Many story lines going into NW A season

Wildcats favored; league returns several phenoms

The 2006-07 Northwestern A boys basketball season was pretty crazy.

Columbia Falls and Eureka dominated the regular season, but that didn't count for anything. They were both eliminated from the divisional tournament.

Whitefish limped into the season with hopes that the program's old coach could resurrect it. It started the season with eight straight losses, but went on to win 11 of 13 games to capture the conference crown in their own gym and advance to state.

All the while, Libby - the preseason favorite - had to grind through its regular season and ended up with the No. 5 seed into divisionals. Then the Loggers turned it on, nearly won the league title and advanced to state.

Even Polson and Ronan got into the act.

The Pirates held onto first place in the standings during the middle part of January after victories over Class AA Missoula Big Sky, Columbia Falls and Anaconda. The Chiefs started the season 3-10, but won six of their final eight regular season games and advanced to the consolation game at divisionals.

The final results go to show that wins and losses and individual teams' jockeying of lineups don't matter much until the postseason.

With that being said, the Columbia Falls Wildcats - winners of three of the last five state championships - are favored by league coaches in their preseason predictions to win the conference.

But the projections are close.

"Our conference overall is as good as it has been in four or five years," said Columbia Falls coach Cary Finberg.

Whitefish received a first-place vote and is projected to finish second. Ronan also received a first-place vote and is projected to finish third. Libby, Polson and Bigfork are projected to finish in fourth, fifth and sixth place, respectively.

As the conference has been saying for the past three years, Columbia Falls doesn't rebuild, it reloads.

"They've got great depth," Bigfork's seventh-year head coach Jim Epperly said.

All-conference guards Chase Grilley and Chase Fairbank return to lead Finberg's high-octane attack.

"Grilley is a shooter and Fairbank is quick," Libby's 10th-year head coach Wally Winslow said.

"They're a top three team with a lot of tradition and young talent," Whitefish's first-year head coach Eric Stang said.

The big X factor?

"We've got a bad taste in our mouth from last year that we're ready to get rid of," Finberg said.

Stang is part of a big story heading into the Northwestern A season. He was the head coach at Eureka last year in the school's only season up from Class B - and the former Gonzaga University graduate assistant was successful. He finished the season with a 14-6 record after a dismal divisional tournament. He replaces living legend Julio Delgado.

"It's a new coach and a new philosophy (in Whitefish)," Stang said. "There's strong talent and good potential to work with when it comes to the team. The kids are working very hard to reach their potential."

Another big story line coming into the season is the league returns four of its top five, and six of its top 10, scorers.

Libby's 6-foot-4 all-state senior forward Jim Mee is the cream of the crop. He was the league's top scorer last year, averaging 17.8 points per game, and is the top returning rebounder with 6.6 rebounds per game. He was also the league leader in 3-pointers with 54.

"He's a great shooter and a smart player," Winslow said.

On Mee's heels is Whitefish's 6-3 all-state junior guard Colt Idol. He was the league's second-leading scorer, just three-10ths of a point behind Mee, and is the league's third-best returning rebounder (6.1 per game).

There's more than just Mee and Idol.

Ronan's 6-1 senior guard Moss Tanner finished in the league's top four in all major stat categories last year. He was league leader in assists (4.6 per game). He was No. 2 in steals (2.8 per game). And he was fourth in both scoring (13.9 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg).

"He (Tanner) is a great penetrater," Winslow said.

Tanner's teammate Nolan Harris - a junior - was an honorable mention all-conference selection after making the second-most 3-pointers in the league (38).

There's even more.

Grilley, the Wildcats' 5-11 senior guard, was the league leader in steals last season with 3.3 per game. He was No. 3 is assists (3.4 apg) and was fifth in scoring (13.5 ppg). He made 44 percent of his shots, including 32 3-pointers.

Fairbank, the Wildcats' point guard, is just as quick and flashy with the ball. He also finished third in the league last season in assists, as well as steals.

Bigfork, coming off a winless season, even has a gem. Senior point guard Roland Benedict led the league in shooting last year, making 63 percent of his shots, and was the league's No. 8 scorer (12.6 ppg). He was a second-team all-conference selection.

Polson has a player in the mix in senior guard John Rausch, who was a second-team all-conference pick. He finished in the top 10 in scoring (11.1 ppg) and field-goal and free-throw percentages.

