Central Montana Sports Round-Up With Karl Koontz

On To Divisional

On Saturday night (2-17) 18 area high school basketball teams kept alive their dream of advancing to the state tournament and just maybe realizing the dream of a championship. KMON Radio has been following the 8-C, 9-C, and 10-C districts throughout the regular season and after an exciting week of big games and dramatic moments, the cream is rising to the top. For the most part the top teams from each district emerged as the kings and queens of their respective districts, but there were a few surprises along the way.

8-C

Starting with the 8-C, played at Swarthout Fieldhouse on the campus of Great Falls High, the three best in both boys and girls from the regular season will move on to the divisional, but in a slightly different order. On the girls’ side of the bracket, it was no surprise that Roy-Winifred stood atop the podium when the curtain closed. The Lady Outlaws bested DGSG (Denton-Geyser-Stanford-Geraldine) in the chipper by a score of 52-34 to grab the one seed out of the district. The Belt Lady Huskies also qualified for the next round as they outlasted Centerville 57-41.

9-C Ladies

The 9-C ladies did battle in Havre, and the tournament held a bit of a twist when Fort Benton upset the #2 team, Big Sandy in the semifinals to reach the title game. CJI (Chester-Joplin-Inverness) prevailed over the Lady Horns in that one 49-38 to hoist the big prize. Big Sandy came back around through the bracket to hold off Turner in overtime and keep their hope afloat.

10-C Ladies

The 10-C ladies’ competition, played in Shelby, also saw an upset, but this one was in the final match-up. Augusta tripped up the Lady Badgers of Cascade, who had been unbeaten in conference play to that point. The final in that one was 42-30. Simms took home the consolation trophy and with a spot in the divisional games when they upended the girls from Power-Dutton-Brady.

8-C Boys

In the 8-C boys’ segment, Winnett-Grass Range entered the tournament as the #1 team in conference play. As expected, they reached the championship, but the Belt Huskies, a team that is surging down the stretch controlled the title game on their way to a 50-34 win. Roy-Winifred used a strong 2nd half to get past the Centerville boys and extend their 2023-24 campaign as the #3 out of the 8.

The only defeated boys’ team in all of Montana Class basketball hails from the 9-C. The Box Elder Bears breezed through the tournament in Havre, capping the weekend with a win over CJI by a final tally of 88-65. The Hi-Line Hawks are no slouches, as their only losses all year are three defeats at the hands of the Bears. After a slow start to the season, the much-improved Fort Benton boys held off Turner in the consolation so their division bough as well.

Like Cascade’s girls, the boys wearing Black and Yellow had not lost a conference game in the 10-C, and they held serve in the tournament. The Badgers coasted to a championship win over Dutton-Brady 67-43. Meanwhile, the Heart Butte Warriors punched their ticket to the Northern C gala with a consolation game victory over Valier.

Northern C Divisional

The games just get bigger and better from here on out. The Northern C Divisional Basketball Tournament returns to the Pacific Steel Recycling Four Season Arena this week (2/21-2/24) on the grounds of the Montana Expo Park in the Electric City. Both boys and girls action start on Wednesday and wraps on Championship Saturday night. Both divisional tourneys are bracketed for nine team, and two from each tournament will earn the right to play in the state in the state tournament. The combined boys’ and girls’ state tournament for the Class C kids will also be held at the Four Seasons Arena March 6th through the 9th.

Here’s a web site with all the information about the teams, times, and more regarding the Northern C