High School Boys basketball was in full swing this week as all four Blaine County teams were in action. The marquee match-up took place Tuesday night in Chinook. The Sugarbeeters look to contend again for the Northern C crown and they hosted Northern B power Harlem in a showdown between old rivals. Friday night the Sugarbeeters were in Hays to take on the Thunderbirds and were back home Saturday to face the Big Sandy Pioneers.

The Hays/Lodge Pole Thunderbirds were in Poplar Tuesday night to take on the District 2B Indians. Harlem welcomed the Wolf Point Wolves to town in their 2021 home opener. The Turner Tornadoes played a pair of District 9C contests this weekend. Friday night they were home to challenge the Box Elder Bears. Saturday the Tornadoes were in Chester to take on the Hawks.

Harlem Wildcats @ Chinook Sugarbeeters

Junior RJ Ramone gave the Wildcats a early 4-2 lead and then quickly added a fast break layup to extend the lead to 6-2. 'Beeter senior Ethan Bell answered with a triple to trim the deficit to 6-5 moments later. Junior Toby Niederegger then found junior Oskar Pula for two and Chinook's first lead at 7-6.

Junior Tyler Cichosz drained a long three point bomb to give the lead back to Harlem but Chinook senior Reese Elliot answered right back with a bucket inside to even the score at 9-9. Niederegger followed with a free throw and another bucket inside for a 12-9 early lead. Senior Ethan MacLeod finished a tough drive to the basket for a bucket and Harlem junior Trent Main answered right back with his sixth point to bring the Wildcats within two 15-13.

Chinook began the second quarter with a 17-15 advantage and added to it immediately with Pula scoring to push the lead to four. Ramone scored on the following possession for the Wildcats but Reese Elliot scored off of an offensive rebound to keep the lead at four 21-19. Junior Daniel Lawrence then dropped a pass back to Ramone on the break for a bucket to make the score 21-19 in favor of the Sugarbeeters.

Coming out of a timeout it was Pula scoring again for Chinook and then knocked down a floater on the ensuing fast break for a six point lead 25-19. Junior Benton Elliot pushed the lead to eight, 27-19 leading to a Harlem timeout with 3:37 left in the half. Reese then finished in traffic to push the 'Beeter lead to ten.

Bell pushed the lead to 14 at 33-19 with back to back buckets. Ramone cut the lead to 12 but Reese scored on the other end to keep the 'Beeter advantage at 14. Bell added another bucket late in the half and then knocked down a pair of technical free throws with no time on the clock to send the teams to intermission with Chinook on top 39-23.

Cichosz started the third quarter with a triple providing the Wildcats with a spark early but Bell scored immediately to push the lead back to 15. Main dropped in a pair from the charity stripe for the Wildcats but again the 'Beeters would keep the Wildcats from stringing points together as Pula scored again.

Bell pushed the 'Beeter lead to 20 with a long three with 3:45 left in the third quarter 48-28. Elliot scored later off an offensive rebound to keep the offense rolling late in the quarter. Pula knocked down a pair of technical free throws. Bell followed with a free throw of his own and the lead remained at twenty, 54-34. Cichosz was playing with a purpose for the Wildcats in the third quarter and drained a triple late in the quarter, his fourteenth point of the quarter to cut the lead to 54-40. Bell hit a corner three with time winding down for the 'Beeters but the red hot Cichosz banked in a three point bomb at the buzzer.

Chinook started the fourth quarter with a 57-43 lead but Cichosz was in the zone, connecting from distance once again to trim the lead to 11 57-46. Reese answered for the Sugarbeeters with a pair of offensive rebound baskets for a 63-46 lead. Ramone drained a three ball for the Wildcats to brim the visitors a bit closer at 65-51, but once again Reese answered with a bucket inside. Reese added an alleyoop slam from Benton to give the 'Beeters a 71-51 lead late in the contest and the 'Beeters cruised to a 80-54 season opening win.

The 'Beeters were led on the night by Bell with 24 points. Reese finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds while Pula added 18 points and 14 rebounds. The Wildcats were paced by Cichosz with 24 and Ramone with 18.