No matter who performs well during the regular season, Kalispell will be the place to be Feb. 21-23 during the neutral-site divisional tournament. The top two teams from there will advance to the state tournament in Billings the following weekend.

But that shouldn't be the stopping point.

The league has something to say about last season's 0-4 showing at the state tourney because prior to that, the league had put a team in the state title game every year dating back to 1998 and had produced that last four state champions.

NORTHWESTERN A BOYS' TEAM CAPSULES

Bigfork Vikings

COACH: Jim Epperly (Montana, 1990), 53-78 in seventh year at Bigfork, 147-108 in 21 years.

LAST SEASON: The Vikings went winless, 0-20, losing six games by five points or less.

RETURNING STARTERS: 2 - G Roland Benedict, 6-0, sr.; F Levi Dockstader, 5-11, sr.

NEW STARTERS: F Brock Boll, 6-2, jr.; P Keenan Evans, 6-0, soph.; G Garrett Pewe, 5-10, jr.

OTHERS TO WATCH FOR: F Jake Milner, 6-0, jr.; P Danny Tudahl, 6-0, jr.

THIS SEASON: The Vikings can't get worse and should show improvement through experience and team speed. Epperly wants his offense to run off of good defense, which will be a mix of man and zones and presses to keep teams off-balance. If the fast breaks aren't happening, the Vikings must have patient half court offenses. "We want to strive to have balanced scoring," Epperly said. Benedict, the only senior on the team, should be a good leader with great ball skills. The team doesn't have a lot of size.

Columbia Falls Wildcats

COACH: Cary Finberg (UM-Western, 1990), 149-100 in 12th year at C-Falls and overall.

LAST SEASON: The Wildcats dominated the regular season, going 14-4 overall and 11-1 in conference play to earn a first-round bye at divisionals. But Libby upset them in the second round and they weren't given the opportunity to challenge for a state tournament berth.

RETURNING STARTERS: 2 - G Chase Grilley, 6-0, sr.; G Chase Fairbank, 5-9, sr.

NEW STARTERS: F Mackie Nolan, 6-0, jr.; F Mitchell Wassam, 6-2, soph.; F Zane Ridings, 6-4, jr.

OTHERS TO WATCH FOR: F Grant Getts, 6-3, jr.; F/G Cody Bowman, 5-11, sr.; F Austin Robbins, 6-0, jr.; G Tanner Perry, 5-11, jr.; G Tanner Barth, 5-11, jr.; G Michael Williams, 5-11, soph.; F Caleb Johnson, 6-2, frosh.

THIS SEASON: It should be more of the same out of the Wildcats - only better. "We are bigger and stronger and more athletic than last year," Finberg said. "We've got more offensive options - more kids that want to shoot and that can shoot. I'm really excited." The team starts with Fairbank, who Finberg said, "is the prototypical point guard. He wants to pass the ball and set up his teammates. But he's improved his ability to score and his confidence is rising because of it." Grilley understands the run-and-jump philosophy very well and anticipates opponents' passes and plays good defense. He can shoot from the inside or outside. Finberg said Nolan is the best on-ball defender he's had in years. Ridings is the most improved player from a year ago. And Wassam is not a typical sophomore. "He's going to surprise some people," Finberg said.

Libby Loggers

COACH: Wally Winslow (Montana, 1990), 109-90 in 10th year at Libby and overall.

LAST SEASON: The Loggers ground through the regular season and earned the No. 5 seed into divisionals. They opened divisionals with a 10-point victory over fourth-seed Ronan then upset top-seed Columbia Falls in the second round to advance to the conference title game. They lost to Whitefish there, but advanced to state - where they lost their first two games - and finished the season with a 12-11 record.

RETURNING STARTERS: 3 - G Joel Fuller, 6-0, jr; F Zach Rowan, 6-0, sr; F Jim Mee, 6-4, sr.

NEW STARTERS: G Conner Benson, 5-11, jr; P Bryan Cooper, 6-3, sr.

OTHERS TO WATCH FOR: F Jordan Gragert, 6-3, sr.; G Colton Cannon, 6-0, soph.; G TJ Benson, 5-7, soph.

