Area Fall Sports Tab 2014

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September 5 September 12 September 13 September 18 September 19 September 26-27 October 3-4

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Browning Invite (V-JV) 9:30 a.m.

Lewistown Invite (V-JV) Pine Meadows 9:30 a.m.

Havre Invite (V-JV) Beaver Creek 9:30 a.m.

Billings Central Invite Eagle Rock

Laurel Invite

Divisionals Bozeman State

Hamilton

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Back on the golf course Havre High golf teams look for more success as the season is already in full swing

George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com For some, the golf season is starting to wind down. But for golfers on the Havre Blue Pony golf team, things are just starting to get interesting.

While summer isn't over just yet, the Havre High boys and girls golf teams have already been in high gear for two weeks. The Blue Ponies have already competed at the Great Falls Invitational and the Havre Golf Tournament this season.

And with another season of Havre High golf back so, too, is head coach Brett Gilman who took over the program a year ago, helping the HHS girls to a Central A Divisional team title, as well as bringing along a solid but young Pony boys squad.

Now, in his second year at the helm, Gilman is excited about both his boys and girls teams, as he has plenty of returning talent on the golf course. And he’s already very pleased with what he's seen out of his teams so far this season.

“I think most of the kids are ahead of where I thought they’d be right now,” Gilman said. “Dustin Haas is playing very well right now, and all of the other guys have had their good moments, too. So I’m really pleased with how all of our players are progressing.”

The HHS boys return four Class A state qualifiers from a year ago, including juniors Jeff Miller and Jerod Boles. Both are two-time state qualifiers and spent much of last season trading places as Havre’s No. 1 golfer. And while Miller and Boles led a young Pony team a year ago, this year’s version could be very exciting to watch.

The return of sophomores Kane Gabrielsen and Dustin Haas, as well as senior Wyatt Lindbloom, gives Gilman a varsity squad which is intact from last year. Haas and Gabrielsen were also state qualifiers a season ago and spent the summer continuing to improve.

Lindbloom is Havre’s most veteran golfer and is on a mission this season to help the Ponies capture the Central A championship, and more.

But the Havre boys program doesn’t stop with the top five, as

Havre Daily News/George Ferguson The Havre High boys and girls golf teams pose for a team photo at Prairie Farms Golf Course. The Blue Ponies started their season Aug. 14 and are already reaching the midway point of the 2014 high school golf season. Both Havre varsity teams should be contenders for Central A championships this season.

the Ponies are also building plenty of depth. Trey Hanson and Aden Passon are two more players who could crack the varsity lineup at any time this season and, overall, the Ponies have a roster full of young golfers, as boys golf has really risen in recent seasons. The Havre boys have a roster of nearly 20 players on the course this season, and players like Kyle Kirkpatrick could also compete for varsity time.

"We have a lot of the same kids back on the varsity team that we have had the last couple of years, so we are expecting good things from our boys team,” Gilman said.

Good things happened to Havre’s

girls team in 2013, but the Ponies graduated the likes of Nikki Gabrielsen, Boston Swenson and Katie Beck from last year’s divisional championship team. Gilman must rebuild around veteran golfers Randi Gabrielsen and Peyton Howard, both of whom are two-time Class A state qualifiers. Mackenzie Tilleman also has some golf experience, but beyond those three returnees, newcomers Grace Litzinger, Regan Lammers and Jordan Keith will have to help round out the Ponies’ varsity lineup.

“Our girls team has a couple of girls back that qualified for state, but they are going to be rebuilding a bit,” Gilman noted.

Whether it’s a deep boys roster,

or a young girls roster, the Ponies will get plenty of chances to get better as the season goes.

Havre will attend two different meets at Browning’s East Glacier Lodge and one tournament in Lewistown and wrap up the regular season with the Billings Central and Laurel Invitationals. The Ponies also have a second home date, Sept. 13, when they host the Havre Invitational at Beaver Creek Golf Course. That schedule leads to the Central A Divisional, which is what Havre will be working toward all season long. The divisional tourney will be held at Bozeman’s Riverside Country Club Sept. 26, and team and individual spots to the Class A state tournament, which is

Oct. 3-4 in Hamilton, will be on the line in Bozeman.

“The boys will be among the favorites in the Central A and, I think, by the end the girls will be right in the running, too,” Gilman said. “I am really looking forward to starting the season. I am excited. I think the boys and girls have a good chance to make some noise at divisionals. We have some good kids coming back, and I am just excited to get going and see where the season takes us.”

