High school sports begin in a big way
JOHN HAMILTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year AGO
Thompson Falls junior Hank Stone dashes upfield as his teammates look for someone to block during the Blue Hawks’ preseason scrimmage at Previs Field in Thompson Falls Saturday. (John Hamilton/VP-MI)
High school sports wait for no one.
It’s the end of August in Montana and that means the beginning of the prep football, volleyball, soccer and cross-country season this weekend.
Local cross-country runners get going first, with the Plains XC teams hosting their annual Plains Time Trials at 8 a.m. Friday, and the Thompson Falls boys and girls cross country teams are also scheduled to participate in Plains.
Football also kicks off Friday in a big way locally, with the St. Regis Tigers hosting the Mineral County rival Superior Tigers in an important early-season 8-Man game.
All four Sanders County football teams are hosting games Friday. The Plains Horsemen are scheduled to host the Darby Tigers in 8-Man action, the Thompson Falls Blue Hawks will entertain the Cut Bank Wolves in a Western B 11-Man game, and Hot Springs (against Chester-Joplin-Iverness) and Noxon (versus Sunburst) will host 6-Man games.
Alberton is scheduled to entertain Great Falls Central in a 6-Man football game Friday.
Volleyball swings into play Saturday with the Mission Tournament for Plains and Thompson Falls and the Drummond Tip-Off tournament for Superior, St. Regis and Alberton.
Net action heats up Tuesday in the area as the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks will entertain the Loyola Sacred Heart Breakers, the Trotters will host the Florence Falcons, and the Hot Springs Savage Heat will play Noxon in the Spa City.
ARTICLES BY JOHN HAMILTON
Lady Hawks feel the pain, enjoy gain in Mission
The Hawks ended up playing Troy, Loyola and Anaconda in round-robin games to 22 points, and then Plains in a best-of-three games match to 15 points to top off their appearance in Mission.
Blue Hawks wallop Wolves in season opener
Consider this a wakeup call for the rest of Western B. The Blue Hawks are to be taken seriously this season, wanting to prove themselves contenders in the Western B football playoff race right up front.
Hawk soccer falls to Breakers, ties with Pirates
The Thompson Falls-Plains-St. Regis Blue Hawk girls opened season soccer plays with a couple great efforts on the pitch, playing well but falling 4-0 to Loyola Friday, and battling Polson to a 1-1 draw on their own field Saturday. Both matches were played in Polson.