Small airplanes, big smiles

POLSON – Young Louis had never been in an airplane before.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

A different uniform

POLSON — Mission Valley Mariners pitcher Kellen Hoyt has been called up to the big leagues, but we’re not talking about Major League Baseball.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Benn named Class B all-star defensive MVP

BILLINGS — All-star football games are always a fun touch for graduated seniors, but Connor Benn made the weekend’s Class B rendition a coming-out party.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

OFF THE MARK: Encountering Cyclotourism

One of the things I love about summer in Northwest Montana is that you seem to meet interesting people every day.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Mariners third at Cloninger

HELENA — After a rough start to the season, a third place finish for the Mission Valley Mariners at last weekend’s Cloninger Classic may be a sign of good things to come.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Charlo seniors stand out at 8-man all-star game

BUTTE — Three of Charlo’s standout football players took to the gridiron for the final time at the Bob Cleverly Class C All-Star Football Game Saturday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Vikings four-peat as state champs

GREAT FALLS – Charlo’s boys thought they had lost; they had a chance for four and had let it slip away.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Weltz wins state triple jump title

BUTTE – Polson senior Andrew Weltz capped off a senior year in which he earned all-conference honors for the Pirates’ football and basketball teams with an even bigger feat: he won the Class A triple jump.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Maidens top MAC to repeat West softball title

RONAN – Ronan’s first bit of revenge has been served. Now the Maidens have bigger fish to fry.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Pirates take second seed into state tourney

Polson is heading into familiar territory in the form of the Class A state tournament in more than one way.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Pirates bring home hardware at state tennis

BILLINGS — It wasn’t the fairy tale ending that the Polson boys’ tennis team envisioned, but with No. 1 singles player Brady Hislop and No. 1 doubles duo Dylan McCrumb and Layne Zimmerman each taking third in the state, the Pirates couldn’t be too disappointed.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Prepping for state

FRENCHTOWN — Polson’s boys and girls track and field teams raced to second and third places, respectively, in the weekend’s Northwest A divisional track meet in Frenchtown.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Polson tabs Kelley as boys' coach

POLSON — Polson’s new boys’ basketball coach won’t be much of a new face.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Daniels second at state tennis

MISSOULA — Mission’s top singles netter Karl Daniels capped off a terrific senior season with a runner-up finish at the weekend’s Class B-C state tennis tournament in Missoula.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Ronan's solo act

RONAN — Ronan’s softball team has been playing a melody seldom heard in sports: the Maidens have been nearly unbeatable following a mid-season coaching change.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Twice would be nice

POLSON – Polson tennis standouts Brady Hislop and Dylan McCrumb were a match away from facing each other for the Class A boys’ state singles title last year.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Charlo no-hits Deer Lodge as MAC rolls

DEER LODGE — Courtney Charlo forgot her Under Armour on Mission-Arlee-Charlo’s softball trip to Deer Lodge Saturday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Lake County deputy, SRO rehired

POLSON — Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Clay Shoemaker was reinstated April 24 nearly six weeks after he was terminated for alleged policy violations.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Ronan golf cards another strong week

ST. REGIS — Ronan’s girls golf team won their third tournament in their last four tries with Thursday’s victory at Trestle Creek Golf Course.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Doty does good turn in Plains

Alyssa Doty has been carrying the Mission-Arlee-Charlo softball team with a strong bat and solid catcher’s mitt for years.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Pursuing Perfection

CHARLO — Most prep athletes go through high school without a single state championship, but four young men at Lake County’s smallest high school have a shot to win four in a single sport.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Finding inspiration with outdoor writers

There’s no shortage of inspiration this time of year.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Maidens golf wins again

PLAINS — Jacey Probst led Ronan’s girls golf team to another team tournament win, this time in Plains at Wild Horse Golf Course.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Cowboy ball fun for all

POLSON — Supporters of the Polson Fairgrounds gathered Friday for the annual Cowboy Ball, a Western-themed fundraiser that serves as the fairgrounds’ primary effort each year.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Golfers hit the links for CASA

POLSON — Golfers teed off at Polson Bay Golf Course on Saturday at the Mick Holien 8th Annual CASA Tournament.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Egg-celent Easter

RONAN — What better time than Easter for a labor of love?
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Petersen signs with Arizona State

CHARLO — With 82 students in high school, opportunities like Jacen Petersen’s don’t come around too often for Charlo, Montana.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Calamity Matt places fourth at Grizzly Triathlon

