Basketball season gets underway at BHS
by Danny Waldo
The calendar has turned to December, and with that comes the beginning of the winter sports season at Bozeman High, and the Hawk basketball team will be looking to repeat their state championship performance from the 2018-19 season.
The Hawks returned to the top of the mountain in AA for the first time since 2010 after knocking off Missoula Hellgate on a last second buzzer-beater last March in Butte. It was a long time coming for head coach Wes Holmquist and company after finishing runner-up the previous three seasons, and was maybe the most gratifying as Missoula Hellgate was the overwhelming favorite to win the title.
But that was then, and this is now, and Bozeman will have to reload and redefine roles if they want to return to a fifth consecutive state title game.
Gone from last season are two of the top players in the state from 2019 in Ryan Simpson and Ryan Lonergan. Both players have traded in their basketball shoes for shoulder pads, and are playing at the collegiate level for the University of Montana and Montana State, respectfully.
Not only were the two Ryans Bozeman’s biggest producers, they were also Bozeman’s tallest players, standing 6’6 and 6’5. The Hawks will miss that height advantage, as they return a guard-heavy lineup.
However, the cupboard is not bare, thanks to the return of Carter Ash, and state title hero Brett Clark. Ash was a stat-sheet stuffer all season, often sharing high-scoring honors, while also leading the team in steals and assists. Clark came on strong toward the end of the season, culminating with his 18-point performance in the state championship that included the buzzer-beating basket off an assist from who else but Carter Ash.
Jackson Coles and Hudson Willett also return to provide experience on the perimeter, while Kenneth Eiden returns to give Bozeman a physical presence in the post.
Missoula Hellgate will once again be the favorite heading into the season, thanks to the return of Utah State commit, Rollie Worster, plus the addition of Camdyn LaRance, who transferred over from Missoula Big Sky after being the second leading scorer in the state behind Worster last season.
Bozeman kicked off the year with road games versus the Helena schools on December 12th and 14th. The Hawks’ home schedule begins with a pair of non-conference games versus Glacier and Flathead on December 20th and 21st.
Danny Waldo is a local freelance writer covering Bozeman Hawk and Montana State Bobcat athletics. •
