Seniors give Clark Fork boys basketball plenty of optimism

There is optimism abound in the Clark Fork (Alberton/Superior co-op) boys basketball team heading into the 2021 season.

With the season opener scheduled for Jan. 2 of this coming year, a team without any seniors on the roster last year returns four senior starters from a squad that finished third in the District 13C tournament in the Covid interrupted 2019-20 campaign.

A late season surge carried the Mountain Cats to the third place finish a year ago and now those four seniors are back for what promises to be an even loftier run.

“Our four seniors have been in the program since the eighth grade,” said coach Erik Johnson. “They are all good athletes with impressive fundamental skills. Because of their experience they all possess a prodigious comprehension of our program, our goals and the game of basketball itself”.

High praise indeed from Johnson, who watched the program grow significantly in the second half of last year.

The four, Carson Callison, Danner Haskins, Bryan Mask and Aaron Waddle bring a combination of skills as the team moves to the Montana 14-C conference for 2021.

Mask, a top scorer and guard from last year’s Mountain Cat squad, brings floor leadership to the now senior-dominated team. Waddle, a bruising power forward adds toughness and rebounding and can erupt for 20-plus points at any time.

Haskins and Callison give the team significant rebounding and scoring. All four are very capable defenders as well.

With the shift to 14-C, the Mountain Cats now have a Covid altered schedule that includes two games each against, St. Regis, Charlo, Noxon, Hot Springs and Plains. They will be among the favorites in the conference, along with St. Regis, but all conference teams return strong rosters in what should be a very competitive environment.

“It will be the first year that our co-op has competed as a member of the 14-C conference,” Johnson said. “Although we are familiar with the teams in the conference, it will be a new experience for us.

“We are just extremely grateful for the opportunity to compete during this pandemic. We plan to make the most of it.”

In their final year of 13C play, the Mountain Cats scored a pair of victories in the district tournament. After losing in the opening round to Darby, the Cats came back through the consolation round with victories over Valley Christian and Lincoln to secure third place.

“I think we will be pretty solid this year,” Johnson added. “Everyone is back from last year”.

The Mountain Cats are scheduled to open the season Saturday, Jan. 2 with a game at Seeley. They return to action the following Thursday, Jan. 7 with a game at Hot Springs before their home opener Saturday, Jan. 9 against St. Regis, in Superior.