Valkyries head to the big dance

After a week of rest and practice since taking second in the Western B Divisional Tournament, the Bigfork Valkyries head into the first round of the Class B State Tournament in Belgrade tonight, March 11.

The Vals face Fairfield, the No. 2 seed from the Northern Division, for their first game of the tournament at 8:30 p.m.

"Fairfield has a lot of size," said Mark Hansen, Bigfork High School head girls basketball coach. "We're going to have to use our quickness and hustle up and down the court to beat them."

After watching Fairfield go up against Malta for the Northern B Divisional Championship last weekend, Hansen said that the biggest obstacle the Vals will face may be Fairfield's post player, which the team's entire offense appeared to be based around.

"Kailey (Fierro) and Lila (Cenis' are going to have to have to take away the opportunities from that post," Hansen said.

If the Vals win, they will advance to the semifinal game at 8:30 p.m. Friday against the winner of Thursday's Columbus and Choteau game.

If Bigfork loses in the first round, the Vals will play the loser of the other Thursday night game at 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Hansen said that Choteau matches up more closely size-wise with the Vals than Fairfield does. Columbus, the No. 1 seed from the south, is the fourth school in Bigfork's side of the bracket, but Hansen had not had an opportunity to watch them play.

"The goal is to play Saturday," Hansen said of the double-elimination tournament.

After taking a couple of days for some much needed rest following divisionals, the Vals have been hard at it in the gym preparing for their fourth-straight state tournament appearance.

The Bigfork girls went without a win in their last two trips to state, but in 2007 the Vals placed fourth. Those state tournaments were all in Class A though; this is the first time in over a decade that Bigfork has competed in Class B.

The Vals will be trying to get back to their successful state tournament ways without the help of sophomore starting guard Taylor Peck, who tore her ACL during the Vals' semifinal game against Florence at divisionals.

"We need everyone to step up and pick up the slack for Taylor's nine points per game," Hansen said.

Check the Bigfork Eagle's Web site, www.bigforkeagle.com, for ongoing coverage of the Vals at the state tournament this weekend.