Harlem girls, Rocky Boy boys return to State B tourney

The Rocky Boy boys basketball team has been pushing deep into the postseason in recent years, becoming a team that seemingly goes to state every year. Now, Rocky Boy has goals to grab another piece of hardware this weekend in Butte.

For the third straight season, the Stars will be a competitor in the combined Class B state tournament, which will be at the Butte Civic Center in Butte Thursday through Saturday. Rocky Boy will be joined by the Harlem girls basketball team, another Northern B team aiming for success. The Wildcats will play their opening game against the Loyola Sacred Heart Breakers Thursday at 10:30 a.m., while the Stars open their tournament against the Arlee Warriors Thursday at 1:30 p.m.

The No. 3 Rocky Boy boys (16-10) have been fierce once again the season, with hard work and incredible talent leading them on the path to another chance at a state title. Led by head coach Adam Demontiney, the Stars have a lot of great pieces that can help them reach the ultimate goal.

With tough standouts like Blake Cantrell and Joe Demontiney, the Rocky Boy offense has been electric. Cantrell and Demontiney have been the top two scoring leaders in many of the game the Stars have played this season. But Rocky Boy will need guys like JoJo Standing Rock, Sage Bradley and Benji Crebs to complement the game in a big way.

When it comes their opposition in Arlee, the Warriors are not an easy team to compete against. Under head coach Zack Conko-Camel, Arlee pushed their way to the top of the Western B and are a dangerous team, and, like Rocky Boy, a fixture at the state tournament. The Warriors went from a play-in game to winning the divisional chipper, as well, with players like Cody Tanner and Tapit Haynes being two keys for the Arlee offense.

Meanwhile, the No. 3 Harlem girls (21-2) will be aiming for a state title, too. With head coach Marlin Lawrence at the helm, he is looking forward to a great competition in the Butte Civic Center.

"The state tournament is going to be a dog fight," Lawrence said. "We have some great teams that will be playing their best this weekend. Everyone that is going into the tournament is there for a reason. It doesn't matter what your win-loss numbers are, everyone there has a chance to be playing for the state title."

And the Ladycats have a lot of promise to make it there, especially since it is their second straight appearance at state.

L'Tia Lawrence, Kailee Henry and Taya Trottier have been major offensive superstars for Harlem, with all three often hitting the doubles throughout the game. Meanwhile, Kristyn Kittson, Aria Owens and Taeshon Schaeffer back up the team's strength in its depth, another key component in the Ladycats' basketball prowess.

But Harlem will have to go up against a challenging Loyola Sacred Heart team. With head coach Travis Walker leading the charge, the Breakers are a No. 1 seed at state for a reason.

Led by sophomore step-up star Natalie Clevenger, LCS has cruised to an undefeated 23-0 record throughout the season. Clevenger was a big part in the Breakers' 50-29 win over Bigfork last weekend, putting up 15 points. At the same time, Lani Walker, a player who recently returned from an injury, is another standout player for LCS and followed Clevenger with 10 points against Bigfork.

In the end, the road to the top will not be simple for Harlem, but Lawrence sees a lot of potential in his squad.

"We had a hard-fought third-place finish at the divisional tournament," Lawrence said. "We are looking to carry that momentum into the state tournament on Thursday and play our best games. Going in, the team is full of confidence and we are ready to go make it happen one game at a time."

The State B boys bracket begins with top-seeded Lodge Grass battling former Havre High star Tom Reynold's Shelby Coyotes Thursday at 12 p.m. The winner of that game will see either Arlee or Rocky Boy in the semifinals. The other side of the bracket pits Northern B champion Fairfield against Colstrip at 6:30 p.m., while Three Forks and Deer Lodge meet at 8 p.m. The semifinals are set for Friday at 6:30 and 8 p.m., while the consolation game is slated for Saturday at 6 p.m. and the championship game is set for 8:30 p.m.

The State B girls bracket begins with Colstrip taking on Shelby Thursday at 9 a.m., followed by the Harlem/Loyola game at 10:30 a.m. Northern B champ Malta takes on Forsyth at 3:30 p.m., while Big Timber and Bigfork meet at 5 p.m. The semifinals are set for 3:30 and 5 p.m. on Friday, the consolation game will tip at 3:30 and the championship is set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday night, with all the action at the Butte Civic Center.