Hi-Line Boys Roundup: Chinook, Box Elder, HLP claim key victories

With makeup games still being taken care of, local boys basketball fans got a couple extra games this week.

On Tuesday, two Hi-Line makeup games were played, including the Hays-Lodge Pole Thunderbirds taking on the Turner Tornadoes in District 9C action. The hosting Thunderbirds defeated the Tornadoes 73-42. The Thunderbirds were in control of the game from the very beginning. The offense got off to a hot start, and only got better as the game progressed, while the defense made it very difficult for the Tornadoes to score. Turner was held to 11 first half points, while the Thunderbirds offense gradually got better, closing the night with 26 points in the fourth quarter.

Hays-Lodge Pole's Jeff Sorrell races down the floor during a District 9C boys basketball game last Saturday night between the Thunderbirds and the North Star Knights in Gildford.

Marvin Cole scored 16 to lead the Thunderbirds, while Jeff Sorrell, Keenan Stiffarm, and Gage Essert scored 10 points each. Turner was led by Lucas Reed's 11 points, and Bret Van Valkenburg's 10.

Also on Tuesday, the 1B Rocky Boy Stars earned an important 63-52 win over the Conrad Cowboys in Conrad. Junior Day Child and Darian Lafromboise scored 16 points each to lead the Stars. And it was the consistent, double digit scoring in each frame that kept the Stars out in front of the Cowboys. Conrad pushed at the end with a 17-point fourth, but Rocky Boys's 14 was enough to keep the comfortable lead and earn the win.

Rocky Boy was back in action on Thursday, but couldn't escape the always-dangerous Malta Mustangs in Malta. The Mustangs defeated the Stars 80-48, a rare and lopsided loss for the Stars this season. The game was a matchup of two of the top four teams in Class B and was perhaps a preview of the Northern B championship.

HLP's Marvin Cole, left, shoots over a North Star defender during Saturday's 9C boys game in Gildford.

Malta's 35 first-half points set the tone of the game and Stars couldn't keep up. The Stars were outscored 45-24 in the second half as well. Desmond Parker finished with 13 points for the Stars, while Lafromboise added 10 in the crushing loss.

The 9C North Stars Knights also suffered a loss on Thursday. Denton defeated the struggling Stars 57-45. Cooper Spicher and Gavin Spinler kept the Stars in contention, but came up short 12 points in the loss. Spicher led with 16, while Spiner scored 13 for the Knights. North Star also grabbed 18 points in the fourth quarter, but Denton matched their efforts and kept the Knights at bay.

Turner tried to rebound from Tuesday's loss, but suffered another tough loss on Thursday. Hinsdale defeated the Tornadoes 49-27 in Turner. The Tornadoes found it tough to get the offense rolling, while the defense was able to hold Hinsdale to a respectable total. Reed's nine points led the Tornadoes' offense that scored double digits in just one frame, 10 in the opening eight minutes.

On Friday, several area teams faced off with one another.

The Chinook Sugarbeeters and Thunderbirds squared off in 9C play, and it was the Beeters who came out on top 65-52 at home. The game was relatively close, but one bad quarter by the Thunderbirds allowed the Beeters to gain a comfortable lead. After leading 18-10 after one quarter, and 31-27 at the half, the Beeters used a 17-9 third quarter to gain a much-needed edge. Chinook outscored the Thunderbirds 17-16 in the fourth quarter to hold onto the win.

Marvin Cole led the Thunderbirds with a game high 21. But Lane Seymour's 20, and Zach Molyneaux's 18 gave Chinook the advantage.

The Box Elder Bears and Knights also met in a 9C rivalry game on Friday.

The league leading Bears rolled over the Knights 72-41, as Clayton Morsette Jr. scored 12 points, Randall Gardipee scored 14, and Lonnie Plain Bull Jr. scored 13 for Box Elder. Spicher was the only double-digit finisher for the Knights, scoring 13 points.

Roy-Winifred also defeated the 9C Big Sandy Pioneers 78-63 in Big Sandy. The Pioneers' offense found ways to score, but the defense couldn't slow down the Outlaws. Even with an 18-point second quarter, and a 22-point fourth quarter, the Pioneers couldn't earn the win at home.

