Tip Off
New tournament offers fresh start
Linda Sappington
Although he’s not the tallest player on the court, Arlee’s Brad Brazill is difficult to stop in the post position, according to coach Zanen Pitts.
Linda Sappington
Cheyenne Nagy scored 19 points in Charlo’s 33-31 win over Drummond.
Linda Sappington
Two Eagle River’s Issaiah Mathias scored 18 points Friday and added another 8 against Darby, right, on Saturday.
Linda Sappington
Linda Sappington
Linda Sappington
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Thirty-two basketball teams opened the season Friday and Saturday at the inaugural Western C Tip-off Tournament hosted in Frenchtown. The event gave boys’ and girls’ teams a chance to knock the dust off the hoops and get a first look at their competition as organizers did their best to pair up teams with others equally skilled.
Arlee Warriors
With the majority of the players coming off of a successful football season just short of a state title, the Arlee Warriors had a slow start in their first game of the season with a 67-72 loss to Valley Christian.
Yet Brad Brazill snagged 11 boards and 12 points while Patrick Big Sam and Tyler Tanner knocked in 14 points apiece.
“The boys played rusted and needed a game like this to get their minds and bodies back into the mindset of basketball,” Coach Zanen Pitts said.
The team answered with intense energy on Saturday in a high-speed 36-88 barn burner, shutting the door on Drummond as three of the Warriors earned double-doubles and a fourth player was “knocking at the door,” according to Pitts.
Brad Brazill scored another double-double with12 points and 10 rebounds. The 6 foot, 2 inch player certainly wasn’t the tallest guy playing post at the tournament, according to Pitts, but he was hard to stop.
“Brad shows night in and night out that the endless hours spent in the weight room over his high school career make him a beast when anyone wants to come into his office around the key,” Pitts said.
Yet the Warriors do boast some height. At 6 feet, 6 inches, Aaron Perry put up 10 points and 10 boards in his first varsity game as a Warrior.
“This young man has really stepped up his game and showed that he is ready to play and is going to be a key player to the team’s success,” Pitts said. “As each one of these boys have shown, they all have such skills in each area that all 10 varsity boys have an important roll to our team’s success.”
With 14 points 11 assists, Phillip Malatare stepped into the leadership role as point guard in the Drummond game, setting up his teammates with 22 assists while scoring 14 points on seven of nine attempts.
Tanner had eight steals while putting in 19 points and Justis Haynes chipped in 16, scoring 14 of those in the third quarter.
“This was an important game for the Warriors to get under their belt,” Pitts said. “It was a game that allowed the boys to put all the moving parts together and let them become comfortable on the court again.”
Two Eagle River Eagles
In their first game of the season, the Eagles missed a win over the Lincoln Lynx by just three points in the 51-48 loss.
“We need to take care of the ball better on offense, be patient and execute our offense, limit our turnovers,” Coach Lloyd Irvine, Jr., said.
Irvine said hand checking got the team in foul trouble.
“As a team we need to move our feet on defense,” he said.
Still, the game boasted some bright spots as senior guard Julian Cutfinger played strong on both defense and offense, scoring 20 points while making all eight of his free throws. Junior Isaiah Mathias had a, “great overall game,” according to Irvine, with 18 points while shooting four-for-four from charity line. Overall the team made 13 of 15 free throw attempts.
“As a coach I preach to the kids how important it is (to make) our free throws,” Irvine said.
On Saturday the Eagles improved their game by patiently executing their offense and limiting turnovers. But missed baskets from the charity stripe may have cost them the game in the 62-56 loss to Darby.
“Down the stretch we were 0-6 from the line, and that was the difference in the game,” Coach Irvine said. Overall, the team played an “awesome game, even though they came up a little short.”
Cutfinger led the team with 22 points, Corey Cadeux chipped in 13 and Isaiah Mathias added eight.
“I’m very proud of our team character. Our younger kids stepped up when we needed them, too. We will continue working hard and grow throughout this season,” Irvine said.
Charlo Lady Vikings
The Lady Vikings secured a 49-32 victory in their season-opening game against Darby. All 12 teammates saw time on the hardwood with 10 girls contributing points.
Skylar Frame led the team with 12 and Cheyenne Nagy followed with 10, including two 3-pointers.
In game two, Charlo battled Drummond in an evenly-matched contest, heading to the locker room trailing by 3 points at the half. As the clock ticked down, Nagy was fouled but kept her cool at the charity stripe and swished two free throws to secure the 33-32 win. Drummond was unable to answer in the closing seconds. Nagy tallied 19 points in the win.
The Arlee Scarlets, Two Eagle River Lady Eagles and Charlo Vikings also played two games in the tournament. Results were not reported.
