Torching the Central A

There is no shortage of great basketball players in the history of Havre High basketball. In fact, in both boys and girls hoops at HHS, there is a storied history of excellence. And the next in the line of memorable Blue Ponies on the hardwood is without question Dane Warp.

Warp, a junior, has played varsity since his freshman season with the Ponies and from the get-go he has been a star, eliciting memories of other Havre greats such as Loree Payne, Cory Brothers, Jason Wirt and Tom Reynolds, just to name a few.

At the end of his sophomore season, he had scored 30 points seven times and earned All-Conference and All-State honors twice. He also helped lead the Pony boys to their first berth in the Class A state tournament as well as their first win there since the 2006 season.

“Dane is definitely the best player that I have coached in my three years,” HHS head coach Curt Leeds said. “When I played (at Havre) Cory Brothers was definitely the best. I think Dane is a little better scorer but Cory was a better defender. So I think those two definitely have their own class for recent history. And then going back further, you had other great players like Tommy Reynolds and Jason Wirt. So there have been a lot of great players but I would say Dane is right up there.”

There is no doubt that Warp, who has averaged more than 20 points a game throughout his career and has already scored more than 1,300 points, will end up as one of the great scorers in Havre history. As a junior, he has reached even new heights, averaging 23.1 points per game, which means that by the time his days of high school basketball are done, he may finish as one of the top scorers in the history of the Montana High School Association.

Yet, the thing about Warp is that he is more than just a scorer, even if that is how his reputation precedes him. But, when looking at his statistics, it doesn’t take long to realize that the two-sport star makes an impact on the game in a multitude of ways.

“I just try to do whatever I can to help the team win,” Warp said. “I don’t really think about how many points I’ve scored in a game or anything like that. I just try to do whatever will help us win. That’s the only thing I care about.”

Of course at the end of the day, winning basketball games comes down to scoring more points than your opponent and that is why Warp’s scoring gets more attention than the rest of his game. But, even as a scorer, Warp’s stats are impressive.

Often times, players that have high scoring averages lack efficiency. They are high volume scorers in part because they take a large number of shots. That’s not the case with Warp. The junior has averaged more than 18 shots a game this season, which is nothing to scoff at but he also has managed to shoot a high percentage, better than 45 percent from the field. He also ranks in the top eight in the Central A in 2-point field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and free-throw percentage.

“I just try to do whatever comes naturally,” Warp said. “I honestly never go into a game trying to score 40 or 30 or 20 or whatever, it’s just the way I play, I think. I never have an idea how many points I score, to me, whenever I touch the ball, it’s a 0-0 game, so I don’t think about how many points I have.”

But while Warp has gotten even better as a scorer as his career has moved on, his impact in other areas of the game, such as on defense or rebounding, have also improved.

Even though he is categorized as a guard, his height at 6-4, not only gives him the ability to see the floor as a facilitator on offense, but it has also helped him be one of just three players, and the only who is perimeter oriented in the Central A who averages double figures in scoring and at least five rebounds per game.

Warp’s length also allows him to be a pesky defender, one that leads the Central A in steals per game with 2.6, while at the same time ranking third in blocks with 1.1 per game.

So, while fans love his 3-point bombs and spectacular drives to the basket, he helps Havre win by doing the little things as much as the extraordinary.

“I think one of the things that really helps him is being a quarterback,” Leeds said. “I think that helps things slow down for him versus other players. He sees the court and the spacing differently than other players. When he sees a space he goes to the hole, if not then he kicks out, and he leads our team in assists as well. He also just has a great understanding of the game of basketball, which is big help as well.”

But at the end of the day, no matter how great the numbers are, the one statistic above all others that matters to Warp is the number of wins. That is generally the one stat great players are most consumed with and Warp is no different. While, he appreciates all the awards and honors that have been bestowed upon him, the thing that means the most to him is winning and in particular winning a state championship, which would be the first for the Havre boys since 1994.

“I would give up the individual stuff to win a state championship,” Warp said. “I want to win one of those so bad, and if I could get one of those it would make it all worth it.”