Finally, a month late, after everything, Jefferson High’s basketball squads launched their season on Saturday — and they were more than ready. In tune-ups for what promises to be a tough District schedule, the Panther boys and girls cruised convincingly past visiting Choteau High, with both teams flashing signs of offensive firepower.
The boys dominated a short-handed Choteau side with speed, good ball sharing and shooting. Joe Visser started the scoring and the teams stayed close for the first few minutes, tied at 14 before the Panthers closed out the first period with a 10-0 run to go up 24-14. Visser, with 14 points, and Trent McMaster, with 10, led the early charge.
The second quarter saw Jefferson surge with a 16-4 run, with six different Panthers scoring to fuel a 45-26 half-time lead. And the third was more of the same: Tyler Harrington started the scoring, and the Panthers didn’t let up, going up by 70-42 with eight minutes remaining. The lead went to 85-45 in the final period, triggering the 40-point mercy rule and bringing out the Panther’s bench. Zach Zody put in the final basket, making it 88-48 at the horn.
Visser led the way for the Panthers with 30 points. McMaster added 25, Jake Genger 8, Tom Meyer 7, Braden Morris 5, Zody 4, Hyrum Parke 4, Harrington 2, Jayden Kemner 2, and Wade Rykal 1.
The girls’ contest was tighter, but junior Rachel Van Blaricom put on a show, scoring 37 points to set a new school single-game record and pacing the Panthers’ 76-61 victory. Van Blaricom bested the old girls’ mark of 32 held by Karmen McEachern, Lynsey Parsons and Aubrey McMaster.
The teams stayed close in the first. Choteau opened the scoring, but a nice assist from Van Blaricom to Dakota Edmisten and Van Blaricom’s long three put the Panthers up 5-3. Olivia Lyon scored to give the Panthers a 10-9 lead, and a second three by Van Blaricom helped the Panthers secure a 16-15 edge at the end of one.
Van Blaricom poured it on in the second quarter with 17 of the Panthers’ 23 points, but Choteau was still hanging tough, down by just 39-33 at the half. The Panthers came out in the third with determination and took a 46-38 lead on a pair of free throws by Cia Stuber, and an unbelievable pass by Izzy Morris to Van Blaricom made it 57-44 at the end of three.
Edmisten and Grace Alexander knocked down three-pointers in the fourth and the Panthers connected on 7 of 11 free throws to seal the win. The game featured an unbelievable number of free throws: Choteau made 31 of 53, 58%, while Jefferson made 22 or 30, 73%. Edmisten added 12 points to Van Blaricom’s team-leading 37; Austie May scored 7, Morris 6, Alexander 5, Stuber 4, Olivia Lyon 2, and Abbie Youde 1.
The JV squads both won their half-game contests with ease.
This is a busy week at Jefferson High. The JV teams were set to play East Helena on Monday afternoon. And on Thursday, January 8, the wrestlers host Anaconda while the JV and varsity basketball teams travel to Twin Bridges. On Saturday, the wrestlers are at Huntley Project to take on Huntley Project and Malta, and the basketball teams host Sweet Grass County. Then on January 11, the JV basketball teams will be at East Helena.