The Blue Ponies continue their golf season with this weekend's Browning Invitational. Havre is back home to host the Havre Invitational Sept. 13 at Beaver Creek Golf Course.

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Chinook spikers are loaded yet again Bears hungry for more in football George Ferguson

Chris Peterson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com For the last couple of seasons, the District 6C volleyball landscape has been one that has belonged to the Chinook Sugarbeeters, especially in 2013, where the Beeters put together a season they won’t soon forget.

However, in Chinook volleyball success is measured by the present and not just the past, so the 2014 Beeters are looking ahead, not back. Still, in 2013 Chinook won both the 6C regular season and district championships, then finished second at the Northern C Divisional and advanced to the Beeters’ first Class C state tournament in nine years.

It was a season for the ages, and one that will be hard to top.

But if anyone might be able to top that success, it’s the talented 2014 Beeters, who open their season this weekend. Chinook, led by head coach Mollie Rose, has to replace some key components from last year’s team, including three-time All-Conference performer Makhayla Farmer. But the cupboard is by no means bare, and Rose expects her team to be right in the thick of the 6C race yet again.

“Our goals are the same, certainly,” Rose said. “We have some very talented players on this team, some really athletic girls.

They have a great work ethic and a great team attitude. So we have the same goals we have every season.”

Led by a very talented senior class, one which has already tasted a ton of volleyball success, it’s easy to see why the Beeters will likely be a top team in the 6C yet again.

Katelyn Neibauer (MB/OH) returns for her senior season, as does Hannah Weber (S), one of the top setters from a year ago.

Also back is another talented setter and hitter, Mariah Swank, as well as Jordan Surber (S, DS) and Adrianna Standiford (OH).

The Chinook senior class isn't just athletic and talented, it’s also a veteran group, and they are joined by a great group of juniors and sophomores as well. Brooke Nicholson (OH) and Lauren Harshman are both experienced players for the Beeters, and will aid to Chinook’s powerful starting rotation.

Also starring for the Beeters this season will be Allie Skoyen (MB), Cortney Gunderson (DS, L) and Kelsey Mathon (S, OH).

And with a roster like that, Chinook could not only be a 6C title contender this season, the Beeters could set their sights much higher, like competing with Belt for the

Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com

Havre Daily News/Chris Peterson The 2014 Chinook High School volleyball team poses for a photo inside the Chinook Gymnasium recently. The Sugarbeeters enter the new season as the defending District 6C champions, and are favored to win the conference title again this fall.

Northern C title, as well as advancing even deeper into the Class C state tournament.

“Because we were such a good front row team last year, I think our passing and our defense are already very good this season,” Rose said. “So our passing is up to speed already. But I think we are still going to be strong in the front row this season, and that will be another strength for us. We just be a very solid team all the way around.”

But as solid as Chinook appears to be, the

Beeters will still have their hands full in the 6C, one of the best volleyball conferences in Class C. North Star will be a contender again, and Chester/J-I should be tough. And as everyone knows, anything can and usually does happen at the 6C tournament, which will be held in Chester in October.

“It’s going to be an exciting season,” Rose said. “I think it’s going to be really evenly matched again. We have been big rivals with North Star and C/J-I for a while now, and I think that will stay the same.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun, and we have some big goals to achieve this season.”

Chinook kicks off the 2014 volleyball season began with a home match against Fort Benton, followed by a trip to the Malta Invitational. The Beeters will also host the annual Chinook Invitational Sept. 5-6, while the 2014 6C District tournament will be held in Chester Oct. 30-31. And the goal is to reach the Northern C Divisional tournament and the Class C state tournament in November in Bozeman.

The Box Elder Bears football program has come a long way in the past few years.

Last season, the Bears took a gigantic step forward and almost qualified for the Class C Six-Man football playoffs. Yet, in the end the Bears lost to Valier in the last game of the season, leaving them with a 3-5 record and one win short of a berth in the postseason.

With that close call in mind, and knowing that they were just one win away from the playoffs, the Bears are more optimistic than ever that they can crash the postseason party, and head coach Ronnie Simpson, who played football and basketball for the Montana State University-Northern Lights, is among those who believe the Bears can break through.

