BILLINGS — It's not unusual for youth sports players to one day wind up on the same high school team. What is unusual is that Q2's Athletes of the Week — who were five of those youth players — are now the five senior starters for Billings West and in position to win a Class AA boys basketball state title this week.
Colton Bush, Keegan Grossman, Grayson Baumann, Cash Rice and Jaxon Walter are the players. And they were recently laughing while swiping through memory lane pictures shared with MTN Sports after practice.
"I remember you were mad because your mom made you wear a headband, because your hair was too long," Grossman recalled to Rice while scrolling.
WATCH the Bears chuckle and recall youth basketball moments with the Blue Chips entering this week's state tourney:
The group remembers bouncing from school to school, chasing practice time during those early days.
"I remember switching gyms. Canyon Creek first, then this old, upstairs … Broadwater (Elementary School), super old," Baumann pointed out.
The guys think some of the images were from roughly the third, fourth and fifth grades when they teamed up for the Blue Chips — a squad that often played in higher age divisions for better competition, won a lot and even looked the part.
"One season we all wore Jordan 11s, too. That was bad. We all bought Jordan 11s … his were fake," Grossman said, smiling with a nod toward Walter. "Yeah, it's true," Walter admitted with a smile.
"Yeah, I think one of the cool parts, too, is seeing kids we played all throughout our younger grades and playing them again," Bush said.
Bush specifically referenced Missoula kids. Thursday, the Bears open the Class AA state tournament against Missoula Big Sky in the 8 p.m. game at First Interstate Arena.
"I think our growth from when we started then until now is crazy," Walter marveled.
"Our chemistry is like no other," Baumann added.
"It's just really cool to see us all play together now because I don't know anyone else that has the same starting five as when they were younger," Rice said.
Reflecting on those youthful pictures, they noticed one of the five appeared a little bigger. They joke, maybe even chubby.
"Ahhhh, Colton a little bit," Grossman said with a big laugh.
"Me a little bit, a little chubby back in the day," Bush acknowledged as they all shared another laugh.
Knee pads, Jordan 11s and gold medals — quite a story. The only page left unwritten? A high school title well within reach.
