Boys AA State - Butte, America

[PapaG]

QF

3E Billings Skyview-—48
2W Kalispell Glacier 65 F

4W Missoula Big Sky 34
1E Billings West———62 F

3W Butte——63
2E Bozeman 77 F

4E Bozeman Gallatin -57
1W Missoula Hellgate 63 F

First day only one lower seed won. Glacier dominated start to finish.

West fell behind 7-4 early and then went on a 30-4 run in a dominating win.

Butte was up as much as 14 but Bozeman buried the hometown Bulldogs in a barrage of second-half threes.

Gallatin stuck with Hellgate all game in what was a lethargic performance by the West’s top seed.

Standouts we’re the Pack’s Noah Dowler, West’s Cooper Tyson, Bozeman’s board domination, and an ugly yet gutty win by the Knights.

I like West over Bozeman (even though my nephew starts for Glacier) and Bozeman over Hellgate setting up an all East championship.

[PapaG]

LO

Billings Skyview 63
Missoula Big Sky 57

Lane Love 20 points

Butte
Bozeman Gallatin

SF

Kalispell 43
Billings West 52 F

Cooper Tyson 20+ points
Cohen Kastelitz 14/11/3 assists

Bozeman
Missoula Hellgate

[wapiti]

I would love to see a 2nd tourney. Take the top 2 or 3 teams from each classification and determine the champion for the entire state.

I think this year's team would be Fergus County HS.

I doubt the AA's would want this. They do not want to be embarrassed by a class c team.

[RickRund]

I would love to see a 2nd tourney. Take the top 2 or 3 teams from each classification and determine the champion for the entire state.

I think this year's team would be Fergus County HS.

I doubt the AA's would want this. They do not want to be embarrassed by a class c team.

Didn't they have a tournament up to the 70s just like that? Before my time in MT.

[TomCat88]

I would love to see a 2nd tourney. Take the top 2 or 3 teams from each classification and determine the champion for the entire state.

I think this year's team would be Fergus County HS.

I doubt the AA's would want this. They do not want to be embarrassed by a class c team.

Didn't they have a tournament up to the 70s just like that? Before my time in MT.

Kinda. It was called the Big 32 and was basically all the A and AA teams. Wolf Point and Laurel won it. I think in only lasted 4-5 years.

[TomCat88]

I'm heavily biased, but I think the story of the state tourneys so far is Hinsdale-Whitewater-Saco GBB. Rocky Erickson was great on the play-by-play in last night's game vs. Manhattan Christian. He's still talking about it today in the game he's calling. They held MC to 4 points over a span of about 17 minutes and didn't allow the Eagles to cross halfcourt for about 2.5 minutes. It was crazy.

[RickRund]

I would love to see a 2nd tourney. Take the top 2 or 3 teams from each classification and determine the champion for the entire state.

I think this year's team would be Fergus County HS.

I doubt the AA's would want this. They do not want to be embarrassed by a class c team.

Didn't they have a tournament up to the 70s just like that? Before my time in MT.

Kinda. It was called the Big 32 and was basically all the A and AA teams. Wolf Point and Laurel won it. I think in only lasted 4-5 years.

Thanks TomCat88. Thought it was called that. Have a good old friend from Park High that played in it a couple times. Really enjoyed it.

[RickRund]

I'm heavily biased, but I think the story of the state tourneys so far is Hinsdale-Whitewater-Saco GBB. Rocky Erickson was great on the play-by-play in last night's game vs. Manhattan Christian. He's still talking about it today in the game he's calling. They held MC to 4 points over a span of about 17 minutes and didn't allow the Eagles to cross halfcourt for about 2.5 minutes. It was crazy.

Now that is some crazy D.

[kmax]

I would love to see a 2nd tourney. Take the top 2 or 3 teams from each classification and determine the champion for the entire state.

I think this year's team would be Fergus County HS.

I doubt the AA's would want this. They do not want to be embarrassed by a class c team.

Didn't they have a tournament up to the 70s just like that? Before my time in MT.

Kinda. It was called the Big 32 and was basically all the A and AA teams. Wolf Point and Laurel won it. I think in only lasted 4-5 years.

Thanks TomCat88. Thought it was called that. Have a good old friend from Park High that played in it a couple times. Really enjoyed it.