“We are really excited for the season and we have a lot of guys that are dedicated and have been working hard all summer,” Simpson said. “The one good thing about losing to Valier, which knocked us out of the playoffs, is that we have kept that feeling with us all summer. It has helped keep our guys motivated and looking forward to the start of the season. It has been a real motivating factor for us.

“We got off to a good start last year but we weren’t able to finish as strongly as I wanted to. We wanted to get into the playoffs,” he added, “but, this year I am hoping that we will be able to get started with some wins a little bit earlier, and if we can do that it will put us in a pretty good spot.”

One reason why Simpson is so optimistic about the upcoming season is the fact that he will have starting quarterback Brandon The Boy back for his third season as the team’s signal caller. At any level, an experienced quarterback is a plus but in high school football, a three-year starter can provide a distinct advantage.

“I am very excited about Brandon returning as our quarterback,” Simpson said. “It’s awesome to have him for a couple more years, and he is already very comfortable and familiar in our system.”

However, The Boy is not the only Bear who is returning for a third consecutive season as a starter. Running back/linebacker Bodis Duran also enters his third season as a starter, along with utility player Shane Ketchum, who has seen time at quarterback, wide receiver, center, linebacker and defensive line.

Havre Daily News/Chris Peterson The 2014 Chinook Box Elder football team takes a team photo recently in Box Elder. After a breakout 2013 season in the Class C SixMan ranks, the talented Bears are hoping to take things a step further, and make the Six-Man playoffs this fall. Box Elder opens its season at home against the Valier Panthers.

“(Shane) is Mr. do it all,” Simpson said.

“He can kind of play it all for us and that is important because in Six-Man, everyone has to play multiple positions.”

The biggest obstacle standing in the way of the Bears making the playoffs is the difficult and demanding Northern Division of Class C Six-Man football. The league, which is arguably the most difficult in all of SixMan football consists of Geraldine/Highwood and Stanford/Geyser/Denton, the two participants in the Six-Man state champion-

ship game.

The North Division also boasts perennial contenders such as North Star, Big Sandy, Valier and Sunburst, which joined the league after dropping down from 8-man football. With back-to-back games against Geraldine/Highwood and Stanford/Geyser/ Denton to close the season, the Bears know it is imperative to get off to a good start if there is to be any hope of reaching the playoffs.

“Our conference is very difficult, there is

no doubt about it,” Simpson said. “We have the state champion and the runner-up in our conference. North Star is always tough and Big Sandy is tough. But I feel confident. The loss to Valier has been a motivating factor for us, and we know how important it will be for us to get off to a good start and that starts with Valier.”

The Bears opened their 2014 season with an exciting North Division Six-Man game against the Valier Panthers. Box Elder plays again this weekend.

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Box Elder is back on the varsity level Beeters hope to bounce back this fall Bears excited to be back in District 6C volleyball this season George Ferguson

so we can build and grow the program as the years go on.”

Box Elder will certainly have fun this season, especially under the guidance of an enthusiastic coach like Kicksnosway. But they will also have to compete against the likes of Chinook, North Star and Chester/

J-I twice each this season, and that won’t be easy. Still, it is a positive step that the Bears have moved forward enough to rejoin the 6C, and things will hopefully continue to grow through this first season back on the varsity level.

Box Elder began its 2014 season with a

trip to the Sunburst Showcase in Sunburst.

The 2014 District 6C tournament will be held in Chester Oct. 30-31. The top two teams advance on to the Northern C Divisional the following week, while the 2014 Class C state volleyball tournament will be held Nov. 13-15 in Bozeman.

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com For the last two seasons, there hasn’t been much to cheer about when it comes to volleyball at Box Elder High School. But the current Box Elder volleyball team is trying to change that.

For the first time in three seasons, Box Elder is fielding a full varsity team. After missing much of the 2012 season, and playing a junior varsity-only schedule last year, the Bears are officially back in the District 6C. And under the direction of head coach Devin Kicksnosway, the goal for 2014 is to first, make volleyball fun in Box Elder, and second, learn and grow the game.

“With me, I’m a personal trainer, so my first goal is getting the kids to learn better movement, all over the court,” Kicksnosway said. “Volleyball is such a technical sport, that movement is so important. If we get in shape and get that down, the game itself will fall into place. So with this being so new to so many of these girls, we’re really working on that, really working on the basics right now.”

