Hi-Line Boys Roundup: Rocky Boy, Harlem off to a strong start

Box Elder's Thomas Parisian, right, looks for a shot during a NAC boys game last week in Havre.

Season opening boys basketball tournaments took place all over the state this past weekend. There

Harlem's Tristen Gone, left, looks to make a ploay during a Native American Classic boys game last weekend at the Armory Gymnasium.

were three along the Hi-Line, and local teams got plenty of games to start a new season.

Rocky Boy's Jerod Coffee, right, flies in for a layup during a Native

Hays-Lodge Pole's Tevin Horn drives to the basket during an NAC boys game last weekend in Havre.

American Classic boys basketball game against heart Butte last weekend in Havre.

Thursday, the Class B Harlem Wildcats and 9C Box Elder Bears faced off at the Native American Classic in Havre.It was a tight matchup, but the Wildcats were able to come away with the win with four steady quarters. The Wildcats scored 14 points in the first, 17 in the second, 12 in the third and 16 in the fourth. The Harlem defense was able to hold the Bears to a combined 15 in the second and third quarters, a crucial stretch in the win.Micah Shawl led all scorers with 18 points for the Wildcats, while Isaiah Laurence also scored 17. Lonnie Plain Bull led the Bears with 17, while Randal Gardipee added 13 and Clayton Morsette added 11. Also on Thursday, the 9C Big Sandy Pioneers defeated the Power Pirates 50-43 at the Big Sandy tournament. The Pioneers found themselves tied 19-19 with the Pirates at intermission, but Big Sandy's 31 points in the second half were just enough to grab the seven-point victory. Jerry Hansen led the Pioneers with 16 points, and Trevor Lackner followed with 15. Jessey Bailey also scored 11. The 9C Chinook Sugarbeeters were not as fortunate on Thursday at the Big Sandy tournament. Denton defeated the Beeters 43-41. Chinook led at the break, but a four-point third quarter let Denton stay in contention. Chinook was outscored 15-13 in the final frame, as the Beeters dropped their season opener by just two points. Zach Molyneaux had a standout game with 16 points. And both Grant Tilleman and Dylan Surber scored eight points each. In Class B action, the Rocky Boy Stars also earned a win in their season game was fairly close through the first three quarters, but the Stars used a 20-point fourth quarter to gain some ground and earn the win. opener, as they took on Heart Butte at the NAC. The Stars won 62-50. The

Junior Daychild led all scorers with 24 points, while Bubby Gopher added

11 of his own. Martin Zarco rounded off a nice effort with 10 points.

The

9C Hays-Lodge Pole Thunderbirds started their season at the NAC Friday,

but ran into a tough Kainai (Alberta, Canada) team. Kainai defeated the

Thunderbirds 49-38.

The

Thunderbirds got off to a hot start, leading 15-11 after one quarter,

but couldn't keep rolling. They scored just 14 in the second half in the

loss. Tevin Horn was the leading scorer for HLP, finishing with 18

points.

In

more 9C action, the North Star Knights also dropped their first game of

the season, playing at the Big Sandy tournament on Friday.

The

Knights are young and inexperienced, and Highwood exposed that.

Highwood defeated the Knights 56-17. Donoven Ulmen and Cooper Spicher

led the Knights with four points each.

In the final local game on Friday, the Beeters (0-2) suffered their second straight loss of the weekend. Still

playing in Big Sandy, Roy-Winifred defeated the Beeters 63-59. Chinook

held an eight-point lead at the half, but the Outlaws' offense broke

free in the second half, scoring 18 in the third and 20 in the fourth,

as they eclipsed the Beeter lead. Molyneaux had another great game,

leading all scorers with 21 points. Tilleman added 15 and Scott Schmitt

added 12.

Saturday,

the 10C Hawks remained undefeated on the young season with a narrow win

over Hinsdale in Chester. They improved to 2-0.

Klayton

Lohr's 12 points helped propel the Hawks to a 47-42 win. C/J-I's

20-point third quarter was also crucial in the close matchup. Mike Henke

and Steven May also scored nine points each, while Dell Harmon finished

with eight.

The Class B Stars also won their second game of the weekend at the NAC Saturday in Havre. This

time the Stars took on the rival 9C Bears, as Rocky Boy grabbed the

72-49 win. The Bears' offense played well, earning double-digit totals

in each of the four quarters, including 15 in the third, but the Stars

played just a little bit better. Rocky Boy posted 24 in the first

quarter, as well as 21 in the fourth and a combined 27 in between.

Randal

Gardipee finished with 14 points for the Bears, but was the only

double-digit scorer for Box Elder. Rocky Boy was led by Junior

Daychild's 21. Darien Lafromboise added 15 and Parker added 14. Rocky

Boy is now 2-0 and Box Elder is 0-2.

The Wildcats also improved to 2-0 this season, as they defeated the Thunderbirds (0-2) Saturday at the NAC. The

Wildcats were able to jump out to a 17-12 lead, and really never looked

back. They were outscored 18-8 by the Thunderbirds in the fourth

quarter, but the damage was already done.

Harlem

was led by Shawl's 15 points, while Irvine followed with nine. HLP was

paced by Marvin Cole with 12 and Jalen Brockie with 10.

Big Sandy ended the weekend with a record of 1-1, as Dutton Brady defeated the Pioneers 51-50 in Big Sandy Saturday. The

Pioneers jumped out to a 17-5 lead after the first quarter, but that

lead was erased after Dutton Brady outscored the Pioneers 18-6 in the

second quarter. The Pioneers entered the fourth quarter trailing by just

one point, but couldn't gain the edge as both teams scored 14 in the

fourth and final frame. Dutton Brady's Tiegan Johnson gave the Pioneers

fits with 19 points. Lackner lead the Pioneers as well as all scorers

with 20, and Hanson followed with 15.