MISSOULA — Nearly 20 Lake County triathletes competed in the Grizzly Triathlon Saturday, highlighted by Polson’s Matt “Calamity” Seeley, who took fourth overall in the race.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Special Olympics athletes train for regional event

POLSON – For some kids, it’s just about having the chance to compete.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Citizens halt drunk driver in Mission

ST. IGNATIUS — It must have been a strange sight for Robin Frye and Caleb Williams Saturday evening on U.S. Highway 93 just north of St. Ignatius: a Subaru driving south in the northbound lane.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Huerta chooses to throw at Great Falls

POLSON — It was as simple as fast food for Chloie Huerta.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Prep Softball - Bagnell no-hits Fergus in Belgrade

BELGRADE — Polson’s Jessica Bagnell had a day to remember Saturday at the First Pitch Invitational when the senior tossed a five-inning no-hitter in the Pirates’ 8-0 win over Fergus County.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Against the wind

POLSON — They were likely too wet and cold to care about team scores at the Polson High School track on Saturday, but if they had, the Pirates would have likely taken the title in their triangular meet with Anaconda and Butte Central.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Boats beached by Saturday's storm

FLATHEAD LAKE — After beautiful weather the week prior, Mother Nature reminded boaters just how unpredictable she can be Saturday when strong winds, snow and rain pummeled fisherman on Flathead Lake.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

OFF THE MARK - Instant replay makes me sick

Instant replay is ruining sports.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Further change in Ronan

RONAN — You'd think there was an earthquake in Ronan the way things in the high school's athletic department have been shaken up recently.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Locals shine in Speedwagon race

POLSON — Local cyclists again proved they belong with the elite in the state of Montana, this time on their home turf.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Windy conditions increase fire danger

LAKE COUNTY — Spring is the time for clearing unwanted brush and grass, but local fire officials are warning residents to take caution where and when they burn.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Charlo boys win season's first meet

Area track teams did their first traveling of the season as all six county programs headed to various venues for early-season meets.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

MAC errors push Ronan to victory

ST. IGNATIUS — Ronan’s bats came alive and Mission-Arlee-Charlo’s gloves went to sleep in the third inning, and that was all the Maidens needed to carry a 16-7 victory Saturday in the first cross-county softball game of the 2014 season.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

TENNIS: Pirates bitten by injury bug

POLSON — Corvallis completed a sweep of the Polson boys and girls tennis teams on Saturday afternoon, using a dominant singles round to take down the Pirates.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Pirates sack the Bitterroot

RAVALLI COUNTY — Polson’s softball team knows now what they’d thought up to this point: the Pirates are still elite in Class A.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Ronan begins golf season in Missoula

MISSOULA — Ronan’s golf teams opened the season at Missoula Country Club last week.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Pluff resigns as Polson coach

POLSON — Polson’s boys basketball team will have a fresh face on the bench next season.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Launching Pad

RONAN — Lake County hosted the Treasure State’s only track meet of the weekend, kicking off a spring sports season through the rainy conditions.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Elks honor scholarship winners

POLSON — The Mission Valley Elks Lodge praised six outstanding high school seniors with scholarships Saturday evening.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Polson off to strong start

POLSON — Polson’s tennis team put on a dominant performance in its season-opening weekend, taking care of Libby and Hamilton’s teams on both the boys and the girls side.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Pirates start season 2-0

POLSON — For the first time in a long time, pitching was the big question for the Polson softball program heading into Saturday’s season opener.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Mackay pleads not guilty

POLSON — Desmond Alan Mackay, the Polson man who allegedly attacked his father-in-law and brother-in-law with a hammer last month, was arraigned in Lake County District Court last Thursday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Petersen to grapple for Sun Devils

CHARLO — Jacen Petersen will be wrestling for Arizona State this time next year.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Madplume's murder, rape sentencing pushed back

POLSON — Ronan resident Melvin Madplume, Jr. will have to wait awhile longer to learn his fate after a delay in his pre-sentencing psychosexual evaluation caused his sentencing to be pushed from March 28 to April 8.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

LCSO detention officer on leave following arrest

POLSON — Lake County detention officer Tristen Flagen has been placed on paid administrative leave following her arrest in Sanders County on the evening of Sunday, March 30.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Benn travels to Auburn for clinic

AUBURN, Ala. — Ronan football coach Jim Benn got the opportunity of a lifetime over the weekend when he traveled to Auburn University for a coaches clinic with the NCAA Division I runners-up.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Prep track and field preview

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Prep tennis preview

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Chiefs' Woll asked not to return to sideline

RONAN — Steve Woll will not be returning as Ronan’s boys basketball coach next season.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Sheriff's office dismisses deputy

