Historic Pony Seniors Say Goodbye

The Havre High girls basketball team has been on a roll of late and the only thing that might stop them from racking up more wins this weekend is the weather.

The Blue Ponies, who are 14-0 on the season, are scheduled to host Browning, tonight for senior night inside the HHS gymnasium, before making the trip to Rocky Boy to take on the Morning Stars Saturday. Tip-off between the Ponies and Indians, if the game is played, is set for tonight at 7. Havre will play Rocky Boy Saturday at 5 p.m.

In terms of the Havre seniors Marca Herron, Kaylee Nystrom Danielle Wallace, Ryen Olson and Kyley Verploegen, it's a class that is filled with accomplishments within the Havre High basketball program. The Ponies have five seniors in all and each of them have spent multiple years on the varsity roster.

"I think that they are great leaders, wonderful kids and role models," HHS head coach Dustin Kraske said. "They all bring a uniqueness to our program, and I think that combined with the other guys that are playing, we are pretty lucky to watch them."

Herron got her first action as a freshman and after four years of playing with Havre, she is set to join the University of Providence next season. Yet, equally impressive has been the rise of Nystrom over the past two seasons. The cross country standout who will join the Skylights cross country team next fall, is a tenacious defender and easily one of the best on-ball defenders in Class A girls basketball. Nystrom averages 7.1 points per game, along with 4.4 rebounds, but she also averages 3.6 steals and 3.2 assists per game, both team highs.

While Nystrom ranks fourth in the state in steals per game and fifth in assists per game, she is joined in the top 10 in assists by Herron, who is right behind her at 3.1. Herron, who averages 8.1 ppg, also leads Class A girls basketball in 3-point percentage, as she made 46 percent of her 50 attempts from beyond the arc this season.

"Marca has had a good a senior year as she could possibly have," Kraske said. "She's playing very well and under control. She doesn't force any shots and is such a rhythmic shooter. And Nystrom, what a spark-plug kid for our yonnger kids to take the lead from."

Wallace is another player who has made a big impact on the program in the past few seasons, starting the past three years. She is currently second on the team in scoring behind sophomore Kyndall Keller and averages 9.9 points, as well as team-leading 6.1 rebounds. She is also shooting an impressive 52-percent on 2-point attempts.

"Danielle Wallace is having a good a senior year as we would like her to have," Kraske said. "She is getting more and more confident every week and all these seniors have just left their mark on our program very positively."

Herron, Wallace and Nystrom are all starters, but even though Olson and Verploegen come off the bench, their impact isn't any less significant. Kraske has often praised the depth and experience of this team and that's due in large part to an impressive senior class. Olson has given the Ponies another reliable 3-point shooter, who has done a great job of hitting big shots off the bench. For the season, she's averaging 4.9 points and has 15 made 3-pointers.

"Ryen has had a wonderful senior year coming off the bench," Kraske said. "She bought into a role and comes off the bench and does her job. So pleased with how she has played. So happy for her and happy for Kyley Verploegen, she has kind of done the same thing. She's a really hard-working kid and comes off the bench and does what she does well."

Verploegen is another player who would probably start for the majority of teams in Class A. Like Wallace, she makes 52 percent of her shots inside the arc and is second on the team with five rebounds per game, despite coming off the bench. Another one of her assets, is her defensive prowess. Possibly her biggest contribution beyond that is her 29 offensive rebounds, ranking second only the to Wallace, who has 49.

If Havre does get to honor its seniors against Browning, the group will have a chance to close out their careers in style against the fourth-ranked team in the state according to 406 sports, which also ranks the Ponies second, despite being the only undefeated team in Class A at 14-0. Browning is currently 13-3.

The two teams met earlier in the season in Browning and even without Keller, who is the second highest scorer in the state with 17.8 ppg, Havre found a way to beat the Indians on the road. Yet, the rematch should prove to be equally challenging, especially since the Indians have four scorers in double figures. Dulci Skunkcap leads the way at 11.1, but Ronnel Jordan (10.9 ppg), Tameka Gardipee (10.8 ppg) and Taylor Jordan (10.4 ppg) are also offensive threats.

Saturday, if the roads allow, Havre will head to Rocky Boy, with a chance to clinch a season sweep over the Morning Stars. The Ponies rolled in the first meeting, 81-38, but Rocky Boy is currently 10-4 and the No. 10 team in Class B, so an upset is always a possibility.

In order to beat HHS, Rocky Boy will need clutch performances from Sean Henry, Sasha Coffee and Adrienne Gopher. The Stars and Ponies will play at 5 p.m. Saturday if the roads are open. If Havre plays tonight against Browning, the game will start at 7 inside the HHS gymnasium.