Bitterroot Prep Sports Winter Review 2019

Bitterroot Valley Winter Sports Review, Wednesday, March 6, 2019 - 1

march 6, 2019

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KYLE HOUGHTALING / 406mtsports.com

The Darby boys’ basketball team stands with the District 13-C first-place trophy after topping Seeley-Swan 65-38 last month. It was Darby’s first district title in 28 years. .

Season roundup: Darby boys capture District title KYLE HOUGHTALING

That fact, and the Tigers’ 20-3 overall season, shouldn’t be forgotten after a pair Even though a state basketball trip of tough losses at the brutally competitive wasn’t in order for each Bitterroot team Western C divisional tournament two weekthat’s not the Hamilton boys or Florence ends ago. girls, that doesn’t mean there weren’t some “It’s brought a community back together spectacular moments for the rest of Ravalli for basketball. It’s brought the (kids) County’s squads. together at the school — it’s meant a lot,” Just look at Darby and the Corvallis girls. coach Richard Griffin said after Darby’s 65-38 win over Seeley-Swan in the District The Darby boys put a charge in their small town, capturing the school’s first dis- 13-C championship on Feb. 16.

Nothing illustrates Griffin’s sentiment trict title in 28 years and first ever at District better, perhaps, than the Darby-fan turnout 13-C. Ravalli Republic

to the Tiger’s regular-season finale against Seeley on Feb. 8. Despite blowing snow and subpar travel conditions, a large Tiger contingent drove the 120 miles of largely two-lane highways to watch Darby try for a perfect conference record.

Those fans were rewarded with a walk-off double-overtime win on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Gabe Smith. It was one of the most memorable basketball games at any level in Montana this season.

“I felt it tonight and I just let it fly,” Smith said that night after the winning shot.

Bitterroot Valley Winter Sports Review, Wednesday, March 6, 2019 - 3

Meagan Thompson / The Montana Standard

Corvallis’ Calla Haldorson brings down a rebound at the Southwest A tournament in Butte on Feb. 15 as Hamilton’s Abby Johnson gets tangled up.

“I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it happened.”

Believe it. It was an astounding moment and an incredible year.

For every amazing, game-winning shot that sends one team home happy, there’s another team — the losing team — that’s dealt a stunning blow.

That team was the Corvallis Lady Blue Devils on Feb. 22 against rival Hamilton in a loser-out game at the Western A divisional tournament.

With Corvallis leading the Broncs 46-44 and the clock winding down under 6 seconds, Hamilton’s Mariola Tesoro got off a desperation 3-pointer in transition from well behind the 3-point line.

As the buzzer sounded, the basketball banked off the backboard, rattled around the rim and went in. Hamilton celebrated on its home court with the specatacular 47-46 win and had one of its signature moments in an exciting season that fell one win short of a Class A state berth.

But for the Blue Devils, Tesoro’s shot ended the season for a really special Corvallis squad.

“It’s just heartbreaking. We had it, and

KYLE HOUGHTALING / 406mtsports.com

Stevensville’s Maddie Weber tries for a steal against Hamilton’s Mariola Tesora in a January Southwest A matchup.

to have a shot like that go in at the end is just heartbreaking, because we thought we had it,” said Corvallis senior Lainie Albright after the game.

Albright’s squad was the first at Corvallis to win the Southwest A regular season title.

The Blue Devils also mounted an impressive game against eventual Western A champs Columbia Falls in the tournament opener. Albright had a team-high 25 points in that one, but the Wildkats (22-1 overall) were able to survive, 65-57.

The game against C. Falls, and the loss that followed to Hamilton, illustrated just how competitively close the Corvallis girls were to the rest of the field. That doesn’t take away from the sting of defeat, but it certainly should remain in the minds of Blue Devil fans and athletes when they remember the 2018-19 season.

Something similar could be said about the Darby girls, who captured a Western C divisional tournament berth after finally getting passed Clark Fork in the District 13-C tournament. It was the Tigers’ first win of the season against the Mountain Cats in three tries, and the excitement on the girls’ — and coach Caroline Ehmann’s — faces are part of what makes watching basketball

KYLE HOUGHTALING / 406mtsports.com

Corvallis’ Caleb Warnken (14) rises up for a layup in the lane against Florence in a nonconference clash back on Jan. 11.

