Wildcats' title defense begins in Bozeman
Last season’s run to a state championship is over, but for Columbia Falls, a repeat may have to look similar.
Six of the eight teams that made the trip to the Class A state tournament returned again this season. The top-seeded Wildcats open against Butte Central, the second seed from the Southwestern A, in the first round at 2 p.m. today at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman.
Butte Central , along with each team that is in the tournament this season, has been among the top two in its conference all season. The Maroons (13-8) are led by senior Marcus Ferriter, who averages 16.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, along with a deep battalion of shooters.
The Wildcats (17-3) bring back much of the same team that won the title last season, including star guard Ty Morgan, the state’s fifth leading scorer at nearly 19 points per game.
Morgan has found help on the inside with 6-foot-7 posts Grant Wallace and Grant Stenger. Fellow guards Trevor Houston and Jayce Fagerland have added space with their shooting from outside.
But, it’s the defense that has been the calling card for Columbia Falls. With an aggressive style that forces many teams out of their game plans, the Wildcats have ridden that side of the ball to a top-three finish each of the last six seasons, with two championships in the stretch.
“The last four five games defensively we’ve turned a corner,” Columbia Falls coach Cary Finberg said.
“They’re really starting to understand what we’re trying to get done. They’re buying into the team concept on the defensive end. Obviously, defense carried us at divisionals. Hopefully our offense at the state tournament can come around a bit.”
With most teams having taken the last week off, Finberg said he expects for most of the kids to have to battle rust.
“The team that gets out of the gate earlier in that first game generally has a big advantage,” Finberg said.
“It’s the first game at state, both teams are going to come in and have some jitters and play with some emotion.
“It’s just a matter of which team settles in and comes back to just playing basketball earlier, usually will win that first game.”
Polson returns to the tournament for the second year in a row and the fifth time in six years. The Pirates, led by sophomore Matthew Rensvold and senior Andrew Curley, open against top-seeded Dillon in the late game on Thursday. They will play on the same side of the bracket as Billings Central and Havre, a matchup featuring the top two scorers in the state.
Central champion Belgrade opens against Laurel opposite Columbia Falls in the bracket.
“It’s wide open,” Finberg said.
“Obviously, Dillon and Laurel have been up there all year long as far as the rankings go. It’s wide open. It’s the top one and two teams all year long in each conference.
“This is probably going to be one of the most competitive state tournaments in a while just for the simple fact that there were no upsets at the divisional tournaments. These are the eight teams that are supposed to be there.
“Generally, when that happens, each round is pretty competitive. You can’t look ahead. At this time there’s no guarantees with anything.”