Big Sky High School - Sunrise Yearbook (Missoula, MT)

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.......... W..-W-jk So qguaamnbnldvi Considered an also-ran, Eagles proue to be asters of the furious finish Despite early losses, Eagles post 1 8-7 record .alt- EARLY OFFENSE - The Eagles were a running team early in the season. Here Ftusty Richardson penetrates the Helena defense for two easy ones. JUST GETTING STARTED - The Eagles' pre-season victory over Helena High gets off to a start as Senior Steve Grover goes up for the tip oft. The Eagles won by 5. -1-:Alil.fa S' GO GET 'EM - Junior Derek Whiddon goes after the ball in the contest against Hellgate. UNDER PRESSURE - Junior guard Jeff Stevenson takes his turn at the hoop in the state championship game against Hellgate. Stevenson was a top reserve for the Eagles during the 84-85 season. J8z,C ALL AMERICAN TROPHY ENGRAVING 130 - Boys' Basketball The screaming Eagle basketball squad kick- ed OIT the season this year with a brush fire. That is until cross-town rivals Sentinel and Hellgate drowned the fire that was setting the Western AA in flame. Touted as the team to beat during the 84-85 season. the Eagles were ranked as the number one team in the state lor the first three weeks of competition. They burned past their first live opponents until the Hellgate Knights dumped a bucket of cold water on their fire in a 50-47 double- overtime win in the Big Sky Gym. The Knights jumped to a quick first half lead that they never relinquished. handing the Eagles their first loss and dropping them to third place on the state power poll. The Eagles never were ranked any higher for the rest of the year. But they saved the best fireworks for the final week of the season. The unranked Eagles stunned eastern powers Butte and Billings Senior and vaulted into the state charnpionship game for the first time ever. Unfortunately. their opponent was Hellgate. which edged them 52-47. But after the pain of the loss. the Eagles took pride in their second place trophy. The teams' fmal game of the regular season was also a disappointment to the Eagles. Big l Sky dominated many of statistics of the game but Sentinel outlasted the Eagles, 55-53. ln the long run. the season was a satisfy- ing one. I think we started out pretty good. We had a good early season record. but los- ing to our cross-town rivals was kind of a bum- mer lrom pride's standpoint. said senior Dave Arledge. Yeah. we definitely had success this year. said senior center Steve Grover.'tWe had a good record. we took third at divisionals, and we took second at state. After placing third in the regular season behind league champs Sentinel and second place Hellgate. the Eagles were once again denied by Hellgate. which dumped the Eagles in the Divisional tourney semi-final. But it was still good enough for a fifth- conseeutive state tourney appearance. And there was time enough to see the Eagles burn up the state field. The opening game for the Eagles was slated as a rematch of last year's semi-final against the Butte High Bulldogs. The Eagles had pain- ful memories of their 3-point upset at the N ' .7

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BOYS' BASKET BF ANYONE OPEN? - Center Steve Grover looks for the open man against Columbia Falls' swarming defense. The Eagles whipped the Cats twice this year. STOP ME IF YOU CAN - Junior Rusty Richardson was an inside threat this season, particularly against loose zone defenses. Here he puts up a shot against Hellgate. THE WEST IS BEST - Junior Eric Frame goes up for a lay up against the Great Falls Bison. The Eagles won 73-72 in a hard-fought pre-season game. M.------Q' ' 132 fl Ng, . .. , ,M .M ...ss M..-4...t.. Q.. WW.. 1 ',.'. . sw Mwuwsw 'Ss- .,..,s.,N.,..Q..,,.W.,...,.... .. let sh sg 33, X v Q, .. , ,.. t -,fs - . - Q- ' ,K .. . tt w'r Mw -Vg x X f ,s,. sa Q 'K 1 1, E ,ij . . 'sf , ty . 5. - T W..:.. R t xc