Bigfork boys, girls move up in hoop polls

by The Daily Inter Lake
| February 4, 2010 2:00 AM

The Bigfork Vikings have earned a third-place ranking in Class B in the latest Associated Press statewide high school boys basketball poll.

The Vikings (13-1 overall, 8-0 in District 7B), are riding a 10-game win streak into the final stretch of the season. The Vikes, ranked fourth last week, have perhaps their toughest remaining test tonight at home against fifth-ranked Plains (13-1, 5-1), whose only loss of the season came to Bigfork. The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

The Bigfork girls continue to climb the ranks as well and moved up to seventh place in the latest poll. The Valkyries (11-3, 8-0) head to Plains on Thursday.

The District 7B tournament starts Feb. 18 for boys and girls in Libby. The Northwestern A divisional tournament starts Feb. 25 at Glacier High.

Other area teams to rank in their respective polls are: the fifth-place Polson girls (11-2, 4-0 in Northwestern A); and the second-ranked Columbia Falls boys (11-2, 3-0 in Northwestern A).

Montana Prep Poll

The Top Ten teams in the Associated Press Montana high school basketball poll with first-place votes in parentheses and win-loss records through Sat. Jan 30, total points and position last week at right:

BOYS

Class AA

Record Pts Prv

1. Billings West (6) 9-1 94 3

2. Great Falls Russell (3) 11-1 91 2

3. Billings Senior (1) 11-1 85 1

4. Bozeman 9-3 65 4

5. Billings Skyview 9-3 59 5

Others receiving votes: Missoula Sentinel 6.

Class A

Record Pts Prv

1. Laurel (10) 13-1 100 1

2. Columbia Falls 11-2 89 2

3. Browning 11-3 75 4

4. Glendive 9-3 74 3

5. Belgrade 9-5 31

Others receiving votes: Dillon 25. Stevensville 6.

Class B

Record Pts Prv

1. Rocky Boy (9) 13-0 99 1

2. Florence (1) 12-1 86 3

3. Bigfork 13-1 77 4

4. Missoula Loyola 11-2 62 2

5. Plains 13-0 58 5

6. Shepherd 12-2 53 7

7. Huntley Project 9-3 34 9

8. Malta 9-3 23 9

9. Whitehall 9-4 13

(tie) Boulder 9-4 13 8

Others receiving votes: Conrad 12. Manhattan 9. Fairfield 5. Wolf Point 3. Three Forks 2. Columbus 1.

Class C

Record Pts Prv

1. Winifred (8) 13-0 98 2

2. Joliet (1) 15-0 89 3

3. Fairview 14-1 73 8

4. Culbertson (1) 13-1 62 1

5. Arlee 11-1 60 4

6. Wibaux 12-1 38 9

7. Twin Bridges 10-1 33 5

(tie) Belt 12-1 33 10

9. Drummond 12-2 30 6

10. Big Sandy 11-2 17 7

Others receiving votes: Centerville 6. Circle 4. Whitewater 3. Shields Valley 2. St. Labre 1. Roy 1.

Class AA

Record Pts Prv

1. Missoula Sentinel (9) 12-0 90 2

2. Bozeman 11-1 79 1

3. Great Falls Russell 9-3 65 4

4. Butte 9-2 63 3

5. Missoula Big Sky 8-4 44 5

Others receiving votes: Helena 12. Billings Senior 7.

Class A

Record Pts Prv

1. Anaconda (6) 10-1 87 1

2. Livingston (1) 11-1 75 3

3. Sidney (2) 9-2 73 2

4. Billings Central 10-2 65 4

5. Polson 11-2 53 5

Others receiving votes: Miles City 7.

Class B

Record Pts Prv

1. Malta (8) 11-0 89 1

2. Fairfield (1) 11-1 82 2

3. Missoula Loyola 12-1 71 3

4. Shepherd 11-2 63 4

5. Choteau 11-2 51 5

6. Manhattan Christian 11-3 32 6

7. Bigfork 11-3 30 10

8. Florence 12-1 29 7

9. Broadus 9-3 27 8

10. Three Forks 11-4 13

Others receiving votes: Wolf Point 7. Whitehall 1.

Class C

Record Pts Prv

1. Harlowton-Ryegate (7) 13-0 87 1

2. Fairview (1) 14-0 80 2

3. Belt (1) 13-1 72 3

4. Winifred 11-1 59 4

5. Hot Springs 13-1 47 5

6. Saco 12-1 42 6

7. Roberts 14-1 39 8

8. Twin Bridges 9-2 20 6

9. Terry 14-1 14

10. Culbertson 12-2 12 10

Others receiving votes: Drummond 11. Seeley-Swan 8. Chester-Joplin-Inverness 2. Joliet 1. Scobey-Peerless 1.