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

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. - i . JVVZI W M i. .Nt . aka... 8 ,V is 4,.k In MOVING IN FOR THE SHOT - Senior Brent Burtsfield moves in for the shot against Hellgate. Hellgate, more than any team, was able to dominate the Eagles this year. GOT TO FIND A WAY - The Eagles swamped the Copperheads both times they met. Senior center Steve Grover gets set for the shot in this confrontation. POUNDING TI-IE BOARDS - The Bison 4 fell short of an early L season victory thanks to Q the Eagles' hot shooting ' including that of junior Rusty Richardson. t . Pi 75 -is . - R . SS fx 1 U . 'Q T er' S MR. of i...-Q-0-f-4 Touted as tourney weaklings, Eagles become asters of the furious finish State second place is first-ever for Eagles hands of the Bulldogs which bumped them from the title game. They did somediing about it. The game began with both teams scoring virtually at Will. Butte, behind towering Chris Rassmussen, a six-foot-eight inch senior. was limited to a sub-par game thanks to the defen- sive efforts of Eagle Steve Grover. The Eagles' hopes for a first game win were almost wiped away in the final seconds of the final stanza. Tied at 59-all, Rassmussen was fouled and sank both free throws, giving Butte a seem- ingly insumiountable 61-59 lead with only one second remaining in regulation time. Time for the miracle. Time for perhaps the most stunning sports fmale in Big Sky sports history. Grover picked the ball out of teammate Derek Whiddon's hands, stepped out of bounds, and launched an arrow down court to a streaking Dave Arledge, who sank an un- contested bunny to tie the game up and send it into overtime. The overtime stanza belonged to the Eagles. who advanced to a semi-fmal match against Billings Senior. Senior. a previous first round winner who destroyed the Westem AA Division champs CONCENTRATION - Jeff Steven- son sets strategy to run the offense against the Wildcats. Sentinel Spartans the previous night, fell wig- gling and squirming as the Eagles roared to a 61-47 win behind a stellar performance from Richardson. But a first-ever state title was not to be. After nearly five minutes of scoreless first quarter action. Hellgate began plucking the feathers. Both teams exchanged blow for blow, until Hellgate senior, and toumarnent MVP Robbie Laird, got on track with 20 first half points while the Eagles were limited to only twelve. Ignoring I-lellgate's lopsided halftime lead. the Eagles regained earlier form and scratch- ed the deficit down to a heartbreaking Hve point loss. The Eagles grabbed another step on the lad- der by eaming the best finish any Big Sky boys' basketball team has ever attained. Richardson. who scored 54 points in three games, was named to the all-toumey first team. Grover. behind a superhuman defensive effort against Butte, made the second squad. The Eagle cagers attributed much of their success to fifth year coach Bill Langlas. He did really well with what he had to work with, said senior Dave Arledge. He took our strong points and used them to their best advantages. Boys' Basketball - 133

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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

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X a flnlsh. A , if TITLE SE - Senior Russ a take down attempt from Brent T durin the S ,WE title match for the Q . on to win the Q of tlt mf irq, L., ,