Hot Springs Savage Heat scorch Seeley-Swan

HOT SPRINGS – The Savage Heat defeated Seeley-Swan in a scrappy nail-biter Saturday night. It was a close game with both teams tied at 43-43 going into the 4th quarter. Hot Springs managed to pull away with a final score of 54-48.

Head Coach Ricky DePoe was proud of his team and how they performed under pressure.

“I thought we played well. Everybody on the team scored, so it was a good all-around effort,” he said.

Every team member pulling his own weight is what gives Coach DePoe confidence.

“I have three guys that I can throw in at any time and they will get right into [the game] no problem. That really helps,” he said.

Both teams put up a real fight but in the end the Blackhawks just could not catch up. The spirited games are the ones the Savage Heat prefer, according to Coach DePoe.

“It seems like [the scrappy games] are always good for us,” he said. “That’s the kind of game we play. The boys love it.”

All of the Savage Heat boys scored that night but Coach DePoe singled two out for playing exceptionally well.

Guard Jarod White not only did his job of distributing the ball but also scored 12 points. According to Coach DePoe he did a good job of keeping the momentum going. Trevor Paro also played a nice game scoring 10 points off the bench.

Coach DePoe said every single one of his guys are good at shooting three-pointers.

“You don’t have to worry about a kid shooting out there because they all have a good percentage of making those shots,” he said. “They love shooting threes.”

Despite all the praise, Coach DePoe sees definite room for improvement especially on lay-ups and free-throws.

“We shot terrible free-throws. We made 7 out of 17. I also think we should have done a better job of making baskets underneath,” he said. “Other than that I think we played well.”

The Savage Heat appreciated the win after the defeat against Superior Friday night. Their first game back from break had a final score of 32-71. Coach DePoe believes it was his team’s desire to win that ultimately prevented them from doing so.

“I think they wanted to win so badly that they were tense throughout the whole game. You could see it,” he said.

According to Coach DePoe free-throws were a problem for the Savage Heat that game as well. They also had difficulty getting in position. One thing not lacking was heart.

“We had a lot of heart. They kept up their hustle and fight through the whole game,” he said.

Coach DePoe said the game really hurt. Superior has left others feeling similarly in their wake this season. Despite this, he still believes they can be defeated.

“They are number one in the district but I still believe they are beatable,” he said. “They only have one guy they can bring in and that is a disadvantage if they get into foul trouble. There are several guys like us who stand a chance but it has to be the right situation.”

Coach DePoe has high hopes for next week’s games. The Savage Heat will play Noxon on Thursday and Plains on Saturday in Hot Springs.

The game against Noxon is a conference game. The Savage Heat lost to them earlier in the season with a last second shot. According to Coach DePoe, they should have come away with that one but it slipped by.

Thursday night will be another shot at victory.

The Plains game is not a conference one but it is a great rivalry match-up. Coach DePoe predicts the Hot Springs gym will be packed and the energy will be high.

“All the boys know each other. They are friends but they are real competitive,” he said. “It will be a tough game and it will be interesting to see how it turns out.”

No matter what happens, Coach DePoe is proud of the boys and the effort they have shown this year.

“I’ll tell you what, these kids have heart and that’s what I love about it,” he said. “That’s what keeps you coaching.”