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

2013-14 basketball all-state and all-conference teams

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Area softball teams look to extend success

For most of the past 15 years, softball has been the calling card of Lake County athletics. Last year was no exception, as Polson and Ronan each reached their respective state championship games. The county’s three teams, by all accounts, will again be at the top of the class in …
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Ronan golf sets sights on states

Coach Matt Olson couldn’t have been more excited on Monday, Ronan’s golf team’s first day of practice for the 2014 season. Olson had 28 kids turn out for his team.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Locals to play in Billings all-star tourneys

BILLINGS — Four Lake County athletes will compete in this weekend’s Treasure State Classic and Billings Hotel Senior Classic, statewide all-star basketball tournaments.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Suspended detention officer returns to work

POLSON — The Lake County detention officer placed on administrative leave last week is happily back to work, Lake County Undersheriff Dan Yonkin said Tuesday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

UGF-bound Malatare ready for next step

Whitney Malatare has spent her last four basketball seasons bringing the ball upcourt for Arlee.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

The slipper doesn't fit

GREAT FALLS — The clock had already struck midnight for Polson’s Cinderella dream by Friday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Pirates prepare for state tourney

It’s just one of those years, it seems, in Montana Class A basketball.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

OFF THE MARK: Thoughts on the Winter Olympics

There’s just something about the Winter Olympics.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Pablo to play for Dawson

RONAN — Ronan senior Ryan Pablo has committed to continue his baseball career at Dawson Community College come fall.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Shooting superstar heads for Emirates

One failure was all the motivation Michael Taylor needed to become one of the United States’ premier sporting clays shooters.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Dribble Therapy

If you click through Salish Kootenai College’s basketball roster, you can see the players’ majors.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Wind in his sails

As they pulled his new bedsheets out of the plastic packaging, Andrew Curley stopped what he was doing and looked up at Thom Peck.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Polson hoops teams seeded fourth

POLSON — Both Polson’s boys and girls basketball teams head into the weekend’s Northwest A divisional tournament as the No. 4 seed.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Scarlets tame Tigers for District 14C title

RONAN — Arlee’s girls basketball team continued its District 14C success in the league’s tournament this weekend, winning the district crown in decisive fashion, 58-40, over second-place St. Regis.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Class B teams to return to Hamilton

HAMILTON — Ronan’s girls basketball team and Mission’s boys basketball team struggled at the District 6B tournament in Hamilton over the weekend.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Walking on Water

PABLO RESERVOIR — Dick Zimmer and I got out of our vehicles and faced the gusting wind and blowing snow of February’s most recent storm on the dike at the east end of Pablo Reservoir.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Six Polson grapplers place in Billings

BILLINGS — Bob Owen has taken quite a few wrestling teams to state in his 39 seasons as the Polson wrestling coach.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Perfect 48-0!

BILLINGS — The field probably hoped he was taking it for granted.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

On his own two feet

RONAN — Tanner Mead played sports like any other kid: football, wrestling, basketball.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Mission honors coach, friend

ST. IGNATIUS — Les Rice spent 33 years serving the Mission community as a coach.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Pirates send 10 wrestlers to state

LIBBY — Despite finishing just third as a team in the Northwest A divisional tournament, Polson will send 10 grapplers to the Class A state tournament in Billings this weekend.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Best in the West

RONAN — Lyle Cronk almost knew it before his wrestlers hit the mats on Saturday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Josh of all trades

Josh Reed is getting used to the spotlight.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

XC star Hewston commits to UGF

POLSON – Claudia Hewston is one of the most decorated cross-country runners in Polson High School history.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

What ever happened to plain old football?

I don’t like the Super Bowl anymore.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Polson's Jenson inks with Western

POLSON — Wyatt Jenson became the first Polson football player of the year to commit to a college program, signing with the University of Montana-Western last week.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Charlo boys rolling

CHARLO — Charlo’s boys basketball team has been near unbeatable in 2013.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Lake Monsters host first meet

POLSON — It didn’t look like something brand new, not even to the trained eye.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

St. Ignatius business to preserve local history

Ken Scott is in the business of bringing St. Ignatius back to life.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Swiss Army Knife

Columbia Falls had pinned the first four Mission-Charlo wrestlers, and Manuel Ammann was on his back against the Wildcats’ Cody Walters.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Benn chooses Lights

RONAN — The rest of Connor Benn’s senior year should be relatively stress free.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Queque-swoosh!

