Blue Ponies swing into golf's postseason at East Glacier

Every high school golfer wants the same thing — the chance to play on the biggest stage — the state tournament. Members of the Havre High boys and girls golf teams are no different.

However, before any Blue Ponies get the opportunity to play in the Class A state tournament in two weeks, they must first negotiate the Central A Divisional in one way or another. That tournament takes place Saturday at East Glacier Golf Course.

There are two ways for a high school golfer to reach the state tourney. The most ideal is for his or her team to finish first or second at divisionals, thus the entire team reaches state. If that doesn’t happen, individual golfers must finish in the Top 15 at divisionals to have the chance to play at state.

For the Blue Ponies, under fourth-year head coach Brett Gilman, getting to state as a team has been the norm of late, and he’s hoping it happens again Saturday.

The Pony boys come into the divisional tourney, which is hosted by Browning, and is expected to be played in some pretty rough weather, as the defending Central A champions. Havre did graduate key players Jeff Miller and Jerod Boles from that team, but led by returning stars Dustin Haas, Kane Gabrielsen and Aden Passon, the Pony boys are heavy favorites to repeat. Havre has only finished behind a fellow Central A team once this season, but when all is said and done, with the senior trio of Haas, Gabrielsen and Passon, as well as first-year varsity players Kyle Kirkpatrick and Gavin Mosbrucker, also seniors, the Ponies should be well ahead of Belgrade, Lewistown, Browning and Livingston.

“The boys, I definitely think they’re the favorites,” Gilman said. “I expect them to do well.”

Havre’s girls finished second at the divisional tourney a year ago, and return a host of varsity starters, including sophomore Teagan Fee, who has led the Ponies in scoring all year, as well as senior Mackenzie Tilleman. Add to that the varsity experience of juniors Regan Lammers and Grace Litzinger, and the steadily improving play by sophomore Kinzee Peterson, and the Ponies are a team capable of winning a divisional title, and certainly a team that should advance to state again.

While Lewistown is heavily favored Saturday and Browning has been tough all season, Gilman said his team is one to watch.

“Lewistown is strong, so it should be between us and Browning after that,” Gilman said. “But I also think, if our girls play to their capabilities, they could definitely win it, too.”

Divisional titles are always nice, but in order for a team to have a chance at the coveted prize, which is a state championship, it must make it that far. So Saturday in East Glacier, the Ponies are going out with the mindset of getting both the boys and girls teams to state, by any way they can.

The 2016 Central A Divisional is set for a 9:30 a.m. shotgun start at East Glacier Saturday. The Class A state tournament will be held next Friday and Saturday at the Hamilton Country Club in Hamilton.