Scarlets leading conference, keeping eyes on prize
Carrie Pichler
Scarlets Ella Lindburgh, Morgan Malatare, Becca Whitesell, Carly Hergett and Bryndle Goyins strut onto the court — a strut well deserved as the Scarlets have dominated their conference all the way to first place in the tough District 14-C.
Carrie Pichler
Scarlet Becca Whitesell sets up from three-pointer territory.
Carrie Pichler
Scarlet Carly Hergett leads the Scarlets more than once in points scored per game.
Carrie Pichler
Bryndle Goyins
Carrie Pichler
Ella Lindbergh
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ARLEE — After dethroning the Lady Vikings and taking over the golden chair, the Scarlets are on pace to make a huge impact on the postseason courts with intentions on holding their reining District title and causing trouble all the way to State.
Though the Scarlets only have one senior on the roster, Arlee underclassman have what most young teams don’t – experience, something Head Coach Bill Stockton is grateful for.
“It’s been a big boost for us to have different girls step up this year and be able to lead us when we need leaders,” Stockton said. “We’re playing much more like a team this year. All the girls are very supportive of one another.”
While the Scarlets have been tearing through the season like a lion taking down prey, Stockton is still taking it on a game-by-game basis.
On Friday the Scarlets hosted Superior in an edge-of-the-seat battle. In a locked up score of 38 a piece going into the fourth quarter, Scarlet Becca Whitesell hit a three-pointer followed by Carly Hergett laying up a couple more points to seal the 51-49 conference win.
Hergett netted 11 points total for the Scarlets while Violet Pablo, Shaylee Perry and Bryndle Goyins all posted eight apiece.
In another home contest Saturday, the Scarlets pushed past Hot Springs with ease, toppling the Lady Savage Heat 71-15 in the blowout.
After shutting out Hot Springs in the first quarter, the Scarlets defense allowed no more than six points to be scored in a single frame and offense was a-plenty with 10 Scarlets posting scores for Arlee.
Leading all scorers was Goyins with 15 while Whitesell added 13 more.
“The nicest thing is just that they are playing more like a team because we aren’t just relying on one girl to score all the points,” Stockton said. “Defensively, I feel like we are a lot faster than we have been in the past and it’s allowed us to gamble a little more on the defensive end, which is where we create a lot of our momentum on our offense.”
With a game plan to keep conference foes at bay, and by taking a classroom approach to the court by taking the time to learn about each team and its athletes, the Scarlets have proven the system they have adopted is working and a postseason run is blasting in the backs of everyone’s minds.
With other 14-C teams just as hungry to get their hands on conference wins, Arlee’s ladies will face tough competition in the near future.
“The way our districts are kind of set up this year, our district is a lot tougher,” Stockton said. “Superior has got a good team and St. Regis is good, and then obviously there’s Charlo, so it’s going to be a battle.”
Arlee has some work cut out for them to hold the number-one spot in conference, which would give them a very strategic spot as the first-place seed going into Districts.
The Scarlets hope to continue their domination on the hardwood floor with travel games at St. Regis Thursday and then on to Missoula to take on Loyola-Sacred Heart on Saturday.
Results
Arlee 16 12 10 13 – 51
Superior 13 9 16 11 – 49
Carly Hergett 11, Violet Pablo 8, Shaylee Perry 8, Bryndle Goyins 8, Becca Whitesell 7, Morgan Malatare 5, Megan Shick 4.
Arlee 18 19 18 16 – 71
Hot Springs 0 6 5 4 – 19
Bryndle Goyins 15, Becca Whitesell 13, Carly Hergett 9, Morgan Malatare 8, Megan Shick 8, Ella Lindbergh 4, Violet Pablo 4, Shaylee Perry 4, Abby Yokum 4, Megan Reed 2.
