Column: Fulfilling trip to Western B for Trojans

When Cody Orr was asked the last time the Troy boys basketball team made divisionals, he understandably hit a bit of a dead zone.

“Twenty-12,” he finally said. “I was a player in 2012, and I know we went then. Then I shipped off to the Marines after that.” 

Eight years later Orr returned to his hometown, and when the boys basketball job came open in 2023-24, he was a candidate. 

 “The school approached me and asked that I throw my hat in the ring,” he said Wednesday. “We’ve been moving ever since and growing as a team for sure.” 

To be precise, the Trojans are making their first trip to the Western B — they play Arlee in Thursday’s nightcap, on Dale Berry Court in Hamilton — since 2018. Not a huge gap, unless you consider that four teams out of District 7-B advance each year, and that the 7-B generally has 6-7 schools. 

At any rate, it’s good to be back. Orr is a proud coach.  

"I love the sport,” he said. “It’s helped mold my character. I’ve got more hours on that basketball court right outside the high school than most people have inside the gym. I have deep passion for the sport, and I have family involved.” 

His nephew Carson Orr leads the team in scoring at 15.6 points a game. Kempton Sloan is next at 10.2. Emerson Downey, the top 3-point shooter on the team, averages 8.1 ppg and Nolan Morris leads the team in assists (5.2) and rebounds (7.9) while chipping in 6 ppg. 

Together they’ve led Troy to a 10-9 season that included a very rare 5-0 start in District 7-B play. The Trojans eventually lost three league games, ending with a 52-32 setback at Eureka on Valentine’s Day. 

Their reward was a rematch with the Lions to open the district tournament.  

“That one where they got us, we had two starters sick and another rolled an ankle,” Cody Orr said. “I told them, whoever comes ready to play, who brings the energy, that’s who comes out on top. We didn’t have the energy to get that game.” 

A week later, the Trojans won the rematch 55-38, which is possibly the most impressive win in a fulfilling season. 

“A lot of it was growing fundamentally and recognizing the sport as organized rather than just going out and playing,” Orr said. 

Organization. Discipline. Spoken like a Marine. 

“Straight out of high school, a little guidance always helps,” he said. “I would recommend it to anyone who’s trying to find their way.” 

In some cases, you might eventually find your way back to your hometown. Orr became a paraeducator at his alma mater last year; now he is school secretary and assistant technology teacher.  

To paraphrase a slogan about Orr’s chosen branch of the military: Once a Trojan, always a Trojan. 

Fritz Neighbor can be reached at 406-758-4463 or at fneighbor@dailyinterlake.com.