Several years ago while on the job at another profession, I encountered one of Western Montana College's basketball coach Steve Keller's former assistants at Helena High. In our discussion, this gentleman described Keller's passion for the game of hoops this way: "If you cut his arm open, it would bleed basketballs."

After a standout prep career at Custer County High and graduating from Rocky Mountain College, Keller coached seven years at Opheim and 19 years at Helena High. He won six girls state championships n three at Opheim and three with HHS n while compiling a career 610-190 record for a winning percentage of .764.

With the Helena High boys from 1992-2004, his teams went 201-73. The Bengals won eight Western AA championships, including seven in a row from 1993-2000, and produced four 20-win seasons. In 12 years, he missed qualifying for the state tournament only once. Keller's clubs finished runner-up at state three times, and took third twice.

Keller served two tours as the Bengal ladies skipper, from 1985-91 and 1997-2001. Over 11 years, HHS advanced to the state tourney 10 times, placing in the top-3 nine times. His girls teams compiled a career mark of 213-72, which is a .757 winning percentage.

In his first year as the Bengal guy's head mentor, in 1992-93, Keller's club went 16-7 and made the first of their 10 straight post season appearances.

In 1995, Helena made their initial state chipper game under Keller. HHS opened with a 76-50 win over Bozeman. In the semi-finals, Helena (13-8) topped Hellgate 60-52, and then dropped the title contest to undefeated Great Falls High (21-0), 70-62.

"The Bengals entered the 1996 state tournament with a 19-1 record (12-0 in the Western conference) and the No. 1 ranking in the Class AA power poll," according to Helena High basketball historian Steve Brown. "But Helena was beaten in the opening game by Great Falls High, and after a win over Missoula Hellgate, was eliminated by Billings West. Nevertheless, the 20-3 mark ranks as one of the best in Bengal history."

The following season, HHS produced a state runner-up trophy while compiling the school's second-best all-time winning percentage (.913), going 21-2. Their two losses n both to Missoula Big Sky n were by a total of seven points. They were edged by the Eagles 68-66 during the season, and then 63-58 in OT for the state crown.

In 2000, Helena posted a 20-4 mark and placed third at state. After dropping their opening game, the Bengals rebounded to make it to the consolation game, where they beat Capital High 65-42. Their winning margin difference of 16.9 points per game ranks second in school history.

Like Captain Ahab's obsessive quest for Moby Dick, in 2001 Keller achieved a third shot at an illusive boys state crown, but again came up just short, falling to C.M. Russell 63-46 in the finals. Helena (16-8) defeated both Bozeman and Hellgate to reach the title contest.

The Bengals finished at 20-4 in 2003, placing third at state. After being upset by GFH to start the tourney, they bounced back to crush the Bison in the consolation game, 85-57. In Keller's final season, Helena took fourth at state and finished with a 15-9 record.

Although Keller never bagged the boys championship he so desperately sought, he did wind up as the third-winningest coach in Helena High history, behind Lloyd Skor (275-154) and Edwin Thomas (214-97). And his .740 winning percentage ranks No. 1 all-time.

Keller opened his HHS girl's career rather auspiciously, coming within 3-points of an undefeated state championship. The Bengals opened the 1985 season with 22 straight victories, including the Eastern AA Division title over CM Russell, 51-45; and the opening game at state, 55-44 over the Havre Ponyettes.

But the streak came to an end against Missoula Sentinel, 49-47 in the semis. Helena (24-1) then rebounded to take third, 65-58 over Columbia Falls in the consolation finals.

After placing fourth in 1989, HHS captured back-to-back state championships in 1990 and 1991. The Bengals went a combined 43-4 over those two years. The local cagers were 21-2 and beat the Kalispell Bravettes 57-41 in 1990, and then bested CMR 79-50 for the repeat in '91, going 22-2.

Coach Keller retired as the head gal's coach after the '91 season, choosing to direct the varsity boys and JV girls. But he returned as the Bengal ladies head man in 1997, and guided HHS to a 20-4 record and another championship in his very first year back. His third Class AA girl's crown came in a 61-47 triumph over Sentinel.

In 1998, Helena went 21-3 on the way to the state runner-up trophy. The Bengals were measured by Bozeman in the finals, 49-33. Keller's charges placed third the following year, going 19-5 and rapping Sentinel 52-38 in the consolation contest.

Helena High made it back to the chipper in 2000 and came within a whisker of a fourth title. The No. 1 ranked team in the state, the Capital City group was shaded by Kalispell in a defensive struggle, 32-29 to finish second.

In Keller's last girl's season in 2001, HHS compiled a 20-7 mark on the way to a third-place showing. He next dedicated his efforts to the boys until 2004, and then served as a volunteer for the Carroll College men's squad until being hired to coach Western Montana last summer. His combined boys and girls record at Helena High was 414-145.

Keller's lifetime accomplishments were recognized in 2005, when he was selected to the Montana Coaches Hall of Fame.

Curt Synness, phone 449-2150, email curt52sbresnan.net