Volleyball will be new to most of the Bears this season, and playing in the tough 6C won’t be easy. But, Box Elder has good numbers out for the team, and some strong athletes, with several of the Box Elder basketball players ready to try their hand at volleyball.

Box Elder’s roster this season consists of Sayra Long Fox, Alicia Wolf Chief, Tia Russell, Lani Ameline, Brenna Trench, Dominique Nault, Kendal Chaneller, Nikayala Anderson and Tyra Gopher among others, so there’s some athletes to work with.

Still, for a team playing at the varsity level for the first time since 2011, the Bears’ goals are small and simple early on. And Kicksnosway is intent on fun being the biggest goal for the Bears this season.

“We want to teach them the game, and to play the game at the varsity level,” he said. “But that comes with practice, and experience and playing games. Right now, the biggest thing is, I just want them to have fun. I want this to be a fun experience for them. And I want them to pass that along, that playing volleyball at Box Elder is fun,

Havre Daily News/George Ferguson The 2014 Box Elder Bears volleyball team takes a team photo inside the Box Elder gym. After two years away from varsity-level volleyball, the Bears are back in the District 6C this season.

Chris Peterson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com The 2014 season will be one of change for the Chinook High School football team, and for the first time since 2000, there will be no one by the name of Molyneaux involved in Sugarbeeter football.

Not only do the Beeters have a new head coach in Scott Friede, who replaces longtime head coach Matt Molyneaux, but they will also have to move on without All-State running back Zach Molyneaux, who rushed for 1,824 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior last season.

Yet, long-time fans of Chinook football can take solace in the fact that Friede, who was the Beeter's head coach from 1994-99, when the team played 11-man football, has returned to take over the program.

“When the job came open I thought it

would be a good opportunity to get back into coaching,” Friede said. “I really enjoy the game, I think it’s so fantastic, so I decided to get back in it. Mr. Moylneaux did a great job with the program, and they were solid contenders for years, and he left some solid kids for this year. The cupboard is not empty. I think we have a real balanced team and that is a tribute to him and his staff.”

One advantage that Friede will have in his first season back at the helm of the Beeters, will be having an experienced quarterback as Ian McIntosh returns for his junior season, his second as the starting quarterback.

Last year, McIntosh was not asked to do much with Zach Molyneaux carrying the offense, but he did throw 10 touchdown passes as opposed to seven interceptions. He was only asked to throw the ball around nine times per game and his focus was more on the big play as he averaged 17 yards a completion despite connecting on just 41 percent

Havre Daily News/Chris Peterson The 2014 Chinook football team poses for a team photo at Hoon Field recently. After missing the Class C 8-man playoffs for the first time in a long time a year ago, the Sugarbeeters are hoping to get back into the postseason this fall.

of his passes.

“Ian will likely be our quarterback again this season. He was the starter last year,” Friede said. “So far he has been throwing the ball really well and making good decisions. We would also like to be able to use him in our running game. And hopefully his passing on both long and medium throws will be a real attribute to our team.”

One thing that will aid McIntosh's development is the return of tight end Lane Seymour, who led the Beeters in 2013 with 22 receptions and 469 yards receiving to go along with 11 touchdowns.

In addition to his role on offense, Seymour is one the Beeters’ top defensive players and will play a key role on that side of the ball at linebacker.

“Lane will be one of our toughest kids,” Friede said. “He has worked very hard in the weight room, and he has gotten much

stronger. He is coming in at 200 pounds. He is good on his feet and just a tough kid, who will be one of our leaders.”

Rounding out the offense for Chinook will be seniors Gavin Gunderson and Thomas Reid, who will each see time at running back this season. Other players who will contribute for the Beeters this season are Kenneth Pruttis, Travis Hamilton, Gage Haugen, Derek Bell, Cody McCracken, Zack Schellin, Kevin Young, Josh Norby, Wyatt Lechner and Jesse Daniels.

“We have seven seniors,” Friede said.

“Which isn’t too bad for Class C to have seven players returning and almost all of them have good experience playing. So we have a fair amount of experience returning from last season. That is a big advantage in Class C football. If you had seven players coming back in 11-man football it would not be that big of a deal but in 8-man football that is a big advantage.”

The 2013 campaign started out with promise for the Beeters as they got off to a hot start, winning four straight after a seasonopening loss to Chester/J-I to get to 4-1. Yet, after knocking off Cascade 65-12, Chinook would not win another game. They lost four straight to end the season at 4-5 and were on the outside looking in at the Class C 8-man football playoffs.

