Traditional Hi-Line powers face new challenges

When it comes to high school boys basketball, those of us along the Hi-Line have been pretty spoiled in recent years.

Not only have we witnessed the Box Elder Bears win two Class C state championships in the past three years, we also got to watch some incredible individual talent such as Dane Warp, Brandon The Boy, Jerrod Four Colors, Justin May, Nate Rismon and Jerod Boles.

Yet, all those players are gone now, having all graduated after last season. However, their teams must move on without them and among the many storylines that we have to look forward to, how those player are replaced, could be the most important.

But, with local teams ranging in classification from Class A to Class C, there is a lot to look forward to and plenty of things to talk about. So here are things to watch as high school boys basketball starts across the state next week.

Can the Box Elder dynasty continue?

There is no question about it, over the past three seasons, the Box Elder boys basketball team did it as well as just about any team in the history of Class C basketball. The Bears didn't just win games, they dominated them.

The Bears went undefeated in the postseason a year ago, sweeping the 9C District, Northern C Divisional and Class C state titles. And in those games, they were rarely challenged. In fact, just one of their games was decided by less than 10 points. That's how much better Box Elder was than everybody else.

This year, without The Boy, Four Colors, Jake Jones, Shane Ketchum and Bodis Duran, the Bears, led by head coach Jeremy MacDonald, have some work to do. With Pernell Morsette, Trey Henderson and Pete Azure Jr. all back for the Bears, the cupboard is far from empty.

In fact, entering the season and depending on the health of Morsette, who suffered an injury during football, the Bears are the favorite again in the 9C. The question is, will this season be more about rebuilding or reloading? Only time will tell.

What will post Dane Warp era look like for Havre?

When it comes to Blue Pony basketball, it really is hard to imagine without Warp, who will ultimately go down as one of, if not the best players in program history. Warp was a three-time All-State selection and averaged 20 points or more in each of his last three seasons.

Last year, he scored just under 25 a game in the regular season and took his play to new heights in the postseason as HHS captured the Eastern A Super Divisional, its first divisional title in 12 years. But Warp's time with the Ponies couldn't last forever. And without him, Rismon and Boles, the Ponies will have work to do to get back to the Class A state tournament for a fourth-consecutive season.

However, with a number of veterans such as Jacob LaBrie, Nate Korb, Isaac Warp and Ivar Aageson, Havre head coach Curt Leeds should have enough to contend for another state-tournament selection.

Central A/Eastern A Tipoff

While the Native American Classic will still be a season-opening staple next week in Havre, the city will also be hoops crazy.

The NAC will be played at the Armory Gymnasium, but, for the first time in decades, a Class A tipoff tourney also comes to Havre.

Next Friday and Saturday, the HHS gymnasium will play host to the Central A/Eastern A Tipoff boys tournament, while the girls will go to Sidney.

In Havre, the Central A Blue Ponies, as well as Lewistown, Belgrade and Livingston, will each get two games against the Eastern A, represented by Laurel, Billings Central, Hardin, Miles City, Glendive and Sidney.

The Blue Ponies will play Sidney and Laurel for their two games in the exciting new tourney.

Will Rocky Boy bounce back?

For the Rocky Boy boys basketball team, last year had to be considered a down year. After finishing third at the Class B state tournament in 2015, last season, the Stars didn't even make the Northern B Divisional tournament.

Yet, Rocky Boy has a strong basketball tradition for a reason and with some talented young players led by head coach Adam Demontiney, the Stars shouldn't be down for long, especially with the continued development of Kendall Windy Boy, who made his way onto the All Hi-Line team last season in his freshman year.

Windy Boy is a dominant big man like former All-Stater Charles LaFromboise and he, along with some other up-and-coming talent, could be the key to a hoops revival in Rocky Boy this season.

Who can challenge Box Elder in the 9C?

Box Elder may still be the favorite to take the district crown, but the gap between the Bears and the rest of the league, appears to have shrunk.

Of course, in high school sports, you never really know how good anyone is until they step onto the floor, but with the Bears and Chester-Joplin-Inverness both losing a number of key players, teams like Hays-Lodge Pole, Chinook and North Star are ready to pounce.

In reality, no team in the 9C could be more dangerous than HLP, which has played in the Northern C Divisional, each of the past two seasons. With Tyson Shambo, Frank Runs Above and Jace Shambo all back from last year's team, the T-Birds seems like legit state-tournament contenders.

Box Elder is in the same boat, but Chinook with Isaac Bell and Cord Schneider, as well as North Star, with Devon Miller, Dylan Miller and Keevan Borlaug, should have plenty to say about which teams head to Great Falls for the Northern C. And, even though CJI lost some talent, Cory Richter is still playing for the Hawks, who have a strong tradition of their own to build on.