Big Sandy was paced by Kaden Beck's 20 points, and Jessey Bailey's 11. Zac Leader also finished with 10, while Trevor Lackner was held to seven on the night.

Rocky Boy was able to get back into the win column on Friday as the Stars defeated Shelby 61-54 in another tight matchup. Both teams had solid performances on offense, but the Stars held the Coyotes to just five points in the third quarter. The stars scored 11 more in the third quarter, allowing the Stars to gain some ground after leading by just two points at the break. Justin Raining Bird led the Stars with his 16 points. Cecil Lafromboise added 12, and Isaiah Murie added 10 to the winning effort.

The Stars will now face Big Sandy on the road on Thursday and will host Fairfield on Saturday night.

In 10C action, the Chester/J-I Hawks were able to come away with a narrow victory on the road. The Hawks defeated Valier 52-46, getting 16 points from Tim Stokes and 12 from Klayton Lohr.

The Hawks were back in action on Saturday as well. This time they weren't as fortunate, as Dutton-Brady defeated the Hawks 43-31 in Chester. The Hawks fell behind by 10 points early, and couldn't comeback, as they scored just nine more in the second quarter and five in the third. Stokes led the Hawks with eight points, while Steven may added six and Justin May added five. Next up, the Hawks will face Power on the road on Friday, before facing North Star on the road on Saturday.

North Star's Cooper Spicher, left, plays defense during Saturday night's 9C boys game between the Knights and the Hays-Lodge Pole Thunderbirds in Gildford.

The Class B Harlem Wildcats also suffered a loss on Saturday, as Malta continued to roll over Hi-Line squads. The Mustangs defeated the hosting Wildcats 61-45. A six-point second quarter hurt the Wildcats, while the Mustang's offense was consistent for four quarters. Isaiah Lords did all he could to help Harlem, but his 16 points still wasn't enough. Stanley Irvine added nine, and Micah Shawl and Clay Doney scored eight points each. Harlem will look to get back on the winning track with a road game against Shelby on Thursday, and a home game against Glasgow on Friday.

The Box Elder Bears were able to follow Friday's victory with another win on Saturday. This time around, the No. 7 9C Bears defeated the Denton Trojans 65-37 in very convincing fashion. The Bears improved to 10-3 overall this season.

Box Elder shot out of the gate on Saturday, and never slowed down. After a 26 point first half, the Bears erupted to score 19 more in the third quarter, and 20 more in the fourth. Morsette Jr. led the way with 20 points, while Gardipee added 13, and Plain Bull Jr. added 11 to the scoring barrage. The Bears will now host Hays-Lodge Pole on Friday, and will travel to Heart Butte on Saturday.

In more 9C action Saturday, the Thunderbirds and Knights also met in Gildford. The Thunderbirds handed the Knights another tough loss, earning the 55-44 win in Rudyard. The Thunderbirds jumped all over the Knights early. And if it weren't for a 26 point fourth quarter by the Knights, the gap could have been much more for the Thunderbirds. Hays-Lodge Pole used Nate Doney's and Jeff Sorrell's 13 points each to earn the win, while North Star's leading scorer was Cooper Spicher with 16.

The No. 3 9C Thunderbirds (4-2/7-6) will face Big Sandy tonight in Big Sandy, and will face Roy/Winifred on Saturday in Winifred. And the last place 9C Knights (0-9-1-13) will face Sunburst on the road on Friday before hosting Chester/J-I on Saturday.

North Star's Gavin Spinler, left, hoists up a shot during Saturday night's boys game in Gildford.

Big Sandy defeated Turner on Saturday in more 9C action. The Pioneers moved past the Tornadoes 77-51 in Turner. Turner used a 21-point fourth quarter to close the gap somewhat, but the Pioneers took control early and never let up, including putting up 29 points in the third quarter alone. Big Sandy was led by Hanson's 18, and Leader's 15. Lucas Reed, scoring a game-high 20 points, paced Turner.

The No. 2 9C Pioneers (5-1/8-5) will face Hays-Lodge Pole tonight, before hosting Rocky Boy on Thursday, and hosting Chinook on Friday. Turner (2-5/3-10) will host Roy/Winifred on Friday and travel to Chinook on Saturday.

