GREAT FALLS — On Saturday, the Denton-Geyser-Stanford boys basketball team claimed a District 8C title.
It’s a redemption story for a Bearcats team that snuck into divisionals last year with a third-place finish at districts before ending its season with two consecutive losses at the Northern C.
But it’s even more personal for star Kordell Carpenter, who led the Bearcats in scoring with 17 points per game at the 8C tournament.
A broken ankle in football kept him limited last fall and a costly spill in April kept him from a state track title in the 800-meter run. So this year he’s been on a mission to make the most of his senior season, and an 8C championship helps.
“It’s my redemption year,” Carpenter said. “I fell at track, I broke my ankle, so getting first at districts is a great feeling. I like adversity, its right up my alley. I just love it.”
The Bearcats play an up-tempo style of basketball. They like to run the floor and spread the defense thin with perimeter shooters. Carpenter believes their high-scoring offense will allow DGS to compete with other Northern C powers like Heart Butte and Chinook.
“We’re going to come out strong,” he said. “Nothing is going to phase us, we’re not scared of any team out there. We’re going to go out there and play our type of ball.”
“Kordell never hangs his head, he finds the best in everything,” added head coach Wyatt Woodhall. “He’s one of the kids when the chips are down, you can always count on him, he’s going to be there for you and be there for his teammates.”
Carpenter and the Bearcats open the Northern C divisional with a game against the winner of Great Falls Central and Fort Benton at 4 p.m.
