Core group leading young Great Falls High boys' basketball squad
The Great Falls High boys’ basketball team opened up its season with a thriller at Swarthout Fieldhouse Friday, holding off Kalispell Flathead for a 72-67 nonconference victory.
The Bison finished the opening weekend 1-1 after falling to Western AA foe Kalispell Glacier 60-36 Saturday afternoon.
Great Falls High faces two more nonconference contests before the Christmas break, taking on Missoula Big Sky at Swarthout Fieldhouse on Tuesday at 7 p.m. before heading to Missoula to face off with defending state champion Hellgate the following Tuesday night.
Here’s a look at the new season for the Great Falls High boys.
Core returners, new faces lead Bison
Veteran Bison head coach Bob Howard enters the year with a relatively new squad, led by three players who logged significant minutes last winter.
Great Falls High was already bit by the injury bug in the fall, with last year’s leading scorer Evan Brown suffering a knee injury playing basketball that will keep him out for his senior season.
“Practice has gone pretty good,” Howard said. “We’re coming into the year pretty new. We’ve got a lot of new kids. The main kids that played varsity last year are going to be kind of our core. They’re good kids and they’re working hard.”
Howard will still retain the experience of several seasoned varsity Bison athletes in seniors Scott Klinker and Cooper Collins as well as junior Mason Kralj.
Klinker, a track and field triple jump state champ and one of the best all-around athletes in the state, averaged 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds last season and led the team with 45 steals. The MSU-Billings baseball signee will fill a lot of roles on the perimeter for Great Falls High, Howard said.
“He’s going to be playing everywhere,” Howard said.
Collins, coming off an All-State football season at defensive end, was a regular in the rotation off the bench as a junior. Collins will play on the wing as a senior.
“Hopefully he brings some physicality a little bit,” Howard said. “He was probably our seventh man last year and had some good moments. We’re looking for big things from him this year.”
Kralj, another star football defender, also logged plenty of minutes as a sophomore and will see an increased role as a forward.
Senior Traycen Ehnes will run things from the point guard spot for the Bison, and 6-foot-3 Tristan Watson will play down in the post. Junior Blake Carver will also see plenty of minutes in the Great Falls High backcourt.
“He’s been looking pretty good this fall,” Howard said.
Senior center Kaden Burd will also add some size on the block for the Bison at 6-3.
“He’s got some upside if he can stay healthy,” Howard said. “Other than that, it’s going to be a lot of new kids off the JV and sophomore teams. Hopefully they can get going and be a little hungry.”
As the season gets rolling, Howard said he hopes to see the youthful squad play with some pace and have players find their shot on the varsity floor.
“Hopefully we’ll be aggressive,” Howard said. “It’s kind of up in the air right now but hopefully we’ll be aggressive and get up and down the floor a little bit. We’ve got to find out a way to rebound. A lot of it will depend on how we shoot the ball. We’re looking to shoot the ball and control the tempo and get some rebounds.”
Great Falls High 72, Kalispell Flathead 67
What appeared to be a runaway turned into a near photo finish.
Despite leading nearly wire-to-wire in the contest and by 15 heading into the final frame, the Bison saw their lead evaporate down to one twice in the fourth quarter but were able to hold off the Braves.
Lyric Ersland sparked a 20-6 Flathead run in the fourth quarter with 15 points in that span, putting Great Falls High on its heels after leading by as many as 18 in the contest.
An Emmitt Richmond bucket and a pair of Klinker free throws helped put the lead back up to six at 71-65 with under a minute to play, and the Bison defense allowed just one field goal in the final 60 seconds to preserve the victory.
Klinker led all scorers with 22 points, while Ehnes added 16 and Collins and Kralj combined for 21.
The Bison seized control early after falling down 3-0 off the bat, ending the first quarter on a 15-6 run with Collins putting up six points in the frame and Ehnes scoring the final five points of the quarter.
Great Falls High held the Braves to just one field goal until the 4:36 mark in the second quarter, with Klinker and Ehnes efficiently attacking the basket to balloon the lead to as many as 18.
The Bison led 38-20 following a Kralj turnaround jumper and a pair of Watson free throws, but Flathead ended the opening half on a 9-0 run highlighted by a Jordan Griffin 3-ball with under five seconds remaining.
Flathead 8 21 16 22 – 67
GFH 15 23 22 12 – 72
Flathead – Dustin Franchini-White 2, Brodee Zahn 5, Lyric Ersland 17, Gabe St. Germain 4, Gabe Sims 5, Brody Thornsberry 4, Tyler Williams 3, Korbin Eaton 13, Jordan Griffin 14.
GFH – Traycen Ehnes 16, Scott Klinker 22, Blake Carver 2, Tristan Watson 4, Keenan Selzter 3, Cooper Collins 11, Mason Kralj 10, Emmitt Richmond 4.
3-pointers – Zahn, Ersland 2, Eaton, Griffin; Ehnes, Klinker.
Glacier 60, Great Falls High 36 (Saturday)
Klinker hit three 3-pointers en route to 17 points to lead all scorers for Great Falls High in the loss. Blake Carver added seven for the Bison, while Cohen Kasterlitz put up 15 for the Wolfpack and Brantly Salmonson chipped in 12 points.
Glacier 12 11 16 21 – 60
GFH 9 9 13 5 – 36
Glacier – Cohen Kasterlitz 15, Liam Ells 8, Luke Nikoken 9, Owen Henry 3, Easton Kauffman 3, Brantly Salmonson 12, Josh Eagleton 5, Slate Burrington 2, Jackson Endresen 3.
GFH – Traycen Ehnes 4, Scott Klinker 17, Blake Carver 7, Mason Kralj 2, Emmitt Richmond 4, Kaden Burd 2.
3-pointers – Ells, Nikoken 3, Henry, Kauffman, Eagleton; Klinker 3.
Photo provided courtesy of Matt Ehnes of Jared’s Detours.
This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Core group leading young Great Falls High boys' basketball squad
