Henthorns Help Hellgate Girls Basketball Break 16-Year Drought

It’s not every year that you get a chance to play for the state title. In fact, for the last 16 years, the Hellgate girls basketball team has failed to make the state playoffs—until now. It’s been a pretty magical season for the Hellgate girls basketball team. For the first time in over 20 years they swept their rivals the Sentinel Spartans. And after upsetting top seeded Helena at divisionals, the Knights clinched their first state title birth since 2003. “First time in 16 years it means the world and we are going to the big dance, we are very excited,” said Hellgate Head Coach Rob Henthorn. For Head Coach Rob Henthorn the wins have made the season great but what’s made it even more special is who he’s winning with. His son Brady is an assistant coach, his youngest daughter Kinsey is a junior on the team and his wife Melissa helps him with all the organizational aspects of the job. “We are family that is very close we do a lot together i think it’s an exceptional situation where we live and die basketball. We have a sign in our house that says we interrupt this family for basketball season,” said Henthorn. A parent coaching a son or daughter is pretty common but having a kid and sibling coaching alongside as well is definitely unique. “You can’t put it into words how lucky we are to all three be able to, mom included, be able to following something like this,” said Brady Henthorn. While Rob has coached multiple sports for years Brady, who played for the Knights just a few years ago, has just a couple seasons under his belt, but most wouldn’t know it. “He is so good coaching the game because he can demonstrate it. During a timeout we have conversations on what to do, he is poised and can explain himself much easier than I can,” said Rob. When it comes to older brother coaching younger sister you might think that would be challenging at times but for the Henthorns it really isn’t. “I really like my brother as a coach because I get along with him really well and I know what he means when he does it and when he yells at me it feels different than when my Dad yells at me,” said Kinsey Henthorn. And Kinsey says just because her last name is Henthorn doesn’t mean she won’t get yelled at or treated any differently than anyone else on the team. “We don’t play favorites, we believe we give the girls what they have deserved and earned and sometimes it doesn’t work out for the best for the family sense but we all talk and just realize communication is key,” said Brady. And you will see that communication constantly at every practice and game. Father and son working side by side helping lead this young and talented team farther than most people thought. “Brady says something and Rob will be thinking the same thing, or he’ll repeat it and they seem like they’re always on the same page,” said JV Coach Linda Jacobson. In the four years before the Henthorns took over the Knights went 16-65..in the four years since they have won 35 games, had two winning seasons and have turned the program around. “I think the best think that my dad and i and my mom love is how much the community and even the Hellgate community have grown to be appreciative of it and they’ve started to recognize hard work and the girls are starting to get the recognition they deserve.”