9C Extra: Hi-Line Athlete Profile, Dane Miller, North Star

Perhaps more than any team in the District 9C Tournament, the North Star Knights have a lot on the line this week in Havre. And maybe no players have more on the line than the Millers, Dane, Devon and Dylan, who are bound and determined to get the Knights to the Northern C Divisional Tournament.

North Star last made it out of districts and into divisionals back during the 2006-07 season, but last season, it came within one game of making it happen. The nights made it to the 9C semifinals last season, but wound up playing for third and losing to Chinook.

Since that loss, the Knights have made it their mission to get to the divisional tournament and the Miller brothers, triplets who have played basketball together the past few seasons, hope to be a big part of making that happen. And now, after knocking off Chester-Joplin-Inverness in the quarterfinals of the District 9C Tournament, they are one win from making it happen, as North Star will play Hays-Lodge Pole tonight. The winner will advance to the championship game and would be guaranteed a top-two finish and a berth at divisionals.

"We are pretty excited," Dane Miller said. "We have had this goal all year. We have a banner in our gym from the last time we went to divisionals in '06, and we want to get that changed. That's been a big motivating factor."

Dane may not be an All-Conference player, but he is still a starter and a key part of what the Knights do, especially on the defensive end of the floor. And while it has been a long process for North Star, the three Miller brothers have all been key parts of a rebuilding project they are hoping to complete this weekend, possibly tonight.

Yet, knocking off Hays-Lodge Pole, the third-seeded team in the tournament won't be easy. Derrick Shambo's team is experienced and talented. Chance Main and David Main are both seniors and know what it's like to play on the big stage. The two teams also met twice during the regular season and won on each other's home floor.

Semifinal night at 9C tournament is always exciting and with everything on the line tonight inside the HHS gymnasium, it should provide for some entertaining basketball. However, after the Knights win over CJI, the Havre Daily News caught up with Dane Miller for five questions.

HDN: What do you like the most about playing in the 9C Tournament?

Miller: "Just the atmosphere and getting to play in a gym that we don't get to often. That just makes it fun."

HDN: You guys played in the semifinals last year; how will that help you this time around?

Miller: "We just know we have to ride our waves and just stay consistent. We can't get too high or too low."

HDN: Does playing with your brothers give you an edge on the basketball court?

Miller: "Knowing where each other are on the floor is easier because we have been doing it since we were in fifth grade."

HDN: What's a hobby of yours?

Miller: "In the spring I like to go golfing. Our school doesn't have golf, so there is a group of us that will go play. I don't do track so I just play golf."

HDN: What would it mean to you guys if you can win the semifinals and get to the championship game?

Miller: "It would mean a lot. It would be fun if it was 1-2. But we just want to keep moving and keep going from there."