The amount of times I've had to listen to my uncle, a lifelong Laurel guy, tell me about the good old days of the Big 32...

[RickRund]

I would love to see a 2nd tourney. Take the top 2 or 3 teams from each classification and determine the champion for the entire state.

I think this year's team would be Fergus County HS.

I doubt the AA's would want this. They do not want to be embarrassed by a class c team.

Didn't they have a tournament up to the 70s just like that? Before my time in MT.

Kinda. It was called the Big 32 and was basically all the A and AA teams. Wolf Point and Laurel won it. I think in only lasted 4-5 years.

Thanks TomCat88. Thought it was called that. Have a good old friend from Park High that played in it a couple times. Really enjoyed it.

The amount of times I've had to listen to my uncle, a lifelong Laurel guy, tell me about the good old days of the Big 32...

Don't know when Coach Peterson retired. For any teams that had to play against his guys I am sure they were happy to see him go to the golf course or whatever. His system, at least while I lived there and from what I remember, was quite successful.

[Cat Grad]

The "big" Montana schools didn't want it because toward the end Libby, Laurel and Wolf Point won it. I recall when one of the Great Falls teams "upset" a Wolf Point Willie Weeks team. (Montana officiating was atrocious way back then, just like today).

The "big" schools got tired of getting their asses kicked by the smaller schools so they took their balls and went home. That's why the AA schools don't have any balls to this day...

[PapaG]

Saturday

Gallatin 63
Glacier 67 OT

Hunter (Gall) 19 points
Cohen Kastelitz (Glacier) 26 points/17 rebounds/4 assists

[PapaG]

The "big" Montana schools didn't want it because toward the end Libby, Laurel and Wolf Point won it. I recall when one of the Great Falls teams "upset" a Wolf Point Willie Weeks team. (Montana officiating was atrocious way back then, just like today).

The "big" schools got tired of getting their asses kicked by the smaller schools so they took their balls and went home. That's why the AA schools don't have any balls to this day...

Plenty of AA players on the Bobcat football team. Do they lack “balls?” Go tell Rylan Ortt and Callahan O’Reilly they lack “balls.” What a goofy and insecure post.

[TomCat88]

The "big" Montana schools didn't want it because toward the end Libby, Laurel and Wolf Point won it. I recall when one of the Great Falls teams "upset" a Wolf Point Willie Weeks team. (Montana officiating was atrocious way back then, just like today).

The "big" schools got tired of getting their asses kicked by the smaller schools so they took their balls and went home. That's why the AA schools don't have any balls to this day...

Even back in the olden days they wanted to give everyone a trophy, so they made another classification. I think the problem (or the beauty) is that in basketball anyone can win when it's just one game. Keep in mind that no one ever said that the best team in basketball is the team that wins the AA classification. I personally think that Lewistown is the best boys team in the state this year. Robinson and Brown are the best 1-2 punch for sure.

I thought Flaxville has the best team one year (1977?). They had 6-9, 6-7, 6-6 and a 6-3 guy that could high jump around 6-10 and a point guard that I think went on to be one of the best team ropers in the world.

[Cat Grad]

The "big" Montana schools didn't want it because toward the end Libby, Laurel and Wolf Point won it. I recall when one of the Great Falls teams "upset" a Wolf Point Willie Weeks team. (Montana officiating was atrocious way back then, just like today).

The "big" schools got tired of getting their asses kicked by the smaller schools so they took their balls and went home. That's why the AA schools don't have any balls to this day...

Even back in the olden days they wanted to give everyone a trophy, so they made another classification. I think the problem (or the beauty) is that in basketball anyone can win when it's just one game. Keep in mind that no one ever said that the best team in basketball is the team that wins the AA classification. I personally think that Lewistown is the best boys team in the state this year. Robinson and Brown are the best 1-2 punch for sure.

I thought Flaxville has the best team one year (1977?). They had 6-9, 6-7, 6-6 and a 6-3 guy that could high jump around 6-10 and a point guard that I think went on to be one of the best team ropers in the world.

Recently read an article about Reece and Tiny Puckett's kids (grandkids maybe?) from Peerless. One of them was a full bull in the Air Force stationed at the Pentagon and still follows the Class C basketball played in Montana almost as religiously as I did when I was in the military and working out of state.

