As the Hays/Lodge Pole Thunderbirds prepared to head to Bozeman this week to take part in the Montana Class C State Boys Basketball tournament they will be representing the District 9C, The Northern C, the communities of Hays and Lodge Pole as well as Blaine County and the Hi-Line.

When a team makes it as far as the Thunderbirds have the enormity of it all can have an effect on people. All 15 players and alternates were asked about their feelings of representing so much while in Bozeman, here are their responses:

Tough Snow - "I'm glad we made it out of Divisionals. We've never made it out...