4 - Bitterroot Valley Winter Sports Review, Wednesday, March 6, 2019

KYLE HOUGHTALING / 406mtsports.com KYLE HOUGHTALING / 406mtsports.com

Darby’s TeaAnna Rouse (right) defends Victor’s Ashley Chavez (23) in a District 13-C rivalry matchup on Jan. 29.

so much fun.

For some of the Bitterroot’s other programs that didn’t make it out of a district tournament, there’s growth on the horizon.

The Victor girls finished the season 4-16 overall, but had standout performances from a handful of girls who are still in

Victor’s Skyler Webberson, who scored a game-high 23 points in a District 13-C loser-out win against Lincoln, rises for a shot against a pair of Seeley-Swan defenders in Frenchtown at the District 13-C tournament in February.

eighth grade. The Florence boys, who played into the divisional tournament with an improbable game-winning 4-point play, got that 3-pointer and post-regulation free throw from sophomore JP Briney. Five other freshman saw extended varsity minutes for the Falcons this season, too.

GOOD JOB VALLEY ALLEY ATHLETES!

Maybe next year’s the year for the Corvallis and Victor boys or the Stevensville squads. Time will tell, as it did in the 2018-19 basketball season — one to remember for everyone in the Bitterroot.

Best of Luck, Broncs!

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KYLE HOUGHTALING / 406mtsports.com

KYLE HOUGHTALING / 406mtsports.com

Hamilton’s Tanner Goligoski rises for a layup against a Polson defender earlier this season. Goligoski and team- Hamilton’s Cam Rothie (1) rises up for a layup against Butte Central’s Dylan Sestrich (13) in the Western mate Hunter Omlid each eclipsed the 1,000-point career scoring mark and lead the Broncs, who head to the State A divisional championship game. The Maroons beat the Broncs 46-37, giving Hamilton the West’s No. 2 A tournament in Great Falls as the West’s No. 2 seed. seed at state in Great Falls starting March 7.

Hamilton boys add to tough State A field KYLE HOUGHTALING Ravalli Republic

A week before the boys’ Class A state basketball tournament starts, Hamilton coach Travis Blome was quick to point out that the field of teams tipping off Thursday

in Great Falls is clearly stacked.

“The East is loaded. Top to bottom, one through eight, every team is there for a reason, including the team that we’re playing (Thursday), Park,” said Blome, whose squad draws the East’s No. 3 seed from

Livingston at 6:30 p.m. “They’re very long, athletic, well coached and that’s going to be a real challenge on Thursday.”

The Broncs themselves have something that makes them very dangerous at state, though.

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KYLE HOUGHTALING / 406mtsports.com

KYLE HOUGHTALING / 406mtsports.com

The Hamilton boys basketball team receives the second place trophy at the Western A divisional boys basketball tournament in Hamilton on Feb. 23.

LUKE SHELTON / 406mtsports.com

Stevensville’s Ivan Yazvac looks for an opportunity to pass against Butte Central on Jan. 19 in a Southwest A matchup.

Primarly, the No. 2 seed from the West is hungry. It was evident when Hamilton was handed the Western A divisional tournament’s second-place trophy two Saturday’s ago and seemed less than enthused.

That doesn’t mean they were any less excited for a trip to state, where the Broncs brought home a third-place trophy a season ago.

“We’ve changed the culture at Hamilton the last couple years in both football and basketball and it still feels special every single time knowing you punched your ticket to state,” senior forward Tyler Barnes said after Hamilton had guaranteed themselves a spot at state in winning the Western A semifinal game against Dillon two Friday’s ago. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

But rattling off a couple wins at Great

Hamilton’s Hunter Omlid (right) tries to score against Dillon’s Justus Peterson (12) in Hamilton in the Broncs’ regular season finale. The Beavers came back to beat the Broncs 50-49 in that game, but Hamilton maintained its Southwest A regular season title.

