Hellgate Basketball Preview 2017

The Hellgate Knight boy’s and girl’s basketball programs split performance with the boy’s dominating the Class AA Western Conference and the girl’s have been on the rise, both teams showing that basketball is all about having fun.

Head Coach Jeff Hays has continued the dominating tradition of Knight basketball his father established when Coach Hays was a student at Hellgate. Since Hays has taken the reigns of the boy’s basketball program the team has been a force to recon with in Class AA basketball, taking his teams to the postseason year after year. The Knight’s lost a strong senior class in ball hawk Derrius Collins who had a pure stroke from beyond the arc and a nose for the rim, and their strong man, Landon Youbles who made the paint on every court his home dominating the boards.

As Hays has been known for he has a stable ready to go for the upcoming season. Though the team will be young this year, they are experienced and grizzled from time on the court last season. The Knight’s return the intelligent ball handler Rollie Worster who emerged as a leader in 2016-2017 as a freshman. In addition to the young Worster, Hellgate will have the leadership of Kade Lunday who has shown to be one of the most influential players in western Montana. The Knight’s have a young bench but have added the athletic ability of Fisher Richardson who transferred over from Loyola.

Expect the Knight’s continue their dominance of Class AA basketball, but be prepared for heart stopping edge of your seat games with teams like the Glacier Wolfpack, Capital Bruins, and their crosstown nemeses the Sentinel Spartans. Expect Hellgate to return to the Class AA State Tournament with the number two seed in the Western Conference, right behind the Glacier Wolfpack.

The Lady Knight’s have been a basketball program that has been taking the right steps in to the right direction to be a contender in Class AA girl’s basketball. Coach Rob Henthorn has shown the girls how to have fun again, creating an atmosphere of what high school sports is all about. The Lady Knight’s graduated an astonishing eight seniors in the spring which only means that they will be a young team hungry to gain a foot hold in Class AA girls basketball. Returning for Hellgate will be the talented Shay Evans and the experienced Kylie Lunday who led as under class players last season.

Though the Knight’s are young, look for them to continue to climb the mountain of Class AA girl’s basketball. Hellgate went 8-14 overall last season and 4-8 in conference play with big wins over the Glacier Wolfpack and Coeur D’Alene. The Knight’s have the potential to win and improve on their conference record with a jumbled Class AA girls basketball conference, with teams like the Helena Bengals, Senior Broncs, and the powerful Sentinel Spartans standing at the top of the mountain.

In 2016-2017 the Lady Knight’s earned their way to a pair of playoff games beating the Big Sky Eagles at Hellgate and missed a trip to the state tournament with a tough loss to the Capital Bruins. With the new look of Class AA basketballs postseason due to the addition of a divisional tournament, Henthorn will be able to coach his girls to a possible run at making a trip to Billings for the Class AA State Tournament in March.