BILLINGS — The Lodge Grass Indians were celebrating more than a trophy recently when they welcomed home their boys basketball team with a parade of decorated cars and amped-up fans after earning their Class B title.
"1982 … my dad was part of that team. They went 24-0. And he tells (grandson) T.J., 'You've got to beat it, go 26-0,'" head coach Tyson Gros Ventre told MTN Sports after Saturday's first-place finish.
Watch Lodge Grass celebrate its perfect season:
The Indians did exactly that, beating Harlem by 21 points in the title game. But how did this unbeaten Lodge Grass team play two more games than the unbeaten team from over 40 years ago?
"That feels good, getting the two games extra, because they didn't have districts back then," Tyson Gros Ventre explained.
Mission accomplished. The title game was never close. Lodge Grass led 23-8 and didn't look back.
"You know, we worked hard for this and we got it done," T.J. Gros Ventre said.
They did work hard after leaving the tournament last year with broken hearts in a title game loss. This season, the Indians won every way possible, from blowouts to nail-biters.
In January, the Indians were 12-0 playing one of Class B's tougher schedules — a gauntlet requested by their head coach so they'd be battle tested late.
"It means a lot because not just the town of Lodge Grass is here. We've got the whole Crow Tribe here," Tyson Gros Ventre said.
And they saw a family irony come full circle. Tyson Gros Ventre's father was part of that 24-0 team decades ago. Now, T.J. helped set the team’s new gold standard playing for his dad.
"Oh, it means a lot. You know, I love him, he's a great coach and I'll always be by him," T.J. said.
"Oh, man, I've been proud of him since he was a little kid. He's always been wanting to play basketball,” Tyson said. “And being able to coach these guys, you know, I was with them since grade school and I told them that one day we'd be in the state tournament. And that's where we are — and we won it.”
