HIT hits Havre this weekend

The 2011 prep basketball season may be long gone, but area fans are in store for at least one more weekend of action on the hardwood.

Today through Saturday the Montana State University-Northern Armory Gymnasium will house some of the state's top high school basketball players from the Class A, Class B, Class C and Class AA for the 25th annual HIT boys and girls basketball tournament.

The three days will be packed full of action and will conclude on Saturday with the boys and girls consolation games at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. and the boys and girls championship games at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

A 3-point contest will also take place at 6 p.m. on Friday and a slam dunk contest will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

The Class AA programs house some very tough talent.

Making up the AA boys team will be junior Santino Williams (GFH), junior Shyke Smalls (GFH), senior Matt Schmitz (GFH), senior Danny Desin (Billings Senior), senior Kurtis Parsons (CMR), senior Cesar Bonilla (Billings West), senior Danny Little (Billings Skyview), junior Danny Robison (Billings West) and junior Riley King (Missoula Sentinel). Tom Storm will coach them.

The girls AA squad will be made up by senior Kate Patenaude (Missoula Sentinel), senior Jordan Johnston (Helena Capital), senior Genna Banks (Bozeman), sophomore Diondra Denton (CMR), junior Briana Robinson (Billings West), senior Monica Grimsrud (Helena High), senior Kaci Matthies (Helena Capitol) and junior Sara Weir (CMR). Kaylee Shaw and Megan Graham will coach them.

The Class A boys will also have a good group, with junior Bobby Anderson (LAU), senior Andrew Elliot (BEL), senior David Swecker (LAU), senior Louis Mohr (POL), junior Ryan Burke (Billings Central), junior Ryan Sullivan (SID), senior Anfernee Standing Rock (HHS), senior Nick Emerson (Columbia Falls), junior Tyrell Krell (POL) and junior Travis Gilskey (LEW). The Class A squad will be coached by Jeff Elliot.

The Class A girls will house junior Kacie Mckeon (BC), senior Alex Brammer (Beaverhead), junior Brynne Kambich (BC), junior McCalle Feller (LEW), senior Quinn Peoples (BC), senior Janace Moore (SID), senior Lexi Murphy (BC) and coach Amber Griffith.

Del Stiles will coach the Class B boys, with seniors Chad Four Stars (WP), Chase White (Shelby), Dane Stiles (Malta), Everett Johnston (Loyola Sacred Heart), Adam Greger (Florence), Christian Kerr (Bigfork), Garrett Lafromboise (RB) and Quinn Smith (Florence).

Jeff Bellach will coach the Class B girls, being made up by sophomore Courtney Henry (Malta), junior Amanda Sansaver (WP), junior Shayla Mack (Three Forks), junior Kori Kindle (Malta), junior Molly Klinker (Fairfield), senior Kayleen Goggins (Shepherd) and freshman Jill Barta (Fairfield).

The Class C also brings a talented group of competitors.

For the boys, junior Jace Anderson (Saco-Whitewater), and seniors Will Crawford (Joliet), Paul Engstrom (Froid-Medicine), Taylor Erskine (CHI), Logan Hansen (Scobey), Ryan McCarty (Harrison), Lane Schmitt (CHI), Gus Somerfeld (PDB) and Porter Sturm (Roy-Winifred). The squad will be coached by Mike and Shiloh Seymour.

The girls Class C team will bring junior Peyton Ferris (Twin Bridges), junior Jordan Sullivan (Ennis), and seniors Emily Urick (Belt), Mariah Gondeiro (Belt), Morgan Klose (Fairview), Brianne DePuydt (Saco-Whitewater) and Bailey Snelling (Harlowtown-Ryegate) and sophomore Martha Dembek (WGR). The Class C girls will be coached by Jeff Graham.

25th annual HIT

Today

4 p.m. Class A Girls vs. Class AA Girls

5:30 p.m. Class A Boys vs. Class AA Boys

7 p.m. Class C Girls vs. Class B Girls

8:30 p.m. Class C Boys vs. Class B Boys

Friday

Noon Class C Girls vs. Class A Girls

1:30 p.m. Class C Boys vs. Class A Boys

3 p.m. Class B Girls vs. Class AA Girls

4:30 p.m. Class B Boys vs. Class AA Boys

6 p.m. 3-Point Contest

7 p.m. Class B Girls vs. Class A Girls

8:30 p.m. Class B Boys vs. Class A Boys

Saturday

9 a.m. Class C Girls vs. Class AA Girls

10:30 a.m. Class C Boys vs. Class AA Boys

3 p.m. Consolation Girls

4:30 p.m. Consolation Boys

6 p.m. Slam Dunk Contest

7 p.m. Championship Girls

8:30 p.m. Championship Boys