Fantastic 4: They've made the Braves the hot ticket in town

It's early Wednesday evening at Flathead High and the halls are deserted. With the school blessedly bathed in silence, the only sounds are emanating from the gym.

Approaching the gym's double doors, the sounds become more distinguished. The constant thuds of bouncing basketballs on the hardwood court, the sharp squeak of shoes in motion, and onomatopoeia in action as the perfect shot connects - swish.

Peering into the entrance, the Flathead varsity hoops team is hard at work, preparing for back-to-back weekend games.

In 72 hours the place will be packed to the rafters with more than 1,500 screaming souls eager for a glimpse at one of Class AA's top teams; but at this moment the stands are empty. Sadly, not long ago this was an all-too-familiar feeling for the Braves.

"We didn't have a very good turnout the last few years," said senior Beau Watkins, a three-year varsity player. "It was tough."

What a difference a year makes.

Now the team is flying high, and a Flathead basketball game is the place to be in Kalispell. The Braves couldn't be happier.

"It's nice to have some excitement back in the city," junior Geoff Hogan said. "The fans are coming out and supporting us, and we're feeding off that."

Indeed, the support of the Flathead faithful has helped fuel the Braves' resurrection, especially at home where the team has yet to lose.

After winning a combined 12 games the last two seasons, the Braves have nearly equaled that total with a 10-3 record thus far. The team would practically have to lose out to drop below .500, and Flathead has only four winning seasons in its last 15.

The Braves' turnaround has been even more dramatic in AA play, where they were a combined 4-23 from 2003-05, but are 6-2 this season.

Some may point to the addition of 6-foot-8 freshman Brock Osweiler as the reason, but he's just a cog in the wheel, according to Flathead coach Fred Febach.

"Brock has gotten some notoriety, but he's the first to say he's not out there by himself," Febach said. "Every single player on this team has found a way to contribute."

Sure, Osweiler is leading the team with 16 points and nine rebounds per game, but no team can consistently win with a player going 1-on-5 - just ask Kobe Bryant. With three of their starters averaging double figures - and a fourth, senior Jeremy DeHerrera, at 9.1 - the Braves are the epitome of team basketball.

"Teams can't stop us by stopping one player," DeHerrera said. "Everyone on this team can step up on any given night."

Forward Geoff Hogan

But few have done it more often than Hogan, the team's second leading scorer at 12.9 points per game. He's also Flathead's second leading rebounder, and, at 6-6, Hogan gives Osweiler a formidable sidekick in the paint.

"I have to credit (Flathead assistant coach Darren) Engellant," Hogan said. "He was my freshman coach, and I was skinny then so he taught me to use what I had.

"He taught me to get low, keep the defender on my hips and seal him off."

Now Hogan showcases his post moves each and every game, with the bulk of his points coming inside this season. But he's not one-dimensional.

"Geoff is big, but he's also athletic," Febach said. "He can score inside or outside, he can defend and he rebounds well.

"He also has such a motor; you never see him do anything half-speed."

Unlike Osweiler, who was born to play center, Hogan has made himself a jack of all trades for the Braves.

"I guess I'm the utility guy," Hogan said. "I've listened to the advice Coach Febach has given the other players and I use it. I want to be able to play every position, because they may need me to."

He's also a reporter's best friend. With most high schoolers freezing like a deer in headlights at the sight of a microphone, Hogan is quick to give quote after a game. Hey, it runs in the family.

"I guess I get that from my dad," Hogan laughingly said of his father, Mark, a former Daily Inter Lake sports editor who's now an accomplished chef.

Though not a vocal leader, Hogan helps the rest of his teammates in an almost imperceptible way.

"He and Brock get so much pressure inside because teams want to stop them," Watkins said. "So they just kick it out to us for some wide-open shots."

Guard Beau Watkins

With Watkins leading the way as the team's top 3-point threat, the Braves have been connecting from the outside more and more as the season progresses. He's third on the team at 10.7 points per contest, and has knocked down a team-best 22 treys.

