A successful season on the courts comes to an end

The last weekend of February brought an end to a successful high school basketball season with the Seeley Swan Lady Blackhawks falling in the Divisional finals to Ennis. (50-63)

"Every season is different and presents unique challenges," said David Cahoon, head coach. "We never know exactly what those will be and we can only do our best to control the things we can control. I think this season taught us a lot about that exact idea and I truly believe that mindset helped the team win, even through adversity."

With a 18-5 overall, the girls round out the year having won __% of the games they played, a success rate which carried them all the way to the Divisional finals in Butte on Feb 24. 

"This group was able to win a 5th consecutive District Championship, and the seniors solidified a special place on my list as the only ones to be there from the beginning," Cahoon said.

Going into the Division tournament, it felt like the team could win. They swept the District finals in Hamilton the week before, and while they knew the competition would only be getting tougher they also felt prepared to take it.

Cahoon had spent time watching the other teams and knew where the hardest games would come from. He considered their first game with Ennis as a test of their overall strength.

They faced some setbacks throughout the regular season. Some minor injuries left the roster diminished on a few occasions, but the girls always pulled through.

"We knew we weren't whole during the season and that we had every opportunity to win at the end," Cahoon said.

The Lady Blackhawks scored 50 points against Ennis, (Eight points more than Twin Bridges put up when they beat Ennis the following night.) but in the end Ennis proved the stronger team and overtook Seeley by 13.

"It has been a special and humbling responsibility to be their coach," Cahoon said. "I thank them for their time and patience and am excited to see them continue to grow. The best is ahead."

Despite not coming out on top, securing five consecutive district championships is a feat and a small town paper can do nothing better than to honor its local athletes when they accomplish such a thing. 

"This is a special group," Cahoon said. [This is] my fourth season as head coach they're my first complete group of seniors," Cahoon said.

"There are lots of memories-  taking them to summer ball every year in Fairfield and cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner on the flat top grill; team breakfasts and dinners; singing on the bus on the way home from every away game."