Keeping Score: Intense volleyball matchups and football quarterfinal results

Welcome everybody to the Keeping Score podcast presented by Corwin Motors, I am your host, Josh Amick. This week’s episode, volleyball playoffs are in full swing and a couple of tough second round battles in the playoffs leaves just one football team in the Valley still standing, let’s get into it. 

In Class A divisional tournament on Thursday and Friday, Whitefish beat Corvallis 3 sets to none, lost to Dillon 3 sets to 2 before losing to Bigfork 3 sets to 0 to end their divisionals.  

Bigfork lost to Frenchtown 3 sets to 1, before bouncing back and beating Hamilton and Columbia Falls 3-1 and 3-2. In the third-place game, Frenchtown beat them again 3-0, so Bigfork will go into the state tournament as the 3 seed and will play Hardin at 10 a.m. Thursday. 

Columbia Falls lost their first matchup 3-0 to Dillon who later won the divisionals. Cfalls would beat Corvallis 3-0 and Polson 3-2 and their loss to Bigfork placed them as the 4th seed. They will play 14-1 Billings Central at 4 p.m. on Thursday. 

In Class AA Flathead lost to Hellgate 3 sets to 0 to finish their season and hopes at state. They finished with a 7-18 record.  

Glacier won their matchup with Butte 3 sets to 2 which qualified them for state.  Their win is rewarded by being the 4th seed and facing top-ranked Gallatin who finished 24-1 at 10 a.m. Thursday. 

That is it for volleyball, let’s get into the Valley football recap. 

Whitefish struggled in their second-round matchup with Billings Central as they jumped out to an early 49-7 lead in the first half. They tried to comeback in the fourth quarter but ultimately lost, 55-21 to end their season. 

Columbia Falls found themselves in an early hole as well, down 28-0 in the third quarter at Laurel but the Wildcats clawed back. Reggie Sapa ran in a touchdown and Jett Pitts caught a 37-yard touchdown pass from Banyan Johnston. 

Laurel scored again to extend their lead 35-14 before Johnston scored twice on a 10- and 3-yard run. They would not complete the comeback and lost with a final of 35-28.  

As the only team with a home matchup last week, Butte gave Glacier all they could hand the Wolfpack pulled out the win 48-38 and advanced to the next round of playoffs. 

Easton Kauffman started the scoring for the Wolfpack with a 60-yard interception return. Kobe Dorcheus finished the day with 3 touchdowns and Glacier advanced to play undefeated Gallatin at 7 p.m. Friday in the semifinals. 

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