Crosstown times four: Wrestling at Flathead; hoops at Glacier
A basketball doubleheader at Glacier, a wrestling twin bill at Flathead, and a Legends Wall of Fame induction to boot. Friday is a big day in Kalispell for high school sports.
At 4 p.m. the girls’ wrestling team from Glacier will visit the Flathead gym for a cross town dual. In between that at the boys’ dual, at roughly 6 p.m., longtime Flathead teacher and coach Jeff Anderson will be inducted into the Wall of Fame.
Anderson is a 1982 Flathead graduate who posted an unbeaten wrestling season as a senior and, after a couple years at North West Junior College in Wyoming, was the lightest wrestler to compete in NCAA Division I, for Montana.
After earning degrees in biology, geology and heath enhancement, Anderson coached future Flathead wrestling coach Jeff Thompson at Great Falls High, and in fact preceded Thompson as the Brave Brawlers’ coach.
Aside from wrestling – Anderson led Team Montana to the USA Wrestling junior nationals for 10 years – he also coached tennis at both Great Falls and Flathead. He’ll be the 32nd member of the Wall of Fame, which began in 2004 to recognize Kalispell individuals who’ve “made significant contributions to the school community.”
Flathead boasts five girls’ ranked No. 1 at their weight classes; the Flathead boys have zero, though Noah Poe-Hatten is No. 2 at 160 pounds, as are Fin Nadeau (152) and Asher Kemppainen (138). Glacier’s Teegan Vasquez is No. 1 at 120 pounds.
Looking north, Glacier hosts the Flathead Bravettes’ basketball team at 6 p.m. and the Braves after. These are the first crosstown hoops matchups: Both the Flathead and Glacier girls are 1-2; Flathead’s boys are 2-2 and Glacier’s are 1-3.
One point of interest is whether the Glacier boys, who have played well at home, will get guard Keifer Spohnhauer back from an ankle injury.
“We don’t know yet,” Wolfpack coach Mark Harkins said early in the week. “We haven’t run him up and down the court. But progress has been very, very good. I’m hoping.”
Glacier’s issues on the road flared up last week with a 30-point loss at Missoula Hellgate, which two days before lost 57-55 on Flathead’s home floor.
Throw out all the scores in crosstown games, but also subtract the usual crowd: Local health codes still are limiting fans to two per participant.
“Flathead has amazing talent,” Harkins said. “This will be different because previously the kids drew a lot off that big crowd. I don’t think the intensity will be different but the atmosphere will be.”
Both girls’ teams beat Missoula Big Sky and lost to unbeaten Missoula Hellgate, though Glacier played the Knights well before losing in the final 10 seconds, 50-49.