Chinook also faced some competition on the road on Saturday, but managed to finish the weekend off with a win. The Beeters defeated Dodson handily, winning 76-52. In the lopsided victory, the Beeters got 23 points from Lane Seymour, 10 points from jake Diemert, and 17 from Grant Tilleman. The Beeters, the fouth place team in the 9C (4-4/6-7) will face now face Big Sandy on Friday and Turner on Saturday.

Tuesday

Hays-Lodge Pole 73, Turner 42

Turner 4 7 11 18 – 42

Hays-Lodge Pole 17 14 16 26 – 73

Turner – Dylan Welsh 8, Tyler Humphreys 5, Bret VanValkenburg 10, Lucas Reed 11, Zach Hutton 3, Alvaro Gonzalez 1, Reece Huton 2.

HLP – Jeff Sorrell 10, Gage Essert 10, Marvin Cole 16, Sterling White Cow 4, Kennan Stiffarm 10, Nate Doney 9, Darren Jr. Long Fox 9, Dane Snow 3.

Rocky Boy 63, Conrad 52

Rocky Boy 17 15 17 14 – 63

Conrad 12 15 8 17 – 52

Rocky Boy – Elijah Gopher 4, Isaiah Murie 2, Junior Day Child 16, Justin Raining Bird 6, Desmond parker 13, Darian Lafromboise 16, Cecil Lafromboise 6.

Conrad – Devin VandenBox 5, Camron Janzen 6, Austin Zomer 18, Shane Larson 21, Terence Kleinsasser 2.

Thursday

Malta 80, Rocky Boy 48

Rocky Boy 10 14 17 7 – 48

Malta 21 14 22 23 – 80

Rocky Boy — Elijah Gopher 5, Isaiah Murie 2, Jarod Coffee 2, Junior Day Child 8, Justin Raining Bird 6, Cecil Lafromboise 2, Desmond Parker 13, Darian Lafromboise 10.

Malta — Kendall Denham 19, Kaden Bedwell 8, Dalton Brookie 4, Jeremy Costin 4, Zach Handley 24, Zach Czereda 2, Tucker Schye 19.

Denton 57, North Star 45

North Star 6 9 12 18 – 45

Denton 11 18 10 18 – 57

North Star — Cooper Spicher 16, Willy Gilead 2, Gavin Spinler 13, Payton Peterson 4, Sam Ulman 3, Donovan Ulman 2, Jaxon Simonson 5.

Denton — Lane Lucas 2, Jake Gremaux 22, Austin Morris 5, Kendall Carpenter 16, Tyler Lee 10, Tom Grubb 2.

Hinsdale 49, Turner 27

Hinsdale 12 15 13 9 – 49

Turner 10 5 8 4 – 27

Hinsdale – Kylan Messerly 5, Ajay Headdress 12, Dallas Capdeville 19, Kyle Albus 2, Wyatt pattison 3, Luke Johnson 8.

Turner – Dylan Walsh 5, Tyler Humphreys 5, Bret VanValkenberg 5, Lucas Reed 9, Alvero Gonzalea 2, Reece Hutton 1.

Friday

Chinook 65, Hays-Lodge Pole 52

Hays-Lodge Pole 10 17 9 16 – 52

Chinook 18 13 17 17 – 65

HLP — Darrin Long Fox 4, Nate Doney 1, Jeff Sorrell 4, Marvin Cole 21, Gage Essert 7, Darnell Parisian 3, Jalen Brockie 8.

Chinook — Lane Seymour 20, Dylan Surber 9, Scott Schmitt 6, Zach Molyneaux 18, Grant Tilleman 12.

Box Elder 72, North Star 41

North Star 5 6 20 10 – 41

Box Elder 23 20 9 20 – 72

North Star — C. Spicher 13, Q. Spicher 6, W. Gilead 4, G. Spicher 6, P. Peterson 1, S. Ulman 4, T. Smith 2, C. Lovery 1, J. Simonson 4.

Box Elder — Brandon The Boy 7, Clayton Morsette Jr. 12, William Ketchum 1, Randall Gardipee 14, Jacob Jones 9, Nathan Parker 3, Thomas Parisian 5, Lonnie Plain Bull Jr. 13, Lee Webster 3, Kylee Fiddler 3, Slayte Duran 2.

