Hi-Line Boys: Beeters edge Horns in 9C showdown

This past week was a big one in the District 9C as the Chinook Sugarbeeters and Fort Benton Longhorns met last Saturday in Chinook with first place on the line.

Both teams carried 9-0 records into the tilt and each squad was unbeaten in the 9C going into the matchup. In the end, it proved to be a defensive battle and when it was all over, the Beeters escaped with a 49-47 win. Chinook is now 10-0 overall and 7-0 in the 9C. Fort Benton dropped to 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the league. Cord Schneider led the way for the Beeters with 14 points. Isaac Bell also pitched in with 11. Garrett Diekhans scored 15 to led for Fort Benton, which also got 13 from Damon Bird and Hayden Diekhans.

While the Longhorns fell to Chinook Saturday, they opened the week with a win on Thursday, knocking off Chester-Joplin-Inverness 64-45 in Fort Benton. Garrett Diekhans poured in 21 points. Bird added 12. Spencer Richter led the way for the Hawks with 17.

Elsewhere on Friday, Turner took on Box Elder at home and rolled the Bears by a score of 77-53. The Tornadoes put together a hot shooting night and that including an incredible 36-point effort from Cody Welsh. Turner also got 15 points from Shane Kimmel and 13 from Austin Welsh in the win. Quentin Limberhand led the way for the Bears with 12 in the loss.

On Friday, Turner played host to Big Sandy but was unable to secure another victory as the Pioneers triumphed by the score of 57-51. Brock Proulx paced the Pioneers with 25 points. Ryan Roth also contributed with 21 for Big Sandy. Cody Welsh scored 20 in the loss for Turner, which also got eight from Heilig.

Chinook was also in action Friday night and took on North Star before hosting Fort Benton Saturday. The Beeters and Knights met in Rudyard in a rematch of last season's 9C championship game, but this time around, Chinook won handily 81-22. Isaac Bell and Ethan Bell both scored a game-high 15 points, while Brendan Edwards, Cord Schneider and Hunter Neibauer all finished with 11. Austin Hansen was the high scorer for North Star with eight.

Hays-Lodge Pole stepped outside the district to take on Roy-Winifred Friday and the Thunderbirds earned a win 48-46 over another Northern C school. The T-Birds got 20 points from Jeremy Pretty Paint, as well as five from Gilbert Snow and Moke Cliff. HLP also notched a 73-65 win Saturday night over Box Elder to improve to 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the 9C.

Also Saturday, Big Sandy knocked off CJI to move into fourth place in the 9C with a 4-3 mark within the league. It was a hard-fought game but in the end, the Pioneers prevailed 49-43. Brock Proulx finished with 16 to lead all scorers. Kade Strutz also added 15 in the road win. Richter scored 21 in defeat for the Hawks, who also got 10 from Tyler Wanken.

After falling to Chinook Friday, North Star traveled to take on Conrad from Class B. The Knights fell behind by 11 points early but rallied to make it tight at the end before ultimately going down 61-59. Hayden Massar scored 17 points for North Star, which also got 13 from Bailey Spicher in the loss.

Elsewhere in Class B, Harlem took Shelby Friday night and dropped a contest against 1B foe Shelby 62-48. Tyler Cichosz scored 15 points for the Wildcats in the loss. Lane Allen also added 14. Harlem also lost to Poplar Saturday by the score of 80-50. Allen and Daniel Lawrence each had 10 points in defeat for the Wildcats. Rocky Boy also earned back-to-back wins this weekend, knocking off Cut Bank on the road Friday, 54-51, before returning home to beat Choteau Saturday 59-54.

THURSDAY

Turner 77, Box Elder 53

Box Elder 9 10 19 15 - 53

Turner 22 18 19 18 - 77

Turner - Austin Welsh 13, Cody Welsh 36, Shane Kimmel 15, Spencer See 3, Tracer Heilig 10.

Box Elder Jayden J. 9, Chris Bruns 4, Nacona Limberhand 2, Malique Rosette 3, Quentin Limberhand 12, Kobe S. 6.

Fort Benton 64, Chester-Joplin-Inverness 45

CJI 12 12 12 9 - 45

Fort Benton 22 10 13 19 - 64

Fort Benton: Damon Bird 12, Jace Thompson 6, Ethan Pfile 2, Hayden Diekhans 6, Billy Ullery 4, Garrett Diekhans 21, Jace Pimperton 2, Nick Marias 2, Logan Giles 11.

