14
2018-2019
December 2018
WINTER SPORTS
2018-2019
www.havredailynews.com
www.havredailynews.com
WINTER SPORTS
December 2018
T-Birds look to make a 9C comeback Beeters plan to be Big things in store Chris Peterson Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com
The Hays-Lodge Pole boys basketball team was just a few points away from advancing to the Northern C Divisional tournament once again last season, instead they got fourth and they have had an entire offseason to think about it. And now, as the Thunderbirds get set to begin the 2018-19 season, head coach Derrick Shambo has confidence in his team, despite the loss of some key players such as All-Conference standout Chance Main. “I think that people are sleeping on us a little bit,” Shambo said. “We have some talent and some good athletes. Another thing that we have is some depth. We didn’t really have that last year and we couldn’t really get up and down and press like we wanted to. I think that we have a good chance to beat the No. 2 team right there behind Chinook.” Over the last few seasons, Shambo has helped take the T-Birds on a couple of deep postseason runs. Two years ago, HLP won the Northern C championship and eventually finished fourth at the Class C state tournament. Shambo also helped HLP reach divisionals in his first year as the head coach back in 201516. One thing he has been unable to capture is a District 9C championship. And while it may prove difficult to win that this season, Shambo said his team has a good chance of getting back to divisionals.
“I think that after Chinook, there are a lot of teams that are going to have a chance,” Shambo said. “Chinook is going to be really tough and they will be the team to beat. But after that, I think we have a chance to be right there.” One thing that will help HLP will be the addition of two transfers from Harlem, Desmond Shambo and Frank Young Jr. Both players played for the Wildcats last season as juniors and will play key minutes for the T-Birds this season. Gilbert Snow is another name to watch this season for HLP, along with Jeremy Pretty Paint, Ken Black Crow and Jeffrey Stiffarm. “We lost a lot of seniors from last year’s team,” Shambo said. “But we had some additions come in and so we are going to have a lot of seniors again. We are going to have a lot of speed, but we aren’t going to have much height.” When it comes to the 9C, the T-Birds, who finished with the third-best record a season ago in the regular season, should be near the top of the standings when the season is all said and done. Yet, they will be joining a large group of other schools, including North Star, Chester-Joplin-Inverness, Turner, Big Sandy and Box Elder that will all be fighting it out for a spot in the top three by season’s end. “Fort Benton has a lot of returning players,” Shambo said, “But I would go as far as putting us second right up there with them. They are going to be tough and I think Box Elder will be right there too. It’s going to be tough but I think we are that good.”
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back in the 9C mix for the Chinook boys George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Jeffrey Stiffarm and the Hays-Lodge Pole boys basketball team look to get back into the mix for a 9C championship this season, the Thunderbirds have the talent to do just that.
HLP girls striving for improvement George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com
It’s been a long time since the Hays-Lodge Pole Thunderbirds contended in the District 9C girls basketball race. Part of it is because the T-Birds have been low on numbers and have been young every year. The other part is that during the same stretch, the 9C has become the toughest district in all of Class C girls basketball. Unfortunately for HLP, that trend will likely continue this season. HLP does return several key players from a team which showed improvement a year ago. Those returners include Nature Andrew, Ella Messerly and Latasha Kirkdaldie. However, HLP will also once again have to contend with a 9C that might be deeper and tougher than it’s ever been. Box Elder returns as the defending Class C state champion, Fort Benton is the defending 9C champion, and Turner won two games at the Northern C a year ago. Add to that Chinook, North Star and CJI should all be strong this season, and it is likely going to be another tough winter for the HLP girls. The 2019 9C tournament runs Feb. 13-16 in Havre. The 2019 Northern C tournament will take place the following week in Great Falls.
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Chinook's Kourtney Hanson drives the ball during a 2018 District 9C tournament game last February in Havre. Chinook didn't finish in the top three at the 9C last year, for the first time in ages, but the Sugarbeeters return for a new season, and they certainly have the talent on their roster to compete for a top spot in the loaded 9C this season.
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson The Hays-Lodge Pole girls have struggled to keep pace with the top teams in the District 9C in recent years. But the T-Birds are always a tough opponent for whomever has to face them.