THIS SEASON: The overall outlook for the Loggers is "to be announced," Winslow said. "We will try to play an up-tempo game and use our team speed." The team looks like it has all the ingredients on paper. Both Fuller and Connor Benson are good penetraters from the guard spots. Both are juniors. Rowan, a senior, is fast. Mee is smart and a great shooter and league MVP caliber. And Cooper is the team's wide-bodied post player. Winslow will mix up the defenses and look for depth from Gragert to rebound, Cannon to shoot and TJ Benson to be quick and aggressive.

Polson Pirates

COACH: Karl Tait (Colorado, 1968), 163-110 in 13th year at Polson.

LAST SEASON: The Pirates used a slow-tempo approach to beat Columbia Falls, Class AA Missoula Big Sky and Anaconda in January and held on to first place for a few weeks. But they lost six of their last seven regular-season games and took the No. 6 seed into divisionals. They lost to Whitefish big in the opening round, then eliminated winless Bigfork before falling to Columbia Falls in the consolation semifinals. They finished with an 8-13 record.

RETURNING STARTERS: 3 - P Zach Langston, 6-4, sr.; G John Rausch, 5-9, sr.; G Craig Bagnell, 5-11, jr.

NEW STARTERS: F Aaron Clairmont, 6-3, sr.; F Ryan Kelley, 6-3, jr.

OTHERS TO WATCH FOR: F Cody Doyle, 6-0, sr.; F Tim Rausch, 5-11, soph.; G Andy Manley, 5-9, sr.; G Waylon Michel, 5-10, jr.; F Chris Alfiero, 5-11, jr.; G Joe Andrews, 5-9, soph.; G Kyle Bagnell, 6-1, frosh.; P Derrick Rathe, 6-2, soph.

THIS SEASON: The Pirates have "pretty good size and pretty good depth," Tait said. "We should be better." The three returning starters can be player makers and Tait believes his boys can score "from the outside and inside, but we want to be patient and disciplined on offense." The team proved last year that if it plays the coach's patient style of ball, it can beat the best. Tait will mix zone and man on defense.

Ronan Chiefs

COACH: John Hollow (UM-Western, 2002), 10-30 in three years at Ronan and overall.

LAST SEASON: The Chiefs won six of their last eight regular-season games to take the No. 4 seed into divisionals. But they were upset in the opening round by Libby. They then upset Eureka in the consolation semifinals before losing to Columbia Falls in the consolation game, finishing with a 10-11 record.

RETURNING STARTERS: 4 - G Moss Tanner, 6-2, sr; G Nolan Harris, 6-3, jr.; G Mike Fisher, 5-11, jr.; G Jordan St. Clair, 5-10, sr.

New starter: F MaKenzy Kelch, 6-2, sr.

OTHERS TO WATCH FOR: F Ryon Hesselgesser, 6-2, sr.; F Mike Crawford, 6-4, sr.; F Micah Lee, 6-2, sr.; G Eddie Ness, 5-9, jr.; F Kyle Hendrickx, 6-2, jr.

THIS SEASON: There is a ton of optimism in Flathead Nation because of this small and quick team. "We are not very big, so we need to be physical and tough," Hollow said. "We are going to be a very tough team to guard. We've got five kids that can all dribble, shoot and drive. We should have a bunch of mismatches on offense to take advantage of." On defense, Hollow is going to mix a lot of man with zone, but the big thing is, he wants to try and force an up-tempo game with full-court presses. "There's a fine line between up-tempo and out of control," Hollow said. "We have to find that line and be consistent."

Whitefish Bulldogs

COACH: Eric Stang (Carroll College, 1998), first year at Whitefish, 14-6 overall.

LAST SEASON: Legendary coach Julio Delgado came out of retirement for one final year, started the season 0-8, then the Bulldogs won eight of their last 10 regular-season games to earn the No. 3 seed into divisionals. Once there, they stomped Polson in the opening round, then upset Eureka in the second round and beat Libby in the championship game. At state, they lost their first two games and finished the season with an 11-12 record.

RETURNING STARTERS: 3 - G Colt Idol, 6-3, jr., G Aaron Tkachyk, 6-0, jr.; F David FauntLeRoy, 6-3, jr.

NEW STARTERS: G Shawn Watterud, 6-2, sr.; F Jake Smith, 6-2, sr.

