TERRY COLUMN: Smoking out practice time proves tough

The Glacier boys soccer team held an outdoor practice session just once this week.

Flathead cross country had to practice in the long hallways of Flathead High School before pulling some strings to get a few hours of time running laps on the indoor track at The Summit.

The regular season for high school football, cross country and boys and girls soccer opens this weekend. As wildfires in northwest Montana near 80,000 acres, the resulting smoke and poor air quality has threatened to throw the schedule into a mess and has already disrupted practices throughout the region.

To counter the loss of practice time, coaches have had to get creative.

“We’re not quite doing what I’d like to be doing right now,” Flathead boys cross country coach Paul Jorgenson said. “It’s as good as we’ve got.”

The morning has been a reprieve for most, including the Braves, who have used the clearer hours of the day to fit in some practice time. With smoke still looming this weekend, Flathead even moved its time trials meet from the mid-afternoon at Rebecca Farm to 7 a.m. at Lawrence Park, giving coaches and marshals more time to set up the course and athletes hopefully cleaner air to breathe.

The last time the hall of fame coach remembers fire season nearing this level of air quality was back in 2003, noting that it didn’t last as long the last time around.

Working indoors, the Braves have had time to work on speed drills and other nuances of the sport, but it hasn’t been able to replace the amount of time needed to get fully ready for the season, especially for a sport where running isn’t done on a flat surface.

“It’s not like going outside and running 7-8 miles,” Jorgenson said.

Ryan Billiet, the second-year coach of the Glacier boys soccer team, has had his athletes play dodgeball and futsol (indoor soccer), while working on footwork and agility drills while confined inside.

The Wolfpack, who made the Class AA semifinals last year and return all but three players, will likely be behind their competitors as they begin their weekend in Great Falls. With jamboree games against fellow state title contenders Bozeman and Great Falls C.M. Russell, the time on the field may likely be Glacier’s first as a full squad.

“We got done with tryouts and this is what we’ve been faced with since,” Billiet said. “I haven’t had a good look (at the players). Hopefully the smoke will hold so we can get a look at some of these guys.”

Billiet said he also sees the bright side of staying off the pitch early in the season.

“It’s a blessing in disguise,” Billiet said. “Two-a-days are rough on players anyway. This builds up that hunger and desire for guys to want to play.”

In Columbia Falls, the Wildkats soccer team was able to see the field Wednesday, but also faces a tough task to open the season. With limited time for conditioning and with practice time decided seemingly by a change in wind direction, the girls are at a disadvantage starting their season with four games against title contenders from the relatively clear-skied Southern half of the state.

Columbia Falls is scheduled to host Livingston and Belgrade next weekend before a trip to the Billings area for a state title rematch against Laurel and a matchup against perennial contender Billings Central.

“It’s a tough start,” Columbia Falls coach Greg Trenerry said.

Smoke may have more of a say in how much of the season is played.

Libby, which is hosting the opening cross country meet of the season on Saturday, is still holding out hope to keep everything as scheduled.

Glacier, Bigfork and Eureka football games will be near game-time decisions on Friday. Missoula Hellgate already made the decision to forfeit a home contest and play its opening game at Bozeman to be safe.

While cancelling meets and games is a last resort, it’s always much more preferable to harming the students playing them.

“When you go out and run, you’re breathing hard and you’re breathing all that stuff into your lungs, it’s not good,” Jorgenson said.

“It’s definitely a thing you have to worry about. You don’t want to put the kids in jeopardy.”