Chinook 80 Harlem 54

Harlem 15 8 20 11 - 54

Chinook 17 22 18 23 - 80

Harlem - RJ Ramone 7 3-4 18, Daniel Lawrence 1 0-0 2, Tyler Cichosz 8 3-3 24, Cassius Johnson 0 0-0 0, Trent Main 3 2-2 8, Teagan LeValdo 0 0-0 0, Jehton Long Fox 1 0-0 2, Andrew Rasmussen 0 0-0 0, Amari Stanley 0 0-1 0. Team Totals 20 8-10 54.

Chinook - Ethan Bell 8 5-6 24, Damon Hannum 1 0-0 3, Flint Annis 0 0-0 0, Braden Eoff 0 0-0 0, Benton Elliot 0 0-0 0, Toby Niederegger 3 2-4 8, Reese Elliot 9 3-4 21, Ethan MacLeod 3 0-1 6, Oskar Pula 7 4-6 18, Jackson Nordboe 0 0-0 0. Team Totals 31 14-21 80.

Three Point Field Goals - Harlem 6 (Tyler Cichosz 5, RJ Ramone 1), Chinook 4 (Ethan Bell 3, Damon Hannum 1); Team Fouls - Harlem 17, Chinook 12; Fouled Out - Harlem - Tyler Cichosz.

Hays/Lodge Pole @ Poplar Indians

Junior Tyshawn Shambo scored 26 points for the Thunderbirds Tuesday night in Poplar as they secured their first win of the season 65-62. Hays/Lodge Pole trailed 18-13 after eight minutes and trimmed the Poplar advantage to 36-33 by intermission. The Thunderbirds outscored the Indians 17-13 down the stretch to secure the win.

Hays/Lodge Pole 65 Poplar 62

Hays/L.P. 13 20 15 17 - 65

Poplar 18 18 13 13 - 62

Hays/L.P. - Isaiah Denny 0 0-0 0, Brandon Castillo 4 0-2 8, William Hughes Jr. 0 0-0 0, DeVonte Sullivan 0 0-0 0, Tyshawn Shambo 8 8-10 26, Estevan Granados 3 0-0 6, William Has The Eagle 4 0-0 9, Daniel Henry 5 1-2 14, Avery Boe Jr. 0 0-0 0, Julius Ball 1 0-0 2. Team Totals 24 9-14 65.

Poplar - Geordy Medicine Cloud 2 0-0 5, Delrae Lilley 5 0-0 14, Elijah GreyBear 4 0-2 8, Wilfred Lambert 4 5-9 13, Inyan Growing Thunder 9 0-1 18, Preston Ogle 2 0-0 4. Team Totals 26 5-12 62.

Three Point Field Goals - Hays/L.P. 5 (Daniel Henry 3, Tyshawn Shambo 1, William Has The Eagle 1), Poplar 4 (Delrae Lilley 4, Geordy Medicine Bear 1); Team Fouls - Hays/L.P. 13, Poplar 15; Fouled Out - None.

Chinook Sugarbeeters @ Hays/Lodge Pole

The Chinook Sugarbeeters stormed out to a 18-4 lead after eight minutes of action Friday night in Hays against the Thunderbirds and never looked back. Chinook led 36-14 at the half and pushed their advantage to 57-24 entering the fourth quarter before securing a 69-37 road win to improve to 2-0.

Bell led a balanced 'Beeter attack with 16 points, Niederegger added 15. Benton Elliot chipped in 13 for the 'Beeters and Reese Elliot contributed 12. Tyshawn Shambo led the offensive effort for the Thunderbirds with 20 of the teams 37 points.

Chinook 69 Hays/Lodge Pole 37

Hays/L.P. 4 10 10 13 - 37

Chinook 18 18 21 12 - 69

Chinook - Ethan Bell 7 2-3 16, Damon Hannum 0 0-0 0, Flint Annis 1 0-2 2, Braden Eoff 1 0-0 2, Benton Elliot 6 0-0 13, Toby Niederegger 6 3-3 15, Reese Elliot 6 0-0 12, Ethan MacLeod 3 0-0 6, Oskar Pula 1 0-0 2, Jackson Nordboe 0 0-2 0. Team Totals 33 5-10 69.