Chester-Joplin-Inverness: Evan Dahinden 6, Andrew Woods 2, Kyle Harmon 6, Bryce Kammerell 1, Spencer Richter 17, Jarret Green 2, Tyler Wanken 8, Noah Bender 3.

FRIDAY

Big Sandy 57, Turner 51

Big Sandy 20 12 11 14 - 57

Turner 11 11 9 20 - 51

Turner: Austin Welsh 7, Jack Harmon 3, Tracer Heilig 8, Shane Kimmel 5, Spencer See 8, Cody Welsh 20.

Big Sandy: Brock Proulx 25, Ryan Roth 21, Kody Strutz 3, Parker Proulx 2, Kade Strutz 0, Kade Strutz 0, Ryan Roth 0, Parker Proulx 0, Brock Proulx 0, Jeremiah Genereaux 0.

Chinook 81, North Star 22

Chinook 26 25 17 13 - 81

North Star 8 10 2 2

North Star: Bailey Spicher 7, Brady Wendland 3, Austin Hansen 8, Hayden Massar 4.

Chinook: Isaac Bell 15, Ethan Bell 15, Hunter Neibauer 11, James Christensen 1, Cord Schneider 11, Reese Elliot 4, Ethan MacLeod 2, Riley Kellam 9, Brenden Edwards 11, Trajan Hannum 2.

Hays-Lodge Pole 48, Roy-Winifred 46

Roy-Winifred 12 14 8 12 0 46

HLP 10 15 12 11 - 48

Hays-Lodge Pole: Gilbert Snow 5, Jeffrey Stifarm 5, W. Bringing Good 5, Moke Cliff 5, Jeremy Pretty Paint 20, Ken Black Crow Jr. 4.

Roy-Winifred: Tyler Fordyce 2, Brody Geer 17, Blake Donsbach 2, Bryer Shultz 2, Justin Stulc 3, Ryan Russell 13.

Shelby 62, Harlem 48

Shelby 14 11 18 19 - 62

Harlem 8 13 15 12 - 48

Harlem: RJ Ramone 7, Lane Allen 14, Truth Brockie 4, Tyler Cichosz 15, Trenton Main 2, Daniel Lawrence 6, Cassius Johnson 0.

Shelby: Logan Leck 14, Ryan VanTine 11, Tanner Watson 12, Taylor Parsons 0, Tanner Parsons 22, Tucker Tustain 3.

SATURDAY

Big Sandy 49, Chester-Joplin-Inverness 43

Big Sandy - 13 20 11 15 - 49

CJI 9 7 11 16 - 43

Big Sandy - Brock Proulx 16, Ryan Roth 8, Kody Strutz 1, Crawford Terry 1, Parker Proulx 6, Kade Strutz 15.

CJI - A. Woods 2, K. Harmon 3, Noah Bender 4, Spencer Richter 21, Evan Dahinden 3, Tyler Wanken 10.

Conrad 61, North Star 59

North Star 13 15 14 17 - 59

Conrad 24 10 10 17 - 61

Conrad: Carson Bitney 7, Nolan Taule 13, Ethan Wittmen 2, Blake Larson 11, Caden Huntsinger 4, Kade Harwood 24.

North Star: Austin Hansen 12, Bailey Spicher 13, Caden Rettig 7, Garrett Spicher 3, Hayden Massar 17, Rhett Wolery 3, Payne Ditmar 4.

Poplar 80, Harlem 50

Poplar 18 30 21 11 - 80

Harlem 16 11 16 7 - 50

Harlem: Cassius Johnson 2, Truth Brockie 2, Lane Allen 10, Tyler Cichosz 9, Daniel Lawrence 10, RJ Ramone 17.

Poplar: Kenny Smoker 13, Wynn Main 20, Wilfred Lambert 19, H. Burshia 2, Darryl Joe 17, Dusette Gourneau 3, Chris Colgan 6.

Chinook 49, Fort Benton 47

Fort Benton 12 12 13 10 - 47

Chinook - 19 11 6 13 - 49

Chinook - Isaac Bell 11, Ethan Bell 2, Hunter Neibauer 6, Trajan Hannum 5, Reese Elliot 2, Riley Kellam 2, Brendan Edwards 7, Cord Schneider 14.

Fort Benton - Damon Bird 13, S. Thompson 2, H. Diekhans 13, M. Lane 2, Logan Giles 2, Garrett Diekhans 15.