George Ferguson Column: District 9C tourney was once again, special

For many of us who are there, year-after-year, the District 9C Tournament can be a long week. Whether you’re running the tournament, keeping the stats, working the door or the concessions, whatever it is, being a part of 24 basketball games in four days is hard work.

But the things you see, the things you get to experience, it’s all worth it in the end.

That’s because there aren’t many things as special as a high school basketball tournament in Montana. And there really isn’t anything more thrilling than Class C high school basketball district tournament, and they really don’t get much better than the 9C.

And that alone makes the hours put in worth it.

Yes, the 9C tournament is four days of special. And this year’s version was nothing short of that. First, it’s about the schools, it’s about the towns, it’s about communities being so proud of their kids and their teams, no matter what the scoreboard says. And the 9C does it better than anybody. From Turner to Hays to Chester, and all points in between, the pride that’s on display at the 9C is something very real.

And if you don’t believe me, then you should have seen the line that formed outside the HHS gymnasium a full four hours before Saturday night’s boys consolation and championship games. That line was all you needed to know about how important, and how special the 9C tournament is to so many people.

Yes, the fans, from North Star to Big Sandy, and everywhere in between, make the 9C great. But most importantly, the players, coaches and teams, all coming together for four great days of basketball, that’s what it’s all about.

In that regard, I’ll take many great memories away from this year’s 9C tournament. There was the first-ever 9C game where all three officials were women. That was really cool, and I was told it was something that hadn’t happened before at the 9C. Watching both Turner teams win games this year was awesome. Watching the consolation battles between rivals Chinook and North Star was really fun, as they fought so hard to make their dreams of getting to the Northern C come true.

And then there were the championships. Not much to say there. For the second year in a row, Box Elder won it. The Bears put together a Friday-Saturday sweep, with the girls winning their second straight 9C title Friday night, while the boys pulled off an incredible and dominant win over Hays-Lodge Pole in front of a huge crowd Saturday night — denying the T-Birds their first 9C championship since the late, great A.J. Long Soldier led the T-Birds on their incredible 2007 state championship run that started in Havre.

Yes, right now, the HHS gymnasium is truly the Box Elder Bears’ Den.

Simply put, the 9C tourney was once again special. It was fun, it was exciting and it was what Class B basketball is all about.

As always, some big thank-yous are in order as well. The 9C would not be the great tournament it is without the hard work of so many people. People like Havre High Activities Director Dennis Murphy, Chinook Activities Director Paula Molyneaux, and the greatest stat man in high school hoops, North Star Activities Director Brian Campbell. There’s also so many volunteers that bring this great tournament together. Shari Robinson does such an incredible job with the hospitality room, a room in which I spend a lot of time drinking Dr. Pepper. The Blue Pony Booster Club running the concessions, and all the Havre and Hill County folks who volunteer their time working the doors, the tickets booths and everywhere else someone is needed.

I know I didn’t mention all of you who help make the 9C tourney great, but I’m thanking all of you now. Thanks to all of you who help put on a great show.

But once again, thanks mostly to the kids, the players, the coaches and the fans. You all put your heart and soul into this four-day basketball extravaganza. You all leave your heart and soul on the HHS gymnasium floor, and all of you make the District 9C tournament what it is — special. And it was special again in 2017.