Savage Heat play with heart over weekend
<p>Tanner Hoff goes in for a layup during the game against Arlee on Saturday.</p>
HOT SPRINGS – Emotions ran high after a weekend of games for the Savage Heat. The boys played against Two Eagle River on Friday and Arlee on Saturday.
According to Head Coach Ricky DePoe, the Savage Heat victory over Two Eagle River was well earned.
“We battled with them through the first three quarters and finally started pulling away in the fourth,” he said. “We scored 31 points in the fourth quarter.”
The final score was 83-57.
The winning bliss was short-lived, however, as the Savage Heat met the Arlee Warriors at home. Arlee is a tough team and Coach DePoe knew this going in.
“Arlee has had some big games lately,” he said. “They are a tough game and I have to give them credit.”
The Savage Heat were tied at 17-17 at the end of the first quarter. By the end of the first half the Hot Springs boys were down by 15 and the gap was too much to overcome.
“They got a pretty good run and we just could not fight back,” Coach DePoe said. “Turnovers and rebounds really killed us. Then we started to come back but got into foul trouble.”
The final score was 67-92 and the loss was tough to swallow according to Coach DePoe.
“These kids have a lot of heart. It is hard to go into those locker rooms after a game like that because of how emotionally invested they are and how badly they want to win,” he said.
Coach DePoe was proud of how his exhausted team rallied.
“They are emotionally and physically drained just because of the ups and the downs that they go through,” he said. “It is tough but I’ll tell you what, these kids battle hard every weekend.”
Coach DePoe was particularly pleased with how Tanner Hoff played over the weekend. He was the lead scorer both games with 26 points against Two Eagle River and 16 points against Arlee.
“I have always known what he could do. A lot of it is getting him to take those shots,” Coach DePoe said. “He is a pretty unselfish kid who would rather pass to another player than take the shot for himself. He has a big heart for his team.”
Next week the Savage Heat play against Superior at home and Seeley-Swan away.