C-Falls, Bigfork take top spots in first hoops poll

by The Daily Inter Lake
| January 7, 2015 11:23 PM

Columbia Falls is the class of Class A and the Bigfork boys ride their 31-game unbeaten streak to the top spot in Class B in the first Associated Press Montana prep basketball poll of the season, released on Wednesday.

Defending state champions Columbia Falls (6-1) and Bigfork (5-0) easily grabbed the top spots in the boys polls, the Wildcats collecting five out of seven first-place votes and the Vikings seven of eight.

Glacier (4-2) was the only team receiving votes in the boys Class AA poll, which is topped by Missoula Hellgate, one of two undefeated teams in the state along with No. 2 Billings West. Box Elder edged Highwood and Denton-Stanford-Geyser for the top spot in Class C.

The Columbia Falls Wildkats (7-0) carried their undefeated record to the top spot in Class A. The Glacier girls (4-1) trail only Helena Capital (4-1) in Class AA, claiming the second-place ranking in the poll. Bigfork (4-1) is seventh in Class B.

Fairfield, riding a 110-game winning streak, is the top team in Class B. Roy-Winifred is atop Class C.

Montana Basketball Prep Polls

Boys

Class AA

Record Pts Prv

1. Missoula Hellgate (5) 4-0 74 -

2. Billings West (2) 5-0 73 -

3. Helena Capital (1) 4-1 66 -

4. Bozeman 4-1 58 -

5. Billings Skyview 3-2 30 -

Others receiving votes: Glacier 19.

Class A

Record Pts Prv

1. Columbia Falls (5) 6-1 76 -

2. Dillon (1) 4-1 65 -

(tie)Havre (2) 5-1 65 -

4. Butte Central 4-1 63 -

5. Laurel 4-2 32 -

Others receiving votes: Sidney 13. Frenchtown 6.

Class B

Record Pts Prv

1. Bigfork (7) 5-0 78 -

2. Glasgow (1) 6-0 63 -

3. Choteau 5-0 60 -

4. Lodge Grass 6-0 47 -

5. Jefferson (Boulder) 5-1 38 -

6. Columbus 3-1 37 -

7. Big Timber 5-1 36 -

8. Missoula Loyola 5-1 27 -

9. Wolf Point 4-1 16 -

10. Shepherd 5-1 12 -

(tie)St. Labre 4-1 12 -

Others receiving votes: Thompson Falls 4. Rocky Boy 3. Lame Deer 3. Florence 2. Huntley Project 2.

Class C

Record Pts Prv

1. Box Elder (2) 5-1 50 -

2. Highwood (3) 5-0 49 -

(tie)Dntn-Stnfrd-Gysr (1) 5-0 49 -

4. Fairview 5-1 44 -

5. Hays-Lodgepole 6-0 35 -

6. Westby-Grenora 6-1 33 -

7. Arlee 6-0 26 -

8. Manhattan Christian (1) 6-0 24 -

9. Hinsdale 6-1 21 -

10. Belt 4-0 18 -

Others receiving votes: Sunburst 9. Park City 6. Broadus 5. Great Falls Central 5. Philipsburg 3. Twin Bridges 3. Culbertson 2. Ennis 2. Broadview-Lavina 1.

Girls

Class AA

Record Pts Prv

1. Helena Capital (3) 4-1 70 -

2. Glacier 4-1 60 -

3. Billings Senior (1) 4-1 52 -

4. Missoula Sentinel (3) 5-1 50 -

5. Bozeman (1) 3-1 40 -

Others receiving votes: Billings Skyview 34. Great Falls 14.

Class A

Record Pts Prv

1. Columbia Falls (6) 7-0 77 -

2. Laurel 5-1 64 -

3. Hamilton (1) 5-1 51 -

4. Butte Central 4-1 35 -

5. Dillon 4-2 30 -

Others receiving votes: Frenchtown 25. Havre 21. Hardin 10. Glendive 7.

Class B

Record Pts Prv

1. Fairfield (7) 6-0 78 -

2. Malta (1) 6-0 72 -

3. Manhattan 6-0 57 -

4. Choteau 6-0 56 -

5. Forsyth 6-0 40 -

6. Red Lodge 5-1 28 -

7. Bigfork 4-1 27 -

8. Colstrip 5-1 21 -

(tie)Rocky Boy 4-1 21 -

10. Wolf Point 4-1 11 -

Others receiving votes: Ronan 9. Three Forks 6. Shepherd 5. Plentywood 3. Baker 3.

Class C

Record Pts Prv

1. Roy-Winifred (4) 6-0 62 -

2. Belt 4-1 37 -

3. Darby (1) 6-0 31 -

(tie)Chstr-Jplin-Invrnss (1) 5-0 31 -

(tie)Saco-Whitewater 6-1 31 -

6. Seeley-Swan (1) 6-0 29 -

7. Geraldine Fort Benton 6-0 27 -

8. Fairview 5-1 23 -

9. Cascade 5-0 21 -

10. Charlo 6-0 19 -

Others receiving votes: Harrison-Willow Creek 17. Grass Range/Winnett 14. Circle 12. Twin Bridges 8. Park City 8. Chinook 6.