FRITZ NEIGHBOR

National Signing Day: Griz are “full”; Cats also land big class

The Montana Grizzlies officially added 19 future players on National Signing Day Wednesday, and the Montana State Bobcats added 20, and where they all fit in may not be clear for a while.

Glacier boys have big things in store

Coming off a 10-11 season in which the Glacier boys tapered off after a 7-3 start, this season’s Wolfpack basketball team sees big things coming.

Column: A long wait to get home for Petrino

Montana Lady Griz coach Mike Petrino spent the two weeks leading up to his team’s home opener on the road. OK, not really on the road. But away from home. His oldest of two daughters had hung out with a friend, you see.

Lady Griz Stiles, Gfeller put away Fighting Hawks

First-year coach Mike Petrino gets first win

MISSOULA -- The Montana Lady Griz got across a couple thresholds Monday: First win of 2020-21, first win for new head coach Mike Petrino, and in front of what had to be a record-low crowd.

Column: Picture of a man defined by a voice

Mick Holien, the late former Griz play-by-play announcer, wore a lot of hats in his three-plus decades in Missoula and Polson, but my earliest memory of him is at a Washington-Grizzly Stadium that was less than half the size it is now.

Longtime Griz play-by-play man Holien dies

Announcer was 76

Holien had been at the University of Montana for 31 years

Column: Thankful for games in the unknown

As Thanksgiving is suddenly upon us, with our travel restrictions real and imaginary, it’s probably a good time to take stock of 2020.

Column: Elliott making most of days at MSU-Billings

The year 2020 has been one for the books, from a 60-game Major League season to basketball in a bubble. Now on the horizon: The fourth-year sophomore, which is what Flathead High graduate Sam Elliott is looking at next season. If there is a season. There won’t be one this winter for MSU-Billings, which is where Elliott landed as a 6-foot-7 men’s basketball player in 2018.

Glacier’s Hernandez first-team All-State

Wolfpack Libero lands scholarship to Dickinson State

There’s a star-studded cast of All-State volleyball players in Class AA, and one of the ones at the top is Glacier’s Morgan Hernandez.

Column: It might be the toughest job on turf

Under a November sky and the specter of an ailing dad and a berth in the State AA semifinals, Patrick Rohrbach had a cramp.

Pack brings Rendina to face speedy Billings Senio

The Glacier Wolfpack’s next opponent is an amalgam of Missoula Big Sky and Missoula Sentinel: Billings Senior has a really good dual-threat quarterback and speed to match on the outside.

Double duty for Diede

Wolfpack player having standout senior year – that almost didn’t happen

For more than a few weeks earlier in 2020 Ethan Diede thought seriously about giving up football. Now that he’s playing both ways for the 6-2 Glacier Wolfpack, which faces Billings Senior today in a State AA quarterfinal, he wonders what he might have missed.

COLUMN: Like spring in Montana? Just you wait

Ah the sounds of spring. The ball hitting the bat, a pitch popping a mitt, Bobby Hauck saying, “Number 28, you are (blank)ing up my drill!”

Bulldogs three-peat as state champs

Menicke scores two as Whitefish boys top Columbia Falls

Brandon Mendoza called it a high school career in style Saturday, scoring a sneaky goal that gave the Whitefish Bulldogs a 2-0 cushion in the State A boys’ soccer championship.

Glacier goes to the air to rout Big Sky, 63-0

A week after a numbing loss, the Glacier Wolfpack footballers showed how quick they can run out on an opponent — and pass over the top of them for that matter.

Valley playoff teams hit road; Eureka hosts Glasgow

The playoffs are upon us and a couple Valley teams are putting in the miles: Columbia Falls had to go 475 to get to today’s State A playoff game against top-ranked Billings Central, for example.

The School of Rocco

Beccari has grown into a senior leader for Glacier Wolfpack

As Glacier prepares for a State AA playoff game tonight against Missoula Big Sky, Rocco Beccari, the 6-foot-3, 250-pounder is one of the team’s three captains.

Column: Thomas knows where he's coming from

Back in August, when I began writing preseason stories about the Flathead and Glacier football teams, I asked Flathead coach Matt Upham for a couple impact Braves and he mentioned Alec Thomas.

Wolfpack goes deep in sweep of Flathead

The usual suspects did their damage for Glacier Tuesday, in the Wolfpack’s straight-sets win over host Flathead in the final crosstown volleyball match of the regular season.

Flathead’s Rumsey Eash All-State

It was a little different State AA cross country race we saw Saturday, in that Bozeman’s girls somehow overcame Missoula Hellgate and Bozeman’s boys undershot a 13th straight title.

Sempf, Erickson help Wildkats run to 2nd at Rebecca Farm

With Hannah Sempf surging to third and Lara Erickson taking fourth the Kats scored 70 points at Rebecca Farm. Laurel was just a little better, scoring 50 to take home the team title.

Reynolds return helps Lions repeat in B

Lochridge third for Eureka boys; Townsend wins girls’ crown

Lochridge third for Eureka boys; Townsend wins girls’ crown

Braves lose to Big Sky, end up 0-7

MISSOULA — They scored a season high and held their first lead of 2020, but the Flathead Braves couldn’t stop Colter Janacaro and the Missoula Big Sky Eagles Thursday.

Wildkats, Erickson chasing State A gold

The Columbia Falls Wildkats wish they were a little stronger heading into the State A Cross Country championships today at 10:30 a.m. at Rebecca Farm. But they’ll keep running.

