Chinook & Harlem Girls Basketball teams Have Been Busy this June
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School may be out for summer, but that doesn't mean that many student athletes aren't working as hard as they can to prepare for the upcoming season in volleyball, basketball, football, wrestling or even tennis. The month of June provides coaches and student athletes the opportunity to compete and practice together in an effort to improve their program prior to the start of the season during the school year.
The Chinook Sugarbeeters and the Harlem Lady Cat basketball teams have been very busy this month competing in tournaments and camps or holding open gyms while they adjust to new rolls for each member on the team. Graduation always calls for someone to step up into a leadership position while incoming freshman provide depth to the Junior Varsity roster while also giving those individuals the opportunity to prove they can help at the Varsity level as well.
Both the Sugarbeeters and Lady Cats have to deal with coaching changes this summer as well. The 'Beeters will have a smooth transition while the Lady Cats just learned who will guide them this winter. In March Head coach, Mike Jones turned in his resignation stating his desire to spend more time with his family. Mike Seymour, an Assistant coach with the team the past two seasons was hired to replace Jones. The Harlem Lady Cats just learned on Tuesday, June 20 that their new Head Coach will be Derek Azure, replacing Brandon Trottier.
The 'Beeters have been extremely busy this summer and look forward to building on a season that saw them reach the Class C State Tournament for the first time in school history this past March. This winter the 'Beeters will be competing in the District 1B and will be looking to advance to their first Class B State Tournament in more than 35 years. "We practice on Monday nights and have scheduled scrimmages with Havre, Harlem and Big Sandy in Chinook and Havre. Our goal is to keep grinding, getting better and to challenge ourselves as best we can to get better," commented Seymour.
The first weekend of June the 'Beeters were in Billings, "The first tourney we took 13 girls to MSU-Billings to compete in a huge tournament where there were 44 teams participating. Varsity performed very well and went 3-2 beating Cody, WY by 4 at East Helena by 24 and Malta by 11. The Varsity lost to Columbus by 4 and to Lockwood by 2," said Seymour. "JV went 2-2 beating Sheridan, WY by and Shepherd by 12 while losing to Skyview by 1 and to Belt by 3."
The following weekend the 'Beeter Varsity took nine girls to Glendive to compete. The 'Beeters had won the Glendive Tournament the previous two years and were looking to make it three, "We started 3-0 picking up wins over Fairview, Forsyth and Poplar to advance to the Championship. We beat Malta in the Chipper by 12," commented Seymour.
The 'Beeters will continue to work hard to get better, bring the younger kids up to speed, improve offensively and defensively and build that chemistry needed to be a top contender this winter in the Class B ranks, "We are using our summer play to strengthen our program and allowing girls to showcase their skills while looking to identify individuals who can step up into new roles," concluded Seymour.
The Harlem Lady Cats have been under the direction of Head Coach Brandon Trottier the past two seasons while also serving as an Assistant for four years prior. The Lady Cats qualified for State in his first season as Head Coach, picking up the schools first ever tournament win. The Harlem School Board did not hire a Girls Basketball Head coach in April, leaving the position vacant.
Trottier didn't want to see the girls miss any opportunities and stepped up to guide the girls, "The first two weekends of June, these ladies have been putting in individual and team work at Lockwood Tournament and Williston State Team Camp. These ladies have been improving every game and it's awesome to see them grow and come together to play ball."