Falls’ Four Seasons Arena sure would make the trip even sweeter.

Hamilton has the means to do just that.

At 19-4 overall, the Broncs technically bring the same record into state as the West’s top seed, Butte Central, which beat Hamilton for the divisional title in a defensive battle, 46-37. Before the divisional tournament, Hamilton’s Tanner Goligoski was second in the state in terms of total points (372) and Bronc posts Carson Rostad and Hunter Omlid each shoot at a top-10 clip inside the the arc, according to mthighschoolstats.com.

“They’ve done a great job all year. The more we can play inside-out the better we are, whether that’s with the dribble drive or getting the ball down low to anyone in the post,” coach Blome said. “Once we can do

Bitterroot Valley Winter Sports Review, Wednesday, March 6, 2019 - 7

that, it makes the defense have to defend the whole floor and that’s when we’re most successful.”

Livingston (Park), Hamilton’s first-round matchup, counters with a defensive scheme that kept three of its four opponents at the Eastern A divisional tournament at 40 points or less. Livingston’s only loss at the tourney came to Hardin (19-2 overall).

“What coach Glaus has done over at Park is remarkable. They’ve got some great players and a great scheme and they’re going to be really difficult for us on Thursday,” Blome said.

One of those players is Brendon Johnson, who led Livingston in both scoring (18.7 ppg) and steals (3.3 spg) before the divisional tournament.

But the Broncs have shown they can match up with some of the state’s best scorers — a la Cam Rothie guarding Dillon’s Michael Haverfield in the Western A semifinal. Rothie and Co. held Haverfield to seven points. He averaged almost 18 per game in the regular season.

In the Broncs’ loss to Butte Central in the divisional final, Hamilton’s trapping

defense kept the score to just one possession late in a game when the Broncs weren’t having the best shooting night.

So Hamilton can play defense. And defense, as they say, wins championships.

“Our kids are playing hard and just buying into it. No matter if the shots fall or not, if you play hard defensively, you can be in the game,” Blome said. “I was really proud of our guys for buckling down, playing hard and giving it everything they had.

We came up a little short against Butte Central, but I was proud of our guys.”

If the Broncs survive Park, the bracket only gets tougher. It is the state tournament, after all, and most likely looming in a semifinal matchup would be the East’s top seed, Billings Central. The Rams play fourth-seeded Frenchtown Thursday at 8 p.m. in the first round.

The balanced attack of Chrishon Dixon, Sam Gray, Joe Byorth and Cade Herriford accounted for over 40 points per game through the regular season, so it’s hard to key in on any one guy.

Coach Blome’s one-game-at-a-time mentality might not allow for he or his squad to say it, but human nature almost

dictates that the Broncs would like nothing more than a semifinal meeting with the school that edged the Broncs in the Class A state football game last fall.

Then there’s Browning, which looked like a world beater at the Western A divisional even as the West’s No. 3 seed. Butte Central still holds the title of Western A tourney champs.

And of course, there’s Hardin the defending state champs.

“Billings Central and Hardin obviously, both of them were in the state title game (last year), and I think those two teams have kind of set themselves apart from the rest of us. It’s going to be a real challenge, but I think going into it, you just have to play one game at a time,” Blome said.

The Hamilton boys have their work cut out for them Thursday through Saturday, but make no mistake — they belong.

“It’s like anybody, it comes down to one weekend tournament. Everyone that’s over there can really play well,” Blome said.

“There’s only eight teams left and we’re all 0-0 now. It should be a fun weekend.”

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8 - Bitterroot Valley Winter Sports Review, Wednesday, March 6, 2019

class A boys backet

Bitterroot Valley Winter Sports Review, Wednesday, March 6, 2019 - 9

class B girls backet

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Florence girls looking for first state title since 1998 KYLE HOUGHTALING Ravalli Republic

The Florence girls basketball team is interesting to analyze from year-to-year, particularly looking at the last four seasons.

Four years ago was when this year’s senior class — so crucial to this year’s Class B state tournament appearance starting Thursday at Belgrade — made its high school debut.

The Falcons have had a winning record each of those four years, compiling a 71-23 record across that span, and they just captured their second state tournament berth on Feb. 23.

