FRITZ NEIGHBOR
SPORTS EDITOR
Fritz Neighbor is the Sports Editor for the Daily Inter Lake. He oversees sports coverage across the Flathead Valley, including high school athletics, youth sports, and regional competitions. In his leadership role, he helps shape the newspaper’s sports coverage and editorial direction. Fritz’s column, Full Count, taps into his decades’ long career covering Montana sports. You’ll also see Fritz sharing his thoughts and insights on the Big Sky Now podcast.
IMPACT: Fritz’s work celebrates the athletes and teams that bring Northwest Montana communities together.
Recent Stories
Prep Notes: Wildkats ready to forge ahead at Western A
A year ago the Columbia Falls Wildckats soared into the Western A Divisional with a 16-2 record and high hopes. They left 16-4, but with a handful of juniors ready to make amends.
Column: ‘House That Rob Built’ stands up
“The House That Rob Built,” documentary is now available for streaming, and I don’t want to tell you what to do, but if you have an extra eight or nine dollars you might plunk it down.
Pack, up big early, downs Flathead 52-42
Tuesday was Glacier’s turn to break serve, and the Wolfpack boys burned the nets early and put away Flathead late for a 52-42 crosstown basketball victory at the Flathead gym.
Smooth operator
Hunter Hickey gives Flathead a steady hand
Flathead senior hopes to play in Tuesday's crosstown matchup
Helena forges win over cold-shooting Bravettes
When Helena’s 44-30 girls’ basketball victory over Flathead had ended, and the home team had suffered through a 12-point second half, first-year Bravettes’ coach Sam Tudor had little to say.
Epperly, Braves go big, handle Helena Capital
Ezra Epperly started things in the right direction and Gabe Adams finished, and the Flathead Braves took a satisfying 58-46 home win over Helena Capital Thursday night.
Whitefish girls on comeback trail with winning season
In the six seasons before Bob Bolem took over as their head coach, the Whitefish Bulldogs girls’ basketball team averaged less than three wins a year.
Column: A dozen wins later, a lot to like in Bigfork
Seven weeks back the Bigfork boys’ basketball team was taking its lumps with back-to-back losses to Deer Lodge and Thompson Falls, and trundling along with a 2-2 record.
Big Knights hold down Wolfpack
A year removed from having two Division I recruits dominating play, the Missoula Hellgate Knights showed up at Glacier High and were still big and still good.
Braves go cold, Butte storms back in second half to win
The Flathead Braves weren’t very deep before losing starting guard Hunter Hickey, but they still played an excellent first half against Butte Saturday.
Postponements, venue changes for Valley prep sports continue
A wrestling cancellation by Flathead High and a pair of state basketball tournaments getting moved made Friday another full news day in the Valley.
Sorenson gets Wolfpack going, scores 17
One starter was out with a concussion, two more had foul problems and so the Glacier Wolfpack needed another answer for the Butte Bulldogs on Thursday.
Column: Vigen could be pearl of a hire for MSU
Brent Vigen’s first press conference as Montana State’s football coach was Zoomed around the state Wednesday, from a spot vacated rather unceremoniously by Jeff Choate a couple weeks ago.
Flathead’s Crowley played through pain to work the glass
A promising start to her high school career gave way to a frustrating junior season for Flathead High’s Bridget Crowley, but those trials make her senior basketball campaign one to appreciate.
Second quarter blitz dooms Flathead
The Missoula Sentinel Spartans showed why they’re unbeaten Saturday at the Flathead gym, displaying just a little more shooting, defense and poise.
Huge first half carries Wildkats over Bulldogs
The showdown became a bit of a meltdown for the Whitefish Bulldogs Friday, who dropped a 52-34 Northwestern A girls’ basketball game to rival Columbia Falls.
State AA wrestling coming to Flathead
The State AA wrestling tournament will be in Kalispell after all, the Montana High School Association announced Friday.
Bravettes rebound for second win of season
The Flathead Bravettes didn’t take the most direct route to their second win of the season on Thursday, but they have to like the way they rebounded.
Column: Vikings are making waves on the mat
The Bigfork Vikings have been known for football and basketball championships through the years and now, as winter squalls darken Flathead Lake, they seem about to make their name on the mat.
COVID-19 postponements are adding up in AA
The varsity and JV boys’ basketball teams from Butte have entered quarantine this week, bringing the number of postponed games in the Western AA to four.
Braves start and finish fast, swamp Bengals
Two days removed from a sobering loss at Helena Capital, the Flathead Braves turned the tables on Helena High, going on big runs early and late in a 51-24 Western AA basketball victory.
Glacier surges past Helena High
Outplayed through the middle of its game Thursday, the Glacier Wolfpack found a way to rally past a talented Helena squad in Western AA girls’ basketball action.
Out on top: Glacier’s Williams is soccer standout turned all-around hoopster
Kenzie Wiliams can find the open teammate from 50 yards or five feet, depending on the sport, and she ended her soccer career at Glacier High on the highest note: A State AA title.
Column: Anderson: small frame, big name
There are big names among the Legends Stadium Wall of Fame, and it’s with a large dose of gratitude the powers that be made room for Jeff Anderson.