Flathead searches for W in Missoula; Glacier hosts Sentinel

They call this time of year “Football Weather,” and the Flathead Braves will get a dose of chilly temperatures Thursday in Missoula, where they’ll face the Big Sky Eagles.

Column: Lions’ harriers still on hunt

Andrew Gideon hopes his seventh year as Eureka’s cross country coach ends like his sixth, which means a State B boys’ championship.

Glacier soccer teams hope to keep magic going on road

Wolfpack teams take on Hellgate, Bozeman in semifinal matches

Wolfpack turns corner on Billings West boys

The Glacier boys had the lead, then they lost it, and then they won their State AA quarterfinal soccer game in the most unlikely fashion Saturday: With a corner kick.

Brisendine bomb seals Glacier girls’ win

Legends Stadium has its name for a reason, and to the list we might someday add the likes of Glacier midfielder Reagan Brisendine.

Rendina, Pack put away stubborn Flathead

Midway through the third quarter a slumbering Flathead offense came awake, and Friday’s crosstown football battle at Legends Stadium had the makings of a photo finish.

Whitefish takes overdog status into first round

The Whitefish soccer teams head to Smith Fields today with wins on their minds and quite possibly brooms in their hands.

Flathead, Glacier meet for 14th time in crosstown clash

The 14th crosstown football battle between Flathead and Glacier may not look awesome on paper, but these games are less predictable than others under the Friday Night Lights.

Pop-up football game dazzles in Polson

Of all the numbers that jumped out of last week’s pop-up football game between Bigfork and Polson, the best might be the 300 or so minutes it took to pull it together, after Polson announced its homecoming game against Stevensville was canceled.

Pack cruises to crosstown volleyball win

Matches are at a premium for Class AA teams and so are wins, so Glacier Wolfpack volleyball coach Christy Harkins was happy to see her team make short work of Tuesday’s crosstown battle.

MHSA pushes start of winter sports back to January

HELENA – The Montana High School Association decided Tuesday to move the start of winter sports for state high schools into January, with practices beginning Dec. 7.

No limit for Skye

Thompson leads Bravettes into AA soccer playoffs

Skyleigh Thompson’s 56 career goals at Flathead have earned her a soccer scholarship to the University of Montana.

Thompson flurry helps Flathead salvage soccer split

Senior Day started cool and ended up blustery with a blizzard of Skyleigh Thompson goals, while Flathead’s soccer teams split a doubleheader against Butte at the Kidsports Complex.

Big-play Bulldogs too much for Flathead

Helena beats Glacier in battle of unbeatens

The Flathead football team scored a couple touchdowns and unleashed a good-looking outside zone play Friday, but it was the Butte Bulldogs that came up with most of the big plays.

Glacier heads to Helena for marquee AA matchup

Glacier and Helena High have eight wins between them, and will combine for the marquee Class AA football game of the week in Helena – with apologies to the venerable Hellgate-Sentinel game down at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. At Legends Stadium, Flathead will look for its first win against a Butte team that is coming off its first victory, at Helena Capital, last week.

That was a week; the kids can play

It was quite a week last week, and that was before I found myself witness to a birthday party/dart tournament that chased me from my favorite table in Missoula – well before that party ended in fisticuffs.

Flathead’s Mercer, Glacier boys third at AA state golf

The fairways narrowed and not many putts for fell for the Glacier boys Friday, though the Wolfpack took home the third-place trophy from the State AA championships.

Rendina runs for 7 TDs against Hellgate

The Glacier Wolfpack didn’t have such an easy time down the stretch Thursday night, though the going certainly got easier for Jake Rendina. The junior running back set school records with 275 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground in the 4-0 Pack’s 54-38 win over Missoula Hellgate at MCPS Stadium.

Glacier’s Avery tied for second after first round of AA state golf s’s

At the end of 18 holes Glacier’s boys were in a tight race for the title, putting four players in the 70s and sitting at 308 strokes, tied with Bozeman’s Gallatin High in second place. In first was Missoula Sentinel at 305. Bozeman High built a big lead in the girls’ race by holding the top three spots after one round. The Hawks came in at 321 to 355 for Billings West and 357 for Butte and Billings Senior. Glacier and Flathead were well off the pace, each at 398.

Unbeaten Pack gets week started on road against Hellgate

The Flathead Braves didn’t have the best time a week ago playing Helena Capital, and the task doesn’t get easier Friday with unbeaten Helena High making a visit to Legend Stadium.

Whitefish golfers set sights on state titles

A year ago the Whitefish Bulldogs’ boys golf team fired a 694 and finished a distant fourth to Laurel at the State A meet

Column: An excellent way to use up your Saturday

While Columbia Falls’ Maddie Robison lights up the scoreboard and Niels Getts pulls soccer-football double duty, the Whitefish Bulldogs just roll on down the pitch.

Glacier boys eye hardware; Flathead has medalist threats

One thing is for sure about the State AA golf championships set for Thursday and Friday in Missoula: It’ll be better conditions.

Rendina keys Wolfpack win

The Glacier Wolfpack got half the start it wanted Friday — the turnovers, but not the points — so instead of using Jake Rendina to protect a lead, it used the 230-pounder to build one.

Glacier, Flathead focus on do-it-all QBs in Week 3

As the Glacier Wolfpack gear up for a home game against Missoula Big Sky, head coach Grady Bennett is well aware of the Eagles’ 205-pound do-everything quarterback, Colter Janacaro.

Column: MHSA report: So far, so good (and keep it up)

Aside from the prospect of having Zoom speech and debate meets in December, fall sports for the Montana High School Association seem to be plugging along.