"He's a great shooter from the outside," Febach said. "He's also quick and runs the floor well, so he can penetrate and create problems inside."

"He has a great jump-step and gets inside in a hurry," Andrews said.

His flashed his quickness throughout the fall as an All-State cornerback for Flathead's football team. Last month, he committed to Montana State as a preferred walk-on.

He's also a solid on the boards. Heck, in past seasons, the 6-2 guard may have been the team's starting center.

Watkins is also underrated in one quality, according to Febach.

"People see him as an outside shooter, but he does a real good job getting into position on the defensive end," Febach said. "Plus, he brings a real intensity to the game."

Guard Jeremy DeHerrera

You want intensity? Then look no further than DeHerrera. His teammates love him, but if you were to take a straw poll of the opposition, you may get a different opinion.

As the players gear up prior to game time, rock group "Disturbed" is often blasting in the locker room. DeHerrera must take that music to heart on the floor, because he certainly disturbs his foes with his physical play on the defensive end.

"I wouldn't want him defending me," Febach said. "He'll be all over you. You better take care of the ball, because if you don't he'll be going the other way with it."

DeHerrera is the team's top on-the-ball defender, and he's also the point guard on the defensive end.

"He directs us on defense," senior Mack Andrews said. "He's quick, long and lanky; he gets a lot of deflections."

He often bears the brunt of the other team's frustration as the player most likely to catch an "errant" elbow. But DeHerrera doesn't mind.

"Teams are always coming at me, but I try to stay calm and not let it get to me," he said. "We're an aggressive team. After the first few games we were getting scored on, so the coaches got on us."

Flathead is now AA's second-best defensive team, surrendering only 50 points per game.

Forward Mack Andrews

While DeHerrera may win the team's Most Likely to be Punched Award from opponents, Andrews is a shoo-in for Most Likely to be Ignored. He's averaging only five points per game and has been flying under the radar all season.

That may soon change.

"Teams aren't keying on him as much, so he's able to step into pressure situations and make big shots," Hogan said.

"This is his first year starting and he's really stepped up," DeHerrera said. "He's so clutch."

In Flathead's last game, the Braves were trailing Missoula Big Sky in the second quarter when Andrews brought the house down with two straight 3-pointers. He scored a season-high 11 points in the win. Andrews has shot 11-of-21 (52 percent) from behind the arc this season.

"Mack is a typical contributor," Febach said. "He knows his role, and he's so steady. We know exactly what to expect from him."

They can also expect a few laughs every practice.

"He's the clown of the team," Watkins said. "He's always getting a little too excited and jawing at other kids."

"He always has this smirk on his face," Febach said. "He always looks like he's up to something.

"But every team needs someone like that; he reminds us that this game is supposed to be fun."

On the run

Not that they need reminders very often. The fans sure don't.

The Braves play a truly thrilling brand of basketball - they like to run, run again and run some more. And the crowd loves it.

"I could care less that we play exciting ball, I'm usually locked in on whether my kids are doing the right thing on the floor," Febach said. "But when I watch the games on film, I'm like 'Wow, this is fun to watch.'"

It's also fun, albeit exhausting, for the players.

"We're so tired after every game, but that's a good feeling because it means you're giving it your all," Watkins said.

"We play in-your-face basketball on both ends," Hogan said. "If teams have a problem with that, then they can come at us and see what happens.

"We're not going to back down."

No, after suffering through their fair share of losing, the Braves are determined to get to the top. And they won't stop till they get there.

In the team room, Febach wrote five goals on the marker board before the season. The No. 1 goal is "Get to state."

"We've been playing well, but we don't want to peak yet," Watkins said. "We want to peak at state."

However, the team is also determined to stay grounded.

"We can't let (the success) get to our heads," DeHerrera said. "We can't rely only on our skills, but our hard work."

Flathead currently is second in Western AA, with a top-2 conference spot guaranteeing an automatic berth to the state tournament in Butte. The Braves look to get one step closer on Thursday when they host Missoula Hellgate at 7:30 p.m. They're also in action tonight at 5:30, hosting Libby.