Glacier wrestlers quarantined; Flathead grapplers still heading to Helena
Glacier High’s wrestling season has hit a road bump with a COVID-19 quarantine that will keep the Wolfpack out of action until next week.
Braves take down Pack; Glacier girls cruise
Not soon after the nightcap of Friday’s cross town basketball doubleheader tipped, Jaxson Olsen had a steal and driving layup to get Glacier off on the right foot.
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.
Flathead hoops legend Brent Wilson dies at 69
The Flathead Valley lost a giant early Sunday, when Brent Wilson passed away at his home in Yuma, Arizona.
Poe-Hatten siblings give Flathead wrestling a 1-2 punch
If one Poe-Hatten wasn’t enough for Flathead wrestling foes to deal with, now there are two.
Upham steps down as Braves football coach
Flathead High School is looking for a new head football coach after Matt Upham stepped down from the position this week, after two seasons.
Man in the middle: Allen plays pivotal role on a talented Glacier squad
JT Allen comes across maybe as an undersized “five” for a Class AA basketball player, but you need to know: He’s been 6-foot-2 for a long time.
Hellgate escapes den with win over Wolfpack
Ellie Keller scores 19 for Glacier
Glacier falls to 1-2 on young season
Griz, Cats opt out of Big Sky spring football
Four Big Sky schools have opted out
MISSOULA — The first-ever spring championship football season is over before it begins for the Bobcats and Grizzlies, after Montana State and Montana announced Friday they are opting out of the Big Sky Conference schedule.
Wolfpack goes inside to topple Butte
The Glacier Wolfpack left a big part of its arsenal under wraps Thursday, thumping the Butte Bulldogs 62-42 in boys’ basketball by roaming the paint.
Column: A look back at an oddly fulfilling 2020
I put off doing a best of 2020 column – a Top 10 list that I started half a lifetime ago when I was at the Billings Gazette – until 2021 because, well, I didn’t think much of 2020 and wanted a new slate.
Braves gut out OT win over Big Sky
The Flathead Braves put on a clinic Saturday, finding the open man, causing turnovers and running the open floor. It was a giddy 14 minutes on their home court.
Sanderson makes best of golden opportunity
In early December, Jake Sanderson was taking the ice against such Division I hockey standouts as the University of Denver’s Bobby Brink.
Bravettes pick up speed but lose to Spartans
Missoula Sentinel showed it’s still a bully on the girls’ basketball block, but the Flathead Braves managed a fourth-quarter highlight you would not have predicted after the first 16 minutes.
Braves, Wolfpack open hoops season in Missoula
Flathead, under new head coach (and longtime assistant) Dirk Johnsrud, opens its season Thursday at Missoula Sentinel; Glacier, with Mark Harkins in his 14th season, is at Missoula Big Sky.
Pack, Bravettes get season started with conference home games
The Glacier Wolfpack gets to welcome back a lot of familiar faces and the Flathead Bravettes get to unveil. Both girls’ basketball teams open the season at home tonight: Flathead brings in Missoula Sentinel and Glacier plays host to Missoula Big Sky. They switch opponents and go on the road to play Saturday.
Brenden Byrd steps down from Glacier girls’ soccer
Glacier High School will be looking for a new girls’ soccer coach soon, with the Wednesday announcement that Brenden Byrd is stepping down after nine seasons.
Bravettes pin down place in history
The Flathead Wrestling Bravettes are an emphatic 1 and oh. OK, host Glacier didn’t keep team scores and several matches were competed at 120 and 126 pounds. But what took place Saturday afternoon at the Wolf Den is unofficially the first girls’ varsity wrestling dual in the state.
Glacier, Flathead grapplers to start season today
And they’re on the mats. The high school wrestling teams of Flathead and Glacier will get an early start on winter sports with a dual today at Glacier High School. The junior varsity boys wrestle at noon and the boys’ and girls' varsity duals follows at about 1 p.m.
Column: 50 years and a GrizVision have passed
Terry Pugh laughed off the idea that he watched the most recent Camellia Bowl, played on Christmas day in Alabama.
Golden Griz: Flathead players key to UM’s 1969-70 success
While the University of Montana rightly celebrated the 25 year anniversary of its first national football championship, there is another landmark that just maybe put Griz football on the map.
Column: Hoping the Pioneer’s days aren’t numbered
Not that long ago, and a few months before I started working at the Daily Inter Lake, I freelanced a story for MiLB.com(1) on Avery Weems, a sixth-round pick of the Chicago White Sox.
Bravettes go full-court under new coach
One year removed from an amazing run with the Bigfork boys, Sam Tudor takes over a Flathead girls’ basketball program that hasn’t been to state since 2013.
“New” coach looks familiar to Flathead Braves
Meet the new coach, who looks suspiciously like the old coach. The Flathead Braves of 2020-21 are led by Dirk Johnsrud, who takes over for Ross Gustafson, for whom Johnsrud was junior varsity coach in 2018-19.
Column: New challenges, still the same great numbers
The season is still set to start on or about Jan. 2, and to conclude about three weeks later than usual — March 5-6.
4 starters back mean good things for Pack
Four starters are back for the Glacier girls’ basketball team, and the Wolfpack are among a handful of teams — thanks partly to COVID-19 — that won their last game last season.