Chinook last made the Class C state playoffs in 2012, when they defeated Victor in the first round before falling to Fairview in the state quarterfinals.

If the Beeters want to get back to the playoffs in 2014 they will have to finish in the top four of the Northern C in order to do so. That means Chinook will need to contend with a deep conference that consists of perennial contenders such as C/J-I, Power-Dutton-Brady, Simms, Belt and Great Falls Central.

“There are some teams in our conference that are just good year in and year out,” Friede said. “(C/J-I) is one of those teams, they have been solid every year. Belt is coming on, they have a young head coach who is doing a really good job with their program.

Fort Benton made a nice showing last year, so it will be very competitive to try and get into the playoffs.”

Chinook began its bid to get back to the 8-man playoffs when the Beeters played host to Great Falls Central last weekend in a critical Northern C matchup.

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Pioneers begin a volleyball rebuilding process young. Alex Richter is the only sophomore on the team, while freshmen Jenna Leader, Jasmine Genereaux, Jessica Roth, Andrea Rutledge, Sophie Reichelt and Dakota Terry round out the Pioneer roster.

Even though the Pioneers have very little varsity experience, and even with the 6C expected to be extremely difficult yet again, Roth isn’t saying her team can’t compete.

She said she likes the talent and she likes how practices have gone this far.

“With being a brand new team, we have had to change our goals for this season,” Roth said. “We don’t want to set the bar too high too early. We just want to improve every game and set new goals as the season goes on.

“Our first practices have gone pretty well,” she continued. “The girls are working very hard, they came in in very good condition and they have been really positive and upbeat. And I think as the season goes

on, and we continue to learn the game and learn to play together, we’ll get better and better.”

The Pioneers opened the season last weekend with a match against Geraldine, as well as a trip to the Belt Invitational. The 2014 District 6C tournament will be held in Chester Oct. 30-31. The top two teams advance on to the Northern C Divisional the following week, while the 2014 Class C state volleyball tournament will be held Nov. 13-15 in Bozeman.

George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com To say the 2014 Big Sandy volleyball team is going to look a lot different than the 2013 version would be a big understatement. After all, the Pioneers have to replace eight of the nine girls who played varsity a season ago.

And though graduation hit the program hard, optimism is still high in Big Sandy, because the Pioneers, under head coach Sherri Roth, have built a strong volleyball tradition. And with 16 total girls out for the volleyball team this season, it’s time for Big Sandy to go forward.

“We have great numbers,” Roth said. “We are just really inexperienced, much more inexperienced than what we’ve had in the past. So it’s going to be a rebuilding year for sure. It’s a brand new group, and it’s going to take some time for them to get used to each other. We’re going to be a short team this year, but we do have some very good athletes and again, our numbers are very good.”

Only senior Abby Gregory returns from last year’s team which took third at the District 6C Tournament, and Gregory has been a part of a lot of successful volleyball teams at Big Sandy. So her leadership will be crucial this season. Meanwhile, fellow seniors Cheyenne Johnson and Stephanie Hale will step into key roles for the Pioneers this fall.

Big Sandy’s junior class will also be asked to step up. Lisa Pegar, Molly Rain, Rachel Guthrie, Cheyenne Pegar and Maddy Reichelt make up that group. After that, the Pioneers aren’t just inexperienced, they are Havre Daily News/George Ferguson The 2014 Big Sandy Pioneers volleyball team takes a team photo in Big Sandy. The Pioneers graduated eight seniors from the 2013 team, but with good participation numbers, Big Sandy is optomistic about rebuilding in 2014.

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Wildcats will battle on the gridiron Chris Peterson

Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com After a season filled with close calls and near misses, the Harlem Wildcats football team will look to forget the disappointments of the 2013 season and improve on a 1-7 record that could have easily been much better.

Long-time Harlem head football coach Joe Shupe, who has been involved with Wildcats at the high school or junior high level for 28 years, is back for another season at the helm and brings back a group of experienced veterans who are looking to do more than just win a game or two in the District 2B. “Even though we didn’t win many games, we were in every game that we played,” Shupe said.