Hays/L.P. - Julius Ball 1 0-0 2, Isaiah Denny 0 0-0 0, Brandon Castillo 1 0-0 2, Daniel Henry 3 0-0 7, Tyshawn Shambo 8 3-8 20, William Has The Eagle 0 0--0 0, Estevan Granados 0 1-2 1, William Hughes Jr. 0 0-0 0, DeVonte Sullivan 2 0-0 5, Avery Boe Jr. 0 0-0 0. Team Totals 15 4-10 37.

Three Point Field Goals - Chinook 1 (Benton Elliot 1), Hays/L.P. 3 (Danielle Henry 1, Tyshawn Shambo 1, Devonte Sullivan 1); Team Fouls - Chinook 13, Hays/L.P. 10; Fouled Out - None.

Box Elder Bears @ Turner Tornadoes

The Box Elder Bears handed the Turner Tornadoes their first loss of the season Friday night, beating the home team 70-56. Turner 34-22 at the break but weren't able to cut into the lead in the second half. The Tornadoes were led in the contest by senior Shane Kimmel with 28 points. Senior Austin Welsh added 16 for the Tornadoes.

Box Elder 70 Turner 56

Box Elder 21 13 15 21 - 70

Turner 11 11 7 27 - 56

Box Elder - Jayden Jillot 4 0-0 8, Gabe Saddler 4 2-2 10, Malique Rossette 3 3-5 9, Kayden Duran 2 0-0 6, Tyus LaMere 7 3-4 2, Kimowen Corcoran 0 0-0 0, Gyme Kell III 0 0-0 0, Elkin Big Knife 1 0-0 3, Morris Meyers 0 0-0 0, Tayce St. Pierre 5 0-1 10, Theron Oats Jr. 0 0-0 0, Jayden Gopher 1 0-0 2, king ReggedRobe 0 0-0 0. Team Totals 27 8-12 70.

Turner - Shay Humphreys 0 0-0 0, Austin Welsh 6 2-6 16, Tate Beck 0 0-0 0, Shane Kimmel 12 3-8 28, Caleb Zellmer 0 0-0 0, Charlie Calvert 0 1-2 1, Trent Billmayer 1 0-0 3, Carson Maloney 0 0-0 0, Ryan Doyle 1 0-0 3, Trevor Kimmel 1 2-3 5. Team Totals 21 8-19 56.

Three Point Field Goals - Box Elder 8 (Tyrus LaMere 5, Kayden Duran 2, Elkin Big Knife 1), Turner 6 (Austin Welsh 2, Shane Kimmel 1, Trent Billmayer 1, Ryan Doyle 1, Trevor Kimmel 1); Team Fouls - Box Elder 24, Turner 14; Fouled Out - Turner - Trevor Kimmel.

Big Sandy Pioneers @ Chinook Sugarbeeters

The 'Beeters ended the first quarter on a 12-0 run taking the lead for good, 20-19 at the 1:44 mark. Reese turned a steal of the inbound pass into an assist to Bell for an easy bucket. Bell scored eight in the run and Elliot finished the quarter with a tip in at the Buzzer for a 28-19 lead after eight minutes of action.

Bell scored the first points of the second quarter and the 'Beeters kicked the offense into high gear, cruising to a school record 104 points, doubling up the Pioneers 52. Bell scored 30 in the win while Reese added 18, Niederegger 17 and Benton 16 for the Sugarbeeters

Chinook 104 Big Sandy 52

Big Sandy 19 13 12 10 - 52

Chinook 28 32 28 16 - 104

Big Sandy - S. Heimbigner 0 0-0 0, Rusty Gasvoda 1 0-0 2, Lane Demontiney 5 2-2 12, Kody Strutz 5 5-5 15, E. Dixon 0 0-0 0, Brayden Cline 4 0-0 11, S. Cox 0 0-0 0, Wylee Snapp 0 0-0 0, Cooper Taylor 1 1-5 3, R. Galbavy 0 0-0 0, Kade Strutz 4 1-1 9, Jake Darlington 0 0-0 0. Team Totals 20 9-13 52.

Chinook - Ethan Bell 13 3-5 30, Damon Hannum 1 0-0 2, Flint Annis 1 0-0 2, Braden Eoff 1 0-0 2, Benton Elliot 8 0-0 16, Toby Niederegger 8 1-1 17, Reese Elliot 9 0-0 18, Ethan MacLeod 4 1-2 10, Oskar Pula 2 1-1 5, Jackson Nordboe 1 0-0 2. Team Totals 48 6-9 104.