The Knights also faced Power Saturday, but no scores or statistics were available. ThursdayHarlem 59, Box Elder 55Harlem 14 17 12 16 ? 59Box Elder 23 7 8 17 ? 55Harlem — Standley Irvin 7, Isaak Doney 3, Micrah Shawl 18, Tristan Gone 4, Tyler Doney 4, Clay Doney 6, Isaiah Laurance 17.Box Elder — Brandon The Boy 4, Clayton Morsette Jr. 11, Randal Gardipee 13, Thomas Parisian 7, Lonnie Plain Bull 17, Quinn Baker 2.Big Sandy 50, Power 43Power 7 12 12 15 ? 43Big Sandy 12 7 15 16 ? 50Power – Drew Carlsson 7, Tarren Lee 4, Kyle Schmidt 13, Levi Willikes 6, Cody Ulsh 2, Isaiah Dunk 11, Seth Kitchin 1.Big Sandy – Zac Leader 6, Kyle Strutz 2, Jerry Hansen 16, Jessey Bailey 11, Trevor Lackner 15.Denton 43, Chinook 41Denton 9 10 9 15 ? 43Chinook 10 14 4 13 ? 41Denton – Mitch Ward 11, Jake Gremaux 16, Austin Morris 5, Kendall Carpenter 11.Chinook – Lane Seymour 7, Dylan Surber 8, Scott Schmitt 2, Zach Molyneaux 16, Grant Tilleman 8.FridayChester/J-I 77, Helena Christian 28C/J-I 23 21 15 18 ? 77Helena Christian 5 8 13 2 ? 28C/J-I

Helena Christian — Bryan Asbory 9, Ben Tollakson 2, Connor Koenig 2, Logan Monday 8, Dillon Monday 5, Brad Asbury 2.Rocky Boy 62, Heart Butte 50Heart Butte 12 10 18 10 ? 50Rocky Boy 17 8 17 20 ? 62Rocky Boy – Junior Daychild 24, Bubby Gopher 11, Martin Zarco 10, Desmond Parker 8, Darien Lafromboise 8.Heart Butte – Gary Jimiez 12, Wyatt Skunkcap 13, ElJay Young Running Crane 8, Jay Aimsback 6, Tyler Stillsmoking 3. Kainai 49, Hays-Lodge Pole 38HLP 15 9 5 9 ? 38Kainai 11 11 13 14 ? 49HLP — Jalen Brockie 4, Jeff Sorrell 2, Gage Essert 4, Marvin Cole 8, Tevin Horn 18, Nate Doney 2.Kainai

— Jamelynn Weaselhead 3, Justice Day Rider 15, Tim Eagle Speaker 4,

Wylie Gros Ventre Boy 13, Kelton Weaslehead 7, Sky Mountain Horse 7.

Highwood 56, North Star 17Highwood 18 6 23 9 ? 56North Star 7 0 7 3 ? 17Highwood

North Star — Cooper Spicher 4, Quinn Spinier 3, Willie Gilead 3, Donoven Ulmen 4, Jaxon Simonson 3.Roy-Winifred 63, Chinook 59Chinook 12 21 11 15 - 59Roy-Winifred 10 15 18 20 - 63Chinook – Lane Seymour, 4, Dylan Surber 7, Scott Schmitt 12, Zach Molyneaux 21, Grant Tilleman 15Roy-Winifred – Tucker Matovich 4, Chad Hanover 13, Jordan DeHaven 5, Buster Styer 4, Jordan Harrell 4, Luke Stalc 20, Lee Thompson 13.SaturdayChester/J-I 47, Hinsdale 42Hinsdale 14 7 14 7 ? 42Chester/J-I 7 10 20 10 ? 47Hinsdale — AJay Headdress 12, Dallas Capdeville 6, Kyle Albus 3, Wyatt Pattison 10, Luke Johnson 11.C/J-I — Dell Harman 8, Tim Stokes 6, Mike Henke 9, Steven May 9, Dustin Romain 2, Casey Kinyon 1, Klayton Lohr 12.Rocky Boy 72, Box Elder 49Rocky Boy 24 14 13 21 ? 72Box Elder 12 11 15 11 ? 49Rocky Boy – Darien Lafromboise 15, Bubby Gopher 7, Junior Daychild 21, Desmond Parker 14, Justin Raining Bird 6, Martin Zarco 4.Box Elder –

Randell Gardipee 14, Brandon The Boy 9, Nathan Parker 8, Clayton

Morsette 6, Dakota Standing Rock 5, Lee Webster 3, Thomas Parisian 2,

Lonnie Plain Bull 2.

Harlem 54, Hays-Lodge Pole 47Harlem 17 18 11 8 ? 54HLP 12 7 10 18 ? 47Harlem

– Stanley Irvine 9, Anthony Gray 3, Isiah Laurance 8, Isiah Doney 4,

Micah Shawl 15, Tristin Gone 3, Anthony Cliff 3, Tyler Doney 3 Clay

Doney 6.

HLP

– Jalen Brockie 10, Jeff Sorrell 5, Gage Essert 5, Tevin Horn 3, Nate

Doney 6, Sterling Whitecow 2, Darnell Parisian 3, Marvin Cole 12.

Dutton Brady 51, Big Sandy 50Dutton Brady 5 18 14 14 - 51Big Sandy 17 6 13 14 ? 50Dutton Brady – Chase Rossmiller 10, Austin Storlie 2, Mathew Hitchcock 7, Tiegan Johnson 19, Brody Dahlman 13.Big Sandy – Zac Leader 5, Kyle Strutz 4, Jerry Hansen 15, Jessey Bailey 6, Trevor Lackner 20.