But something about this year’s squad feels different. Senior Makenna Liles tried to explain.

“Our team is different because we’re all so close and we’re able to push each other to go the extra mile. We show up in the offseason and work,” said Liles, a 5-foot-10 senior who has been part of Florence’s vaunted three-headed monster with Rilee Mangun and three-time allstate point guard Danielle Zahn throughout high school.

“Our team, we’ve been together for so long, we just know we have the capability and we’ve put in the work. At this point it’s just up to us to get it done.”

That three-pronged attack got a fourth option this year, too, with 6-foot-2 senior Joey Janetski, who has battled back from three surgeries — from shoulder to knee — throughout her prep career. Janetski has helped tighten the middle of a talented 2-3 zone and she gave an already tough Florence squad a presence that’s relatively unmatched at the Class B level.

“Our zone is amazing,” Janetski said. “We have Makenna, Riley and I down low and we’re a wall. It’s hard to get through us.”

It’s that defense that might be a difference maker for the Falcons this year at state, too. In the 2017-18 season the Falcons weren’t short on scorers, as Zahn garnered her third-straight all-state award, and was joined on the all-confer-

KYLE HOUGHTALING / 406mtsports.com

Florence’s Joey Janetski posts up a Deer Lodge defender and tries for a shot in a District 6-B conference game on Feb. 1. Janetski, along with fellow seniors Danielle Zahn, Makenna Liles and Rilee Mangun, lead Florence to the Class B state tournament in Belgrade starting Thursday.

Florence point guard Danielle Zahn sets up her team’s offense in a Feb. 1 matchup against Deer Lodge.

ence squad by Liles and Mangun.

But, as has been well-documented this season, that offense went cold against Deer Lodge in the Western B divisional tournament and ultimately cost the 20-2 overall Falcons a state berth.

It was in a regular season game against Deer Lodge this season, on Feb. 16, that Florence was again up against the ropes. At halftime, trailing the Wardens 28-14, the Falcons rallied together and decided to lock down on defense.

“The starters, we all stayed back, we talked, and asked what do we need to work on? What aren’t we doing right?” Janetski said. “We just came out and we were a completely different team the second half.”

Florence outscored Deer Lodge 36-18 the rest of the way to win the game 50-42.

“When they came out, they got their act together and kicked some butt in the second half,” coach Duane Zeiler said of that game. “...

Last year, it’s almost like the girls thought we’d outscore everybody. Someone comes in and

puts the defense on us and we don’t have a good shooting game, and that’s what basically happened to us on that night we lost to Deer Lodge (last season).”

That moxie the Falcons displayed this season against Deer Lodge might very well be the secret ingredient to a state title. It certainly has Florence trending the right direction, as the Falcons carry a 19-game winning streak into its 1:30 p.m. matchup against Three Forks Thursday.

It’s a tenacity that had them do what no Florence team — despite the program’s success — has done since 2001. Capture a Western B divisional title.

And that makes them a bit of an unknown commodity at state, despite the familiar faces on the court.

“We were the hunted,” said Liles, referring to Florence’s divisional tournament games. “A lot of teams wanted the opportunity to beat us and I think it’s going to be the opposite (at state).

“We can become the hunters.”

KYLE HOUGHTALING / 406mtsports.com

Bitterroot Valley Winter Sports Review, Wednesday, March 6, 2019 - 11

WESTERN A ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS BOYS First team MVP: Cade Holter, Butte Central Hunter Omlid, Hamilton Dylan Sestrich, Butte Central Cam Rothie, Hamilton Riley Spoonhunter, Browning

Girls First team MVP: Ryley Kehr, C. Falls Dulci Skunkcap, Browning Jayden Winslow, Libby Taylor Jordan, Browning Josie Windauer, C. Falls girls Second team Tricia Joyce, Butte Central Mariola Tesoro, Hamilton Trista Cowan, C. Falls

BOYS Second team Tyree Whitcomb, Browning Carson Rostad, Hamilton Cade Baker, Frenchtown Michael Haverfield, Dillon Braden Harrington, Butte Central BOYs Honorable Mention Tanner Goligoski, Hamilton Lee Walburn, Whitefish Matt Simkins, Butte Central Zack Baker, Frenchtown Ryggs Johnston, Libby

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12 - Bitterroot Valley Winter Sports Review, Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Florence’s Jones wins 1st title, 10 area wrestlers finish top-6 at state

state champion, winning at 185 pounds.

