Prep Weekly Spotlight 1/16

This weeks Prep Weekly spotlight takes a look at a battle for Missoula on the hardwood as the Hellgate Knight’s girls and boys basketball teams take on the Sentinel Spartans in the second crosstown game of the week.

Battle Between The Boys
In the first game of the doubleheader it will be boys who will take the court in a battle that could decide the top of Class AA basketball in the Western Conference. Currently the Hellgate boys sit at the top of all Class AA boys basketball with a 2-0 record in conference defeating both Helena schools in the opening weeks of the conference schedule. The Knight’s currently have the scoring leader in Rollie Worster who is averaging 21 points per game, and the top rebounder in Class AA basketball in Abe Johnson who has pulled down 17 more boards then the second spot in 63 overall on the season.

From the Sentinel side of the court it has been a growing season with new faces on the hardwood and young group of play makers working to play together. The Spartans will lean on the experience and senior leadership Elias DeWaters and Scott Malikie to push them through the conference portion of the season while gaining help from ball handler Alex Germer. Sentinel has the ability to challenge Hellgate for the number one spot in the West with solid defense and knocking down shots on the perimeter.

Old Faces, New Teams
Most likely the biggest story line concerning Saturday nights game between the Spartan and the Knights is on the girls side with last years transfer of Emma Blakely from Sentinel to Hellgate. Blakely transferred to a team that has had success and has been on the rise in Class AA girls basketball over the past decade taking the proper steps to improve each season from the last. The 2018-2019 season is Hellgate’s chance to claim the Missoula title and move up in the ranks of the Class AA girls basketball with a win over crosstown Sentinel.

For the Lady Spartans it has been a rebuilding year after back to back trips to the Class AA girls state title games, and losing one of the strongest senior classes since Coach Deden took over the program. It has been the Lexi Deden show so far in the 2018-2019 season as the junior leader has averaged 17 points per game and pulled down 60 rebounds while leading the league in blocks with 20 in the seven games so far this year. Sentinel is 4-4 overall on the season after picking up a win Tuesday night over Ronan, but are 0-2 in the toughest conference in all MHSA girls basketball.

The boys battle first at Sentinel with the show getting started at 5:30 pm, and then the girls will tip off 20 minutes after the boys finish up.