RONAN — Call it the biggest shot of Alex Quequesah’s life.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

OFF THE MARK: A case for the steroid gang in Cooperstown

I first went to Cooperstown, New York in 1999.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Sorry 'Bout What?

POLSON — When Michael Brandt and Polson Running scheduled the 1st Annual Sorry ‘Bout That Half Marathon three months ago, they were expecting the worst as far as weather was concerned.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Bulldogs wrestle tough at Ted Kato

THOMPSON FALLS — Mission-Charlo’s wrestling team stayed hot for a second weekend in a row, this time posting a third place finish at the Ted Kato Invitational in Thompson Falls on Saturday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Arlee topples Mission in final seconds

ST. IGNATIUS — First-year Arlee coach Zanen Pitts called a timeout with 10 seconds left in the game.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Mission-Charlo wrestlers shine in Ronan

RONAN — “We’re still in the tournament, and that’s what matters,” Mission-Charlo coach Lyle Cronk told his huddled team after a close dual loss to Corvallis in Friday’s pool play of the Western Montana Duals at Ronan High School.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Maidens use big first quarter to conquer Pirates

POLSON — Ronan’s girls basketball team used a shutout first quarter to put Lake County rival Polson away, 41-30, in the 2014 installment of what was once the Mission Valley’s fiercest rivalry.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Polson boys edge Ronan for first win

POLSON — Brad Pluff couldn’t fully explain how much his Polson Pirates needed a win.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Bulldogs stay perfect

ST. IGNATIUS — Experience won out for the Mission Bulldogs on Friday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Petersen wins in Coeur d'Alene

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Polson, Ronan tangle with state's top grapplers

BUTTE — Polson and Ronan’s wrestling squads trekked to Butte to toe the mats with some of the top wrestling programs in the state over the weekend.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

SKC women sweep UMW on the road

DILLON — Salish Kootenai College’s women’s basketball team completed a sweep of the University of Montana-Western’s JV team over the weekend.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Arlee, Mission travel to Superior

SUPERIOR — Both Mission-Charlo’s and Arlee’s wrestling teams saw grapplers place on Saturday at the Superior Invitational.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Clairmont, Ronan girls open year with win over Libby

Ronan’s girls basketball team turned in the most impressive girls basketball performance of the weekend, drubbing Libby, 44-19, on Friday behind 24 points from Raymi Clairmont as Polson and Ronan co-hosted the two-day Northwest A/Southwest A Tip-Off.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Ronan, Polson boys off to rough start

Both Polson and Ronan’s boys basketball teams took the court for the first time over the weekend in the Northwest A/Southwest A Tip-Off, co-hosted by the two schools.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Arlee boys start season strong

DRUMMOND — Arlee’s basketball teams were some of county’s the few to hit the road this weekend as they traveled to Drummond’s invitational tournament.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Two Eagle opens season in Billings

BILLINGS — Both Two Eagle River’s boys and girls teams traveled to Billings for the Southern Classic over the weekend, and both teams dropped two games.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Charlo, Mission open basketball seasons

ST. IGNATIUS — Stuart Grant picked up his senior basketball season right where his junior year left off.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Age group Monsters have strong debut meet

KALISPELL — The age group swimmers in the newly formed Lake Monsters program trekked to Kalispell on Sunday to compete in a formal meet for the first time.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

An eye for talent

Every young football player dreams of going to the NFL.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Fresh blood on the bench

Five of Lake County’s six prep girls basketball teams have new head coaches this year.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

SKC ladies post another 1-1 weekend

CROW AGENCY — Salish Kootenai College’s women’s basketball team went 1-1 over the weekend in the Little Big Horn Classic. The Lady Bison fell to Little Big Horn College’s Lady Ramz, 82-73, on Friday evening before rebounding to throttle Chief Dull Knife College the following morning by a count of …
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Bagnell caps off fantastic career with TD record

BISMARCK, N.D. — Polson High School graduate Craig Bagnell ended a stellar four-year football career at the University of Mary with a bang on Saturday, setting the school record for touchdown passes in the Marauders’ 31-15 victory over the University of Minnesota Crookston.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

All stars meet for year's final volley

ST. IGNATIUS — The second-annual Mission Valley All-Star Volleyball Classic stemmed from a similarly formatted basketball game that has been going on for years.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Polson's prince of pawn

POLSON — Todd Coutts isn’t your typical pawn shop owner.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Tipping the Scales

CHARLO — Talk with your pads.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Northwest A recognizes five Polson soccer players

POLSON — Five Polson soccer players received postseason honors for their play this season.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

