Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Tyson Shambo, HLP Boys Basketball

Tyson Shambo has already had a memorable career in athletics at Hays-Lodge Pole. On both the football field and the basketball court, Shambo is one of the better Thunderbird athletes in recent memory.

On the basketball floor, Shambo has been a floor general for the T-Birds since 2014 and has been a big part of the roundball revival for HLP, which has made back-to-back appearances at the Northern C Divisional.

During that run, Shambo has been instrumental. As a sophomore, he proved to be one of the best up-and-coming players in the District 9C and eventually earned All-State honors after scoring more than 15 points per game.

Shambo and the T-Birds were even better in the postseason that year, getting all the way to the district championship game, before falling to Box Elder. HLP also made the semifinals at divisionals before bowing out to eventual champion Belt.

Then, before the start of his junior season, Shambo suffered an accident while hunting. He fell and a piece of glass pierced his arm and caused damage to some nerves. The injury cost him a chance to play football and it could have cost him his junior season of basketball, but Shambo was determined not to let it.

"I just always tried to stay positive," Shambo said. "I tried to never get down. I watched a lot of motivational videos and watched a lot of professional athletes that came back from injury. I remembered Paul Pierce coming back from a broken leg, so I thought if they can do it, I can too."

And return Shambo did. And while it took him some time to find his game, he eventually helped lead the T-Birds back to divisionals, only to fall short again of the state tournament, even though they won two games. For his part, Shambo earned First-Team All-9C honors, proving ultimately that the injury didn't affect him.

While Shambo is a star on the hardwood, he's good on the gridiron, too, and he showed that this past fall, when, as quarterback for the T-Birds, he helped guide them to two victories, the first for the program since 2011. In fact, with a win over Chinook in the season-finale, the T-Birds wound up winning multiple games for the first time in a long time,

Now, it's basketball season and with the combination of Shambo and Frank Runs Above for the third straight year, the T-Birds mean business. Under the direction of Derek Shambo, Tyson's father, HLP is 2-1 on the season, losing only to Arlee in a competitive game. In their most recent outing, the T-Birds beat Chinook, another 9C contender by 34, which shows what they are capable of when firing on all cylinders.

The first goal for Shambo is winning the district. Beyond that, he has many other achievements in mind. But he and the T-Birds will have to navigate the 9C first, a schedule that continues with games this week against North Star and Big Sandy.

But before taking part in the final two games for HLP before the holiday break, the Havre Daily News caught up with Shambo for five questions.

HDN: What's it been like having your dad as the head coach for Hays-Lodge Pole?

Shambo: "It's been really great. He has pretty much been coaching me my entire life. He has taught me pretty much everything I know about basketball and he was always our coach growing up, so it's been a great experience for me, but really the whole team really likes him because he has always been our coach and always taken us to tournaments in the summer and things like that."

HDN: Tell me about you and Frank. You guys obviously have played together a long time, what has that been like?

Shambo: "I have been playing with Frank my whole life. We hang out a lot and we play on the court a lot. It has really been great. It's special when you play with someone for so long. The game just becomes fun. We also know how to take constructive criticism from each other."

HDN: What is going to be the key for you guys to achieve your goals this season?

Shambo: "I think we just need to keep up the team work and keep working together. We just have to keep doing what we are doing. This year just seems different. We just have to keep playing, that's the main thing, that and having fun. That's what we are doing right now, just playing and having fun."

HDN: What is an individual goal you want to achieve this season?

Shambo: "I am really hoping to earn a basketball scholarship. I know those are really hard to get and not many people get them, but that is what I want to do. I want to be a role model for the kids around here and even though we are already, I want to show them what you can do with hard work."

HDN: With is being so close to Christmas, if you could have any Christmas present, what would it be?

Shambo: "If I could have anything, I would probably say a big house, with a basketball court and a lot of money. And I would just play ball all day and teach kids how to play ball."