Clash of Dodson & North Country

The elementary and junior high Jamboree Basketball season got underway in Dodson last Friday as the teams from North Country came to town to take on the Coyote teams.

Those in attendance got to see Dodson's new concession stand on display for the first time, featuring great deals, hot food and manned by the trio of Reba Weitz, Chris Sears and Donna Duncan (that should keep this reporter in free popcorn for the foreseeable future, though he will insist on paying his own way.)

The first contest of the day pitted the elementary girls against each other in two 20-minute quarters (with the clock mostly running non-stop) which ended in a 16-3 defensive battle.

North Country's Berkley Hillman got things going early in the first quarter with a two-point hoop and was quickly followed by another basket by Shelbie LaBrie to give the Girl Mavericks an early 4-0 lead. LaBrie would add another bucket to push the lead to six before Dodson's Jamie Campbell sank a free throw to post the first Girl Coyote points of the season. North Country's Teona Funk hauled in an offensive rebound shortly before the buzzer and put it back up and through to give her team an 8-1 lead at the half.

Dodson was first to strike in the second half as Carmyn Decelles drained a 2-point basket to cut the lead to 8-3, but North Country answered with eight straight points on baskets by Jessa Erickson (twice), Laina Jones, and Blake Ozark as the Girl Mavericks earned the win.

The second game of the day featured the two school's elementary boys' teams and went the way of the Mavericks by a score of 29-19 as North Country built a 16-12 lead after the first half. The Mavericks were led in scoring by Blaine Downing who notched 12 points (eight of them in the second half); Coy Bowman who tallied 10 points (a perfect 2-of-2 from the charity stripe); Kade Strommen who had 4 and Kenan LaBrie who sank a free throw. In the loss, Dodson was led in scoring by Chaske Cliff who totaled 10; Junior Stiffarm added 5, Chris Jaynes had 2, and Mason Lone Bear sank a free throw.

In the third game of the afternoon, this featuring the school's junior high girls, North Country won a 27-19 contest. In the win, Paige Wasson scored at least one basket in each quarter to total 10 and lead the team in points. Teagan Erickson scored a total of 8, Kora LaBrie 7 and 2 for Deion Lefdahl. In the loss, Dodson's Kataya Flansburg and Jean Jackson each had 6, Lindsey Fetter added another five and Shaylee Decelles scored 2.

The final game of the day proved to be the highest scoring and the lone victory for the home team. Dodson got out to an early 16-3 lead after the first frame and rolled to a 42-22 win.

In the win, Dodson's Tanner Ball led all scorers with 14 points; Juliun Benson scored 9, Xavier Buffalo totaled 5; while Sebastian Best, Jeremiah Henry, and Vincent Spotted Eagle all had 4 and Alex Werk finished with 2. In the loss, the Mavericks were paced by Bowman's 7 ; Downing scored 8, Stroman netted 3, and both Andrew Boucher and Sloan Lefdahl each scored a bucket each.