Three Point Field Goals - Big Sandy 3 (Brayden Cline 3), Chinook 2 (Ethan Bell 1, Ethan MacLeod 1); Team Fouls - Big Sandy 13, Chinook 14; Fouled Out - None.

Turner Tornadoes @ Chester/J-I Hawks

The Turner Tornadoes struggled in the opening half against the Chester/J-I Hawks Saturday afternoon and trailed 29-7 at the break. Turner played much better in the second half, scoring 37 points but suffered their second setback of the season 63-34. Shane Kimmel led the Tornado effort with 24 points.

Chester/J-I 63 Turner 44

Turner 6 1 16 21 - 44

Chester/J-I 17 12 14 20 - 63

Turner - Shay Humphreys 0 0-0 0, Austin Welsh 5 7-8 17, Shane Kimmel 9 6-10 24, Charlie Calvert 0 0-1 0, Trent Billmayer 0 0-0 0, Ryan Doyle 0 0-0 0, Trevor Kimmel 1 0-0 3. Team Totals 15 13-19 44.

Chester/J-I - Bryce Ghekiere 1 0-0 2, Braden Mattson 1 0-1 2, Kyle Harmon 9 0-0 18, Jordan Bender 0 0-0 0, Pulst 0 0-0 0, Bryce Kammerzell 3 1-2 7, Blake Harmon 5 0-0 11Trevin Grammer 0 0-0 0, Kealy Haaland 8 5-8 21. Team Totals 28 6-11 63.

Three Point Field Goals - Turner 0 (0), Chester/J-I 1 (Bryce Harmon 1); Team Fouls - Turner 0, Chester/J-I 19; Fouled Out - Turner - 0 ; Chester/J-I - Bryce Harmon.

Hays/Lodge Pole @ Fort Benton Longhorns

The Thunderbirds were in Fort Benton taking on the powerful Longhorns and found themselves in a big hole early, trailing 23-4. The Thunderbirds competed hard for four quarters but the Longhorns were to much, defeating Hay/Lodge Pole 84-80. Shambo tossed in 22 points in the loss

Fort Benton 84 Hays/Lodge Pole 50

Hays/L.P. 4 17 16 13 - 50

Fort Benton 23 23 23 15 - 84

Hays/L.P. - Brandon Castillo 2 1-2 5, William Has The Eagle 2 2-2 7, William Hughes Jr. 0 0-0 0, Isaiah Denny 0 0-0 0, DeVonte Sullivan 0 0-0 0, Tyshawn Shambo 8 5-8 22, Daniel Henry 4 2-3 12, Estevan Granados 2 0-0 4, Julius Ball 0 0-0 0. Team Totals 18 10-15 50.

Fort Benton - Damon Bird8 2-2 19, Landis Argenbright 1 2-2 4, Jace Thompson 6 2-2 14, Jacob Giles 1 0-0 3, Nick Marias 3 1-2 7, Hayden Diekhans 5 1-2 11, Tim Lane 0 1-2 1, Cody Evans 4 1-2 9, Cody Olson 1 0-0 2, Billy Ullery 5 0-0 10, Jackson Schmele 0 2-2 2, Andrew Ballentine 1 0-0 2. Team Totals 35 12-16 84.

Three Point Field Goals - Hays/L.P. 4 (Daniel Henry 2, William Has The Eagle 1, Tyshawn Shambo 1), Fort Benton 2 (Damon Bird 1, Jacob Giles 1); Team Fouls - Hays/L.P. 12, Fort Benton 18; Fouled Out None.

Wolf Point Wolves @ Harlem Wildcats

Tyler Cichosz scored 26 and Daniel Henry 22 as the Harlem Wildcats improved to 2-1 with a 80-57 win over the visiting Wolf Point Wolves.

Harlem 80 Wolf Point 57

Wolf Point x x x x - 57

Harlem X X X X - 80

Wolf Point - No Stats Reported. Harlem - No Stats Reported.

'Beeter senior Ethan Bell scores two of his 16 points in Chinook's 39-37 win in Hays Friday night.