“We just didn’t finish. We would play a good first half or a good second half but we had a hard time putting together a complete game for four quarters. We had a tough team, we were not bad. We had a 10-0 lead at halftime over Glasgow, who made the playoffs and we also were leading Shelby 18-12 going into the fourth quarter and had Conrad on the ropes, we just couldn’t finish.”

One thing that did not aid the Wildcats’ cause in 2013 was an injury suffered by starting quarterback Deion Hammett, who also starts for the team at safety. The loss of Hammett hurt, and his return for his senior season is one reason for optimism in Shupe’s eyes.

“We have some good skill position players coming back,” Shupe said. “Deion was hurt last year, so he will be back. He has had some injury issues so he really wants to come back and finish what he started and get through a season healthy. He is also a very good safety, he is better at safety than he is at quarterback.”

Other players who will have key roles on the Harlem offense include wide receiver turned running back Brendan Johnson, run-

Havre Daily News/Chris Peterson The 2014 Harlem High football team poses for a team photo inside the Harlem High School gymnasium. The Wildcats had a lot of close calls on the football field last season, and in 2014, are hoping to turn those close games into victories.

ning back Damon Adams and wide receiver Lucas Reed. The Wildcats also bring back some experience on the offensive line with returning starters Ramon Chavez, who is an offensive guard and Denton Cornell, who is the team’s starting center.

Hammett will lead the way on defense for the Wildcats but he will get plenty of help from the likes of Johnson, Chavez and Adams, who are Harlem’s three starting linebackers. Cornell will also contribute at defensive end, while Reed is

at cornerback.

A big obstacle in the way of Harlem becoming a playoff contender in 2014 is the difficulty of the 2B. Malta, which has been a perennial powerhouse in the district for quite some time, made it to the Class B state championship in 2012 losing to Missoula Loyola in a heartbreaker 20-14. Yet, even though Malta was down last season, Glasgow picked up the slack, winning two games in the Class B playoffs before bowing out in the semifinals.

In addition to Malta, Glasgow

and Harlem, the 2B also features Plentywood and Wolf Point, leaving the five teams to fend for two playoff spots.

“Glasgow is going to be far and above everybody,” Shupe said.

“They didn’t lose anybody from their team last year, so they will be tough. As far as the rest of us go, I think we are all going to be fighting it up for that No. 2 spot.”

Another thing that will make wins hard to come by for the Wildcats in 2014 is the difficulty of their schedule. Not only will Harlem

play two playoff teams from its own district but three other teams that made the Class B playoffs are on the slate for nonconference games as the Wildcats will face Bigfork, Choteau and Conrad this season.

The Wildcats will open their 2014 season Sept. 5 when they head to Big Timber to begin the 2014 campaign. That will be followed by a home game against Shelby Sept.

12, then by road trips to Conrad ept. 19 and defending 2B champion Glasgow Sept. 26.

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Harlem spikers aim to improve George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com Success on the volleyball court as been hard to come by at Harlem High School. After all, the Wildcats play in one of the best volleyball districts in Class B, the daunting District 2B. But the 2014 season could be a different story as the Wildcats are loaded with athletic and talented players, many who have been in the program for three or four seasons, and have gone through the growing pains.

In other words, Harlem is gunning for a breakout year, and with talent and numbers, the Wildcats could do just that.

“Things have been going great so far,” said Harlem assistant coach Cindy LaMere. “We have really good numbers and have had great participation. We have three returning players from our varsity team last year, so we are going to be a young team and we have a lot of younger kids out which is what you want to see.”

Harlem might be a team short in experience, but with three returning starters and 12 upperclassmen on the roster, the Wildcats have a solid lineup, and depth.

Erin LaMere (S, OH) is back for her senior season, as are fellow senior starters Ticia Cliff (OH) and Audena Wing (L). Those three give Harlem experience and leadership, while seniors Alexa Longknife, Chanda Sears, Sammi Werk and Deena Skinner will also be counted upon to play key roles this season. Harlem’s junior class is also good. Brooke LaValdo, Emma Humpreys, Anita Bentley, Jaidyn Bishop and Hailey Lamebull add to Harlem’s depth and experience.

“I hope the girls accept their roles and just work really hard and specializing on their roles on the team,” LaMere said. “We are working on things so that we are able to capitalize more when we have opportunities. I want to see them make good passes, when I first got it, it was just about get-

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Big Sandy ready to get back to winning ways Pioneers hope to get back into the Six-Man playoff picture Chris Peterson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com

ting it over the net, but now we can do back sets and can be very competitive at the net.”

