Class C

The mall is 234 miles away. You have thrown 10,000 three-point shots on the dirt court behind the barn. You drive a backhoe after practice to support the family business. And you are sixteen-year-old girl. Welcome to Class C. As their tiny hometowns fight to stay on the map, girls from across rural Montana compete for the state basketball title and a chance to bring home something worth celebrating. Montana native and basketball legend Phil Jackson brings insight and humor to the disappearing landscapes of his youth in a story that will change the way you see rural America.

Airs Wednesday 2/27 at 8pm, and Monday 3/3 at 7pm

The Only Game in Town

Class C follows five basketball teams from Montana’s smallest schools on their journey to win the state championship. The feature length documentary tells the story of a changing rural America and the girls who carry hope and heartbreak onto the basketball court.

More than half of Montana’s high schools have fewer than 130 students. These schools compete in their own athletic league, which is known as Class C. During the cold winter months, Class C fans pack gymnasiums. Lonely miles of snow drifted gravel roads and two lane highways evaporate with the roar of the crowd.

Montana native and basketball legend Phil Jackson, whose commentary is woven through the film, notes with a smile that “Basketball is a wonderful thing for a community because it is a warm place where everyone can go and it isn’t a church or a bar.”

But as the film reveals, forces beyond the court influence the dramas played out in every game. Agricultural decline, school closure, racial conflict and teen pregnancy shape the fortunes of each team as much as any coaching strategy or star player. As small towns face the hard realities of modern rural life, success on the court takes on a new significance. As Coach Dustin Gordon form Chester, Montana explains, “Communities live and die through these kids.”

It was this spirit of support so evident in small town Montana that inspired Wally Kurth to produce a film about Class C girls’ basketball. Kurth, a Billings native who has enjoyed a successful acting career in television, says, "After spending one memorable summer in Winnett, MT years ago, I learned first hand, the joy, hope and passion that these small towns have for their girls basketball teams. I thought it was time to give these small towns, America's treasures in my opinion, some well deserved attention."

Class C visits five of these towns and features a main character from each team. Directed by Justin Lubke and Shasta Grenier and produced by Wally Kurth, Tim Swain and Markus Zetler in partnership with MontanaPBS, Class C follows the Reed Point/Rapelje Pirates, Twin Bridges Falcons, Scobey Spartans, Rocky Boy Stars and Chester Coyotes, exploring Montana’s geographic and cultural diversity.

Award winning director John Dahl describes Class C’s portrait of rural Montana as “bitter sweet,” saying that the film “captures the spirit of the American west and what makes this country so great. I loved it.”

With an original score by the Grammy nominated composer Philip Aaberg, Class C celebrates the resilience of the state’s smallest communities and the excitement of the only game in town.