Pony boys brace for Northeast A showdowns at home

The Havre High basketball teams ended last week on a high note, with resounding wins over the Sidney Eagles. Now, both Blue Pony squads are looking to capture some momentum.

The Havre High boys will look to do so at home. The Ponies, of head coach Walynn Burgess are home for a pair of Northeast A games, with the Glendive Red Devils visiting the HHS gymnasium tonight, followed by a rematch with Sidney Saturday afternoon.

Havre is currently undefeated in the Northeast A, so that makes these two home games big ones as the Ponies try to keep their lead over Lewistown in the conference standings.

"For us to have the opportunity to get back into the corral and play in front of the home crowd there isn't much better for us," Burgess said. "We really enjoy the energy the fans help bring us whenever we step on the floor."

Every game is tough in the east, but Havre has been tough as well. Kellen Detrick is averaging 17 points and eight rebounds per game, while Josh Warp is scoring almost 15 points per game and senior Clint Owens averages eight points and nine rebounds per game for a Pony squad that is averaging 66 points per outing.

Those numbers are good for the Ponies, who face the Red Devils (2-1, 3-2) tonight. Glendive is a tall, athletic team that has some outstanding players. Forward Michael Murphy and Tavan Coon each average 13 points per night for a Red Devil team scoring 63 points per game. So, with two similar offenses, tonight's game should be a good one.

After Havre takes on Glendive, the Ponies will move on to a rematch with Sidney. Havre thumped the Eagles by double digits last Saturday in Sidney, and with a quick turnaround, the Ponies will know their opponent very well. The Eagles (0-4, 1-4) are struggling thus far this season, as Sidney averages 41 points per game. But Jerome Entz is a standout for the Eagles, and the Ponies won't take the Eagles lightly, especially given the battle they're in right for a conference championship.

"This weekend will be a really good test for us. Glendive is coming to Havre only losing one game and they return all 12 of their players off of a good team last year. We will have to really execute our game plan this Friday with the Red Devils coming to town. We are excited to be back on the floor with them and yet another good test for us on our home floor. Sidney will be an interesting battle after seeing them one week ago, we will make a few more adjustments to our game plan from last week and try and repeat what we did on the road. They are lead by a couple good scorers in Boston Peters and Jerome Entz who we will need to focus in on to give us a chance at the win Saturday night."

The Havre High girls are also in the hunt for the Northeast A crown, and two more games this weekend will get them closer.

The Ponies travel to Glendive (2-1, 3-2) tonight, and then play Sidney (2-2, 3-3) Saturday afternoon. Havre already has a win over the Eagles, as the Ponies blew them out last Saturday in the Corral. Meanwhile, Glendive will be a team Havre hasn't seen yet but, right now, the Ponies are still focused on what they're doing well, and according to HHS head coach Dustin Kraske, there's a lot to like about the season thus far.

"The first thing about this team that jumps out at me is how hard they play," Kraske said. "These kids give an all-out effort every night. They play so hard. And then, I think we are sharing the ball really well. Our passing and our unselfish play has been really fun to watch so far."

The Ponies have been really good offensively. They average 56 points per game, on 66 totals assists this season. Scoring has been balanced, too, with Sadie Filius averaging 13 points and Yelena Miller chipping in with 11. Avery Carlson and Loy Waid combine for 12 more per night, and overall, Havre has nine players who average four or more points per game, so again, the Ponies are extremely a balanced.

Of course, Havre is also employing its trademark defense again this season, and that, too, will help the Ponies chase down their goal of winning the Northeast A, before the postseason begins.

The Havre girls will play Glendive tonight at 6 in Glendive, followed by Sidney Saturday at 3 p.m. Meanwhile, the HHS boys host the Red Devils tonight at 6 followed by a rematch with Sidney Saturday at 4 p.m. in the HHS gymnasium.