While Harlem has a chance to be very compeititive in the 2B, a league which includes powerhouses like Malta and Glasgow, the Wildcats are also working toward the future. With their numbers up and interest in volleyball growing, Harlem wants to use this season

as a springboard for future volleyball success.

"We have a lot of girls that are going to get some experience for us this year and we just want them to learn their role on the team and work as hard as they can," LaMere noted.

The Wildcats opened the 2014 season at last weekend’s Malta Invitational.

Havre Daily News/Chris Peterson Members of the 2014 Harlem High School volleyball team pose for a team photo recently at the Harlem High gymnasium. The Wildcats, who play in the difficult District 2B, are hoping that the 2014 season is one in which things start to turn around in volleyball. Harlem has had long stretches of difficult seasons on the volleyball court, but with numbers way up and a group of senior and junior leaders on the team this season, the Wildcats will have a chance to make this fall a special one on the volleyball court. Harlem opens its 2014 season at this weekend's Malta Invitational.

Staying healthy is an important part of winning in any sport. In football, it’s especially key and when it’s Six-Man football, avoiding injury is more imperative than at any other level. So when the Big Sandy football team suffered injuries to three key players last season, which equaled half the starting lineup, it was too much to overcome and the Pioneers finished 3-5, one game out of the playoffs.

Yet, a new season has spawned new hope for the Pioneers, who are healthy and ready to make amends for an injury riddled 2013 campaign.

“Last year, we had quite a few injuries, we lost three of our six starters so it was kind of a long season,” said first-year head coach Walter Sivertsen. “But we still only finished one game out of the playoffs. The good thing about losing some of those kids so early is that we got a lot of other kids some good game experience.”

One key player that is back from last season’s walking wounded is senior quarterback Kyle Strutz, who earned the starting job only to see his junior season cut short after two games due to a torn ACL. Other key returning players include Cody Bailey, Jacob Schuster and Geno Menard.

Other players that will contribute for Big Sandy at the varsity level this season are Ricky Cook, Nick Carol, Laramie Long, Zack Works, Eric Schwarzbach, Lawrence Allderice, Weston Allderice, Tanner Allderice and Duke Darlington.

In six-man football, players are required to be versatile and willing to play multiple positions on offense and defense. Baily and Schuster fit that mold perfectly as both players will spend time on the offensive line and in the backfield. Menard is another talented senior that will man the tailback position and add a dimension of speed to the Pioneers offense.

“It was tough to lose Kyle so early in the season, but we are expecting big things from him in his senior season,” Sivertsen said.

“Cody and Jacob are two more strong seniors.

Geno also comes back and he has been working really hard this summer and picked up some speed, which is always a good thing.”

The one thing working against the Pio-

Havre Daily News/Chris Peterson The 2014 Big Sandy football team takes a team photo at the Big Sandy Field. After missing the Class C Six-Man playoffs in 2013, the Pioneers are hoping to stay healthy and get back to their winning ways this fall. neers and their hopes of making the playoffs is the very difficult North C Division of SixMan football, which features traditional powerhouses such as Geraldine/Highwood and Stanford/Geyser/Denton, who squared off in the Class C Six-Man state championship game last season with Geraldine/Highwood winning by a score of 50-18.

North Star has also been a perennial playoff contender since entering the six-man ranks seven years ago, leaving the Pioneers

to compete against them and the likes of Box Elder, Valier, Sunburst and others to fight for one of the four playoff spots given out in the North Division.

“It’s kind of hard to judge how tough the conference will be with new coaches coming in and Sunburst dropping to six-man,” Sivertsen said. “But things are going well for us, the kids have great attitudes and are really working hard. We went down to Butte for a team camp this summer and we saw a lot

of positive things there. I don’t think we will stomp everyone, but we will work hard and will not quit. After last season, we are hungry to win and I think we should reach the playoffs. It all depends on if we can stay healthy but if we can, I think we can make it and have the ability to go deep into the playoffs.”

The Pioneers opened their 2014 season and begin their quest to return to the six-man playoffs last weekend when they played host to Heart Butte.

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Blue Ponies are ready to explode this fall

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Miles City (T) 6:00 p.m.

Sidney (H) 7:00 p.m.

Glendive (T) 7:00 p.m.

