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Havre starts state tourney quest with an old rival today in the opening round of the Eastern A
Havre senior Mason Rismon shoots over the Miles City defense during a Northeast A game last month in Havre. The Blue Ponies begin play at the Eastern A Divisional this afternoon when they take on Livingston at the Metra in Billings. Four berths in the Class A state tournament are on the line this weekend in Billings.
Since last season, the Havre High boys basketball team has flashed a lot of potential and improvement. Upsets against top teams and defending champs especially come to mind.
But the annual rigorous test for the Blue Ponies, who are eager to make a return to the Class A state tournament, starts today in the Eastern A Divisional tournament at the First Interstate Bank Arena at the Metra in Billings. The test Havre (11-7) will face first is Livingston's Park High Rangers (13-5) in the quarterfinals this afternoon at 3:30.
The former Central A opponent will bring about a big challenge for HHS, but the ultimate goal is to reach the Class A state tournament and the Ponies need two wins to get there, whether they beat the Rangers or not.
"Eastern A is such a tough tournament," HHS head coach Walynn Burgess said. "This year Hardin is No. 1 for reasons being 18-0. They would have to be the favorites, but there is another handful of teams that could give themselves a chance at state."
While Havre has not played Livingston this year, there will still be a highly competitive team on the floor. The game will be a great first test for the Ponies. Players like juniors Kellen Detrick and Josh Warp and seniors Mason Rismon and Jake Huston will be key offensive standouts for HHS, while others like Clint Owens and Tyrel Kjersem will aim to put in a great effort, too.
The Rangers have competed in the tough Southeast A this season, going toe-to-toe with teams like Laurel and Billings Central, winning two conference games to claim the No. 3 from the Southeast A. with a 13-5 overall record, Park will not be an easy team to defeat.
And if Havre wins, it will not get any easier, as the runners-up from last season, No. 1 Hardin (18-0), will be a possible opponent if the Bulldogs beat Glendive (8-9) in their quarterfinal matchup. Players like Famous Lefthand and Trae Hugs will be tough competitors to face on the court, too.
Meanwhile, the other side of the bracket contains a Laurel (10-8) versus Sidney (4-14) play-in game, with the winner facing No. 1 Miles City (11-7) Thursday at 12:30 p.m. The victor of that matchup will meet either Billings Central (11-7) or Lewistown (7-11) in the semifinals.
The first semifinal game is Friday at 3:30 p.m., with the second afterward. The two teams that win the semifinal games will play in the Eastern A championship Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Burgess knows what his team needs to do to succeed on the court today and the rest of the week.
"The main keys for us this weekend is defensive effort from everyone on the floor," Burgess said. "We also need good team basketball on the offensive end of the floor. I look forward the most to see how far our team has come since the summertime. It's going to be a great battle for us next weekend in the Metra."
Havre starts its quest for a spot in the Class A state tournament with a game against the Park Rangers this afternoon at 3:30 in the Metra. If the Ponies win, they play the winner of Hardin and Glendive Friday at 3:30 p.m. but losing send them into Friday loser-out action. The Eastern A championship game is Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The top four teams advance to the state tournament March 12-14, also in Billings.
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