On a Friday night in Pablo, fans packed the gym to the brim with only standing room around the edges to watch a team that is one of the top Class C teams in western Montana: the Two Eagle River Eagles.

From the tip against the Superior Bobcats, it was fireworks. One of four senior starters, Talon Addison, took shot after shot, draining each one with ease.

His brother, Thomas, battled through paint while making quick passes out to the wing.

Their teammate and fellow senior Jayvion Burke bullied the Bobcats by crashing into the paint and making defenders crash with him.

Plus, another senior in Ryiley Gates kept finding open looks while helping his team force turnovers on defense.

Finally, junior Kayson Gates was the anchor in the paint, denying easy close shots while bullying the opposing front court.

These players help make a starting core that has lost just three games all season. It's a team that has found wins in the toughest moments. For these kids, it becomes more than just basketball. It becomes a word.

“We don't give up,” Thomas said. “We play with a lot of heart. We play as one. We have a word called nkʷuwilš. We burn as one. We're brothers, and we just stick together, play as one.”

Transliterated, the word is pronounced in-qoo-eesh. It is a rallying cry for this team and one that the team lives by. For these kids, it is a reminder of their camaraderie and kinship that ripples through every game these kids play.

“It's a really good thing that we all just want to play basketball,” Talon said. “We all want to be in the gym, and we all want to be shooting. So that kind of really beats the 50% of it."

"Our coach really doesn't have to work hard to make us come into the gym," he added. "We always want to come to the gym.”

For the Addison brothers, the familial bond has helped but it also helps when you have a team that enjoys the game for what it is.

For these kids, the impressive shooting and high-paced offense seem like the sign of a stoic team – one that has cultivated an environment of sturdy attitudes and unwavering presence.

However, when you watch Eagles play, their camaraderie goes beyond their own team. Talon can be seen smiling and dapping up opposing teammates. Kayson enjoys a chat with the fellow big man he is guarding that game.

You never see these kids fight or trash-talk the other team. You see a team that shows respect that isn't always apparent in a group of high schoolers.

Buying into the work ethic

Head coach DJ Piapot says he knew he could trust this group to execute plays while enjoying the game.

“They just bought into the work ethic,” Piapot said. “So that's where I'm trusting them at. Just trusting their process, trusting their mechanics that they've worked on and everything. We talk about the IQ and talk about not playing hero ball, trusting the process with each other and sharing the ball, man.”

If the kids are trusting the process, then the process must be a beach day. The relaxed but competitive nature of the team is one akin to a beach volleyball game. It is exciting, sometimes relaxed, but with the right group, always a blast to watch.

And that formula has worked. The Eagles have only dropped one game in their district. They are the highest scoring total offense in District 14C, managing to outscore and outpace almost every team they faced.

That usually helps when you have multiple 500-point career scorers, all while pushing the limit of most Class C defenses.

It's all about trust

This team isn’t just good from a record standpoint; they are exciting to watch. Their brand of basketball is free and loose. Thomas describes the offense as fundamental but he also acknowledges that they avoid some of the more “boring” plays that you might see a high school offense run.

For his brother Talon, he knows exactly what they bring every night.

“I feel like we're all just really good scorers and we can all score the ball,” Talon said. “So I trust my teammates, and I'm sure they trust me. I know we can all trust each other to make the right play and do the right thing on offense and defense. I just know if we play hard defense, then it's all going to come to us on offense.”

That trust, that togetherness, that foundation for a team is what nkʷuwilš represents to these kids. They want to enjoy the time they have. They also want to trust that their fellow teammates and even their opponents are enjoying the ride too.

The Eagles are primed to compete for a legitimate run at the state tournament. But if you expect something methodical or slow, then you didn’t read the playbill.

When you watch the Eagles, expect it to be quick, expect it to be grand, and expect it to come with some laughs at halfcourt. For the Eagles, basketball looks better when your brothers are right beside you.

    Two Eagle River junior Kayson Gates goes up for a contested layup against Superior on Feb. 7 at Two Eagle River School. (Max Dupras/Leader)