Girls will lean on DeWit sisters this year
Look for senior Kelsey DeWit to make her mark this season in Northwest A basketball.
Two sisters. Big goals. That's the Columbia Falls girls basketball team's outlook this season.
All-state and all-conference forwards Kayla and Kelsey DeWit will anchor the squad of talented players as they eye a state playoff berth.
Kelsey is a senior and Kayla a junior. Both have height and exceptional basketball skills. Over the summer, Kayla nudged out her older sister in the height department, at 6-11/2. Kelsey is 6-1, said coach Dan Fairbank.
Fairbank cautioned the season will be no cakewalk.
"The conference will be tougher than last year," he said. Ronan, Polson and Libby all look to be tough opponents. Ronan and Polson played a lot of sophomores and juniors last year, he said.
Fairbank crafted last year's offense after meeting with Montana basketball legend Eric Hays, a member of the Montana Coaches Hall of Fame and University of Montana Basketball Hall of Fame. He was the head coach of the boys basketball team at Hellgate High School for 25 years, where he earned three state championships. Hays crafted an offense for Fairbank to run last season, and it worked — the girls won the conference and made a trip to state, where they were upset by Hamilton in the first round after the Kats had a 15-point lead. The team will use Hay's offense again this year.
The goal is simple, Fairbank said. Make it back to state, and advance. The team has solid returning players in senior Shay Grilley, Mckenzie Reeve, Danielle Gilley and Brooke Cady.
The question mark will be at point guard, as Alyssa Ladenburg, who ran the offense last year, has graduated. The girls don't have much time to get ready for their first game. This year's schedule allows for just two weeks before the season begins, as opposed to the typical three. They'll practice Thanksgiving Day for a total of 10 practices before they open at Frenchtown on Dec. 5. Fairbank expects the Broncs to be a good early test.
"They're always tenacious," he said.
Fairbank is assisted by Sherry Peterson, Jim Peacock and Doug Cordier.