HAVRE — The Havre girls basketball team (14-2) has set the bar in Class A over the past decade, winning five state titles in eight seasons. But even by the Blue Ponies' lofty standards, this year’s senior class is special.
Long before they were chasing another postseason run in Blue Pony blue, Ariana Gary, Amaya Jarvis and Ela Harbor were just kids on a youth basketball team — learning the game together and, occasionally, making a little noise.
WATCH: Longtime teammates lead Havre girls into postseason push
Years later, the three Havre seniors are finishing what they started — closing out decorated all-state high school careers built on shared history, early success and a bond that dates back to elementary school gyms.
“We’ve been playing together a very long time,” Jarvis said. “I can’t remember a time I haven’t been playing basketball with her. We just connect really well.”
Gary and Jarvis were freshman starters in 2023 when Havre won its most recent state championship, stepping into major roles early and setting the tone for their class. Now seniors, they’re trying to lead one more deep tournament push — this time as veteran voices.
That long journey together includes plenty of memories, including one Jarvis hasn’t forgotten.
On a youth team years ago, Gary helped execute a play in unforgettable fashion.
“We ran a play called Dog, and I got on the floor and started barking while my teammate shot a layup,” Gary said with a laugh. “I got recruited to the Havre Ballers travel team because of the Dog.”
From playful beginnings to state-title contributors as freshmen, the trio grew up in Havre’s program and alongside one another. Harbor joined Gary and Jarvis as part of a senior core that has helped steady the team through injuries and midseason setbacks to Billings Central (13-2) and and Hardin (14-2) this year.
Gary missed time earlier this season and said watching from the sideline changed her perspective on leadership.
“Mostly what I saw when I was off the court was leadership and positiveness,” she said. “Just being one of those leading voices that they can look up to and keep them encouraged.”
Havre coach Tommy Brown, who is in his second year leading the program after serving on previous head coach Dustin Kraske's staff, said the seniors’ experience and chemistry have been central to the team’s stability.
“Those kids are just such studs,” Brown said. “Sometimes they make us coaches look better than maybe we actually are. I’m really fortunate to coach them and be a part of their lives.”
Despite Havre’s tradition of success, the seniors said expectations don’t translate to complacency. Gary said the team approaches every opponent with the same focus, regardless of record or outside predictions.
“People expect us to win big, but we take teams seriously,” she said. “We still go into it like we have to play our game and stay on task.”
The memory of that freshman-year state title still resonates — especially for the two seniors who experienced it firsthand in starting roles. After near-misses the past two seasons, the motivation to bring another trophy back to Havre is strong.
“We know how it feels,” Gary said. “And we want them to feel it, too. Obviously, we want it back.”
With senior night approaching and the postseason ahead, the three longtime teammates are trying to slow down the final stretch, even as they acknowledge how quickly it all went.
“It definitely has gone by fast,” Jarvis said. “It’s hard to believe I won’t be playing with these guys again.”
From youth tournaments and travel teams to championship runs and senior leadership, their story is measured not just in wins — but in years spent playing side by side.
And as Gary put it simply: “Go Ponies.”
