All-Northwest A hoops teams picked
The all-conference basketball teams for the Northwest A have been released, and a total of three players each from Bigfork and Browning were selected All-State, along with two from Columbia Falls.
Bigfork’s trio of Braeden Gunlock, Paeten Gunlock and Ava Davey and Browning’s Jerel White Grass were voted All-State for girls basketball by the league coaches; all of them are first-team all-Northwest A, as is Taryn Borgen of Columbia Falls.
On the boys side, Browning’s Maurice Redhorn III and Tommy Running Rabbit are first-team all-conference and All-State, bracketing Jace Hill and Cody Schweikert of Columbia Falls.
Each of the four Class A leagues received three All-State selections, with an extra selection if a team — in this case, girls runner-up Bigfork and the third-place Columbia Falls boys — places in the top four of the State A tournament.
Asher Knopic of Bigfork filled out the all-Northwest A first team for the boys. He’s a sophomore; Redhorn, Hill, Schweikert and Running Rabbit are seniors.
White Grass is the only senior among the first-team girls: Borgen, Davey, Braden Gunlock are juniors, and Paeten Gunlock is a sophomore.
Redhorn and Hill were named co-MVPs; Braeden Gunlock received that honor for the Northwest A girls.
Coaches of the Year were also named: Bigfork's Cortnee Gunlock has the honor for the girls and Bronwing's DJ Fish for the boys.
All-Northwest A
*-denotes All-State selection
GIRLS
First Team
Braeden Gunlock, jr. Bigfork (MVP)*
Paeten Gunlock, so. Bigfork*
Jerel White Grass, sr. Browning*
Ava Davey, jr. Bigfork*
Taryn Borgen, jr. Columbia Falls
Second Team
Teslin Trombley, so. Browning
Hope McAtee, sr. Columbia Falls
Bailey Smith, sr. Whitefish
Natalee St. Goddard, sr. Browning
Callie Gembala, sr. Bigfork
Honorable mention — Kalcie Connelly, sr., Browning; Arianna Zepeda, jr., Ronan; Julia Barnard, sr., Polson; Rylee Taylor-Jefferson, fr., Polson; Madison Vincent, jr., Libby; Ellie Stutsman, sr., Columbia Falls; Onnikka Lawrence, fr., Columbia Falls.
Coach of the Year — Cortnee Gunlock, Bigfork
BOYS
First Team
Maurice Redhorn III, sr. Browning (co-MVP)*
Jace Hill, sr. Columbia Falls (co-MVP)*
Cody Schweikert, sr. Columbia Falls*
Tommy Running Rabbit, sr. Browning*
Asher Knopic, so. Bigfork
Second Team
Kolby Finley, so. Ronan
Mason Kelch, sr. Whitefish
Tyler Andersen, sr. Libby
Marlo Tonasket, Jr., sr. Ronan
Ted Coffman, sr. Ronan
Honorable Mention — Jude Reevis, jr., Browning; Mark Robison, sr., Columbia falls; Eli Thorness, sr., Bigfork; Josia Misa, sr., Ronan; Carson Gulick, jr., Whitefish; Jack Jensen, sr., Bigfork; Tristan Crawford, jr., Browning.
Coach of the Year — DJ Fish, Browning.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to show the correct Coach of the Year for Northwest A girls basketball.