Class A soccer in semis; AA starts with play-in matches
The Daily Inter Lake
High School playoff soccer action in Class A moves into the semifinal round this weekend, while Class AA hosts several state tournament play-in matches, starting Thursday.
So, here's the lineup …
In Class A, for the boys, all three postseason participants from Northwestern A are still alive as two-time defending state champion Whitefish journeys to Billings Central, and 2007 state runner-up Libby entertains Bigfork. Both matches start Saturday at 1 p.m.
Whitefish, 12-0-1, has not lost in 43 straight matches.
Billings Central, 10-1-1, is the Eastern A regular-season champion.
Libby is 8-4-1 and Bigfork 3-7-2 finished second and third, respectively, in Northwestern A behind Whitefish.
For the girls, two Northwestern A teams have advanced - Libby and Whitefish. They finished 1-2, respectively, in league play. Columbia Falls, third place from Northwestern A, was knocked out in overtime last Saturday by Hamilton, 5-4, the Southern A champions.
Libby, 11-1-1, travels to Billings Central, 10-0-2, and Hamilton, 12-0-1, entertains Whitefish, 8-3-2, on Saturday. The Libby match begins at 11 a.m., the Whitefish match at 1 p.m.
In Class AA, the Eastern and Western AA winners, boys and girls, receive automatic berths to the state tournament, which begins Oct. 30 in Great Falls. The remaining teams are involved in play-in matches to determine the Nos. 2-3-4 seeds from both divisions.
In Western AA girls, Flathead, 5-3-4, hosts Glacier, 4-6-2, on Thursday at 4 p.m. at Kidsports Complex. Flathead finished fourth in Western AA and Glacier fifth. This will mark the third meeting of the season between the two city rivals. The Bravettes won the two earlier meetings, 4-3 and 3-2.
In Western AA boys, Missoula Sentinel, the sixth place finisher, visits Flathead, third place, on Friday at 4 p.m. at Kidsports Complex. In two regular-season meetings, there was a 1-1 tie and Flathead, 6-5-1, won the other battle 1-0.
Helena Capital, fourth, hosts Glacier, also on Friday at 4 p.m. That series this fall ended in a 0-0 tie, and Glacier, 5-5-2, lost 5-3.
Class A
Seeds in parenthesis
Boys
Saturday
Semifinals
1 p.m. - Whitefish (1N) at Billings Central (1E)
1 p.m. - Bigfork (3N) at Libby (2N)
Girls
Saturday
Semifinals
11 a.m. - Libby (1N) at Billings Central (1E)
1 p.m. - Whitefish (2N) at Hamilton (1S)
Western AA
Seeds in parenthesis
Boys
Helena High (1) bye to state
Today
4 p.m. - Missoula Big Sky (7) at Missoula Hellgate (2)
Friday
4 p.m. - Missoula Sentinel (6) at Flathead (3)
4 p.m. - Glacier (5) at Helena Capital (4)
Girls
Missoula Hellgate (1) bye to state
Thursday
4 p.m. - Missoula Sentinel (7) at Helena High (2)
4 p.m. - Glacier (5) at Flathead (4)
Saturday
4 p.m. - Helena Capital (6) at Missoula Big Sky (3)
Eastern AA
Seeds in parenthesis
Boys
Billings West (1) bye to state
Thursday
3:30 p.m. - Billings Senior (6) and Billings Skyview (3)
4 p.m. - Butte (7) at Bozeman (2)
Friday
3:45 p.m. - Great Falls High (5) at Great Falls C.M. Russell (4)
Girls
Bozeman (1) bye to state
Today
3:30 p.m. - Billings Skyview (5) at Billings Senior (4)
Thursday
6 p.m. - Butte (7) at Billings West (2)
Saturday
3 p.m. - Great Falls High (6) and Great Falls C.M. Russell (3)