Blue Ponies begin with rival Malta

One of the most difficult places for the Havre High girls to win a basketball game, for decades it seems, is in Malta. And that's where the Blue Ponies will open their 2015-16 season, as both the HHS girls and boys play in Malta on Saturday night.

Over the years, the Ponies and M-Ettes have built a solid rivalry. Both teams have routinely been to the state tournament in their respective classes and last season Malta claimed the Class B state championship. Last season, it was Havre that was coming off a state championship, so when these two teams come together, it's a good bet that there will be some good basketball.

Yet, the Ponies have struggled to win in Malta, posting a 1-8 record in their last nine tries. The M-Ettes also swept the Ponies last season, so winning in Malta is the ultimate early-season challenge for the Ponies. The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

"I think Malta is probably the best team in Class B again," Kraske said. "It's going to be a good test. They are probably the best team that we are going to play in December. So we will see how we handle the pressure down there and how we play."

One of the things that also makes the matchup between Havre and Malta so intriguing is the presence of two of the best individual players in the state going at it, in Malta junior Sophia Stiles and Havre senior Dani Wagner.

Wagner was the Ponies' second leading-scorer a season ago and will be playing her first game at the top option in the Havre offense. In addition to being a great scorer, Wagner also led HHS in rebounds a season ago, while also finishing second in assists and steals.

Naomi Terry will also be a key figure in the game for Havre. The Ponies will need Terry, who averaged just more than 10 points per game a season ago, to up her production from a season ago. She will also need to build on the 28 3-pointers she made.

No matter what happens, Kraske just wants to see his team execute and improve. He is not necessarily concerned about the final result as long as his team competes the way he expects them to.

"I want to see our kids go down there and play hard," Kraske said. "We want to go down there and compete and get better. It's going to be a good challenge for us and it gives us a chance to get better."

After the girls game, Havre and Malta will square off in boys basketball, in the season-opening game for both teams.

Last season, the HHS boys swept the Mustangs with relative ease. Yet, Malta has had a year to grow and with only one starter gone from a team that came within one game of the Class B state tournament, the game could provide an early road test for highly-touted Havre.

The game will give Havre fans their first glimpse of Dane Warp, who led Class A in scoring a season ago with 23.2 points per game. The Ponies also boast Nate Rismon and Jerod Boles, who were third and fourth on the team in scoring last season.

"I think the focus for us is just going to be finding what our identity is," HHS head coach Curt Leeds said. "I also am not sure what they (Mustangs) are going to do. If it was me, I would be focusing on my own team, but they might come out in a box-and-one to try and defend Dane because he scored 23 points a game last season. I just don't know what they are going to do."

Malta boasts a deep team that will be led by seniors Tyson Carney, Jase Galt, Allen Williamson and Devon Raybon. Nate Costin will also play a key role for the Mustangs, who have their sights set on making the state tournament this season.

The Malta game will also be the first time that Havre shows off its new guard-centered offense. The Ponies graduated their top three big men from a season ago and therefore will need to rely on a more perimeter-oriented offense.

That will help players like Jacob LaBrie, Nate Korb, Isaac Warp and Ivar Aageson work their way into the lineup. But, when the Ponies need to go big, they will rely heavily on Michael Loftus to start the season, due to an injury that will sideline big man Zach Hunt for at least a few weeks.

"I think it will be like it always is," Leeds said. "I think it will be two teams trying to figure out who they are and what works for them. I want to see us go down and play hard and we want to win, but mostly we just want what our identity is going to be right now."

The Havre girls will take on Malta at 6 p.m Saturday. The boys game between Havre and Malta will follow at 7:30 p.m.