Girls reload for another run at a state title
Kiara Burlage goes for a layup against teammate Sydney Hovde during a scrimmage Saturday.
The Columbia Falls girls basketball team was oh-so-close to a state A championship in basketball last season. This year the goal is the same — get back to the dance and make its mark in history.
The Wildkats return a solid core of players from last year’s squad in seniors Peyton Kehr, Sydney Hovde, Cydney Finberg and Kiara Burlage. They also add on a transfer from Whitefish in Dani Douglas, who recently moved into the district.
Douglas is a talented point guard, which will allow Finberg to slide over to the wing, coach Cary Finberg noted.
Kehr, Burlage and Cydney were all-state players last season. They also have depth on their bench with Hannah Gedlaman and Ryley Kehr, Peyton’s sister. The bench would easily be a starting lineup for most class A teams.
Burlage led the team in scoring last year with about 13 points per game, while Kehr wasn’t far behind with 12. But on any given night, one of the starters usually lit it up.
“We feel real good with who we’ve got coming back,” Finberg said. “We also want to develop depth with our younger kids and continue to get better.”
The team also has height. Burlage, Hovde, Kehr and Finberg are all around 6 feet or taller.
“I think we’ll be difficult to guard,” Finberg said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how they mesh and play togther.”
The girls open the season against Corvallis Saturday away, but the bigger test comes the next weekend at the Northwest-Southwest A tip-off tournament in Missoula, where the girls will face rival Butte Central. Central beat the Wildkats in the state A championship last year, 55-48 in a game that was separated by just a basket going into the last two minutes of play.
Finberg is looking forward to facing the Maroons early this season. In past years they haven’t squared off until the divisional or state tournaments.
“I think it’s good,” he said. “We want to be tested as many times as we can this season.”
The Kats will also play AA squads Missoula Sentinel, Glacier and Flathead this season.
He said Frenchtown should also be a solid opponent in Northwest A play.
The divisional tournament this year is in Hamilton. The state tournament is in Butte.
Finberg is assisted by Josh Burlage, Rob Tedlund, and Jim Peacock.