For Polson boys basketball coach Brad Pluff, it’s been challenging at times, but well worth it.

“For a first-year head coach, it’s been nerve-racking,” he said.

“I didn’t realize how much there was to this head coaching stuff.

“We’re happy,” he continued.

“That (going to state) was our goal from the beginning of year.”

Polson (12-9) will have the honor of opening Class A state tournament action on Thursday at the Butte Civic Center at 12:30 p.m. The Pirates, who finished second at the Northwestern A divisional tournament, will face Billings Central (12-8). The Rams won the Eastern A divisional tournament.

Fifth-ranked Butte Central (14-6) faces Corvallis (14-6) in the other afternoon matchup at 2.

The top four ranked teams — Laurel, Columbia Falls, Browning and Dillon — are all in the other bracket. They play in the evening session.

“At first glance, it looks like we might have caught a break,” Pluff said of being in the afternoon bracket.

“But Billings Central played Laurel tough. Corvallis put a beating on us earlier in the year, the first game, winning by 20 points. Butte Central, from what I understand, gets in your face defensively. They beat Browning. Nothing will be easy.”

Polson is making its first state trip since 2006. That year the Pirates lost twice.

Polson captured state titles in 1993 and 1998.

“I’ve been coaching these kids since middle school,” Pluff said.

“I feel like they play well for me, they play hard.”

Pluff, who was a varsity assistant for five seasons, said the last time Polson made it to state his seniors were in eighth grade.

“They’re excited, wide-eyed,” he said.

“I don’t want to say that they are just happy to be there.”

So Pluff expects them to win.

“Columbia Falls might be the best team in the state and we played them tough two out of the three times,” he said.

He sees no reason his team can’t perform at that level against the likes of Billings Central, Butte Central or Corvallis.

Pluff say the Monday challenge victory over Ronan, 54-38 at Glacier High School, was a good thing for his squad.

“As long as you win it,” he said of the challenge game.

“If we didn’t have that game, we would have had a Monday practice. Our Monday practices have been terrible for us. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise.”

 Polson has been led offensively by a host of players.

Kyle Bagnell, who has season highs of 32 and 32, was averaging 17.5 points per game heading into the divisional tournament.

Louis Mohr, a junior forward, is next at 16.2. That’s for the last eight games of the season, three of which he started. He did not play in the first 13.

Mohr had a season best 28 in the challenge game.

Tim Rausch is averaging 12.2 and Vince DiGiallonardo 10.

Rausch and DiGiallonardo have had 20-plus point games along the way as has Tyler Krell.

“We can score,” Pluff said.

“We just have to defend a little better. We get a little lazy on that end sometimes.”

Polson is averaging 61.2 points per game.

“They (Billings Central Rams) run a similar style offense as we do,” Pluff said.

“They are very quick, in your face man-to-man, full-court defense. We’ll have to handle it.”