Havre's Warp wins state hoop shoot

Havre, and the Hi-Line has had a lot of success when it comes to free-throw shooters competing in the Elks Hoop Shoot.

Now, Havre youth Josh Warp can add his name to the list of successful free-throw shooters from the Havre area.

Warp, 12, captured the Elks Montana State Hoop Shoot championship in the boys age 12-13 category this past weekend at the competition in Livingston.

The championship means Warp will advance to the Elks Regional Semifinal Hoop Shoot next month in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Warp started his journey by winning the Havre Elks Hoop Shoot back in December at the Havre Central Gymnasium. Last month, he captured the Elks North District Hoop Shoot title in Cut Bank, before moving on to Livingston, where he made a total of 21 shots out of 25 attempted over the course of two rounds.

Warp, who attends Havre Middle School and five other state champions will represent Montana in the Regional Semi-Finals in Rapid City Saturday March 14. They will compete against the State Champions from North Dakota and South Dakota. The Regional Champions will advance to the National Finals in Springfield, Massachusetts, April 16-19. The names of the national winners will be engraved on plaques at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.

Recently, Havre High junior Jerod Boles made it to the National Finals. In 1979, John Barnhorst of Rudyard, who teaches in Havre and coached the Havre High boys basketball team, won the National Hoop Shoot for boys ages 10-11.