On a roll: Ponies play Fairfield tonight

It seems like the season just began. But one month from now, the Havre High boys and girls basketball teams will already be playing at the Eastern A Divisional basketball tournament. So to say the least, the clock is ticking on the 2021 season.

That season, which started only back on Jan. 2, continues tonight for both Blue Pony squads, as Havre takes on the Fairfield Eagles.

The Blue Pony boys will be home to take on the Eagles tonight at 6:30 in the HHS gymnasium. Havre is riding high after a dominant weekend of home games, where the Ponies turned away Glendive, then blew out Sidney for the second time in as many weeks. The wins kept Havre undefeated in the Northeast, and building a good resume heading into tonight's game.

The Ponies are also seeing a budding team of veterans like Kellen Detrick, Josh Warp Clint Owens and Max Olson, blend with the talents of senior Nolan Lotton, who has really stepped up this season, as well as Caden Jenkins, who is shooting really well. Junior Josh Currie has also been impacting the Ponies off the bench, while sophomore Isaac Pedraza is doing the same.

And that team will look to keep rolling tonight when the Ponies play the Eagles for the only time this season. Normally, Havre and Fairfield meet twice per year, but not during the reduced schedule because of the ongoing coronavrius. Fairfield comes into tonight's game fresh off a tough loss to Class C Belt, but the Eagles still have plenty of talent, including Bridger Vogl and Conor Murray.

Speaking of talent, the Havre High girls have plenty of it, and it will be on display tonight in Fairfield.

The Ponies, of longtime head coach Dustin Kraske, take on the Eagles after blowing out Glendive and Sidney on the road, and the likes of Sadie Filius, Loy Waid, Kylie Walker and plenty more, will be a handful for the Eagles tonight.

The Eagles are off to a hot start in their first season without longtime head coach Dustin Gordon. However, the Blue Ponies, who are getting outstanding contributions from the likes of Avery Carlson, Yelena Miller and Britton Paulson, will be a tall order for the Eagles tonight, especially considering Havre is the top defensive team in Class A, and the Ponies are coming off three straight games in which they won with the mercy rule in effect. Still, Kraske won't allow his focused Ponies to take the Eagles lightly tonight, in a game which ends a long road trip for the Ponies.

Havre and Fairfield will meet tonight at 6:30 in Fairfield, while the Pony boys host the Eagles at 6:30 in the HHS gymnasium. The Havre girls are then home to host Glendive and Billings Central this weekend, while the Pony boys are on the road at Glendive and Central.