Basketball polls: C-Falls, Bigfork at top of the class
Columbia Falls and Bigfork found both of their teams ranked in this week’s Montana Associated Press high school basketball polls, released on Thursday.
The Columbia Falls girls continue to lead Class A, despite dropping their first game of the season at Class AA Glacier. Billings Central, whose only loss has come against a Class AA school as well, came in at second, with Hamilton in third. Laurel and Havre rounded out the top five. Frenchtown, who the Wildkats will play this weekend, received votes in the poll.
The Wildcats snuck in the Class A boys poll at No. 5, tied with Browning, last week’s fifth-ranked team. Dillon, the lone undefeated team in the class, held on to the top spot, followed by Butte Central, Laurel and Glendive.
The Bigfork boys remain in second place in Class B, still a point behind Glasgow. The Scotties dropped their first game of the season, at Class A No. 4 Glendive, on Tuesday to fall from the ranks of the unbeatens. Bigfork is Class B’s last unblemished program.
Forsyth, Malta and Boulder make up the rest of the top five, with Lodge Grass, Columbus, Huntley Project, Townsend and Joliet rounding out the top 10.
The Valkyries made their first appearance in the polls this week, ranked 10th in Class B. Fairfield, whose win streak is nearing 90 games, is the unanimous top choice followed by Deer Lodge, Malta, Forsyth and Manhattan in the top five. Loyola, Choteau, Colstrip and Plains make up the rest of the top 10.
Glacier received a fifth-place vote in the Class AA girls poll, falling just out of the top five. Two-time defending champions Missoula Sentinel held on to the top spot, with Great Falls High, Helena Capital, Billings West and Billings Senior also making the rankings.
Capital was the unanimous top choice in the Class AA boys poll, with West, Sentinel, Bozeman and Senior all in the top five.
Box Elder leads the Class C boys poll, with Belt leading the girls.
Prep Basketball Poll
BOYS
Class AA
Record Pts Prv
1. Helena Capital (8) 8-1 80 1
2. Billings West 7-2 69 3
3. Missoula Sentinel 6-2 60 4
4. Bozeman 6-2 52 2
5. Billings Senior 5-3 35 5
Others receiving votes: Billings Skyview 18, Missoula Hellgate 6.
Class A
Record Pts Prv
1. Dillon (8) 9-0 80 1
2. Butte Central 9-1 71 2
3. Laurel 8-2 64 4
4. Glendive 8-1 57 3
5. Columbia Falls 7-2 18 NR
tie Browning 6-2 18 5
Others receiving votes: Billings Central 6, Frenchtown 6.
Class B
Record Pts Prv
1. Glasgow (4) 10-1 76 1
2. Bigfork (4) 10-0 75 2
3. Forsyth 9-1 60 5
4. Malta 8-2 49 4
5. Jefferson (Boulder) 9-1 47 6
6. Lodge Grass 8-2 41 3
7. Columbus 8-2 38 8
8. Huntley Project 7-3 13 NR
9. Townsend 7-3 9 7
10. Joliet 8-2 8 NR
Others receiving votes: Choteau 7, Missoula Loyola 6, Whitehall 5, Florence 4, Big Timber 2.
Class C
Record Pts Prv
1. Box Elder (6) 9-0 69 1
2. Superior 11-0 55 2
3. Fairview 10-0 54 3
4. Power (1) 10-0 45 8
5. Highwood 9-1 36 5
6. Denton-Geyser-Stanford 9-1 34 4
tie Wibaux 8-1 26 7
8. Plenty Coups 9-1 19 NR
9. Ennis 8-2 15 NR
10. Circle 8-3 11 6
Others receiving votes: Hinsdale 9, Broadus 6, Nashua 3, Belt 1, Broadview-Lavina 1, Westby-Grenora 1.
Girls
Class AA
Record Pts Prv
1. Missoula Sentinel (8) 8-0 80 1
2. Great Falls 8-1 72 3
3. Helena Capital 8-1 62 2
4. Billings West 7-2 53 4
5. Billings Senior 7-2 47 NR
Others receiving votes: Glacier 6.
Class A
Record Pts Prv
1. Columbia Falls (4) 8-1 74 1
2. Billings Central (2) 9-1 69 2
3. Hamilton (2) 9-1 68 3
4. Laurel 8-2 59 5
5. Havre 7-3 26 NR
Others receiving votes: Dillon 12, Frenchtown 12.
Class B
Record Pts Prv
1. Fairfield (8) 10-0 80 1
2. Deer Lodge 10-0 69 2
3. Malta 10-0 61 3
4. Forsyth 10-0 57 4
5. Manhattan 8-2 30 10
6. Missoula Loyola 8-2 29 9
7. Choteau 8-1 28 6
8. Colstrip 8-2 25 5
tie Plains 8-2 25 7
10. Bigfork 8-2 14 NR
Others receiving votes: Shepherd 12, Wolf Point 10.
Class C
Record Pts Prv
1. Belt (6) 8-1 60 1
2. Saco-Whitewater (1) 11-0 54 2
3. Harlowton-Ryegate 10-0 47 3
4. Harrison-Willow Creek 10-0 44 4
5. Fairview 10-0 43 5
6. Seeley-Swan 10-0 40 6
7. Chinook 9-0 31 9
8. Chester-Joplin-Inverness 9-1 18 7
9. Wibaux 7-1 9 NR
10. Gardiner 9-1 8 NR
tie Charlo 9-1 8 8
Others receiving votes: Hinsdale 6, Arlee 5, Broadview-Lavina 4, Grass Range-Winnett 3, Circle 3, Broadus 2.