The Race to State Heating Up In Eastrn C

 

With the season's half-way point looming, things are beginning to take shape in the 2C and 3C on the girls' side of the standings. The cream is starting to rise to the top and it is making for a very interesting divisional tournament scheduled for Feb. 20-23, in Wolf Point.

Eight teams from the two conferences will meet and vie for two spots that will advance to the state tourney in Belgrade Feb. 28 through March 2.

Before that, however, four teams have to advance from districts to divisionals and as any coach will tell you, “Anything can happen when you get to these tourneys." It's not common, but there have been cases when the number one team in conference gets sent home by two lesser teams. But in most instances, it's the one, two, three and four top teams that advance.

The girls 2C is a tough conference this year with any one of five teams legitimate contenders to advance to divisionals.

As of Jan. 9, MonDak is leading their conference by a large margin. They are 7-0 in conference and 9-0 overall. Circle is second at 4-2 and 4-5. For reasons I don't understand, the pundits have Fairview, 3-1 and 7-1. Culbertson (6-2) and Richey/Lambert (6-1) are also 3-1 in conference. I pick Froid-Medicine Lake to be the upsetter team in the 2C. Anything can happen (and usually does).

An update (1/14/13) for the 3C shows Hinsdale leading with a 6-0, (9-1) record, their only loss coming at the hands of the 10C leader and, to date, undefeated Chester-Joplin-Inverness squad in an early season non-conference matchup in the Chester Invitational Tournament.

Nashua is second with a 3-1 (4-4) record followed by Saco/Whitewater, 4-1 (6-3) and Lustre Christian 2-3, (2-6). Scobey/Opheim, Dodson or Frazer should not be factors at districts.

At this time, I don't foresee a drastic change in standings in the 3C with, just maybe, Saco/Whitewater taking over the number two spot over Nashua.

On the boys side, the 2C is led by a talented Circle squad, 6-0 and 6-3. Fairview is 4-0 and 7-0 and MonDak is at 5-2 and 7-2. If this stays as is, there will be three teams fighting for the fourth spot to advance to divisionals.

Culbertson 2-2 and 6-2, Richey/Lambert 2-2 and 3-4 and Froid-Medicine Lake at 2-4 and 3-5. I look for maybe Froid/Lake to be the spoiler in this conference battle. But don't quote me on that.

An update (1/14/13) of the 3C boys shows a change at the top of the leader board due to Nashua's win over Frazer by one point last week. This put Nashua at 4-0 in conference (6-2), Frazer 4-1 conf, (7-2), Hinsdale 4-2 conf. (7-3) and Scobey/Opheim 3-2 (4-4).

Those four teams will be the top contenders at districts and I don't foresee Dodson 1-3, Lustre Christian 1-4 or Saco 0-5 to be tournament spoilers.