Bozeman Hawk Basketball Factory

I never joined a fraternity or club, I didn’t have to, I was part of the Bozeman Hawk Basketball factory.  No other organization I have ever been apart of has meant as much as being a Hawk.  Mike Cole coached a whole generation of players who dominated Montana high school basketball.

I recently went home to Bozeman and played a city league basketball game.  On my team was Brian Knick who played on our State Championship team of 1999.  We also had Chris Townley who was the point guard for the undefeated champs of 2004 with Nick Dissly.

I have never played with Townley much, but as the game unfolded it felt like I had played with him my whole life.  I realized in a weird way I had, we are all products of a Hawk system that focused on passing, cutting, and shooting threes.  You could mix and match different players from different teams over the years and see the same style.

I was home for two weekends and saw six of the eight seniors from our championship squad.  We have a special bond that was developed over numerous years and thousands of hours in the gym.  We would play in the gym on Friday nights until they kicked us out.

A big part of who I am as a person was developed in Bozeman High’s South Gym.  I learned resiliency when I was put on the Freshman B squad and was told by Coach Cole at the beginning of my senior year that I would never see the court, we were pretty damn good.  I learned how to compete when Danny Waldo and his team that was two years older took it to us in open gym.

I developed an unreal work ethic thanks to a pre-season workout program by Coach Cole that had to be the toughest in the state.  I learned about integrity when a few of us grabbed a ride when were supposed to be running.  That taught me to take responsibility for my actions because we paid for that one in a big way.  Coach made us stay after conditioning and had us sprint laps around the track, which showed me that I could push my body farther than I ever thought possible.

When I was in the Army and faced a tough mission or a grueling challenge.  Our point guard, Mark White would send me a text telling me to Coach Cole my way through it, and I would.  In the Army I would never complain, I would not make excuses, I learned the Army Values as a Hawk long before the Army ever tried to teach me them.  We still see Coach Cole, he comes to all our weddings and big life events.

Nothing I have done in my life has compared to winning the State Championship in 1999 and I realize nothing probably ever will.  It meant so much because of the effort put in by each and every guy, we did it together and everybody contributed.

My favorite part of my senior year was watching Tony Fogleson make every shot he took.  He was told the same thing I was by Coach Cole at the beginning of the season that he would never play.  When he came in he never missed, he even hit a half court shot against Helena High.  It was so fitting to see Eric Murphy, who was hurt for part of the season come in and hit a three and a two on consecutive possessions to put the State Championship out of reach.

I still play basketball, but mostly just for exercise.  It was never the same and when Thomas asked me to be on the Fort Bliss team in the Army I politely declined.  Every once in a while though I get in a game with some former Hawks and for a moment everything is alright in the world.  Cheers to Coach Cole and the Bozeman Hawk Basketball factory.  I can still find a sanctuary when times get tough or I need to think, all I need is a basketball and an empty gym.