Clark Fork girls basketball team hopes to overcome loss of Reece

During a Presidential debate with candidate Walter Mondale a few decades ago, Ronald Reagan said, when questioned about his age, “I refuse to use my opponent’s youth and inexperience against him.”

It worked out well for President Reagan.

The same cannot be said of last year’s Montana Girls 13-C conference basketball teams.

A young and relatively inexperienced Clark Fork Lady Mountain Cats team shocked a lot of people with a second half of the season surge that propelled them to a second place finish at the district tournament and a trip to the Divisional round.

And they accomplished that feat with only one senior on their squad.

This year is much the same as the Lady Cats prepare for their season opener against Seeley in Superior Saturday, Jan. 2.

Under the guidance of coach Jeff Schultz, the young Clark Fork team won their first round divisional game against Twin Bridges, before dropping the next two games to West Yellowstone and Manhattan Christian.

It was, all hoped, a harbinger of things to come.

With lone senior Emmah Baughman gone from last year’s team, the Mountain Cats will be relying on youth with more experience this year as they move to the 14-C conference for the Covid delayed 2021 campaign.

The shift means the Lady Mountain Cats will play two games each this season against St. Regis, Hot Springs, Plains, Noxon and Charlo.

“I think shooting should be a strength for us,” said coach Schultz during initial pre-season practice last week. “We are not a very big team but if we can get physical and tough we should do well.”

That optimism has been tempered somewhat by the decision made to not play this year by Sorren Reece, a scoring and rebounding star from last year’s 15-9 team.

However, despite the apparent loss of Reece, the team returns a solid core of still young but talented players, led by junior post Cassie Green.

“We do have some solid shooters,” Schultz repeated. “And team speed.”

Among those are talented sophomores Izzy Pereira, Darby Haskins and Payton Milender. Pereira emerged as a top notch scorer and floor general during the latter stages of last year’s campaign when she was one of several freshmen who saw significant time on the court.

The Lady Mountains Cats recorded an impressive 10-2 conference record last year despite their youth.

Despite a lack of overall height, the Lady Cats Green is 5-9, while junior Aubrey Constant is listed at 5-10.

“We are moving into a new conference so we will have new teams and faces to play against this season,” Schultz said. “I think we will be alright”.

Haskins was the co-leader in scoring for the Mountain Cats last year, dropping in 173 points during the regular season, while Pereira added 115 points. Green scored 93 points and hauled down 97 rebounds last year.

After their season opener vs. Seeley, Clark Fork travels to Hot Springs to take on the highly regarded Lady Savage Heat Thursday, Jan. 7, then return home for a Senior Night contest against St. Regis the following Saturday night in Superior.