SKC men's basketball falls to NIC

PABLO — D.J. Fish got one heck of a birthday present last Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough to push the Salish Kootenai College men’s basketball team over visiting North Idaho College.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Rematch Set

CHARLO — Charlo’s football team didn’t look like a squad that hadn’t crossed the state quarterfinal hurdle since 2001 on Saturday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Ronan goes 1-2 at divisional

FLORENCE — Ronan’s volleyball team trekked to Florence for the second straight weekend, and for the second straight weekend the Maidens left town with a 1-2 record.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Polson's season ends at home

POLSON — Polson’s volleyball season came to an end just one win away from another state tournament berth on Saturday, falling in straight sets to eventual Northwest A runner-up Frenchtown.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Viking volleyball winless in Butte

BUTTE — Charlo’s epic run from the loser’s bracket to the District 10C championship had undertones a Cinderella story, but the district-champion Vikings’ magic ran out at the Western C divisional tournament last weekend.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Five local kids Seattle bound

MISSOULA — Five Lake County children will travel to Seattle on Sunday, Dec. 1 to compete in the NFL Punt, Pass & Kick Team Championships during halftime at the Seattle Seahawks game against the New Orleans Saints.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Alexander running strong for Griz

MISSOULA — Paden Alexander may be a freshman at the University of Montana, but he’s been racing like a seasoned veteran for the Grizzlies’ cross country team.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Brotherly Tough

CHARLO — It can be pretty tough to take directions from your little brother.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Luetzen finds a home with Polson volleyball

POLSON — Patty Luetzen moved to Montana to take a step back from volleyball, but the Polson assistant coach just couldn’t stay out of the gym.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Ronan, Charlo head to divisional tourneys

Two area volleyball teams are headed on the road to play in divisional volleyball tournaments this coming weekend.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Polson falls at Hamilton

HAMILTON – Polson’s football season came to an end Saturday with a 24-21 loss at Hamilton in the first round of the Class A playoffs.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Charlo moves on

CHARLO — It’s hard to imagine a better way to start a postseason run than Charlo’s 68-0 walloping of Twin Bridges in Saturday’s first-round game of the Class C 8-man playoffs.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Maidens head into divisionals

FLORENCE — For the first time in recent memory, Ronan’s volleyball team will be headed to the Western B divisional tournament.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

SKC ladies hit the road

MINOT, N.D. — Salish Kootenai College’s women’s basketball team took on an NCAA Division II program for the first time in school history last weekend.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Mission Valley Aquatic Center swim team unveils name

POLSON — The Lake Monsters are a reality.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

A coach on the field

CHARLO — “Where are my dogs at?” Jacen Petersen yells across Charlo’s football field as the opposing team takes the field on third-and-short.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Prep football preview, Nov. 2

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Mission Valley Christian's campaign ends at states

KALISPELL — Mission Valley Christian Academy’s soccer season ended with a 5-1 loss to Helena Christian in the Montana Christian Athletics Association state tournament on Friday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Prep football stat leaders

Points
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Pirate spikers swing for Bella

POLSON — Polson’s volleyball team created a special moment for one family prior to their contest against Columbia Falls last Thursday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Hewston, McDonald highlight state XC races

MISSOULA — Polson’s Claudia Hewston polished off a high school career for the record books at Saturday’s cross country state championships in Missoula.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

C-Falls dispatches Polson

COLUMBIA FALLS — Columbia Falls’ defense was ready for the Polson rushing attack on Friday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Troy sacks Mission

ST. IGNATIUS — Things were looking pretty good for Mission’s football team after senior Jarred Brown took over the first quarter.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Swim team to announce name

POLSON – The Mission Valley Aquatics Center’s swim team will unveil its team name on Sunday, Oct. 27 at its fall kick-off event.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Prep football predictons, Oct. 25

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Pirate runners ready for state

WHITEFISH — Nineteen of Polson’s 21 cross country runners posted season-best times at Saturday’s Northwest A Conference championship meet in Whitefish, but it wasn’t enough for either the boys or girls teams to top the conference.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

SKC teams prepare for basketball season

PABLO — With longevity in coaching on both sides, the Salish Kootenai College basketball programs are expecting big things this coming season.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Ronan runs past Bulldogs

RONAN — In yet another chapter of the Jekyll-and-Hyde season Ronan football has had, the Chiefs’ offense exploded for 39 first-half points on the way to a 44-19 demolition of Mission.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Bulldogs lose to Loyola in senior day bout

ST. IGNATIUS — Anybody in Mission’s gym on Saturday afternoon could feel the intensity.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Polson tames Blue Ponies

