Football: Playoffs begin Saturday in NW Montana
Bigfork and Columbia Falls will open football playoff action on Saturday with home games.
Bigfork (7-1) entertains Deer Lodge (7-2) at 1 p.m. Bigfork claimed the District 7B championship with a 4-0 mark while Deer Lodge was second behind Missoula Loyola in 6B.
In Class A, Columbia Falls (7-1) hosts Hamilton (6-2) for a 2 p.m. kickoff. Those two teams met the second weekend of the regular season — Sept. 5 — in Hamilton with Columbia Falls pulling out a 14-9 victory.
Whitefish (7-2) has a first-round bye in Class A along with Butte Central (8-1), Belgrade (8-1) and Billings Central (6-2). Those four schools won regular-season titles in their respective divisions and will be the home sites for quarterfinal play on Nov. 8.
Eureka (3-6), which won a tie-breaker to claim the No. 2 seed from 7B, plays at Glasgow on Saturday at 1 p.m. Glasgow is the top seed from 2B.
Semifinal action for all classes will be held Nov. 15 with championship games on Nov. 22.
High School Football Playoffs
First Round Games
Class A
Friday
7 p.m. — Frenchtown (3-6) at Dillon (6-2)
Saturday
Noon — Havre (4-5) at Miles City (7-2)
1:30 p.m. — Laurel (6-3) at Lewistown (6-2)
2 p.m. — Hamilton (6-3) at Columbia Falls (7-1)
Byes: Whitefish (7-2), Butte Central (8-1), Belgrade (8-1), Billings Central (6-2)
Class B
Friday
7 p.m. — Choteau (6-2) at Fairfield (8-0)
Saturday
All Times 1 p.m.
Forsyth (6-2) at Townsend (7-1)
Baker (5-3) at Columbus (5-4)
Eureka (3-6) at Glasgow (9-0)
Conrad (6-2) at Missoula Loyola (5-3)
Boulder (8-1) at Huntley Project (9-0)
Deer Lodge (7-2) at Bigfork (7-1)
Roundup (4-4) at Malta (5-3)
Class C
6 Players
Saturday
All times 1 p.m. unless otherwise noted
Alberton at Stanford/Geyser/Denton
Richey/Lambert at Custer/Hysham
Sunburst at Hot Springs
Roy/Winifred at Westby/Grenora
Bridger at Savage
North Star at Lone Peak, 2 p.m.
Terry at Hobson/Moore/Judith Gap
Lima at Geraldine/Highwood
8 Players
Saturday
All Times 1 p.m.
Culbertson/Bainville at Ennis
Charlo at Simms
Gardiner at Wibaux County
Great Falls Catholic Central at Arlee
Victor at Chinook
Broadus at Twin Bridges
Belt at Drummond/Granite
White Sulphur Springs at Fairview