Wildcats no stranger to state tournament success

The Columbia Falls boys basketball team heads to the Metra Park in Billings this week for the state Class A tournament.

The boys dropped the Frenchtown Broncs in the Northwest Class A tournament 64-54 to win their fifth-straight conference title. They’ll open the state tournament against the Laurel Locomotives at 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

Laurel (20-2) had the best Class A record in the state this season, with just two losses — one of them to top-ranked Class AA Billings Skyview in double overtime, 56-46, in the last game of the year.

Prior to that, Laurel had a perfect record. In the Eastern Class A divisional tourney, the Locomotives lost to Billings Central in the championship game in a low-scoring affair, 36-34. But they made it to the state tournament by beating Glendive 41-39.

Laurel has four seniors in their starting lineup and are led by senior guard-forward Brett Thompson.

The Locomotives had a knack for pulling out games in the final seconds throughout the year. The Wildcats will have to break that spell at state with some magic of their own.

The Cats were 17-5 on the season and will look to senior Luke Kazlauskas to set the pace for the squad. Kazlauskas averages 15 points a game to lead the Cats in scoring.

Senior point guard Alex Presnell and junior forward Jared Trinastich each average about 11 points a game. But it’s the Columbia Falls bench that has been a difference maker down the stretch.

The Cats will need help from Ty Morgan, Nakia Alexander and Trevor Houston as they look to advance in the state tournament. Last year, it was Kazlauskas who came off the bench to spark the Cats in the state tournament. Presnell and Trinastich also played on the big stage, so this year will be nothing new to them.

Coach Cary Finberg said he expects the Locomotives to be a challenge.

“They’ll get after us defensively,” he said. “They’re very physical. Their strength is defense and athleticism.”

Columbia Falls has been in six state Class A championship games over the past 10 years and won four of them. Win that first game and anything can happen.

“We’re playing pretty good basketball at the moment,” Finberg said. “We just have to handle what they throw at us.”

Last year, the Cats made it to the final, but lost to Dillon, 54-39. Their last state title was in 2011 when they beat Dillon, 55-43.