JAMESTOWN — The three seniors on the Devils Lake girls’ basketball team wanted to end their careers on a high note.
After the hurrahs of squeaking through the qualifier round to make it to state, the Firebirds were defeated Thursday and Friday. They had to play in the seventh-place game at 10 a.m. Saturday.
They cruised to a 76-54 win over Watford City.
“The last two days were frustrating for our program and for myself, I think, because at times, we questioned things and we questioned what we’re doing,” Devils Lake head coach Justin Klein said. “But, well, we get a game like this and I think it makes us feel a little bit better, and we see some of the things that we do well, and we carry it over.”
It was the last game for this group — one that fought through various challenges, including losses, doubts and injuries.
“I think we just pushed through a lot of adversity that came our way,” senior Mia Elsperger said. “And I think we dealt with a lot of things really well.”
For Elsperger, Presley Brown and Jenae Martinson, it was the last time suiting up in the Firebirds uniform.
“It’s sad, but it’s good to move on to a new chapter,” Brown said. “I’ll definitely look back at the great memories I had for the past four years, and I’m going to miss the team.”
Brown was one of the most reliable players on the floor for Devils Lake. She was second on the team with nearly 13 points per game throughout the regular season. She wrapped up her career with 20 points and nine rebounds in the seventh-place win over Watford City.
All three of the seniors were with this team when it won state in 2024.
Brown wasn’t a starter on that team, but she made the all-state tournament team with a big showing off the bench.
It’s an experience Brown hasn’t forgotten.
“In the moment, when we first won, I was like, ‘Wow, this is not real,’” Brown said. “But now, looking back, it’s really something to cherish. Not a lot of people have it. So it’s really important to me now.”
Brown’s steadiness has contributed to all three state tournament runs over the last three years.
“I just think, with Presley Brown, she just goes out and plays,” Klein said. “She’s not worried about the drama. She’s not worried about all the accolades. She goes out and plays hard and gives it 110% all the time. The thing with Presley is she was one of the best defenders at shooting gaps and jumping screens and anticipating. And that was one thing that I always liked about Presley. And that’s one thing we’re going to really, really miss about Presley, is her anticipation on defense.”
Brown expressed gratitude for her time with Devils Lake.
The highlights included all the time she got to spend bonding with her teammates.
“Honestly, just making all these awesome friendships throughout all the past four years was my favorite memory,” Brown said.
As for her plans beyond high school, Brown is still undecided.
“I’m not too sure yet,” she said. “I have some ideas and interests.”
To Brown’s side was Elsperger, who also had one of her best games of the season on Saturday.
Klein said it was one of the best performances he’d seen from Elsperger. She scored 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting.
Not a bad way to wrap up a career.
“We all just wanted to come out and just have fun with each other one last time at the end of the season,” Elsperger said.
Brown and Elsperger combined for 36 of Devils Lake’s 76 points in the seventh-place win.
“A great way for them to end the season and their career,” Klein said.
Knowing that it was her last game, Elsperger expressed nothing but joy.
“It’s amazing,” she said. “I’m going to miss it so much. … I’m definitely going to remember it for a long time.”
Elsperger said she plans to pursue commercial aviation at UND in the fall.
She’ll attend UND with Martinson — both of whom were first-year starters on the Firebirds.
“We feel very accomplished,” Martinson said. “Very happy we got to be here this weekend.”
Martinson followed the footsteps of two older sisters, Jailyn and Jolie, who both played basketball for Devils Lake and went on to play at the college level.
Martinson had her siblings’ guidance on her Firebirds basketball journey.
“They were giving me pointers after every game, which really helped,” she said.
Two years ago, when Devils Lake won state, Jolie Martinson was a starter while Jenae was on the bench. It wasn’t until this season that the younger Martinson had a chance to blossom into a member of the starting five.
“It was an adjustment,” she said, “but it was very fun.”
Martinson had a mix of emotions reflecting on the end of her high school career.
“It’s bittersweet. Very sad. But I’m happy for my time that I’ve had here,” she said. “I’ll remember it by my friendships and just going out there and having fun with all my friends. … Just everyone that I got to meet, I’ve created such good friendships on this team.”
At UND, Martinson said she plans to study communication sciences and disorders, with the eventual goal of becoming a speech language pathologist.
So Devils Lake, in the end, got to leave the Jamestown Civic Center with smiles and laughs — despite not everything coming easily. Despite losing in the state quarterfinals for the first time in the last three years.
With a 16-12 overall record, the Firebirds were glad just to make it to state one more time.
“I think a lot of people didn’t think we were going to make it to state,” Brown said. “So I think by proving them wrong, it was good.”
Klein’s been the Devils Lake head coach for 15 years. He’s led plenty of postseason runs, both in the EDC under the old two-class system and in the new Division A.
This season was more of a grind than the last two years, which culminated in a championship and a fourth-place finish, respectively. Six seniors graduated from last year’s squad.
“You get to the state tournament and you never know how high school kids are going to react,” Klein said. “We’re doing things the way we’ve always done them. We’ve tweaked some things; we didn’t press as much throughout the season because of our depth and our leadership. We were losing all the seniors [from last year]; we had to play some younger kids. So we had to get them some minutes. I mean, overall, it’s a success because you make the state tournament. I don’t think our record showed that, either, but our schedule was a tough schedule, and that’s what we want.”
Next year, Devils Lake will still have Tylie Brodina and Ava Beck. It’ll be their turn for a senior sendoff. As freshmen, they both played major roles on the state championship team.
Chassidy Rodacker and Jonae Meade will also be seniors. Outside of those four, Devils Lake has seven freshmen and two sophomores on the varsity roster.
“Moving forward, I think we’ve got some underclassmen who are going to come back next year ready to go,” Klein said. “But we’ve got some holes to fill, and that’s just something we have to do in the offseason.”
Once everything sorts itself out, the Firebirds will be back and ready to fight for a fourth consecutive state tournament appearance.
“As long as we can get here, and we keep getting here, I think that’s the success for the program,” Klein said. “Because then you never know what happens once you get here.”
Leave a Reply