I still believe Montana has some of the very best high school basketball players, fundamentally, in the small schools.

As I recall, about 2002 or 2003 Shelby beat the A Champion, Browning, twice; Browning beat the AA Champion. There have been a few years with similar results. Bozeman Holy Rosary with Scott Koelzer (who played for the Cats and was drafted by an NBA team) along with a few other teammates would have beat the Big 32 champion, I believe.

Kind of funny looking back at the Big 32. It existed between 64 and 69 and Libby, Laurel and Wolf Point won the tournament and those of us from Class C can still mock the "big" Montana schools for refusing to get their asses kicked by the little schools anymore. Hell, Tom Ferch from Circle would have taken an all class state championship when his kids played for Livingston.

[PapaG]

Glacier beats Bozeman for 3rd 58-49

Cohen Kastelitz 11 pts/14 rbs/4 assists
Buhl 14 pts Glacier

Kash Embry 14 points for Bozeman
Cassagranda 17 points for Bozeman

Championship

Hellgate
West

[TomCat88]

The "big" Montana schools didn't want it because toward the end Libby, Laurel and Wolf Point won it. I recall when one of the Great Falls teams "upset" a Wolf Point Willie Weeks team. (Montana officiating was atrocious way back then, just like today).

The "big" schools got tired of getting their asses kicked by the smaller schools so they took their balls and went home. That's why the AA schools don't have any balls to this day...

Even back in the olden days they wanted to give everyone a trophy, so they made another classification. I think the problem (or the beauty) is that in basketball anyone can win when it's just one game. Keep in mind that no one ever said that the best team in basketball is the team that wins the AA classification. I personally think that Lewistown is the best boys team in the state this year. Robinson and Brown are the best 1-2 punch for sure.

I thought Flaxville has the best team one year (1977?). They had 6-9, 6-7, 6-6 and a 6-3 guy that could high jump around 6-10 and a point guard that I think went on to be one of the best team ropers in the world.

Recently read an article about Reece and Tiny Puckett's kids (grandkids maybe?) from Peerless. One of them was a full bull in the Air Force stationed at the Pentagon and still follows the Class C basketball played in Montana almost as religiously as I did when I was in the military and working out of state.

I still believe Montana has some of the very best high school basketball players, fundamentally, in the small schools.

As I recall, about 2002 or 2003 Shelby beat the A Champion, Browning, twice; Browning beat the AA Champion. There have been a few years with similar results. Bozeman Holy Rosary with Scott Koelzer (who played for the Cats and was drafted by an NBA team) along with a few other teammates would have beat the Big 32 champion, I believe.

Kind of funny looking back at the Big 32. It existed between 64 and 69 and Libby, Laurel and Wolf Point won the tournament and those of us from Class C can still mock the "big" Montana schools for refusing to get their asses kicked by the little schools anymore. Hell, Tom Ferch from Circle would have taken an all class state championship when his kids played for Livingston.

Livingston was just sick that year. Jon and Joe Puckett from Peerless. One of them wrote a really good book about Class C hoops.

[TomCat88]

SWH blew out Twin. 59-26. Allowed 25-25-26. Bunch of players returning.

[PapaG]

Hellgate blows out West in what was a major letdown for the 30th anniversary rematch of one of the greatest title games in state history at any level.

[Bobcat4Ever]

I would love to see a 2nd tourney. Take the top 2 or 3 teams from each classification and determine the champion for the entire state.

I think this year's team would be Fergus County HS.

I doubt the AA's would want this. They do not want to be embarrassed by a class c team.

Didn't they have a tournament up to the 70s just like that? Before my time in MT.

Kinda. It was called the Big 32 and was basically all the A and AA teams. Wolf Point and Laurel won it. I think in only lasted 4-5 years.

Thanks TomCat88. Thought it was called that. Have a good old friend from Park High that played in it a couple times. Really enjoyed it.

The amount of times I've had to listen to my uncle, a lifelong Laurel guy, tell me about the good old days of the Big 32...

@kmax Here’s one for your uncle. In the 1964-65 season, when I was a sophomore, I remember watching the Bozeman Hawks, led by our all-world 6’9” center Glen Smiley (played 4 at Duke) fly past the Locomotives to a 52-9 lead. At halftime.

(I *hated* batting against him in Little League.)