The Chinook Sugarbeeters know what it takes to compete in the District 9C. After all, Chinook has been at, or near, the top of the 9C for a long, long time now. And while last year, the Beeters saw their run of consecutive Northern C tournament appearances come to an end, don’t expect Chinook to stay down, not with the return of five seniors. “This season we are hoping to be competitive in our very tough 9C district,” Chinook second-year head coach Lesa MacLeod said. “The girls have great work ethic and positive, competitive attitudes. This should help carry us through our more difficult games. We hope to learn and grow every day in practice and to see that translate to the games.” The 9C will be tough again, but Chinook brings back a lot of firepower, led by seniors Megan Molyneaux, Kourtney Hanson, Rachel Gunderson, Ashley MacLeod, and Lincy Johnson. Sophomores Delaney Kellam and Lilly Surber will also be called upon to bolster the Chinook roster this season. But Chinook is certainly talented, and athletic, but so, too, is practically the entire 9C. Defending state champion Box Elder looks to be favored again, while Fort Benton is also loaded, as is last year’s 9C Cinderella, Turner. Add in plenty of talent at CJI and North Star, and the 9C is once again the deepest district in all of Class C girls basketball. “The 9C will be extremely competitive this season,” MacLeod said. “I look for Box Elder to once again be a leader in our league with tough players like Lilian Gopher and Joelnell Momberg returning for the Bears. The Fort Benton Longhorns will return most of their players from last years Divisional team. This will make them a tough matchup once again. I also expect Turner to have another successful season as they return all of their players from last year.” All of the 9C will once again meet in Havre, when the 2019 9C Tournament will be held Feb. 13-16 at the HHS gymnasium.
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Cord Schneider, left, and the Chinook Sugarbeeters are the defending District 9C boys champions, and with so much returning talent, the Beeters could very well be one of the top teams in all of Class C this winter.
Chris Peterson Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com Pressure is a pretty regular thing in sports. Athletes and coaches have to deal with it all the time. Yet, when it comes to local high school boys basketball, maybe no team is feeling the pressure more than the Chinook Sugarbeeters. That’s because after reaching the semifinals at the Northern C Divisional tournament two years in a row, Chinook looks like one of the favorites, not only in the District 9C but in the Northern C Division and maybe even the state. “Our goals right now include just trying to get better each day,” Chinook head coach Mike Seymour said. “We are going to try and get better with every practice and every game and that’s our focus. We have big goals down the road but we have to stay focused on what we can control right now and that’s the next game or the next practice.” Of course, the Beeters are going to try and focus on what is right in front of them, however, that won’t stop others from speculating about just how good this team can become. One thing that makes Chinook so good is its size. Chinook has three players that stand 6-foot-4 or taller, which is rare in Class C basketball and two of them, Isaac Bell and Cord Schneider, were All-State players a season ago. Both Bell and Schneider are seniors and each offers something different. Bell is one of the top shooters in the 9C and was among the conference leaders in points last season. Schneider is also a dynamic offensive player. Yet,
he does more of his work inside. He is also very effective on the glass. Bell and Schneider may be the stars for Chinook, but they are far from the only pieces. Brenden Edwards, another All-Conference player is another key player from Chinook. Edwards is a force inside just like Schneider but he also has the ability to knock down a jumper. On top of that, Chinook has four other players who played heavy minutes a season ago in Trajan Hannum, James Christensen, Riley Kellam and Hunter Neibauer. “Our team has a lot of enthusiasm,” Seymour said. “Our seniors have shown some great leadership and I think we all know what is at stake with this group. We are goal oriented and we have been focusing on team defense and everyone guarding the basketball. I felt like defense was one of our weaknesses last year so that is something we will continue to focus on.” Chinook certainly appears to be the team to beat in the 9C, yet there will be some challenges. Fort Benton is one team that should be able to give Chinook a run for its money. The Longhorns have their own All-State standout in Garrett Diekhans and his size inside can help offset the Beeters’ advantage. Outside of Fort Benton, which made divisionals a season ago, other teams like North Star, Hays-Lodge Pole, Box Elder and Turner will all try to challenge the Beeters at the top. “I think our league is going to be very difficult again,” Seymour said. “It’s always a challenge from top to bottom. I think it’s going to be really wide open and I expect it to be very competitive.” Chinook will begin the defense of its district title Feb. 13 in Havre.