Cats look to crank out another great season
<p>From the left, Austin Kimmet, Grant Wallace and Justice McManus fight for possession during basketball practice Monday morning. Tryouts were bright and early at 6 a.m.</p>
The Columbia Falls boys basketball team will reload for another season as it looks to make another run at the state Class A tournament.
This year’s team has plenty of height, quickness and experience. The Wildcats have four seniors in Jared Trinastich, Alex Presnell, Mason Gedlaman and Nakia Alexander.
Presnell runs the point, and Trinastich is a post player. But the team has plenty of depth beyond the seniors, including sophomore Grant Wallace, forwards Logan Williams, Austin Kimmet and Grant Stenger, and guards Ty Morgan and Trevor Houston.
There’s plenty of height as well. Stenger and Wallace are 6-foot-6 inches, Trinastich is 6-5, Gedlaman is 6-4 and Kimmet and Williams are 6-3.
The Wildcats could have five on the floor all over 6-3, or they could go small and quick. Whatever the case, this team has the most depth of any Wildcat team in several seasons. The dilemma is when and where to place the talent.
“We’re got a lot of bigs, guards and shooters,” coach Cary Finberg said. “We just need to find out which works best. We’re going to make sure we get a lot of kids some playing time.”
The goal is the same every year — to get to the state tournament and get better every day, Finberg noted.
Last year, the Cats won their fifth straight Northwest Class A conference title and took third at state, coming back to beat top-ranked Laurel in the consolation bracket. The Cats have been in six state championships over the past 11 years and have won four of them. In nine of the last 12 years, they’ve played in either the state championship or in the consolation final, and they’ve won seven of those games.
Finberg said this squad should be a lot of fun to watch and should be a another special team.
He’s assisted on the boys side by his nephew Christopher Finberg, who will coach the junior varsity team. Tyler Jones and Parker Johnson will both coach the freshmen. Brandon Rice will help, too.
“All four of those guys have played for me and coached with me, which is nice,” he said.
The boys open the season at the Northwest-Southwest Class A tip-off tournament against Anaconda at 6 p.m. Friday and Hamilton at 11 a.m. Saturday.