On Wednesday afternoon, JB Sportscorner had a chance to observe one of the greatest basketball coaches in the state of North Dakota as he prepared for battle. A battle in which the Demons prevailed on Thursday, led by Luke Martinez. You will hear from Martinez as well as from the “triple M” threat, whose team destroyed the St. Mary’s Saints and sent them marching out into a loser-out situation. The Demons improved to a remarkable record of 18 wins and only 2 blemishes on the season. I observed a coaching tandem with one goal on their mind’s; that goal was to bring the South side of Bismarck a team that they could revel in. It was like watching Dean Smith or Bobby Knight prepare for battle.
In his 18th year as bench boss, Steve Miller wanted to prove to the rest of the West, that if anybody wanted to contend, they were going to have to get through BHS. “We’ve won the WDA eight or nine times throughout the last ten or twelve years. Everybody guns for us every year. Throughout the course of the season, we get everybody’s best game anyway,” Miller said about being the “Best in the West.” He stated of his 400 wins earlier this boys basketball season, “It’s a tribute to all the players and all my assistant coaches I’ve had over the years. It’s a program accomplishment, not an individual accomplishment.” Miller expects his team to put in a good solid game plan and execute that game plan in the WDA.
Let’s meet one of Steve Miller’s assistant generals, Darin Mattern, ladies and gentlemen. Darin has been a staple in the Bismarck High basketball program since 1995. Coach Mattern enjoys coaching and trying to get the best out of the kids. “I enjoy being on the floor everyday. That’s what I enjoy the most. Having the opportunity to work with the kids on a daily basis and help them develop, not only as players, but as kids and people.” What does 17-2 mean to an assistant coach of the best team in the state? According to coach Mattern, “it’s just a number to us. What we want to do is play our best basketball at tournament time. Obviously, that’s when it counts, and that’s when it means the most. We try to give our guys the mindset that everybody is 0-0 going into the tournament. Basically, we’re starting over.” JB Sportscorner posed the question of what the #1 Demons were fearing the most going into the West Region. Mattern said that they stay away from that mentality and try to “play hard, play smart, and play together.” Coach Mattern was asked what being the king of boys basketball would mean to him. “As a coaching staff, we’ve won state title before. I would be happy for the players, more so than the coaches. The players are the ones who deserve all the credit.” Darin has been a part of the state title teams in 2000, 2001, and 2005.
Let’s meet one of BHS’ sharp-shooters, a 6’2″ senior guard, #25 Luke Martinez. He was asked who he patterned his sharp-shooting abilities after, and he said #3 Duane Wade of the Miami Heat, but his favorite NBA player is Kobe Bryant of the Lakers. Martinez also stated that his goal for the WDA tournament was to win the championship. It was clearly evident that it was not just Luke’s goal, but the whole team’s when they got off to a flying start on Thursday where they trounced the Saints 88-60. Martinez is hoping for a Mr. Basketball honor, but right now he’s focused on helping his teammates win a championship. The senior said of possibly winning a state title, “it’s what I want. It’s what I’ve been training for over the last two years. Getting that would be a big accomplishment for me.” He stated of his coaching staff Steve Miller and Darin Mattern, “I think that they’re the greatest in the state. Nothing better.”
The Demons have had a rich history of tasting the thrill of victory. They won their first state title back in 1930, and are currently gunning for their 11th. There is no reason that they can’t, lift the state title with the attitude that they have. Follow the Demons as they add another chapter in BHS’ rich history of basketball.
