Warriors gear up for state tournament

BOZEMAN - It's time to shine.

BOZEMAN - It's time to shine.

The Arlee boys' basketball team has been doing it all season and currently sport a 20-3 record to go along with a 14-C district title and a Western C Divisional championship.

Starting today, and going through this weekend, the Warriors will try to add another piece of hardware to their trophy case in 2011. Expectations are high, especially after the team finished fourth last season.

"We want to get past that fourth at state," senior Casey Bridgewater said. "We felt that we could have done better last year."

Coaching stalwart Clyde Tucker led Arlee before retiring after the end of 2010 season. His fundamental-based philosophy helped mold a crop of young kids that make up this season's senior class. Seven players on the roster will be playing the final games of their high school career.

"One of our goals at the beginning of the season was to return to the state tournament," senior Thomas McClure said and added that the team has even exceeded expectations by picking up district and divisional championships along the way.

This is all under new head coach Dustin Keltner, who's revved up the Warriors on both offense and defense.

"This year we're allowed to run a bit more," Bridgewater said.

Averaging around 60 points per game this season, Arlee was something of an underdog throughout the regular season as district rival Charlo was undefeated. That changed on Feb. 1 when the Warriors beat the Vikings, 48-44 in Charlo. It would have been an understatement to say there wasn't an empty seat in the house. Let's just say there wasn't a parking spot left in the entire town of Charlo.

"It felt pretty good," Bridgewater said. "It was definitely a turning point for us."

McClure agreed with the assessment of that important game.

"Up until then we had a few setbacks," McClure said. "That was a pivotal point in our season."

The Warriors have kept their cool this season with team chemistry and the tendency to dance in the locker room before games.

"We definitely like to laugh, we like to dance around and get the blood flowing," Bridgewater said.

Their dance, called the dub-step, is only just part of their team unity. Before the district tournament, members of the teams got mohawks. It came from an idea McClure had from when he played for Ronan his freshman year. Mohawks of all shapes and sizes could be seen at the district tournament, but who had the best?

"Jesse Pfau, he got his done by an underground hairstyle person that only he knows," McClure said.

Arlee would again face Charlo in the 14-C district championship game, and the Warriors once again came out on top, 59-51 on Feb. 19.

The Warriors still had to overcome adversity in that game, with McClure sitting out because of a strained back.

"First of all, I was bummed," McClure said. "I was bummed that I couldn't help out but I trusted in my teammates and I knew we were ready for that game."

Before the game, McClure was testing out his back in warmups and was in a great deal of pain, so he went over and told senior Beau Couture that he had better get ready to go.

McClure hit two free throws in the game and then quickly found himself behind the bleachers at the Ronan Event Center trying to loosen up his muscles and get back into playing shape.

Once it was clear he couldn't go, McClure quickly became the biggest Warriors fan in the building. Standing for support, and because of the pain, the senior watched as his team scored 21 points in the fourth quarter.

"I don't think I sat down that much that game," McClure said.

Meanwhile Couture was a rebounding beast down below and helped the Warriors stand toe-to-toe with the Vikings in the paint.

"That's his specialty," McClure said of Couture's rebounding.

McClure's back is better now and he's done plenty of icing and heating treatments to help ease the pain. He estimates that he's at about 90 percent.

"I've done everything I can do at this point," McClure said.

Four players scored in double digits and Arlee grabbed a No. 1 seed for the divisional tournament. Balanced scoring is nothing new to the Warriors, but they also got a big boost from Junior Sansavere and Trae Burland this season.

Both have put up huge performances for the team.

"Those two have definitely helped us a lot," Bridgewater said.

Last year, Arlee made it to state but needed a challenge game win over Shields Valley to get to tournament. This season, the Warriors posted victories over Sheridan, Twin Bridges and Drummond in Butte using second half rallies and stops.

"We took the easier route this year you could say," McClure said.

In order to win the divisional crown, Arlee needed a long pass at the end of the game from Bridgewater to senior guard Jesse Pfau, a football hail mary, if you will, who scored to beat Drummond, 51- 46.

"Coach drew it up and said that they were overplaying us

on defense," Bridgewater said.

It was Arlee's first divisional title in 19 years.

"I think we played extremely well on defense at divisionals for most of the games," Bridgewater said.

The Warriors used the two weeks between the divisional tournament and the state tournament to heal as some of their players were banged up. They also got a chance to soak in support from the community.

"I felt like a rockstar," McClure said. "Because our community is so supportive of our basketball team and they always have been."

While healing up, the team also had to get ready for the best that the state of Montana has to offer.

"This couple of weeks is going to be good for us," Bridgewater said. "This is going to allow us to study what other teams do."

And then it's off to Bozeman. They tipoff today at 12:30 p.m. against Absarokee in a quest for a state championship.

"We're not trying to look ahead too much," McClure said. "We're not too anxious, but as soon as we leave on the bus I'm sure it will hit us."