Ponies' season one for the ages

GREAT FALLS - The Havre High girls basketball team won the Class A state championship this past weekend in Great Falls and the fact that the Blue Ponies won their second state title in four years should come as a surprise to no one.

All year long, it was easy to see that the Ponies were the best team in Class A and the truth is, it wasn't close. There were a couple of scares along the way, particularly from Hamilton, but for the most part, this Pony team was simply head and shoulders above the rest.

The fact is, this Havre squad has everything you need to be successful. With five seniors, the Ponies had plenty of experience, but the talent was there, too, as all five had been seeing varsity minutes since their sophomore years. In Marca Herron, Kaylee Nystrom, Danielle Wallace, Kyley Verploegen and Ryen Olson, the Ponies had a special group of seniors, one that on its own, might have been good enough to win it all.

But what made Havre really special was its incredible blend of youth and experience, star players and depth. While Havre played five seniors, it also started two sophomores, Kyndall Keller and Kadia Miller, plus other underclassmen such as Kylie Walker, Katie Wirtzberger and Loy Waid also saw key minutes.

Yet, what's even more impressive, is what head coach Dustin Kraske was able to do with all the pieces he was given. For years, Kraske has been a proven winner and even before this season, he was unquestionably one of the elite high school coaches in the state of Montana.

Since he took over as head coach before the 2006-07 season, the Ponies have been a staple at the Class A state tournament, qualifying 11 times in the last 12 years. He has won a bunch of divisional championships, including the Eastern A this season and now two Class A state titles.

Certainly, he has been blessed with a lot of talent and not just this season. But at the same time, regardless of who has played for him, his formula of winning with defense has stood the test of time and this past weekend was probably the greatest example yet.

Of course, it was hard not to be reminded of the 2014 team, which used a similar formula to capture a state championship, but the defensive dominance of the Havre girls basketball team reached an entirely new level at the Four Seasons Friday and Saturday night.

The first game against Hamilton was the biggest challenge, but the Ponies still held the Broncs under 40 points. In all three games, Havre's opponents scored an average of just 34 points. But what's even more incredible is the shooting percentages allowed by Havre, particularly in the semifinals and state championship game.

After narrowly escaping Hamilton Thursday, the Ponies were razor sharp against Browning Friday night. Keller dominated offensively, scoring 25 points and showcasing why she might just be the best player in Class A girls basketball. On the other end of the floor, though, the Havre defense was even more dominant. More dominant than any high school basketball team I've ever seen.

The Indians scored a bucket to the game 4-4 with around three minutes left in the first quarter. They wouldn't make another field goal for the rest of the first half. Havre closed on a 21-1 run and the game was over. Browning wasn't just beaten, it was demoralized.

In that first half against Browning, Havre limited the Indians to 2-of-20 shooting or 10 percent from the field. In any game, let alone a state tournament, that is unheard of. For the game, Browning shot 23.4 percent.

But as good as Havre was Friday, it was equally good Saturday. While the Ponies struggled offensively, scoring just 42 points and turning the ball over 21 times, the defense won the day. For the second straight night, Havre held an opponent to 10 percent shooting in the first half, as the Bulldogs mirrored Browning's 2-of-20 performance. When the championship game concluded, Hardin had made just 7-of-44 shot attempts or 15.9 percent of their shots.

Over the course of the two games against Hardin and Browning, the Havre defense allowed just 18 field goals in 92 attempts (19.5 percent), a number that seems almost impossible, unless you have watched Havre play with any regularity. When you watch the Pony girls, seeing a team go 10 minutes without a bucket, isn't an irregular occurrence.

In addition to having a dominant defense, the Ponies also had one of, if not the best offenses in Class A with an average of 60 points a night. Keller was a big part of that. The All-State sophomore averaged 18.1 points during the season and in the state tournament, she averaged 17, including a 10-of-21 performance against Browning and a game-high 12 points in the title game.

Along with Herron, one of the top 3-point shooters in the state and Danielle Wallace, a double-digit scorer inside, Havre is difficult to guard, especially with the way Nystrom, Miller, Verploegen and others run the floor and attack the basket.

The bottom line is in the history of Havre basketball, few teams have ever been as dominant as the 2018 Pony girls. Their 24-0 record is just one piece of evidence in their favor, but there are many others, such as their point differential, which exceeds 25 points and the fact that just one of their 24 wins was decided by fewer than six. Only one team, all season, was within one possession of Havre in the final minute of the game, talk about game control.

Certainly, Havre High has had other great teams, including the 1997 state champions led by Havre High legend Loree Payne and former head coach, now activities director, Dennis Murphy, who directed Havre to three state championship games during his tenure, didn't say which team he believed to be better.

"It's hard to compare," Murphy said. "Those are just two completely different eras."

He's right, it's impossible to compare to 1997 team to the 2018 team. It would also be a shame to overlook the teams that won in 1976, 1978 and 2014. They were all historic victories and they all deserve their moment in the sun.

However, it's fair to say that this 2018 team is the most accomplished in Havre basketball history. No other team has went undefeated and no other has won 24 games. Records certainly aren't everything, but this team passes the eye test, too, especially as Keller continues to get better and better. She's not Loree Payne, but she might be the closest thing.

All I know is that I've never seen a team quite like this and while no one can say definitively that this year's Ponies are the best Havre High has ever seen, when it comes to playing defense, they are the GOAT (greatest of all time). And for now, that will have to do.