 200th point, has already acquired card carrying century club credentials for career thefts of prized basketball possessions and is closing in on cresting the century plateau for both career assists as well as rebounds.
Spearheading the lion’s share of Maiden scoring are a pair of juniors and a sophomore. The pair of prodigies in question also happen to be cousins, 5-8 wing/post Lee Camel and 5-10 post Alicia Camel. Both have surpassed the varsity career 600 threshold. Lee has been averaging just under 20 points per game, while Alicia is just over 16 points per game. Both have collaborated on over a hundred rebounds at this juncture. The differentiating factor between their scoring styles can be traced to Lee’s penchant for picking up bonus points with triples when dialing the operator long distance from beyond the arc, while cousin Alicia gravitates more toward what could be euphemistically described as artistic penchant revolving around the medium of paint, namely the delivery of deuces down under the rim. When their seasonal scoring totals of this pair are stratified among the top scorers throughout the state among Class A competition, both Camel cousins would fall within the top ten among the entire state.
Contributing further calamity for defenders along with the Camel cousins is sophomore 5-4 wing Micalann McCrea, who has already surpassed the varsity career 300 scoring demarcation as she closes in on her seasonal 200th point. McCrea is on pace to crest the century plateau for seasonal rebounding. Her dozen point per game average would place her within proximity of the tenth highest scoring player(s) among Class A competition. McCrea was a multi-time winner of Punt, Pass & Kick competitions at area, state as well as regional levels for her age group prior to her freshman season, which may partially explain her apptitude for hitting targets with accuracy.
Supplemental reserves among the roster who play a crucial role in relief of starters include junior 5-1 wing Sadie Wirz, freshman 5-5 wing/point Louetta Conko-Camel, sophomore 5-4 wing/posts Jaelynn Askan anlong with Gabby Houle, freshman 5-3 wing Tiana Ulutoa and sophomore 5-2 wing/point Gabby Wirz. These half dozen reserves have collaborated to contribute over five dozen points in scoring, a laudable asset for bench productivity.
The Maidens and Lady Pirates have faced a pair of common opponents thus far this season in Libby and Frenchtown. Against Libby, the Maidens lost 51-47, while the Lady Pirates won 44-32. Against Frenchtown, the Maidens lost 54-38 and the Lady Pirates lost their first encounter 41-24 by a similar margin. The outcome of the second Polson skirmish with Frenchtown is pending the outcome of the game the weekend before the rivalry wrangle. A Ronan qualifier is that both those games were very early in their schedule and they haven’t lost since. The Maidens have won the past quartet of skirmishes (54-37 Th12Feb2015, 49-32 Sa03Jan2015, 41-30 Fr03Jan2014, 36-32 Fr21Dec2012, 32-31 Tu23Jan2007) while the Lady Pirates held an eleven game streak before then (43-10 Tu24Jan2012, 56-24 Sa26Feb2011, 49-14 Fr04Feb2011, 69-44 Fr07Jan2011, 50-32 Sa20Feb2010, 51-26 Tu05Jan2010, 52-46 Fr06Feb2009, 47-38 Fr09Jan2009, 54-37 Th21Feb2008, 54-43 Fr01Feb2008, 58-32 Tu08Jan2008, 52-33 Th21Dec2006)
It doesn’t take a mathematical wizard to discern that the team averaging in the vicinity of three dozen is going to have their hands full contending against a team averaging in the vicinity of the five dozen range. For the visiting Lady Pirates to give themselves a fighting chance will require some adjustments at the very least. Defensively, they are going to have to contain some Camels in an effort to dilute the waters of the Maiden’s potent offense. It is inadvisable to allow the Maidens to approach a semblance of comfortableness on their own home court or matters could get out of hand in a hurry.
Offensively, the Lady Pirates are going to have to play one of their better games of the season by climbing past calendar numbers. To make a game of this roundball wrangle, the trick for Polson is fairly straightforward – maximize opportunities. If they can optimize ball possessions coupled with refinements to their shooting touch, what will follow will be a higher percentage of shots that swish through the net instead of clanking off the rim or bouncing off the backboard.
In a historical context related blast from the past that may be of interest to viewers, a trio of players on the court facing one another in the girls rivalry wrangle game actually played together as part of the DESERT HORSE STARS at the 2012 Flathead Lake 3-on-3 tournament as they competed in the grade 7-8 bracket. Their roster was comprised of current Maidens Lee Camel along with cousin Alicia Camel and present Lady Pirate guard Lauren Lefthand without the typical rotating fourth player to relieve the others. During the course of the first day of competition, the DESERT HORSE STARS were bumped into the consolation bracket by a loss. Despite no substitute available and competing on blacktop in blistering hot heat, the Camel cousins along with Lefthand battled their way through the backwaters of the consolation bracket into the championship, where they would face a team called the KALISPELL BREAKERS. The DESERT HORSE STARS were able to prevail in the first championship 21-20 when Alicia Camel converted a clutch free throw to force a second championship game, the latter from which they emerged as tournament champions by the score of 9-6.
Comprising the roster of the then BREAKERS were current Western AA Kalispell Glacier Lady Wolfpack varsity players Nikki Krueger (VB all-conf 2nd-tm; T&F all-state shot, disc) as well as Zoe Boschee along with Chloe Hensley and McKenna Hulslander. Hensley was part of the sophomore squad last season who was anticipated to round out the JV/Varsity roster this season, but was sidelined on account of a knee injury. Hulslander’s shift in athletic focus has her competing on the Glacier golf team in the Fall and during the winter as starting goalie for the North America junior girls hockey circuit 14th-ranked St. Louis 19U Lady Blues (“Goals in Mind,“ Flathead Beacon, 14Jan2016).
The girls contest is scheduled for 7:00 on Tuesday evening, February 2.
