By Rich Winter

605 Sports

As the Crazy Horse boys basketball team made their way home from Philip following Tuesday’s 55-52 Region 7B basketball win the crescendo of excitement just kept getting bigger. 

The team bus was met by a caravan in Kadoka. When the team reached the junction at U.S. Highways 73 and 44 outside of Wanblee more cars joined the caravan and a non-police car with lights and a siren escorted the team the rest of the way home. 

By the time the bus pulled into the tiny community on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation the team was greeted by fans standing outside in a driving snowstorm clapping and cheering with a fireworks display to greet the team following their first ever advancement to the SoDak 16. 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vijLCWuoF60

“It was really good to see the support from our small community to welcome us home like that,” senior Noah Iron Horse said. “We made history tonight accomplishing something big that hasn’t been done in years.” 

Something that actually hasn’t happened in decades as in nearly 40 years ago. 

The win and the subsequent trip to Tuesday’s SoDak 16 where the Chiefs will take on two-time defending Class B state champion De Smet got the folks at Crazy Horse High School digging through the year books for an historical look back. 

In 1984 the Chiefs lost to Bennett County in the District 29 championship game in Martin. The next year the Chiefs beat that same Bennett County team in triple overtime to advance to the Region 8B tournament. 

High school principal Vikki Eagle Bear said the Chiefs lost to Little Wound at the Region 8B tournament in 1985. The team earned third place when it beat Newell in the consolation game. 

It has been nearly 40 years since the small town has had something big to celebrate regarding their boys basketball team. 

Crazy Horse high school administrative assistant Carrie Sitting Up up was part of Tuesday’s caravan and said the feeling of seeing that kind of pride in her community is hard to describe. 

“I’m at a loss for words because this is the first time,” she said. “Given the circumstances of the area I feel like our kids have always been challenged and they overcame that challenge. I am very proud and happy for my community for coming together for our kids and our youth.” 

Crazy Horse players apply the defense during the Dakota Oyate Challenge - Rodney Haas 605 Sports

It has been a memorable season for coach James Bagwell and the 17-3 Chiefs. 

At the 24-team Lakota Nation Invitational in December the Chiefs were seeded outside the main 16-team bracket. They were the No. 2 seed in the He Sapa Bracket where they lost to Omaha Nation for the He Sapa championship. 

On Jan. 27 Crazy Horse got a measure of revenge when they beat that same Omaha Nation team, 71-55 in the semifinals of the Dakota Oyate Challenge. 

“I feel like we’ve improved dramatically,” Bagwell said. “Every single person has gotten better and the guys put in the work, they've seen the results and that gives my guys a lot of confidence.”

Crazy Horse and De Smet play Tuesday evening in Huron