MONTANA - Last week Metrapark hosted the Eastern-A Divisional Basketball Tournament. Twenty-five years ago this month, that same Eastern A Tournament was held at Metra.

It set records for attendance and revenue for a divisional tournament and there was a good reason for that. Back in 1983, the Eastern A had star power from top to bottom and leading the way were the park high rangers.

Glendive entered as the two time defending state class a champions, but in Livingston a charismatic coach named Tom Ferch was about to turn the tables on the status quo.

The rules were simple: everyone had the green light to shoot and on defense, full court pressure from start to finish. The coach relied on his two sons to carry out his up tempo philosophy, senior forward Kral Ferch and sophomore guard Shan. The Eastern-A didn’t open quite the way Livingston had planned.

Behind Johathan takes enemy Hardin scored a first round upset sending Park High into a loser out game with Billings Central. Livingston certainly not the team the rams were expecting to face Friday morning.

After that win the Rangers, back on track winning Saturday’s consolation game and with that a trip back to Metra for the State-A. In a single tournament Livingston would showcase a new brand of basketball to Montana.

Park High proved to good for the state a field. Victories over Glendive and Polson landed the Rangers in the title game against Deer Lodge. Two Montana high school records still stand from that 104-63 win. Largest margin of victory in a title game and most points ever scored in a state championship.

Tom Ferch would coach just 4 years at Livingston. In that time the rangers won two state championships and played for a third. His style at times unconventional, right down to the naming of his two sons.