Something special is happening in the valley when it comes to basketball. In Bozeman over the weekend of November 3 three Jefferson teams brought home championship trophies from the Fall Ball Classic tournament.
The Jefferson High School freshman boys were able to pull out an amazing victory, defeating three Bozeman teams, a Jackson Hole, Wyoming team, and the Great Falls Rustlers for a first place finish in the tournament.
The championship win came after Trent McMasters tied the game with a three-pointer that barely cleared the rim as time ran out in regulation play. After trading baskets in the first overtime, the teams were still tied and went into a sudden death second overtime. Whichever team scored first would take the victory, and Brayden Morris did his part to make sure that was the Jefferson team. He drove the baseline, where the Great Falls defender fouled him to send him to the line for a double bonus. He remained cool as a cucumber and hit the front half of the double bonus to seal the win and capture the trophy.
Another local championship came home with the Panthers 1-Clancy girls, winners of the eighth grade girls Madison Division. The Panthers beat a Bozeman team, Big Sky team, Belgrade team, and finally the Helena Sparks in a lopsided championship game. The Panthers won the championship 35-13.
The third championship was brought home in the ninth and tenth grade girls division. Rachel Van Blaricom of Clancy is a member of the Big Sky Elite team comprised of three players from Billings, one from Anaconda, and two from Belgrade. The girls made it look easy until they were pitted against a very physical and talented Havre team. Havre got the best of them in their first meeting by a margin of 21 points but they would meet again in the championship where the Big Sky Elite would pull off the victory with a score of 35-28.
With those talented teams all in the wings, the future is bright for the Jefferson Panthers.
