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
Full Count: A beginning, a middle and a next game
Much has already been made about the postgame dust-up between Montana State running back Julius Davis and an opposing player, and his coach, and his teammate, and I don’t mean to pile on.
Bobcats, quarterfinal foe SFA follow similar paths
The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks started their football season 0-2, including a 28-20 loss at Abilene (Texas) Christian on Sept. 6.
UM's Drew Deck makes a splash again
MISSOULA — The hits keep coming for Drew Deck.
Ah Yat shines bright: Griz QB throws 4 TDs in win over South Dakota St.
MISSOULA — Keali’i Ah Yat is on fire and the Brawl is old news.
A great call: Drew Deck enjoys fulfilling final season
Last spring was decision time for Drew Deck, a senior receiver who had put in his time in the weight room, football offices and classroom at the University of Montana.
Cats and Griz Capsules for Dec. 6
When the Bulldogs have the ball: Josh Pitsenberger has 1,447 rushing yards this season, with a career-best 209 coming in last week’s 43-42 stunner of Youngstown State.
Full Count: Officially official for Bravettes’ coach Downing
When Amber Downing was named head coach of Flathead’s girls wrestling program on June 1, it was a first for the high school.
Fischer restarts process of building the Wolfpack
The Glacier wrestling programs are young and a little lacking in numbers under a first-year coach. Sounds familiar to Mark Fischer.
Wrestling: Flathead is still fierce
Brave Brawlers, Bravettes have numbers, talent
Three straight runner-up finishes have fueled the fire for the Flathead Brave Brawlers, who number 65 boys — including seven wrestlers who placed at last year’s State AA tournament.
Full Count: A (chicken or) Egg Bowl of our own
The 124th Cat-Griz game, lately known as the Brawl of the Wild, brought back that chicken-or-the-egg question about Montana’s offense:
Gunlock steps down in Bigfork; Martel taking over Vals
With barely two weeks left before the season, Bigfork High School announced Monday that girls basketball coach Cortnee Gunlock has stepped down after six seasons.
Cats seeded No. 2, Griz No. 3
After the 124th Brawl of the Wild, Montana coach Bobby Hauck talked — not for the first time — about his Grizzlies meeting Montana State again in the FCS playoffs.
Cats claw Griz, spoil perfect season
MISSOULA — It wasn’t a blowout but it was still a statement.
Cat-Griz Capsule, 124th meeting
When the Bobcats have the ball: MSU still loves to run with Julius Davis (786 yards, 7.5 a carry, 7 touchdowns) and Adam Jones (647 yards, 5.8 a carry, 9 TDs) but Justin Lamson balances things by throwing for 2,170 yards and 19 TDs against two interceptions.
124th Brawl among biggest in rivalry’s history
It’s always a big game but this Brawl of the Wild — no matter what the players and coaches say — is really big.
Brawl: Watching a doc no substitute for experience
Paul Brott, Montana State’s senior defensive tackle, was asked Monday how he educated out-of-state players on the rivalry that is the Brawl of the Wild.
Full Count: Not even mad; just disappointed
The ESPN College GameDay program that airs each Saturday morning during football season seemed like it would be in Missoula this week.
Homegrown Botner to get a big taste of Brawl
Whitefish product Dillon Botner was thinking he was done with football after last season, then was persuaded to stay on and now has a starting spot on the University of Montana Grizzlies’ offensive line.
Griz, Cats capsules for Nov. 15
When the Grizzlies have the ball: Eli Gillman went over 1,000 rushing yards for the second time last week and has 3,185 in 30 career games.
Back on the road go Bulldogs, Lions
The Whitefish Bulldogs and Eureka Lions proved themselves to be road warriors with impressive wins last week in the Montana high school football playoffs.
Griz survive Eagles, 29-24
MISSOULA — Saturday was a retelling of the classic, “Tortoise and the Hare,” if the tortoise turned turtle at the finish line.
A football: Bulldogs hit road for Laurel, via Bobcat Stadium
Seven hours from Whitefish is Laurel, home of the 8-1 Locomotives, who are the Bulldogs’ quarterfinal opponent in the Class A playoffs Friday at 7 p.m.
Griz, Cats capsules for Nov. 8 games
Within a very balanced offense, Griz QB Keali’i Ah Yat has an FCS-leading 2,534 passing yards, with 19 touchdowns.
On paper Cats and Griz have mismatches
Last week the Bobcats and Grizzlies outclassed their Big Sky Conference football opponents on the road.
Full Count: Vals are no less amazing this season
When we last checked in with Bigfork soccer coach Park Schara, he was giddy about his Valkyries and their 1-1 draw with Laurel on Aug. 26, 2022.