POLSON — Led by a host of seniors on Senior Night, Polson’s football hasn’t looked any better than they did in Friday’s 52-20 blowout win over visiting Havre.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Ronan hosts Class B race

RONAN — Ronan cross country coach Noelle Decker didn’t expect her girls to keep up with Bigfork’s Makena Morley.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Drummond puts end to Charlo's perfect season

CHARLO — Charlo’s football team managed to dodge a few bullets in the first quarter, converting a pair of suspenseful fourth-and-goal situations, but it was there that the Vikings’ luck ran out.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Postseason run short-lived for Polson girls

BILLINGS — Polson’s girls soccer team had a short-lived playoff run, falling 5-0 to Billings Central in a first-round game on Saturday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Locals part of team enshrined in Montana-Western Hall of Fame

DILLON — Lake County men Jay Krantz and Jim Petersen were inducted into the University of Montana-Western Athletic Hall of Fame along with the rest of the 1977 UMW football team last month at the university’s homecoming.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Prep football predictions, Oct. 18

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Polson boys defeat C-Falls, fall to Libby

POLSON — Sutton Kanta’s goal in the 66th minute of Polson’s contest with Columbia Falls last Tuesday was more than just his first, it was the team’s ticket into the win column.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Polson youth soccer in full swing

The Polson Youth Soccer Association’s season is well underway, with more than 200 kids ages 5-14 enrolled for the fall season. They play games on Sunday afternoons at the Kerr Dam fields.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Prep football predictions, Oct. 11

Arlee (2-4) at Superior (4-2)
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Cross country update

At Hamilton, Polson’s girls won the Hamilton Invitational behind top-10 finishes from Claudia Hewston (third), Isabella Seemann (eighth) and Tegan Bauer (ninth).
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Pirate volleyball closes out Jackets

POLSON — “Indefinitely” apparently doesn’t suggest a very long period of time to Polson’s Jaiden Toth.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Cleveland nets pair as Pirates boot Vals

For a goalkeeper, nothing can be more exciting than the thought of scoring a goal yourself.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Polson boys soccer briefs

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

THREE-PEAT!

POLSON — Make it three in a row for the Polson girls golf team.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Bulldogs fall to Florence

ST. IGNATIUS — Florence’s previously winless record must seem an apparition to Mission’s football team following a 25-0 defeat.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Whitefish hands Polson conference loss

WHITEFISH — The Pirates (3-2, 1-1) struggled on offense, turning the ball over five times in the road defeat.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Wardens arrest Chiefs' offense

DEER LODGE — Deer Lodge completed a consecutive-weeks sweep of Lake County’s Class B schools, this time pummeling Ronan, 49-15.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Rausch to play in the WCL next summer

Tim Rausch, a 2010 graduate of Polson High School and former Mission Valley Mariner, will be playing summer baseball in the collegiate West Coast League next summer.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Polson grad brought into Bobcat Hall of Fame

BOZEMAN — Polson’s Neal Smith was known more for his basketball abilities when in high school, but now he will forever be remembered as one of the best football players in the history of Montana State University.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Prep Football Predictions, Oct. 4

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Home Sweet Homecoming

POLSON — Polson’s Pirates got plenty of good news in Friday’s 32-22 homecoming win over Frenchtown.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Chiefs fall to reigning champ

RONAN — Jim Benn was pretty straight-forward when it comes to evaluating how his Ronan Chiefs got beat Friday: Loyola Sacred Heart is just that good.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Polson golf readies for state

Peyton Anderson (pictured) led the Pirates’ effort last week, finishing second at the Western A Divisional tournament on Thursday with a round of 89. Jaylin Kenney’s 90 was good enough for third place. The Polson girls team finished second to Whitefish in both Divisionals and the Flatfish Tournament over the …
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Prep football roundup

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Cross country teams compete in Missoula

MISSOULA — All five Lake County high school cross country programs participated at the Mountain West Invitational on Saturday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

SOCCER: Pirate girls tie C-Falls

COLUMBIA FALLS — Polson’s girls soccer team notched its first tick in the tie column this season, drawing 0-0 with Columbia Falls on Thursday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Leaps and Pounds

POLSON — He steps out the door of his sister’s house on the hill above Polson High School and starts jogging down the hill.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Prep Football Predictions, Sept. 27

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

COLUMN: High school realignment

After Ronan’s football team dump-trucked Troy two weeks ago, Troy coach Jim Dasios gave me a monologue on the unfairness surrounding the Montana High School Association classification system.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Prep Football Preview and Predictions: Sept. 20

