Poplar Girls Shoot To Improve Throughout Basketball Season
Poplar’s girls’ basketball squad enters the season with the goal of contending for one of the top spots in District 2B.
Returning starters for the Indians include All-State performer Braelyn Nordwick, a senior, and freshman Journey Gourneau. Sharp-shooter Cammie Martell, a senior, is expected to return to action in January.
Other players with varsity experience include sophomore Makenzie Crawford, Saydie Archambault and senior Toni Brown.
“We lost a lot of seniors,” Coach Griffin Ricker said. “We’re going to need to get our chemistry going and be as competitive as possible every night.”
Ricker is the girls’ new head coach after coaching the boys’ squad last season. Ricker also coached the girls during the flag football season this past fall.
“It feels like a good fit,” he said. Assistant coaches are Brent Moore and Sunshine Vicente.
Ricker sees defense and rebounding as strong points for the Indians.
He also has been pleased with the team’s attitudes during pre-season practices.
“Everything has been great so far,” Ricker said. “Everybody is working hard.” He feels Malta, Fairview and Harlem are the pre-season favorites in the conference.
“I think overall our conference is pretty good,” Ricker said.
Poplar Basketball Schedule
Dec. 5-6: at Native American Classic, Great Falls.
Dec. 12-13: Class B Tip-off in Lockwood (Lame Deer, Lodge Grass) Dec. 18: Glasgow Dec. 19: at Harlem Jan. 2: at Fairview Jan. 3: Lustre Jan. 9: at Glasgow Jan. 10: at Wolf Point Jan. 16: at Malta Jan. 17: at Plentywood Jan. 23: Harlem Jan. 24: at Lustre Jan. 30: Fairview Feb. 6: Wolf Point Feb. 13: Malta Feb. 19: Plentywood Feb. 25-26: District (Malta) March 4-7: Divisional (Shelby) March 12-14: State (Bozeman)
