George Ferguson
Havre Daily News sports editor
gferguson@havredailynews.com
For the first time in nearly two decades, Havre High basketball fans old and young will be treated to a bit of nostalgia when the Havre Public Schools Foundation holds the Havre High alumni basketball games tonight at the HHS gymnasium.
The girls game is scheduled to get under way at 7 p.m., and the boys contest will tip off 20 minutes after the conclusion of the girls game.
It has been 15 years since Havre played host to an alumni basketball game of this magnitude, and local hoops fans should be in for a real treat tonight.
The girls rosters feature mostly players from the last 10 years of HHS basketball, and some very talented ex-Blue Ponies will take to the floor. The white team will be led by a trio from the Class of 2002: Amy Ranes, Julie Wagner and Katie Miller. Wagner now plays golf for Montana State University-Northern.
The class of 2003 is represented on the white team with MSU-N volleyball standout Jeanna McPherson and former HHS forward Renessa Briere. Lexy Fischer rounds out the white squad.
The blue team will feature some very familiar faces because three of the five players graduated from Havre High just last season. Amy McLain, Becca Hilliard and Justine Erhard make up the bulk of the blue roster. They will be joined by Sara Suek, Brooke Schwann and Erin Patera Bolken.
The boys game will feature two much bigger rosters and quite a bit of age diversity.
The blue team will be headlined by class of 1963 standout Jim Kravik. Kravik was not only an HHS great, but he was also a Hall of Fame standout at Northern Montana College. Class of 1977 great Barry Kato will also play with the blue team, as will Cal Wirtzberger and Class of '86 graduate Stan Huston.
The blue roster will be rounded out by Patch Wirtzberger (2005), Coda Tchida (2005), Eric Ward (2003), Jason Johnstone (2002), Danny Wirtzberger, Lee Brekhus (2002), (2002) and Ryan Fink (2001).
The white roster is headlined by two players who are former HHS state champions. Class of 1994 alums D.J. Baker and Dustin Kraske were both integral players on the 1994 HHS team that captured the Class A state championship.
The white team will also feature Class of 1977 standout Travis Abdallah as well as Class of 1980 graduate Lunar Evans and 1986 power forward Matt Warner.
Rounding out the white roster is Ty Hedalen (2005), Marc Mariani (2005), Gary Wagner (2005), Titus Pedroza (2002), Joe Roman (2001) and Chris Daniel (2001).
Daniel and Kraske have both come full circle as they are now coaches in the HHS basketball program. Kraske coaches the Havre High boys junior varsity team, and Daniel coaches the HHS JV girls.
Tonight's event is a fundraiser for the HPS Foundation. The $3 admission fee will go directly to the foundation. Both games will feature four eight- minute quarters.
