Missoula Hellgate's boys and Helena Capital's girls never got a chance to play on the court for the state championship basketball trophies this winter. But on Thursday evening, they'll get a special consolation prize.
SportsCenter anchor and ESPN staple Scott Van Pelt posted on Twitter on Thursday afternoon that the two basketball teams from Montana would be featured on his segment "Senior Night," which will be broadcast during the evening SportsCenter on Thursday. SportsCenter begins at 9 p.m. Mountain Time.
Van Pelt's "Senior Night" segment was started after college and high school tournaments across the country were canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. In the segment, Van Pelt highlights seniors from across the country who missed out on the opportunity to finish their careers on the court.
Tweets began circulating Thursday morning asking Van Pelt to highlight the teams. When Van Pelt inquired for more information about Hellgate's boys, MTN Sports responded asking if he was going to highlight the Knights this evening, to which Van Pelt responded with his affirmation. He also acknowledged how the Knights cut down the nets at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse with his approval.
SVP going to shoutout @HellgateHigh for their boys basketball season? 👀👀 https://t.co/lwZO98S4UH
— Kyle Hansen (@khansen406) April 9, 2020
After Van Pelt asked for Capital's seniors names, Bruins head coach Katie Garcin-Forba reponded with the information, to which Van Pelt then responded, "We have a date for tonight. Thank you."
Tune in to ESPN tonight!! https://t.co/VihSjiLouN
— Katie Garcin-Forba (@KatieGarcin) April 9, 2020
Hellgate went 23-0 this season after being runners-up a year ago. The Knights, led by Division I recruits Rollie Worster (Utah State) and Abe Johnson (Army), were crowned co-champions with Billings Skyview after both teams advanced to the championship game in Bozeman. The other five seniors for Hellgate include Cam LaRance, Wes Salonen, Aidan Gilham, Kade McWilliams and Brandon Coladonato. Worster was recently crowned Montana's Gatorade Player of the Year for the second straight year.
Capital sported a 22-1 record this season and was named co-champs with Billings West. The Bruins had four seniors in McKinlee Mihelish, Mashayla O'Malley, Aryana Ridlon and Sloane Chapman.
