Trotters gear up for State Tournament
<p>Kayla Holmes and the Plains Trotters will conclude their 2014-15 campaign this week at the state basketball tournament in Great Falls.</p>
PLAINS – With many athletes across the county preparing for the spring athletics season, the members of the Plains Trotters basketball team are still on the court, prepping for this week’s state tournament in Great Falls.
The Class B State Tournament will start Thursday, March 12 and the Trotters spent the interim between the divisional and state tournament’s fine-tuning the basketball skills, which brought them to an elite level this season.
“We have done a lot of fundamental work this week, sharpening up what we have done all season,” Plains Trotters Head Coach Richard Griffin said.
From Feb. 25 through Feb. 27, the Trotters progressed through the Western B Divisional Tournament at Flathead High School in Kalispell, finishing second behind the Bigfork Valkyries, in a 43-34, championship matchup, to earn the final spot in the state tournament.
En route to the matchup with Bigfork, the Trotters opened up the tournament with a win over Deer Lodge, 50-33, and a hard fought win in the semifinal round over Ronan, 42-40.
Out of the three divisional tournament games the Trotters competed in, Griffin was most impressed with the resilience his team displayed in the two-point win over Ronan.
“In the game against Ronan they held their composure very well,” Griffin said.
Over the last few weeks the Trotters have played a lot of basketball, and their strong performances in both the district and divisional tournaments are a sign the team has conditioned well throughout the season, putting them in a position to excel in tournament play.
Griffin notes playing the amount of games dictated by a tournament schedule is certainly a challenge but he believes his team is more than ready for it.
“This is what you prepare all season for. That is why we condition the way we do,” Griffin said.
Heading into the final competition of the year Griffin was proud of his team and hoped they would enjoy their time in the state tournament.
“I hope they trust their teammates, put in maximum effort and enjoy it,” Griffin said.
The 2015 State Class B Girls’ Basketball Tournament will take place at the Montana ExpoPack Pacific Steel & Recycling Four Season Arena in Great Falls from Thursday, March 12 through Saturday, March 14.
The Trotters will kick off the state tournament at noon on Thursday.
The Trotter’s opening game opponent will be Forsyth High School from Rosebud County.
Forsyth was the first place team in the state’s southern division, with Plains finishing second in the Western B Divisional Tournament.
If the Trotters win their home opener they will play again on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. against the winner of the Malta and Columbus game.
If the Trotters drop their opener they are still alive in the tournament and will play an elimination game at noon on Friday against the losing team from the Malta and Columbus game.
The school hosted a pep rally for the Trotters on Tuesday at 7 p.m., which was preceded by a parade through Plains at 6:45 p.m.