“I have been waiting and watching for the last 39 years for another Florence Falcon to join the group. So pleased to see Spencer win,” Grasso said in a Facebook message.

Grasso also reached out to the AD to congratulate Jones on the dominant season.

“It’s pretty cool, you see these towns like Colstrip who get five (state champions) every year,” Jones said. “Florence hasn’t had one in 39 years, so it’s pretty special to bring one home.”

KYLE HOUGHTALING, JOHN LETASKY, Jones, who was the 182-pound runnerJOE KUSEK up last year, won the Class B/C 205-pound Ravalli Republic championship with an 8-2 win by decision Florence’s Spencer Jones capped his against Colstrip senior Beau Petersen. senior season with his first state title and He scored the match’s first six points and an undefeated 29-0 record Saturday at the nearly had a pin late in the second period.

MetraPark Arena.

“I didn’t want it to go to the third And he joined some pretty elite comperiod and stall out,’ Jones said. “I knew pany in Falcon territory. it was going to be my last match and I Jones became Florence’s first state wanted to stay aggressive and have as champion since 1980. For 39 years Steve much fun as possible in the last period Grasso carried the torch as the Falcons’ wrestling him.”

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ADAM FONDREN / Billings Gazette

Florence-Carlton’s Spencer Jones raises his arm in victory after winning the class B-C 205-pound championship during the state wrestling tournament at the Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark in Billings on Feb. 9.

Ever the competitor, the 6-foot-1 Jones is also a football player and plays middle linebacker. He has signed to play with Rocky Mountain College.

Good Luck at the Class A Championship

Go Broncs!

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Bitterroot Valley Winter Sports Review, Wednesday, March 6, 2019 - 13

It was Gibson’s only loss, as the Livingston wrestler also beat the Class AA 205-pound champ (Butte’s Kameron Moreno, 25-1) earlier in the year.

“He beat the guy that beat the guy, and in my mind Spencer was the best 205-pounder in the state,” coach Brian Volkmann said.

“Man, it was emotional. Four years with Spencer, all the ups and downs, it was the culmination of four years of work and it got me,” Volkmann added of seeing Jones’ arm raised in victory.

Florence junior Avery Meinzen was the Falcons’ only other placer. He took third place at 160 pounds, improving on his fourth-place finish last year at 138 pounds.

Class A: Hamilton’s Williams gives Wilkie battle, Golden

grabs third, Corvallis places four, Stevi one A lot of the news out of Billings’ MetraPark Arena was, deservedly, about the fourtime state wrestling champions, including Havre’s Martin Wilkie.

Wilkie also won the quick pin award for Class A with four in a total of 5:22. Three of his matches were 46 seconds or less, including his 38-second pin of Sidney’s Zander Burnison in the 145 title match.

“It’s a stepping-stone in my wrestling career,” Wilkie told 406mtsports at the state meet. Wilkie, who finished 45-0 in 2019 en route to his fourth title, has committed to the University of Minnesota.

“There a lot more things to come.”

One of Wilkie’s biggest steps, though, was getting

Bring “HOME”

the Championship Broncs!

CASEY PAGE / Billings Gazette

Hannah Hurst of Hamilton-Darby carries the sign on her brother’s shoulders as the team marches into the arena during the Parade of Athletes at the state wrestling tournament at Billings’ Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark last Friday. Noah Hurst, who is carrying his sister, placed fourth at state, one of three Broncs to bring home a trophy.

And the Battlin’ Bears got themselves a competitor.

Jones said his runner-up finish in 2018 fueled this season’s state title. “(It) drove me every day since the end of that match.

I’ve been thinking about today the last 365 days,” Jones told 406mtsports.com after the state tournament.

