SEELEY LAKE — Seeley-Swan's girls basketball team hasn't skipped a beat in 2021.
The Blackhawks are a perfect 14-0 and won the District 13C title on Saturday over Philipsburg. With the Western C divisional tournament beginning this week, Seeley-Swan is relishing its time on the court as it makes another push for the state tournament.
"Since (the season) was shortened we really had to put the gas pedal on in the beginning and so our goal was to be undefeated. That way we can have the mentality that we’re good enough to be here and working really hard got us here," junior Sariah Maughan said. "There was always just the fear of getting our season cut and not actually be able to go into tournaments so we just really wanted to focus on every single game this season and playing our hardest just in case it was our last."
The Blackhawks bowed out at the State C tournament in two games last year after a 21-win season.
Still, in a year shortened by the pandemic with the threats of cancellations around each corner, Seeley-Swan has used a similar recipe to mirror last season's successes while coming back stronger and gearing up for the biggest tournament of the year.
"They really are a talented group and they worked really hard," Seeley-Swan coach David Cahoon said. "Every coach can say that but we have hard practices every day and I have probably half of my team out here after practice running extra and putting in extra time at the end of the practice. We might end practice at 5:30 but nobody is gone until 6. They’re really putting the extra time in."
The Blackhawks sport four seniors in Klaire Kovatch, Aspen Conley, Bethany Hoag and Kinley Moore, so a foundation is set for the future as well.
"Definitely excited about being undefeated. It definitely speaks well for us and makes people wonder what’s going on at Seeley-Swan," Kovatch said. "I totally have faith in these girls and we just take it day by day, practice by practice, what happens, happens, and we just play hard so that’s really just our secret.
"We're trying to leave a legacy here and create a good foundation of basketball."
Seeley-Swan opens the Western C divisional against Shields Valley at 5 p.m. on Wednesday in Deer Lodge.
