2017 Havre Daily All Hi-Line Girls Team

What a year it was when it comes to girls high school basketball on the Hi-Line.

The Havre Blue Ponies were outstanding, Rocky Boy made it to the tough Northern B, and the District 9C was as good as its ever been.

And the 2017 All Hi-Line Girls Team certainly reflects that outstanding year, as the area, which includes Havre, Harlem, Rocky Boy, and all of the 9C was rich with girls hoops talent.

This year’s HDN All Hi-Line Team is certainly well-rounded, too, as players from all three classifications made the list. It’s also got a player from every class, and, several repeat performers. Interestingly though, the 2017 All Hi-Line Girls Team also has the most freshmen in the 10 years we’ve been putting out the list, with three, as well as the most first-timer performers with a whopping nine.

But, no matter where they’re from and what grade the 12 players on the 2017 All Hi-Line Team are from, one thing is certain, it’s a deep and talented list.

Naomi Terry, Havre

Terry tops the All Hi-Line list after an incredible senior season. Not only did she earn Class A All-State honors for the second straight year, but she helped the Blue Ponies to their fourth straight Class A state tourney in her time in Havre, as HHS went undefeated in the Central A, finished second at the Eastern A Divisional and won a game at the state tourney three weeks ago in Butte.

Terry led the Central A and was fifth in Class A in scoring at over 16 points per game, while she was also at the top of the lists in assists in the Central A on her way to Central A All-Conference honors for the third year in a row. Terry is also now a three-time All Hi-Line performer, and will continue her basketball career on the Hi-Line as well, as she’s set to play for head coach Chris Mouat and the MSU-Northern Skylights next fall.

Kyndall Keller, Havre

The first of three freshmen on this year’s All Hi-Line Team, Keller wasted little time in getting her high school career jump started. Starting for the Blue Ponies, Keller averaged 14 points and six rebounds per game, and was one of the top 3-point shooters in the Central, earning her Class A All-State honors in just her first season under veteran head coach Dustin Kraske. With the nod to this year’s All Hi-Line Team, Keller has a chance to become just the third girl to make the list for four straight years.

Lillian Gopher, Box Elder

Gopher was close to making the list a year ago as a freshman. Now, however, she was a unanimous choice after a sophomore season in which she averaged 15 points and six rebounds per game for the Box Elder Bears of head coach Joel Rosette. Gopher was especially good down the stretch of the season, helping the Bears repeat as 9C champions, and scoring 20-plus points in a Northern C semifinal last month against Belt. Gopher earned All 9C honors for the second year in a row and was named Class C All-State this season as well.

Coya Nack, Fort Benton

Nack is making her first appearance on the All Hi-Line Team, but she’s been tearing up the 9C for the last four years. In her senior campaign, Nack averaged a double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds per night, on her way to 9C All-Conference and Class C All-State honors. Nack also helped Fort Benton to a runner-up finish at the 9C and a third-place finish at the Northern C last month.

Paij Peterson, North Star

One of six underclassmen on the list, Peterson, like Gopher, had a solid freshman season, but, she really busted loose during her sophomore year. Leading the Knights in scoring, Peterson earned 9C All-Conference honors for the second straight season, as well as Class C All-State accolades for the first time, while also helping the Knights to an incredible postseason run, in which they finished third at the 9C and battled hard at the Northern C a week later in Great Falls.

Jaylynn Mitchell, Rocky Boy

The Morning Stars were outstanding this season and came within one win of reaching the Class B state tournament. And Mitchell was a big reason why. Mitchell paced the Morning Stars in scoring at a shade over 15 points per game, and she had seven 20-plus point games this winter. For her efforts, Mitchell earned District 1B All-Conference honors, and with her help, the Morning Stars were, and will be, a force to be reckoned with in the 1B.

Minnie The Boy, Box Elder

One of three Bears to make the All Hi-Line team, The Boy is also one of three repeat performers in 2017. As a junior, she earned All Hi-Line honors, as well as Class C All-State honors. In her senior season, she accomplished both again as Box Elder’s point guard. While her scoring was down this season, as the Bears were so rich with weapons, The Boy still had an important hand in Box Elder repeating as 9C champions and making it back to the Northern C.

Ceyara Plante, Havre

Plante has started for three years for Kraske and the Blue Ponies. But she certainly saved her best for last. In her senior season, Plante upped her scoring average to nearly 10 points per game, and was the Blue Ponies’ third-leading 3-point shooter. She also came up big in the postseason for Havre, where, over the course of the Eastern A and State A tournaments, she averaged nearly 12 ppg. In her last season as a Blue Pony, Plante also earned Central A Second-Team All-Conference honors.

Leah Gannon, Fort Benton

The second Longhorn on the last, Gannon had a big sophomore season. She averaged 12 points per game, and was one of the top 3-point shooters in the 9C for head coach Cassie Scheffelmaier. As a result, Gannon is not only on the All Hi-Line Team for the first time, but, she also earned Class C All-State honors, and figures to be one of the top returning players in the 9C next season.

Joelnell Momberg, Box Elder

The third Box Elder player, and one of three freshman on the All Hi-Line Team, Momberg was pectacular, and, she got better as the season went along. By the time the Bears rolled into the 9C tourney, Momberg was averaging close to 12 points per game, while also leading the Bears in rebounding. She helped Box Elder repeat as 9C champions, and added Class C All-State honors to what was a great freshman season.

Brooke Elliot, Chinook

Elliot is one of three repeat performers on the All Hi-Line Team, as she makes the list for the second straight season. While it was an up-and-down season for the Sugarbeeters, Elliot was again rock solid, averaging 11 points and nine rebounds per game for head coach Molli Rose. Elliot earned All 9C honors for the third straight season.

L’Tia Lawrence, Harlem

The third freshman to make the list, Lawrence, had a spectacular coming out party. For head coach Laramie Schwenke, Lawrence scored more than 30 points four different times this season, and she finished her first year of high school basketball averaging 18 points per night. She earned District 2B All-Conference honors, and, as one of the top returning scorers on the Hi-Line, she’ll have a chance to be a four-time All Hi-Line selection.

Editor’s Note: The All Hi-Line Girls Team is voted on by available coaches in our coverage area, as well as members of the Havre Daily News sports department. The list does not reflect the opinion of any single individual. The 2017 All Hi-Line Boys Team will be published in next Monday’s HDN.