OTHERS TO WATCH FOR: F Josh Bacher, 6-1, jr.; G Matt Whitehead, 5-9, jr.; G Marc Hotfield, 6-3, jr.; G Alex Elespuru, 5-9, jr.; F Connor Silliker, 6-4, soph.; G Willie Roche, 5-10, soph.; F Brian Flickinger, 6-2, sr.

THIS SEASON: New coach, new philosophy. "We are small, but we have a lot of quickness and speed that we will try and take advantage of," Stang said. "With our size on defense, we will try and use our speed to attack our opponents with." Idol is strong all the way around. Tkachyk is a solid defender and shooter. Watterud is a solid player who the team needs to step up and score. Smith is a solid rebounder and defender. FauntLeRoy is a tough rebounder and post defender. With only two seniors, Stang is excited at the prospects of the youngsters. "Our underclass have a lot of potential and talent for this upcoming season. How well they develop over the season will determine part of our success."

Northwestern A boys' basketball schedules

Bigfork Vikings

Dec. 13 Eureka

Dec. 14 at Libby

Dec. 20 C-Falls

Dec. 22 Polson

Jan. 3 at Glacier

Jan. 4 at Plains

Jan. 11 Whitefish

Jan. 12 at Ronan

Jan. 18 Libby

Jan. 19 Flathead

Jan. 25 at C-Falls

Jan. 26 at Polson

Jan. 31 Plains

Feb. 2 at St. Ignatius

Feb. 8 at Whitefish

Feb. 16 Ronan

Columbia Falls Wildcats

Dec. 13 Flathead

Dec. 15 Frenchtown

Dec. 20 at Bigfork

Dec. 22 Missoula Sentinel

Jan. 4 Libby

Jan. 5 Polson

Jan. 10 at Whitefish

Jan. 11 at Ronan

Jan. 17 at Eureka

Jan. 18 at Glacier

Jan. 24 at Missoula Big Sky

Jan. 25 Bigfork

Feb. 2 at Libby

Feb. 8 Ronan

Feb. 9 Whitefish

Feb. 14 at Polson

Libby Loggers

Dec. 14 Bigfork

Dec. 15 at Flathead

Dec. 22 Eureka

Jan. 4 at C-Falls

Jan. 5 Ronan

Jan. 11 at Troy

Jan. 12 at Polson

Jan. 18 at Bigfork

Jan. 22 T-Falls

Jan. 24 at Eureka

Jan. 26 Whitefish

Feb. 2 at C-Falls

Feb. 5 Troy

Feb. 9 at Ronan

Feb. 14 Whitefish

Feb. 16 Polson

Polson Pirates

Dec. 13 at Glacier

Dec. 15 Whitefish

Dec. 18 Stevensville

Dec. 22 at Biglfork

Jan. 4 Ronan

Jan. 5 at C-Falls

Jan. 11 Eureka

Jan. 12 Libby

Jan. 18 Corvallis

Jan. 19 at Whitefish

Jan. 25 at Stevensville

Jan. 26 Bigfork

Jan. 31 at Ronan

Feb. 9 at Eureka

Feb. 14 C-Falls

Feb. 16 at Libby

Ronan Chiefs

Dec. 14 at St. Ignatius

Dec. 15 at Hamilton

Dec. 20 Missoula Valley Christian

Dec. 22 at Whitefish

Jan. 4 at Polson

Jan. 5 at Libby

Jan. 11 C-Falls

Jan. 12 Bigfork

Jan. 18 St. Ignatius

Jan. 19 Missoula Big Sky

Jan. 24 Whitefish

Jan. 25 at Valley Christian

Jan. 31 Polson

Feb. 8 at C-Falls

Feb. 9 Libby

Feb. 16 at Bigfork

Whitefish Bulldogs

Dec. 14 Glacier

Dec. 15 at Polson

Dec. 22 Ronan

Jan. 4 at Flathead

Jan. 5 Thompson Falls

Jan. 10 C-Falls

Jan. 11 at Bigfork

Jan. 17 Flathead

Jan. 19 Polson

Jan. 24 at Ronan

Jan. 26 at Libby

Jan. 31 at Eureka

Feb. 8 Bigfork

Feb. 9 at C-Falls

Feb. 14 Libby

Feb. 16 at Frenchtown