Red and White Scrimmage Unveils Fresh Look to New Season

The players shook out their rust, and their fans got a peek at the new season as the Red and White scrimmage unfolded Saturday evening on the Scottie basketball court.

The boys got on the floor first, their reversible jerseys constantly flipping, as each of the four quarters sported a different combination of players. The varsity girls followed with two quarters versus the JV boys. A friendly but nevertheless serious match between JV and C-squad girls concluded the night that had the crowd excited for a new season to begin.

The varsity girls passed the ball well, and their ball handling was sharp. Perhaps overpowered a bit by the JV boys' height and athleticism, the seven Lady Scotties moved smartly around the half court and one can tell they've played together for a while. The girls do not have a big turnover of personnel this year, losing only one to graduation. The 2015 Lady Scotties returned six, including lone senior, Abbi Kolstad.

On the other hand, boys' head coach Norm Braaten experimented with various rotations. Assessing new players is something he hasn't had to do for the past three or four seasons, which had been dominated by core veterans. Hometown fans will have to learn new names now.

With the makeup of the team almost brand new, Braaten said he was pleased with the players' hard-working effort, and that it was good for the kids to get used to playing with refs in front of a crowd.

He also knows that his inexperienced squad has a steep learning curve ahead, and working on the fundamentals-plus mental toughness-will be crucial to a successful season. "It will take time," said Braaten. "Sometimes it feels like we take one step forward and two steps back. We have to remember to be who we are, not who we want to be." That means each team member must become the best player he is capable of.

The Scotties will open their season on the road this weekend, traveling to Glendive on Friday and Roundup on Saturday.

The Red Devils boys will return many of their 2014 roster, including two seniors at 6'6" and 6'8". Along with fine-tuning some out-of-bound plays and game situations, Braaten said his team will work on defensive drills this week to challenge the tall centers.

The Scotties girls did lose to the Lady Red Devils last year, 51-31, in the season opener, but pulled a tight victory against the Roundup Panthers in their first home game, 37-31.