Plains Horsemen have big shoes to fill in 2021

Like his counterpart on the Plains High girls basketball team, boys head coach Tyrel Allen has some big roster spots to fill.

Heading into the 2021 14C conference season, Allen and crew will have to overcome the loss of a talented group of seniors and juniors who won the conference title a year ago.

The good news for Allen is there’s a solid core of seniors with championship experience back for another run.

Gone from last year’s district champions are senior starting guards Treydon Brouillette and Jake Weyers, along with power forward Esvin Reyes. Also gone are talented junior forward Kade Pardee and junior guard/forward Tristan Subatch.

Both Subatch and Pardee transferred to Sanders County rival Thompson Falls, which is moving up a classification notch this year.

Fortunately, an equally solid group of seniors return, led by 6-4 Parker Flock, a powerful force in the post. Flock is joined by fellow seniors Nathan Felikson, power forward Tucker Foster and guard/forward Duncan Chisholm.

Foster, a standout linebacker and running back for the Horsemen football squad, gives added bulk and rebounding power with his 6-0, 230-pound frame.

“We will be physically big this year and will rely on rebounding to limit shot attempts by our opponents,” Allen said.

Flock was a particularly troublesome matchup last year for St. Regis all-conference standout Andrew Sanford, a 6-7 post who returns for the Tigers this year. The two centers waged several tough battles in the post last year when Plains won all three encounters.

Allen is also counting on a talented group of young players to provide depth to this year’s Horsemen team.

“We have some good young players coming up,” he said.

Despite the significant losses from last year, Allen said he sees good things ahead for the 2021 Plains team.

“I see our team finishing in the top three in our conference,” Allen said. “And then we will be putting ourselves in position to place in the top two at Districts.”

The top two teams advance to the divisional round, a feat made even more daunting this year with the inclusion of Clark Fork in the 14C conference.

The Horsemen open the 2021 season with a home game against Charlo, Friday, Jan. 8. They travel to St. Ignatius the next evening for a contest with Mission.

“Like everyone else, we are hoping to keep the players healthy throughout the year,” Allen said. “I think we will do well in a tough conference.”