Polson (1-1) at Browning (1-2)
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Cross Country Update: Visitors dominate Ronan run

RONAN — Mission Mountain Golf Course was filled with runners rather than golfers on Friday afternoon for the Ronan Invitational.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Polson girls soccer posts 1-1 week

Perhaps it’s early to be looking at standings, but Polson’s girls soccer team sits tied atop the Northern A district.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Prep Volleyball Update

from Tuesday, Sept. 10
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Pirates run in Cut Bank

CUT BANK — Claudia Hewston highlighted Polson’s season-opening cross country meet, finishing sixth in the Mike Reynolds Cross Country Time Trials in Cut Bank on Friday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Polson boys get off to tough start

POLSON — Three home games to open the season didn’t result in the home-field advantage that Jess Kittle and Polson’s boys soccer team were hoping for.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Prep Football Predictions, Sept. 13

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Pirates net early wins

POLSON — Polson’s girls soccer team got back on the right track Saturday with a 2-0 victory over visiting Park.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Chiefs drop first game

RONAN — Ronan’s defense showed up to play on Friday night.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Pirates dammed up

POLSON — A 44-9 defeat at the hands of Dillon was not the way the Polson Pirates football team wanted to open 2013, but it’s the way it happened.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Whitehall shuts out St. Ignatius in home opener

ST. IGNATIUS — Following a blowout loss at Eureka in their first game of the season, things got no better for the Mission Bulldogs on their home turf.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Seeley knocks Arlee to 0-2

SEELEY LAKE — Perhaps it was about time Seeley-Swan won a football game.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Polson volleyball wins home debut

POLSON — Polson fans call outside hitter Chloie Huerta “the hammer.”
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Hitting the road

ST. IGNATIUS — In an atmosphere fitting for the opening of district play, Ronan overcame the Mission Bulldogs and a feisty crowd to win a hard-fought 17-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-22 match.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Charlo out swinging

CHARLO — Sheryl Kain should be satisfied with Charlo volleyball’s start to the season.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Yacht club races on Labor Day

DAYTON — While Labor Day marks the end of the summer for most boaters on Flathead Lake, the South Flathead Yacht Club has made a tradition of ending the warm season with a bang.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

PBGC staff plays for troops' families

POLSON — Two Polson men spent Labor Day on the links to support Patriot Golf Day. Roger Wallace (right), director of golf at Polson Bay Golf Course and Cameron Milton (left), the course’s head professional played 100 holes on Monday, Sept. 2 to support the Folds of Honor Foundation, a …
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Police respond to shots fired outside of Ronan

RONAN — Police responded to a call saying shots were fired on Timberlane Road outside of Ronan on Friday morning.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Prep Football Preview/Predictions: Week 2

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Polson XC sets the tone

POLSON — Before they have even competed against other teams, Polson’s girls cross country squad is already making history.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Tip-off gets teams on court

ST. IGNATIUS — Mission’s tip-off volleyball tournament hosted a number of area Class B teams on Saturday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Arlee volleyball off to hot start

ARLEE — Coach Brian BigSam’s Arlee Scarlets opened up the 2013 season with an impressive four-set win over Mission.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

SKC boosters tee off for scholarships

PABLO – Supporters of Salish Kootenai College and KSKC-TV hit the links for a 22nd straight year on Friday at Silver Fox Golf Course.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

High School Football Predictions: Week 1

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Diving In

POLSON – Less than four months after the opening of the Mission Valley Aquatic Center, the pool hosted its first ever swim meet.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Pirate girls place third in Missoula

MISSOULA — Playing short-handed and up against the big dogs didn’t intimidate Polson’s girls golf team last week.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

PHS girls soccer ready to play

POLSON — Despite playing with eight girls who had never played soccer before, Polson High School’s girls soccer team posted a 3-5-1 record in 2012.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Polson Boys Soccer Preview

Entering his ninth season at the helm of the Polson boys program, Coach Jess Kittle is looking for his team to make a trip to the postseason. His squad missed the playoffs last season for the first time in three years.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

High School Volleyball Previews

ARLEE
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Midnight Mayhem

Small towns in Montana are generally asleep in the wee hours of a Friday morning, but anyone driving through Charlo or Arlee after midnight on Aug. 16 saw the brightest lights in town over the football fields.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

2013 High School Football Previews

ARLEE
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

An "Epic" day on the lake

POLSON — A marathon is a long way to run. It’s an even longer trip by paddle.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

On an even keel

DAYTON — When Jim Lekander came to Dayton in 1982, he saw a near perfect environment for sailing.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Hitting the links

