9C Preview: Talented 9C girls teams will put on a show

A year ago, the Box Elder girls basketball team surprised many when the Bears made a run to the District 9C championship game. But an even bigger surprise came when the Fort Benton-Geraldine co-op won the 9C title in their first year in the tournament.

A year later, the 9C girls tournament returns to Havre, and while there will likely be surprises, one thing is for certain, the Bears and Longhorns, along with the Chinook Sugarbeeters, are certainly the teams to watch for when championship night rolls around.

The 2016 9C tourney, with three spots in next week's Northern C Divisional on the line, gets underway Thursday morning at the Havre High gymnasium, and runs through Saturday night's championship game.

"The 9C is always tough," North Star head coach Mackenzie Jenkins said. "I grew up in Big Sandy, so I know how challenging it can be at times. Box Elder is the heavy favorite this year, and I think the other remaining teams are closer than some people think. Anything could happen. I think it'll come down to who shows up to play and who wants to win the most. There are several talented athletes and good teams in the district so it'll be fun to watch."

The 9C is always tough and always fun to watch, and with so many good teams in the field, it's sure to be a barn burner.

The Bears (18-0) ran the table in the 9C this season, and are a sure bet to get back to the Northern C. But, head coach Joel Rosette's squad, led by the likes of Minnie The Boy, Jude The Boy, Tia Russell and Tyrah Gopher, want to win the tournament, not just make it out of it.

"Staying focused on our goals and playing our game for four quarters (is the key)," Rosette said. "(But), Chinook, Fort Benton, North Star, C/J-I, Turner are all challengers for the 9C title."

Box Elder, one of the highest-scoring teams in Class C, opens the tourney Thursday at 11 a.m. against Big Sandy (1-17). It's been a rough stretch lately for the Pioneers, but, with a big group of underclassmen, led by Jenna Leader, Maddie Reichelt and more, this year's tourney could be a springboard to bigger things down the road.

The second first-round game pits fourth-seeded Chester/J-I (8-10) and fifth-seeded North Star (7-11) against each other at 12:30 p.m. The two bitter rivals split the season series, and the game should be another tight one.

The Hawks have had an up-and-down year, but have gelled of late, as veterans Kristina Dahinden, Peyton Cole, Madeline Woods and Kendahl Knapton have led the way, while the Knights have a standout post player in senior Sheridan O'Neil, as well as experience in the backcourt in Graysen Spicher.

"Our goal is to play the best we can and get to divisionals," Jenkins said. "We know we have to have a good tournament to get out of the 9C, so right now our focus is on doing all the right things and playing together as a team. I know the girls are going to come ready to play and I'm excited to see what happens."

Another exciting first-round affair will be between third seeded Fort Benton (12-6) and sixth-seeded Turner (9-9) at 4 p.m. The Longhorns are the defending champions, but aren't a co-op anymore, and only Kaitlyn Bird returns as a starter from last year's team. Meanwhile, the Tornadoes are coming off their second straight nine-win season, and with a veteran group led by junior Ella Billmayer,  and a supporting cast with now vast 9C experience, the Tornadoes are a team that could be dangerous this week.

"I expect us to come out and play hard and compete," Fort Benton head coach Cassie Scheffelmaier said. "It's always our goal to be playing our best basketball in February, so hopefully we can stand true to that."

In the final game of the first round, second-seeded Chinook (16-2) will take on Hays-Lodge Pole (1-17). The Sugarbeeters will be playing this week to honor the loss of classmate Jesse Dannels, and also to make it to the Northern C for the fifth straight year. Chinook, led by star point guard Brooke Nicholson, and one of the deepest and most talented teams in the tournament, is also hungry to get back to the championship game after being upset in the semifinals a year ago.

And those semifinals, with berths in the Northern C at stake, will take place Friday at 4 and 5:30 p.m., while the third-place game, also with a spot in the Northern C on the line, will be played Saturday at 7 p.m. with the 9C championship game to follow at 8:30 p.m.

Again, the top three teams from the 9C will join the top three from the 8C and 10C at next week's Northern C Divisional in Great Falls, and that certainly makes for yet another exciting and action-packed week of basketball inside the HHS gymnasium.

"I think it could make for an exciting tournament," Scheffelmaier said. "There has been quite a few close games between teams this year. Box Elder is definitely the favorite and they are a good squad. It will be tough to make it out of the 9C this year."