GREAT FALLS — The girls basketball team at St. Patrick's Academy had a sudden change occur right before playing its first game on Dec. 11.
Following 10 practices already held with the Wolfhounds' core, the school did an emergency co-op with Highwood so that the Mountaineer girls would be able to play this winter.
"It means the world, it's amazing," Highwood freshman Ellie Stong said during practice last Thursday at St. Patrick's Academy on being able to play this season. "Especially the girls being so welcoming and letting us just join their team and be a part of everything."
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Stong is one of three girls from Highwood playing for the co-op this winter. Mountaineer coach Jennifer Birkeland — who is serving as an assistant to St. Patrick's head coach Kurt Bosley — said it was a stressful process to make this happen since it occurred so late.
"We were really blessed and lucky to have that opportunity," Birkeland said. "Bring them down and play with a ... full set of girls. We were practicing with three or four for two weeks."
Highwood had to seek out this option since the previous co-op with Fort Benton ceased to exist, Birkeland said.
"For whatever reason those commitments kind of fell through and so we had to make other arrangements. We had three committed athletes and we wanted a place for them to play," Birkeland said. "And St. Patrick's was so welcoming, so kind."
When Stong heard the news she would be able to play, she said her excitement level was "crazy."
"We were all kind of looking at each other, I remember that night and we were all just like, 'Wait, really?'" Stong said with a laugh. "After that, we were like, 'No way, this is so cool.'"
From the St. Patrick's side, sophomore Amaia Stinger said it's been fun having the girls from Highwood on the team.
"We were all excited," Stinger said. "We didn't know what they're going to be like, but we love them all. With them here, we have come together a lot more because we all have to be together more and bond with them more."
For Stong, this co-op has paid off, she said.
"Just how they include you — I mean, even beyond basketball, the friendships and getting to know more people and playing different teams, it's great, I love it," Stong said.
While the co-op has only one win in the first eight games, Birkeland said she expects the cohesiveness to grow and strides to be made as the season rolls along.
St. Patrick's next faces Simms on the road Friday night.
