Pony boys right back in the Corral

It has been a roller coaster season so far, but after picking up two Northeast A wins against long-time rival Lewistown and Sidney, the Havre High boys basketball team is looking to stay on the path of success both in and out of conference play.

And out in the Northeast A is where the Blue Ponies will be competing tonight and Saturday, starting with a home game against the Browning Indians at 6 in the Havre High Gymnasium and then a Saturday matchup versus the Fairfield Eagles on the road at 5 p.m. in Fairfield.

HHS head coach Walynn Burgess and the Ponies will start the weekend off with a tough contest against the Indians. There has always been a heated history between the Ponies and Browning and this year will prove no different.

"Browning is gonna be a really hard fought game. They are coming in running on all cylinders," Burgess said. "They are a really good team led by Riley Spoon Hunter, a 6-4 point guard who is averaging 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists. He is going to be a really tough matchup all over the floor. Blayne Deroche is their big man who is highly active. We are going to have to control possessions on offense and stay fundamentally sound on both ends of the floor. It's going to be a rocking night at the corral."

Havre started off the year a little rocky but has had a lot of big moments since then in the season. Not only has the offensive attack become both team-orientated and aggressive, but the defense has had its fair share of highlights, as well. But what has stood out most for the Ponies is their chemistry on the court.

Meanwhile, players like seniors Jake Huston and Mason Rismon have been producing some great work as of late. Huston put up a game-high 26 points last week against Lewistown at home. Other players like juniors Kellen Detrick and Josh Warp have been lethal, with Detrick being a force at the rim and Warp dropping bombs at the 3-point line.

Havre's defense has put on quite the show, too, especially on the home court. The Blue Pony defense has held teams like Billings Central, Great Falls, Lewistown, Glendive and Miles City to close games this season. At the same time, that defense has won some games. That aspect is not something to overlook when it comes to playing against Havre.

But Browning is a team that does not mess around either. As of today, the Indians sit atop the Northwest A with a 5-2 record and an undefeated conference record. Browning is currently ranked fourth in the 406 Sports power poll, as well.

Another big advantage for the Indians is the teams' height. Out of the 11 players that make up the roster this year, 10 of them are six-foot or taller; three of them being six-foot-three. The seniors, Rylee Spoon Hunter, Chris Reevis, Justin Burd, Deion Mad Plume and Latrell Bull Child have been using their leadership to help propel Browning to new heights.

Overall, the Indians have been a dark-horse state candidate recently and the fight with conference rival Libby has been a tough one, meaning the team will be fighting hard on the hardwood against the Ponies today.

Burgess knows his team will have to be on the top of their game against Browning and Fairfield.

"We are going to have to play solid team basketball all weekend with both of our matchups," Burgess said. "Both games are going to be some really good tests for us to see where we are at as a team. We understand that if we can share the ball on offense and play team ball, and then do it as a group on the defensive end of the floor, we can be in any game."

Havre will continue the tough series in Saturday's game at Fairfield. The Eagles have been a good team this season, as well, beating rivals Rocky Boy and Conrad last week in the District 1B. The Ponies put up a good game against another Class B school in Malta Jan. 4, but Fairfield has always been a good test outside of Class A for HHS.

"Saturday we turn around and take the challenge of playing Fairfield on their home court," Burgess said. "They are led by their point guard Keeley Bake, who is averaging 25 points-per-game, eight rebounds and seven assists and he recently signed at mt tech. He is a really athletic point guard who can get a lot of buckets in a hurry but is very unselfish and will put his team in the best position to do some damage."

Tonight's game against the Browning Indians at 6 p.m. in the Havre High Gymnasium and Saturday's versus the Fairfield Eagles will be a great set of games for Havre to continue to test their abilities outside of both conference and class. Look forward to seeing some great matchups for the next two days.