Havre boys brace for big showdowns with Red Devils, Cowboys

There has been a lot of fire in the the Havre High boys basketball team lately. The Blue Ponies have been picking up some big Northeast A wins and Class A wins alike, including an upset win over Browning last week at home.

Now, Havre looks to give some tough teams an intense battle on the court.

The Ponies will have a home series against the Glendive Red Devils and the Miles City Cowboys. Havre will meet with the Red Devils tonight at 6, followed by a game versus the Cowboys Saturday at 3 p.m., with both games in the Havre High Gymnasium.

The Blue Ponies have a history against Glendive and Miles City already, after losing to them back in December on the road to kick off the Northeast A games. Now, HHS head coach Walynn Burgess is ready to face of once again, starting with the No. 2 in conference, the Red Devils.

"This weekend will be a big test for us," Burgess said. "Glendive is a good team with talent all around. Taven Coon is leading the state in 3-pointers made and percentage for the whole state. Riley Basta is a good point guard who can get to the rim and Max Eaton is a 6-4 big guy who can score with either hand. They beat us by five before Christmas break, so the boys are ready for them to come to the Corral tonight."

Glendive and Havre currently share the same 2-2 record in conference play, making today's game an important one for the Ponies. Beating the Red Devils not only will give HHS an upper-hand in the Northeast A but will continue the undefeated streak in the Havre High Gymnasium, too.

And the Blue Ponies have a lot of great pieces on their roster to give any team a good battle. Seniors Mason Rismon and Jake Huston have been making noise on the court recently, both putting up team-leading points in the latest games. Meanwhile, juniors Kellen Detrick, a standout on both sides of the ball, and Josh Warp, a machine for 3-pointers, have been putting up great games, too.

On top of that, Havre has upset both Billings Central and Browning at home, proving it has what it takes to dance with the toughest teams in Class A. The Ponies have not made it easy for a team to beat them on their home court in front of the home crowd. In the end, it's a revenge game for HHS.

Saturday's matchup against Miles City will be just as tough on both sides of the ball, too. The Cowboys sit atop the Northeast A undefeated at 5-0. Even so, Burgess is looking forward to facing off against a powerhouse like Miles City.

"Saturday night will be a matchup of one versus two in conference," Burgess said. "It is another team that got us by five before Christmas break. They are led by two guards in Haden Warren and Jayden Venable. Both are averaging close to 13 pts a game. They are tough to stop."

To stop the Cowboys would be another big upset to add to Havre's list. But it will not be an easy win and Miles City will have a lot of power that will be brought to the hardwood on the Ponies' home court. HHS will aim to bring the heat to the court on Saturday to defend the streak.

Tonight and Saturday will be a difficult series of conference games for Havre, but Burgess is excited to see what his team can rise up against.

"We are excited for the challenges that will be in front of us this weekend," Burgess said. "We can't wait to see what the crowds will be like at the Corral this weekend."

There is no better time and place to make some noise on the Northeast A for the Blue Ponies (6-4), who will look to gain a leg up in conference play with wins over Glendive (5-5) tonight at 6 and Miles City (7-3) Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Havre High Gymnasium.