Hawks Don’t “Defend” Titles — They Hunt Them

THE HORACE HAWKS ARE THE REIGNING NORTH DAKOTA DIVISION AA GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONS.

HORACE, N.D. (KVRR) — The Horace Hawks opened their season looking every bit like a team intent on chasing another championship. One year removed from capturing the program’s first state title, Horace rolled to a dominant 26-point win over the Moorhead Spuds on Friday night — a start that sophomore forward Jordan Christofferson says has the group buzzing.

“It’s probably 10 out of 10 right now,” Christofferson said about the excitement surrounding the season opener. “We’re really excited to be back. And we had our first game last week, and it went well. So we’re just excited to see where we go this season.”

While the Hawks begin the new year with plenty of momentum, head coach Brent Hintz is quick to correct the narrative around their status as defending champs.

“We’re not defending anything. That’s ours. They can’t take it from us,” Hintz said. “We’re hunting a new one, and that’s kind of our mindset. I think it’s more of a go-out-and-get-it type of mindset, an aggressive mindset, and we’re ready for that responsibility that comes with it.”

Horace returns a strong core, but the program does face one major loss: standout guard Jaiden Haile, now playing meaningful minutes as a freshman at Division I Gonzaga. Her departure — along with a couple of other key seniors — leaves notable shoes to fill.

“Our three seniors who graduated last year are kids you just can’t replace in so many ways,” Hintz said. “So we’re just working on a new way to do it and we’re learning a lot about ourselves… keeping some of that same identity we’ve had the last couple years, but also trying to find a bit of a new identity with our personnel. And I’m excited. I think it’s going to be something fresh for the kids. And we’re hoping to take advantage of the talent level we have.”

That talent is headlined by Division I prospects Christofferson and sophomore Lakyn Donnelly, who stepped into major roles during last year’s championship run. Donnelly says the experience gained last season is already paying off.

“I think we have a lot of talk around the championship, so I think we got a lot of experience,” Donnelly said. “A lot of us were there for that championship, and we got to go a long way last season… but we’re definitely ready back to work, so yeah, super excited.”

Being the reigning champs comes with a target — one the Hawks say they welcome.

“It’s a target that we want, and it’s a target we’re ready for,” Christofferson said. “We know we’re going to get every team’s best, and we’re going to give every team our best. We think of it as an opportunity that we have and that we worked for. But this year it’s a new team. It’s a new squad. So we’re just going to have to work for it again.”

Horace returns to action Tuesday, December 9, when the Hawks host West Fargo Sheyenne.