“All that work that paid off, staying late after practice a

lot of nights, just being in the weight room, it just felt to finally win that last match,” Jones — whose home literally houses the Falcons’ wrestling facility — said.

The win was special for Jones’ coach, too, who added that his senior topped the Class A 205-pound champion, Livingston’s Shane Gibson, earlier in the season.

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14 - Bitterroot Valley Winter Sports Review, Wednesday, March 6, 2019

by Hamilton junior Bridger Williams.

Williams, who eventually brought home his second straight third-place trophy for the Broncs, gave Wilkie the best fight he faced at the state tournament.

And maybe all season long.

Wilkie did eventually score the pin, but it came at the 3 minute, 35 second mark, and was the only match where Wilkie was pushed into the second period at state. “...His goal was, ‘If I’m going to lose one at state, it’s going to be to the fourtimer,’ and that’s what he did,” Hamilton coach and Bridger’s dad, Chad Williams, said Tuesday. “(Bridger) met the expectations, we’re super proud of him. I just wish he would have been on the other side of the bracket and they could have wrestled in the championship.”

Bridger added another exciting victory to get to the consolation championship, using a 10-7 tiebreaker win against Libby’s Trey Thompson, the West’s top seed, who had beaten Williams at the Western A divisional a week earlier.

The match went into double overtime

KYLE HOUGHTALING / 406mtsports.com

Stevensville’s Kellen Robbins (left) and Corvallis’ Jimmy Schmitt face off in a match at the Glyn Brawley wrestling tournament in December.

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Bitterroot wrestlers state placers

Corvallis Fourth place: Dante Venema, 126 Fifth place: Carter Brown, 132 Sixth place: Jimmy Schmitt, 120; Triston Davis, 138 Florence First place: Spencer Jones, 205 (29-0 overall) Third place: Avery Meinzen, 160 Hamilton Third place: Michael Golden, 132; Bridger Williams, 145 Fourth place: Noah Hurst, 160

KYLE HOUGHTALING / 406mtsports.com

Stevensville Sixth place: Kyler Pancake, 160.

Hamilton senior Adrian Garcia (red) secures a pin against Corvallis’ Carter Brown on at the Broncs’ gym in January

and some confusion had to be sorted out to get the scoring right.

“We had to go to the table and somebody had forgotten to put down the 1-point escape,” Williams said.

With the score corrected, the two wrestlers eventually went into a second overtime, and Williams — who chose the down position to start — scored the escape and got a takedown and pin to win it.

Hamilton senior Michael Golden also brought home a third place trophy in maybe one of the closest matches at state. Late in the third period, Miles City’s Damian Leidholt took a 2-1 lead and held on by that margin to advance to the title match at 132 pounds.

“I look over, and they were in the third period and it’s 0-0, and now I’m watching two matches and it’s all sorts of anxiety,” said coach Williams, who was in Adrian Garcia’s corner during an elimination match. “The last six seconds, (Leidholt)

hit a gramby (move) and got a reversal on Mikey and they go out of bounds, and Mikey was able to escape.

“But there was two second left and he couldn’t get it.”

Golden responded with a win over Corvallis’ Carter Brown in the consolation semifinal and he topped Sidney’s Kolton Reid in the third-place match. It was Golden’s third straight third-place finish Golden finished third for the third year in a row to go with a fourth-place finish as a freshman. Hamilton’s Noah Hurst also captured a fourth-place finish to give the Broncs three trophy winners.

Corvallis put four wrestlers among the top-six placers. Dante Venema (126) finished fourth, Brown (132) took fifth, and Triston Davis (138) and Jimmy Schmitt (120) were sixth.

Stevensville senior Kyler Pancake took sixth to place at state at 160 pounds, but it was an injury forfeit that ultimately took him out of the championship bracket in

KYLE HOUGHTALING / 406mtsports.com

Corvallis’ Triston Davis tries for a takedown against Stevensville’s Tristan Riel at the Glyn Brawley wrestling tournament in December.

the semifinals. Pancake placed fifth a season earlier.

Frank Gogola contributed to this story.

16 - Bitterroot Valley Winter Sports Review, Wednesday, March 6, 2019

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