Shooting for State

The last time the Columbia Falls girls basketball team hoisted a championship trophy, Cary Finberg was a senior in high school.

The former standout Wildcat guard and longtime coach is hoping to steer his alma mater back to the sport’s pinnacle with a balanced group of tournament-tested players.

For the third year in a row, Finberg’s Wildkats are riding a momentous streak from the regular season — 17-1 overall — into the postseason in pursuit of championship hardware. Unlike previous years, the girls will have to maneuver a greater test in the divisional round this week. The four teams from Northwestern A will travel to Butte, Feb. 24-Feb. 27, along with the five teams from Southwestern A for a combined Western A tournament. The top four teams will advance to the state tourney in Belgrade, March 10-12.

Columbia Falls opens divisional action against Corvallis (11-2) at 4:15 p.m., Feb. 24. Dillon (12-6) plays Whitefish (6-12) at 7:45 p.m. Stevensville (3-15) takes on Polson (6-12) at 12:45 p.m. and the winner plays Butte Central (18-0) on Thursday. French town (12-6) plays Hamilton (7-11) at 12:45 p.m. on Thursday.

The boys layout is the same and all nine teams will play in Butte this week for four berths to the state tournament in Missoula, March 3-5.

In Butte, Corvallis (6-12) plays Columbia Falls (3-15) at 11 a.m., Wednesday and the winner takes on Dillon (16-2) at 2:30 p.m., Thursday. Whitefish (6-12) plays Butte Central (10-8) at 11 a.m., Thursday, followed by Hamilton (10-8) and Frenchtown (3-15) at 6 p.m. and Stevensville (5-13) and Polson (14-4) at 2:30 p.m.

This is Finberg’s fifth season as the girls head coach but the first time in 20 years that he isn’t coaching the Columbia Falls boys team. He stepped down last offseason after an impressive run that included five state championships, two runner-up finishes and four third-place finishes.

Now his efforts are focused solely on developing a similar dynasty on the girls’ side.

It’s been another banner season for the girls, who defeated Glacier, the second-place team in the Western AA standings, 56-47, and District 7B champs Bigfork 54-42.

“As a coach, all you can ask is the girls to give their best effort and put yourself in a position to be successful and so far we’ve done that,” Finberg said.

Now entering the bolstered divisional tournament, Finberg and the Wildkats are embracing the greater challenge instead of shying away from it.

Columbia Falls has been in this position before. The Wildkats have gone 22-2 each of the last two years and easily captured the Northwestern A divisional trophy. Both seasons ended with third-place trophies, among the best finishes in program history dating back to 1986, when the team took second, and 1983, when the team won its first and only championship, a Class AA title. In 1988, the girls earned third. Not until 2014 did Columbia Falls bring home another top-three state trophy.

Now the girls have their sights set on adding another title to that list.

“This team has shown growth through the year and we have gotten better, but the first 18 practice games are over with and the real season starts now,” Finberg said. “We need to put our best foot forward and play the way we’re capable.”

The Wildkats are once again among the best offensive teams in Montana, averaging nearly 60 points per game. This year’s squad is also noticeably stingy on defense; opponents have scored barely 30 per game on average.

“Offense comes and goes; defense is the one constant and if have that every game you’re going to give yourself a chance,” Finberg said.

This year’s squad has excelled with a unique chemistry that has developed over the last few years. Four all-conference players fill the starting lineup: 5-11 junior forward Cydney Finberg; 5-9 senior guard Sydney Grilley; 6-0 junior forward Kiara Burlage; and 5-6 senior guard Ellie Johnson. A talented group has also formed around the returning starters to make Columbia Falls a bonafide contender once again.

“Every night there can be a different person who can step up and drop 15 points and that makes us a good, well-rounded team,” Johnson said. “This year we have a team that’s learned from those past years of experience and we’ve been in those big game situations, and I think this year we’ll be able to step up and respond to the call.”

Butte Central, the team that defeated Columbia Falls 49-47 in last year’s state opener and finished runner-up, appears to be the heavy favorite this year at 18-0. Billings Central at 17-1 is another top contender.