Congratulations to the Glacier Wolfpack and Coach Mark Harkins for winning their first state title in just their 10th year as a program. It has been a journey but the founding father of Glacier basketball has brought a championship to Kalispell. What a season for this terrific group of competitors who in some ways were slightly overlooked all season long.
In fact, the pre-season coach’s poll had Glacier coming in fifth place in the Western Division. It seemed the power polls and the sports writers didn’t believe in them either. As the state tournament began, Glacier was not even one of the favorites to win the tournament despite coming in with the No. 1 seed from the West. They thought the flashier teams from the East would win it all. Boy were they wrong! Glacier defeated Billings West (fourth seed), Billings Skyview (second seed), and Bozeman (first seed) in winning the title in Great Falls.
Watching the AA teams play this year, Glacier was unique. They played strictly zone, controlled the pace of the game, and yet were able to get the occasional cheap basket from a terrific outlet pass. Defensively they had a tremendous perimeter shield and were one of the better rebounding teams in the state. This all added up to a team that was very difficult to score against while they themselves were efficient offensively.
I think this was Coach Harkins best coaching job in his 10 seasons at Glacier. It would have been so tempting to try to play up-tempo or play more man-to-man defense or even try to press more often. But they kept things simple and stuck with what they did well. Sometimes it takes a lot of discipline to stick with what works and not over coach a team.
As a result, Coach Harkins gave his team a clear, simple approach that brought unbelievable confidence. What they did do, they did extremely well. They were hard to beat, especially on the road and in the big games at the end of the season. And of course, the six-foot-six-inch Hashley was probably the best player in the state. He was the guy that made this team go. He did everything with great basketball intelligence. He could rebound, score, pass, and play defense but he also led his team in hustle plays, diving on the floor to not only gain a possession but also inspire his team to do likewise.
I have often said teams that can control tempo and can play in the half court usually win against teams who are up-tempo and who have trouble playing in the half court; just ask Skyview and Bozeman. Yes, they could fly around and dunk, and shoot the three ball, but they could not handle the Wolfpack offensively or defensively in the half court. Glacier was just too good in imposing their will in the way they wanted to play.
One thing for sure is that Coach Harkins has had Glacier very close in the past. His previous nine teams have laid down a foundation and a continuous expectation that they can win (much like Coach Bennett and Glacier football). At one point, I believe Glacier played in three straight state semifinals before breaking through and winning against Billings Skyview this year. The only other time Glacier played on Saturday night was when Evan Epperly and Ryan Edwards took Glacier to a fourth place finish in 2014 having lost to the eventual champion Missoula Hellgate and Tres Tinkle in the semifinals. Four state semifinals in 10 years and now a state title to go with it is pretty darn good.
Also, the list of players that have helped lay a foundation is outstanding. Some of them include Shae Smith-Hann, Ben Cutler, Trey and Kyle Griffith, Ryan Edwards, Evan Epperly, and Brian Michaels. These young men and many others have helped create a culture of success. Coach Harkins and the Wolfpack have been consistently good for a decade and now they are state champions. Congratulations to this fine basketball team and their founding father!