POLSON — Polson’s golf team will be the first high school club in the area to open practice today.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Polson graduates prepare for college soccer season

Four local men will continue their college soccer careers this fall at various institutions.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Polson hosts junior rodeo

POLSON — Lisa and Cliff Milliron’s children are grown, but they still host the Southwest Youth Rodeo Association on their land behind the Jette Store.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Two Mariners named all-state

BOZEMAN — Two Mission Valley Mariners were honored on the Universal Athletic American Legion All-State team in the Class A category last week.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Whitefish are biting on Flathead Lake

According to fishing guru Dick Zimmer, the whitefish are out and biting at a few hot spots around Flathead Lake.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Wild horses

RONAN — Working through drenching rain and hail, three Ronan men truly tamed the wild in front of a crowd on Friday and Saturday.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Ronan 3-on-3 stays strong

RONAN — Yet again at the Pioneer Days 3-on-3 “Jam”boree, Desert Horse rode off into the sunset victorious.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Showtime at SKC

PABLO — Michael Cooper teaches five “Ds” for success: determination, dedication, desire, discipline and decision-making.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Local athletes poised to leave for collegiate football camps

Over the next couple of weeks, many of the area’s foremost athletes will again don their pads and hit the gridiron for a new college football season.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Swimmers find their strokes

POLSON – Backstroke. Breaststroke. Butterfly. Freestyle.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Mariners season ends early

EUREKA — The Mission Valley Mariners’ season came to a sooner-than-expected end on Sunday afternoon with a 7-6 loss to the Bitterroot Bucs in the Western A American Legion baseball district tournament.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Could annual whitefish bite occur?

The annual whitefish bite that many anglers look forward to is behind schedule and may not occur at all, according to some local experts.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Inside those lines

If Robert Louis Stevenson were writing today, the Mission Valley Mariners could be easily convinced that the plot from the “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” came straight from one of their own.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Local kids impact Shrine Game

BUTTE — Four area football stars helped lead the Treasure State’s western half to its fifth victory in six years in the 67th Annual Montana Shrine Game, played Saturday night at Butte High School.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Crawford hits power surge

You can tell quite a lot about a baseball player by his walk-out song—the music he chooses to walk to the plate with.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Ronan camp teaches basics

RONAN — Thanks to two grants from the United States Tennis Association, Lake County children enjoyed a free four-day tennis camp in Ronan last week.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Knight places in rodeo nationals

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. — Not many high school students get the chance to compete on a national stage in their sports.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Mariners ready for district

POLSON — Not many top seeds know that they have already played their final home game of the season, but that is the case for the Mission Valley Mariners.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Polson ready for 3-on-3 tourney

POLSON — For the 21st consecutive year, downtown Polson will be overrun by hoops, headbands, and the unmistakable sound of basketballs being dribbled this coming weekend.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Dragon boats buoy Cherry Festival

POLSON — Dragon boats took the water in Flathead Lake yet again on Sunday, this time as an exposition at the annual Flathead Cherry Festival.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Family Tradition

The Montana Shrine Game is becoming a rite of passage into manhood for two Polson families.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Campers hit mats at St. Ignatius HS

ST. IGNATIUS — Promoting a winter sport in mid-July is harder than you may think, according to St. Ignatius-Charlo wrestling coach Lyle Cronk.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Area teams compete in travel softball state

HELENA — Softball players from around the region traveled to the state’s capital to compete in the Amateur Softball Association of America’s state tournament over the weekend.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Taming dragons on Flathead Lake

Synchronicity: an apparently meaningful coincidence in time of two or more similar or identical events.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

COLUMN: The baseball gods do exist!

Whatever you choose to call it—the baseball gods, karma, reciprocity—it exists.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Bri's Run a way to honor fallen friend

POLSON — It is often hard to find the best way to help a friend in need.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Polson softball prepared for state

POLSON — Nine players is all a softball team needs, and for the 16U Polson Purple Rain, that couldn’t be better news.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Mariners light up Firecracker

POLSON — Coach Jami Hanson can’t exactly remember the last time the Mission Valley Mariners lost their annual Firecracker Tournament.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Rodeo ropes Polson in

POLSON — Cally Otoupalik was the local star of this past weekend’s Mission Mountain Rodeo, held Friday and Saturday evening at the Polson Fairgrounds.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Mission girl plays under big league lights

Autumn Porter had never been to a Major League Baseball game before June 23, but her experience at one that day was one she will never forget.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

SKC hosts native games

PABLO — Craig Falcon has been researching traditional native games for almost 23 years.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO