Long road to repeat

It’s hard enough to win one state championship.

Before winning its first state title in 2003, Columbia Falls went 28 years without even playing in the championship game. Bigfork had to wait 31 years before getting a second chance at its first title.

This weekend, as each enters the state tournament a reigning champion, they face the even more monumental task of winning it all again.

“Going through (it before), the one thing I do know is winning the second one, defending your championship, is a lot harder,” Columbia Falls coach Cary Finberg said.

Finberg, who has coached the Wildcats to five championships since 2003, has only seen Columbia Falls win back-to-back titles once, in the 2005-06 seasons. Even those championships came in narrow victories, winning the two title games by a combined three points.

“It’s not easy winning a state championship,” Finberg said.

“Things have to go your way. You have to put together three good games in a row. And you have to have some breaks.

“To do that two years in a row, it doesn’t always happen, even if you’re the best team.”

Since Montana moved away from the “Big 32” format at the state championships in 1970, splitting the top two classes, only five teams in Class A have repeated as state champions, the Wildcats the most recent team to pull off the feat.

Just two have repeated since the state added the 3-point line.

“It’s a combination of everything,” Finberg said. “Teams that win a championship sometimes have the tendency to be satisfied. (And, other) teams are going to give you their best shot, they’re going to come after you.”

“There’s a lot of factors that play into it. We’ve been fortunate to win five state championships to this point. By no means is it easy.”

It’s even more difficult with the slate in front of the Wildcats. With no upsets on divisional weekend, the top eight teams in the state made the Class A tournament, creating the deepest field in years.

“For us to win a state championship we have to play well for three games and we have to catch some breaks,” Finberg said.

“That’s why you have to focus on that first game. Otherwise, Friday, Saturday, you have no chance to win it.”

In Great Falls, Bigfork enters its title defense in a similar position, but a far different situation.

After their undefeated run last season, the Vikings lost their head coach, two 6-foot-7 forwards and, in the divisional championship last week, their first Class B game in nearly two years.

This weekend Bigfork enters its bid to become the sixth repeat champion in 50 years, not as the presumptive favorite, but the underdog, despite a 21-2 record.

“There’s such a talented field this year,” First-year Bigfork coach Sam Tudor said.

“If you look at the brackets, what we have to do to repeat is we have to play the best ball we can.”

Bigfork dominated Class B play this season, and split with Columbia Falls, before falling in the Western B championship game to Missoula Loyola after a foul-filled third quarter sunk their chances against the 6B champs.

That slip means the Vikings will open the tournament against Southern B champion Columbus in a rematch of last year’s title game. Waiting, should they advance, is undefeated Choteau.

The slip also has put Bigfork back in survival mode, where it excelled in a string of close games in last season’s championship run.

“We’re definitely in the ‘one game at a time’ mode,” Tudor said.

“That’s good. That’s the reason they won it last year. They know that this is the important game not the next one.”

Tudor, who has kept the team together following a tumultuous offseason, wasn’t a part of the run last season, but said he’s glad he’s had the chance to coach a team with this opportunity. All but three players return from the team that won a championship last season, making the Vikings not only a viable championship candidate, but one of the most experienced teams in the tournament.

“I was asked by a reporter at the beginning of this year if it’s going to be a rebuilding year,” Tudor said.

“We’re happy to be where we’re at. We’re learning from that divisional tourney, learning from the mistakes we made.

“We’re excited to perform on that stage. And to be honest, honored to be a part of those eight teams.”

There’s nothing easy about winning a state championship. Winning two in a row is near impossible.

While both are talented enough to pull off the task, each hopes the bounces fall in their favor this weekend.

“At the end of the day all that matters to me, and to them, is each other,” Tudor said. “If it’s in the cards, it will be because we played our best games.”

“It’s going to be a great tournament.”