State Champs, Again

MISSOULA - Saturday night at the Dahlberg Arena in Missoula was a familiar site for the Havre High girls basketball team. At the end of a 37-30 victory over Billings Central, the Blue Ponies lifted the first-place trophy for the Class A State Tournament once again. It was the second-straight year the Ponies won the state championship and it was their fifth title since 2014. 

"It feels great. It feels like the hard work paid off," Avery Carlson said about repeating as state champions. 

It was a defensive game that saw both teams shoot below 35 percent from the field, but the Ponies were able to grab some momentum to take the lead in the second half. The Rams were resilient and were able to cut the deficit to three points with just over a minute remaining in the game. Even with some missed free throws, the Ponies were able to pull it out thanks to strong defense down the stretch. 

"I'm just so proud of our kids. They battled back," HHS head coach Dustin Kraske said. "In the second half, we were incredibly resilient defensively. Offensive baskets were hard to get, but I thought our kids did a nice job."

It was fitting that the Ponies' win came against the Billings Central Rams who got the better of Havre twice this year. Back in December, the Rams came back to defeat Havre, 55-54, in overtime. In the Eastern A Divisional title game, the Rams once again got the better of Havre with a 49-37 victory. As the only team that the Ponies had not defeated yet this year, Saturday's victory finally allowed Havre to call itself the best team in the state. 

This year's postseason also felt familiar as the Ponies followed a similar path last year. In the 2021 Eastern A Divisional, the Ponies lost to the Billings Central Rams but then got revenge with a double overtime win in the state title game. 

The state title served as the perfect sendoff for Havre's seniors Sadie Filius, Jade Wendland, Alyssa Oliver and Lacy Preeshl. Many of them have been playing for the team for the past four seasons, making players such as Filius a three-time state champion to bring her career full circle. 

"I'm just overwhelmed with joy to be here with this group of girls again," Filius said. "It just feels good to know that I went out the same way I came in."

Havre's veterans showed their experience from big games in the past as they led the team to victory Saturday night. In her final game in the program, Filius led the Ponies with 13 points as she went 10-for-12 from the free-throw line. Wendland was second on the team with nine points and knocked down one of the Ponies' three 3-pointers. With it being their final game as Ponies, they could not have gone out on a better note. 

"It's really emotional," Wendland said. "It's really setting in that this is my last year, and I'm dreading taking my jersey off for the last time."

While the other seniors had been with the program for several years, this was Wendland's first year in the program. She had postseason success with the North Star Knights including a District 9C title, but a state tournament was a whole new experience for her. While it was her lone year in the program, that was all she needed to see how strong the Ponies are.

"I've never won a state tournament before," Wendland said. "It was just a really good feeling when that final buzzer sounded."

With five state titles over the past eight years, the HHS girls basketball team has planted its flag as one of the best programs in the state. While Kraske has been the anchor in the program over the years, he knows all the success has come down to all the players he has coached through the years. 

"I'm lucky to be a part of it. It's a privilege to coach these kids," Kraske said.