Roy-Winifred 78, Big Sandy 63

Roy-Winifred 24 20 16 18 – 78

Big Sandy 11 18 12 22 – 63

Roy-Winifred — Tucker Matovich 10, Chad Kananen 20, Samu Soini 5, Jordan Dehaven 9, Jordan Harrell 4, Buster Styer 2, Clay Boyce 3, Luke Stulc 20,Lee Thompson 5.

Big Sandy — Jerry Hanson 7, Bryant Jones 5, Trevor Lackner 7, Kaden Beck 20, Zac Leader 10, T.J. Shipp 2, Kyle Strutz 1, Jessey Bailey 11.

Rocky Boy 61, Shelby 54

Shelby 16 15 5 18 – 54

Rocky Boy 19 14 11 17 – 61

Shelby – Jourdon Heydon 2, Thane McCracken 4, Jared Eckhardt 6, Ryan Clark 19, Bradley Fretheim 7, Tyler White 16.

Rocky Boy – Elijah Gopher 1, Isiah Murie 10, Jerod Coffee 3, Junior Day Child 3, Justin Raining Bird 16, Desmond Parker 8, Darian Lafromboise 8, Cecil lafromboise 12.

Chester/J-I 52, Valier 46

C/J-I – Jordan Oraw 6, Dell Harmon 2, tim Stokes 16, Steven may 5, ody Ramberg 2, Klayton Lohr 12, Justin May 9.

Valier – Cole Wagner 7, Carter Miller 6, Jeb Lunda 4, Justin Sullivan 18, Clint Christiaens 15, Joerel Tatsey 14.

Saturday

Dutton-Brady 43, Chester/J-I 31

Dutton-Brady 16 6 10 11 – 43

Chester/J-I 6 9 5 11

Dutton-Brady — T. Duty 4, C. Rossmiller 2, A. Storle 6, M. Hitchcock 1, T. Johnson 10, J. Fritz 12, B. Dahlman 4, B. Hanser 4.

C/J-I — Dell Harmon 4, Tim Stokes 8, Mike Henke 2, Steven May 6, Dustin Romain 4, Casey Kingon 2, Justin May 5.

Box Elder 65, Denton 37

Denton 4 11 11 11 – 37

Box Elder 16 10 19 20 – 65

Denton — Ward 5, Gremaux 7, Morris 2, Carpenter 14, Lee 7, Grubb 2.

Box Elder — Brandon The Boy 4, Clayton Morsette Jr. 20, Randall Gardipee 13, Quina Baker 2, Thomas Parisian 7, Lonnie Plain Bull Jr. 11, Jacob Burns 2, Lee Webster 6.

Hays-Lodge Pole 55, North Star 44

HLP 12 15 13 15 – 55

North Star 6 4 8 26 – 44

HLP – Nate Doney 13, Jeff Sarrell 13, Marvin Cole 8, gage Essert 6, Darnell Parisian 2, Sterling White Cow 2, Dane Snow 1, Keenan Stiffarm 6, Jalen Brockie 4.

North Star – Cooper Spicher 16, Quinn Spinler 5, Gavin Spinler 11, Sam Ulmen 4, Mathew Holmbrecht 4, Jaxon Simonson 4.

Big Sandy 77, Turner 51

Big Sandy 18 15 29 15 – 77

Turner 7 12 11 21 – 51

Big Sandy – Jerry Hanson 18, Bryant Jones 5, H. Beck 6, C. Bailey 3, Trevor Lackner 8, Kaden Beck 2, Zac Leader 15, TJ Shipp 3, Kyle Strutz 8, Jessey Bailey 5.

Turner – Dylan Welsh 9, Tyler Humphreys 4, Bret VanValkenburg 14, Lucas Reed 20, Alyero Gonzalez 4.

Chinook 76, Dodson 52

Chinook 16 16 26 18 – 76

Dodson 14 11 4 23 – 52

Chinook – Lane Seymour 23, Dylan Surber 3, Scott Schmitt 2, Zack Molyneaux 2, Cody McCracken 1, Jacob Maclean 9, Zack Schellin 6, Jake Diemert 10, Ty Simenson 3, Grant Tilleman 17.

Dodson – Levi Jones 7, Clinton Daniels 3, Jesse Stephens 14, Jimmy Martin 15, Nick Bear 14.