HELENA — It’s always a high-energy night when Helena High and Helena Capital meet on the hardwood. But not every crosstown meeting carries the seeding and playoff implications that Friday’s meeting will entail.
Just one game separates the Bengals and Bruines in the Western AA standings. The Bengals are fifth with a 5-6 record in league play. The Bruins are fourth with a 6-5 record. Friday night’s result could ultimately determine who gets to host a state tournament play-in game.
“You try to tell the boys that it’s just another game, but it’s not just another game,” said Helena head coach Brandon Day. “All of Helena is watching, all their buddies are there. So, it’s always a fun game. It’s a great atmosphere. It’s really unlike any other that we play in, so it’s great for the boys.”
The Bengals will host Friday night’s action. And for the team’s seniors, it’s a chance to leave their marks on the crosstown rivalry.
“Oh, it’s very fun because the whole city gets to come and watch us compete,” said senior point guard Pacer Lybbert. “I definitely want to go out strong and make sure that I leave everything out on the court in my possibly last crosstown.”
And over on the other side of town, Capital head coach Guy Almquist knows a whole lot about crosstown hoops. Almquist is in his 20th season leading the Bruins.
“Well, it means a lot. And I think over the years, it’s morphed a little bit,” Almquist said. “Now, I think the kids actually know each other better because of all sorts of things — social media and all that and travel ball. They’ve been around each other quite a bit, and so it’s a little bit different. And I think in a good way.
"But it’s going to be super competitive. And again, both teams need a win in the standings. We’re trying to position ourselves best we can to get to a state tournament, so there’s a lot riding on it like there always is.”
On Jan. 23, Capital won the first crosstown meeting of this season, scraping out a 10-point win over Helena. And with playoff seeding on the line this time, the stakes are high.
“Obviously, just knowing that they’re right there and no team is severely better than everyone else,” Capital guard Kyle Bachmeier said. “And we just have to stick to our gameplan and what we want to do, and we can win.”
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday night at Helena High School.
