We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
The 2017 Hays/Lodge Pole Thunderbird's were the marquee team of Head Coach Derrick Shambo's tenure. The team suffered one defeat to eventual State Champion Arlee in the season opening Native American Classic. The Thunderbird's second lost came in the District 9C Championship to the Box Elder Bears. Hays/Lodge Pole then went 3-0, defeating the Bears in the finale to claim the 2019 Northern C Crown. At the State Tournament the Thunderbird's were 2-2 finishing their 2016-17 campaign with a 24-4 overall record. Shambo resigned recently as mentor of the Thunderbird Varsity program. Derrick will maintain his position as head coach of the 5th-6th grade and Junior High Thunderbird boys basketball teams.
The Hays/Lodge Pole Thunderbird Boys Basketball team has had a remarkable run the past four seasons and that is due in large part to the amazing contribution from Head Coach Derrick Shambo. Shambo took over from one of the most successful mentors in school history, Charlie Ereaux, and continued the powerful tradition put in place.
Shambo guided the Thunderbird's to a pair of Class C State Tournament appearances in 2017 and 2019. His teams were highly entertaining to watch and one could never count them out. He dealt with heavy roster turnover year to year and regardless how the team performed early on they were definitely not to be overlooked come tournament time.
Both of his state tournament teams had achieved success at a high level but arrived on the big stage taking very different paths on their road to the big dance. The 2017 squad featured star athletes Tyson Shambo and Frank Runs Above and ran rough shod through the District 9C during regular season action.
Hays/Lodge Pole suffered their lone regular season defeat in the opening Native American Classic to the eventual State Champion Arlee Warriors. The Thunderbird's then blitzed their way through an undefeated conference schedule, winning the bulk of their contest in very lopsided fashion.
At the District Tournament the team cruised into the Championship contest on Saturday night but fell in a classic to the Box Elder Bears. The following week at the Northern C Divisional in Great Falls at the Four Seasons Arena the Thunderbird's exacted their revenge, taking down the Bears for the Northern C crown. The Thunderbirds, by virtue of their win, earned the Northern C top seed at the State Tournament in Bozeman.
The Thunderbird's went 2-2 at the Brick Breedan Fieldhouse to finish the 2016-17 campaign with a impressive 24-4 record.
The 2019 squad had plenty of ups and downs through the regular season. After finishing fourth in the regular season standings the team won the consolation game at the District 9C tournament to earn a spot in the Northern C field. The Thunderbirds again battled their way to a consolation win on Saturday night but this time they earned the right to play in a challenge game Monday afternoon that they won to earn a spot at the Class C State Tournament in Billings. The team wasn't able to garner a win on the big stage and finished the 2018-19 season with a overall mark of 18-10 while overcoming some huge obstacles along the way.
In announcing his resignation Shambo released the following post to his Facebook page.
"Well today I had to make one of the hardest decisions I've had to make in a while. I turned in my resignation as Head Basketball Coach at Hays/Lodgepole. It was heart breaking and a emotional day for me and I knew it was gonna be hard. I've dedicated a lot of time to build the Thunderbird program and I'm pleased with the results.
Very thankful for the opportunity to be able to Coach in my hometown and have success while doing it. A big thank you to the school district for giving me the opportunity to be able to coach at the varsity level. The 2017 and 2019 teams gave the communities and reservation some good memories and something I'll cherish for the rest of my life.
Thanks to all the people who stood by my side and were always positive throughout my time as the Head Coach, you are very much appreciated. Just to let people know I'll still be coaching the Jr. High and 5th-6th grade teams.
Being a Coach on the reservation is a tough job and it's hard to please everyone and that is pretty much impossible to do but it is a rewarding job and a very fulfilling job. I'd like to thank my brother Garrett Morin for stepping up and being my assistant, a very valuable asset to me and the program. Thank you to all who have supported me and had my back over the years."
