Park Schara has an interesting soccer background, starting with a youth career spent alongside brothers O’Brien and Brenden Byrd in Columbia Falls.

What is more interesting, he says, is his Bigfork Valkyries.

“We have an amazing team,” says Schara, and as an example he points to Bigfork’s soccer match with three-time defending State A champion Laurel on Aug. 26. The Locomotives thumped Bigfork 8-0 in the 2021 semifinals; last Friday they managed a 1-1 tie.

“They’re an incredible team,” Schara said of the Locomotives. “They’re insane. But we tied them, and we should have beat them. We led until the final three minutes.”

That’s when Laurel’s Mya Maack did the nearly unthinkable, curving in a corner kick for the equalizer. It was her 96th career goal; she had 43 last season. “It was beautiful,” Schara said, and if you don’t believe him you can watch it on Maack’s Twitter page.

Bigfork then beat Corvallis 3-0 Saturday, further showing it is a threat to outdo last year’s 7-6-1 campaign. Schara, in his first year coaching the high school squad after years coaching at the club level, feels the sky’s the limit.

“I coached the freshmen when they were in sixth, seventh and eighth grade, and then followed them up,” he said. “And the older girls are pretty incredible as well.”

It was senior Scout Nadeau that gave the Vals the 1-0 lead against Laurel, scoring on a penalty kick early in the second half.

“She’s one of the team captains, and she’s all in,” Schara said of Nadeau, who had 19 goals in 2021. “Lives and breathes soccer.”

We assume fellow captains junior Danika Bucklin and senior Madison Chappius do as well; Chappius and Nadeau scored against Corvallis. Juniors Callie Gembala, CeCe Panor (the keeper) and Piper Buzzell (goal against Corvallis) play key roles along with sophomore Braeden Gunlock.

Meanwhile four freshmen started against Laurel and another played over 50 minutes off the bench.

The Flathead Valley is known for its high school soccer, with Whitefish, Columbia Falls, Glacier and Flathead High fielding formidable teams. Whitefish beat Columbia Falls’ for the 2021 A boys title; Glacier’s girls were 2020 State AA champs; Whitefish lost to Laurel in overtime in the 2020 State A girls championship.

This scene could get a little more crowded. Bigfork, set to move up from Class B to Class A in all sports next season, is filling up with prime time players.

“Our club teams always played against the Missoula Strikers, or Billings,” Schara said. “We always played the bigger teams. These girls, they compete differently. It doesn’t matter how big the monster is, they want to fight it.”

Schara’s high school years coincided with soccer’s early days as an MHSA-sanctioned sport.

Things have changed since then.

“I was at the Carli Lloyd camp, at Flip Darling Field (in July),” he said. “It used to be like playing on Velcro, and now it has grass that grows green and stays green. It was a different field back then.”

KidSport has also come along since; many, many goals have been scored in the Valley.

That includes Schara’s time at Flathead Valley Community College, which earned him a scholarship offer from St. Mary’s that he didn’t take.

He and his family have lived in Bigfork for the better part of 20 years. Now he’s a high school coach with a great feeder program and for the first time, a junior varsity. Twenty-six girls are out for Vals soccer, and he’s a fan.

“I mean, I like all kids,” Schara says. “But we do have an amazing team, and should for the next couple years.”

Fritz Neighbor can be reached at 758-4463 or [email protected]