Conspicuously good

For supposedly being in a rebuilding mode, the Plains Horsemen seem conspicuously good so far this season.

The Horsemen ran their record to 3-0 by galloping past the Darby Tigers 65-26 in Darby Friday.

Although he lost three all-conference players off of last year’s squad, which built a 20-4 record including the only defeat of State C champion Arlee last winter, coach Mike Cole does not seem surprised that this year’s team is doing so well so far.

“We lost some good players off that team but we still have a bunch of kids with experience in our system,” Cole said. “I have been working with most of these guys since they were in sixth grade so they kind of know what to expect.”

The Horsemen settled the issue early in Darby racing out to a 16-6 lead after one quarter and extending the advantage to 37-8 by halftime.

Derick Curry led a balanced Plains scoring attack in Darby with 14 points, Jay VonHeeder added 12, Kyle Weeks eight, Wyatt Weyers seven, Esvin Reyes six, Tanner Ovitt and Jake Weyers five each, and Matt McCracken and Sinjin LaDeaux four apiece.

Dylan Parks led Darby with 10 points but no other Tiger player managed more than five.

Cole feels his Horsemen should get their biggest tests of the season in the next two weeks. Besides Charlo Friday and Thompson Falls Tuesday, the Horsemen will travel to Arlee for a game with the defending State C champion Warriors in their last game before the holidays on Dec. 21.

“Charlo is a good squad, some returning talent and very athletic,” Cole said, “and we look like we match up pretty well with Thompson Falls, these should be good games for us.”

As to Arlee, the Warriors are looking intent on repeating as State C champs, and might just have the horses to do it. The Horsemen were the only team in Montana to defeat Arlee last year, handing the powerful Warriors a 71-67 loss in Arlee right before Christmas in 2016.

Arlee coach Zanen Pitts credited Plains with making his team better last year with that lone defeat of the season.