Purple power puts Lady Pirates in 3rd
MISSOULA — Cross country titles might be a rite of passage for the Hardin Bulldogs, but the Polson Lady Pirates have been building — and decorating — toward a trophy for a while.
A surprising 1-2 Wolfpack punch
MISSOULA — It turned out Owen Thiel had plenty to celebrate.
Griz-Cats Capsules
Sac State is 3-21 vs. Top-5 FCS teams, with wins over No. 5 Montana in 2019 and 2021.
Glacier’s Thiel has designs on fitting finale
Glacier’s Owen Thiel owns the third-best time over a cross country course in Montana this fall, and you’d figure that would have plenty of colleges calling.
Glacier girls are 2 fastest in AA field
Seems like Glacier High is saving the best for last.
Flathead’s Zuffelato goes way off track
In 2022, Ryker Zuffelato ran his first varsity cross country race for Flathead and clocked 19 minutes, 2 seconds over the 5,000-meter course.
Appreciating the buzz out of Hornetville
I’m going to miss these guys.
Carpenter, Krueger rule as Pack bounces back on Flathead
Flathead figured to keep some momentum Thursday, hosting Crosstown rival Glacier in a key Western AA volleyball match. The Wolfpack came in and took it away.
On the upswing: Seniors Thornsberry, O’Dell and Neva at center of Bravettes’ resurgence
Seniors Thornsberry, O’Dell and Neva at center of Bravettes’ resurgence
A variety of things have made the Flathead Bravettes stronger this volleyball season: sophomore hitter Makenna Aldrich, junior setter Anna Bain, a fleet of strong servers. ... And those seniors.
Full Count: A flip-flop at least half of us can understand
Count me unsurprised that the fifth-ranked Montana State Bobcats are ahead of the No. 4 Montana Grizzlies in the first FCS Playoff Selection Committee’s Top 10 that was announced on ESPN2 Wednesday.
Copper and gold clad Griz down Cal Poly
MISSOULA — The Copper-and-Gold Grizzlies are as good at rallies as the Maroon-and-Silver.
Cats, Griz capsules for Oct. 11
Montana State leads the Big Sky and is ninth in the FCS in total defense, allowing 296 yards per game.
Allen, Ah Yat, Bell and Kay: Who did it better?
The first weekend of October, if you extended it backwards to Thursday the 2nd, brought yours truly dangerously close to a football overdose.
Flag Football: Pack, back to back to back to back
HAMILTON — Dating back to midway through the 2023 season, Glacier quarterback Karley Allen has played with three tight cornrows on the right side of her head.
Big Sky Notes: Explosive Bobcats include Projker
Last Saturday was full of positives for the Montana State Bobcats, who swamped Eastern Washington 57-3 in the Big Sky Conference football opener for both teams.
Glacier boys, girls seek AA golf hardward
The Glacier boys and girls head to the State AA golf tournament knowing little about the course and maybe less about the athletes from the other side of Montana.
Full Count: Fairways and greens for the Green and Gold
Some 2,200 miles separate Asheville, N.C., from Whitefish, which is a lot, but at the end of that journey Scott Minton found two familiar sights: Mountains and impressive golf courses.
Glacier, Flathead head to Bitterroot for Flag Football finale
Suddenly it is time for the Flag Football Tournament, and though it’s year four for the sport local squads Glacier and Flathead face unknowns in a newly-formatted event.
Montana outscores Idaho, 41-30
MISSOULA — The Little Brown Stein is staying put.
It takes a Village (Greens)
Nelson, Syverson help Glacier stay in AA golf title hunt
Luke Nelson’s golf journey started at Village Greens, the 18-hole course in eastern Kalispell, which makes perfect sense for the high school senior with a medalist honor to his credit.
AA Lakers' coach Malmin steps down
Ryan Malmin, head coach of the Class AA American Legion baseball Kalispell Lakers for the past 20 seasons, is stepping down effective immediately.
Cats, Griz capsules
QB Justin Lamson was impressive last week, throwing for 293 yards and three TDs in a 41-7 rout of San Diego.
Freshman Finish: Bravettes knock off Wolfpack on late Herion TD
It’s debatable whether you can call Wednesday’s flag football battle between Glacier and Flathead Crosstown II, since both teams warmed up by playing 40 minutes against East Helena.
Griz claw out a win
MISSOULA — Heels over the ledge most of the game, the Montana Grizzlies pulled off an unlikely comeback Saturday, scoring 10 points in the final 4 minutes and change to knock off North Dakota 24-23 in a battle of ranked FCS teams.
Big Sky football: A game of inches
So far this year, and more than any early season we’ve seen lately, football in the Big Sky Conference is a game of inches.