Park (T) 7:00 p.m.

Belgrade (H) 7:00 p.m.

Lewistown (T) 7:00 p.m.

Polson (H) 7:00 p.m.

Browning (H) 7:00 p.m.

First Round of Playoffs

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Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com

Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com The 2013 season was defined by highs and lows for the Havre High football team. But after a roller coaster of a season, the young and talented Ponies are poised to take the next step in 2014, which would be reclaiming the top spot in the Central A Conference,

something Havre hasn’t done since 2011.

After a difficult 0-2-1 start in nonconference play last season, the Ponies rallied, posting a 3-1 record in the Central A conference, finishing the season 4-4-1. Their 3-1 record was good enough for second in the league, giving them a home game in the first round of the Class A state playoffs. Havre knocked off Miles City 21-20 before falling in the state quarterfinals at the hands of Co-

lumbia Falls in blowout fashion.

Despite the fact that the Ponies did not advance as far as they would have liked in 2013, that playoff experience will prove invaluable as HHS returns a number of key players from last season. The top player returning for Havre is All-State quarterback Dane Warp, who enters his junior season with two years of starting experience under his belt. Warp had a tremendous statistical season for the Ponies in 2014, as he completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,941 yards, 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 125 yards and had a pair of rushing touchdowns.

Yet, Warp is not the only weapon coming back on what should be an electrifying Pony offense. The Ponies also return a pair of wide receivers in junior Nate Rismon and sophomore Parker Filius, both of whom earned All-Conference honors a season ago.

Rismon is a true wide receiver and was third on the team with 43 receptions last season to go along with 640 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Filius, on the other hand, will do damage to defenses as both a runner and a receiver. Last season, Filius showed just how dynamic he can be, leading the Ponies with 49 receptions and 1,034 yards from scrimmage. He also was second

on the team with seven touchdowns.

One big change for the Havre offense in 2014 will be the play-caller. Those duties used to reside with former offensive coordinator Danny Wirtzberger, who is no longer part of the coaching staff after moving on to become the Athletic Director at Laurel High School. That responsibility now belongs to veteran HHS head coach Jason Christenson.

“I have never called plays on offense so I am nervous but also very excited,” Christenson said. “I will make mistakes just like everybody else, but I know enough about it and been around enough very good coaches and coordinators that I know how to call and manage a game.”

While Warp and the passing game will be the strength of the Pony offense, Christenson still wants to establish the run whenever possible, which will be made easier with the return of Filius and Second-Team AllConference fullback Kody Pribyl. Pribyl, a junior, led HHS in rushing yards last season totaling 312 yards on 66 carries, good enough for an average of 4.7 yards per carry. He also scored six rushing touchdowns and hauled in 18 receptions for 238 yards.

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Stars continue to build in football

Chris Peterson

Chris Peterson

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

The transition to Class B 11-man football has been a difficult one for Rocky Boy, and once again, due to numbers constraints, the team will be playing a junior varsity schedule in 2014.

That doesn’t mean the program can’t take a step forward this season as head coach Rick Sunchild continues to build a program that he hopes can return to the varsity level sometime in the near future.

“With our numbers and our commitment level, we are barely above B level and are more of a high class C level,” Sunchild said. “But we have good numbers at the junior high level and have some freshmen

that are showing a lot of promise so, hopefully, down the road we can get back to being a varsity level program. That is my goal, and I think with our younger generation is a lot more interested in football.

I see them playing tackle football a lot even on the playground, so I think down the road I am hoping we will have the numbers to do it.”

Last season, playing the junior varsity schedule, Rocky Boy enjoyed a solid season, posting a 4-4 record. Despite lacking numbers in football, the Stars have some solid players returning for the 2014 season in Chase Coffee and Isiah Murie, who play both running back and wide receiver.

“It’s tough for our kids because with our numbers, they have to go iron man and play both sides of the

Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle The 2014 Rocky Boy football team takes a team photo last week in Rocky Boy. Despite moving up to Class B several years ago, the Stars haven't played a varsity season as of yet. Rocky Boy will play another junior varsity schedule this season. ball,” Sunchild said. “We try to give them a break whenever we can, but that is why it is important for us to make sure that they are in really good physical condition.”

Rocky Boy, which competes in District 1B will play a seven-game schedule this season that includes two games against the Havre High JV squad, the first of which will come at Blue Pony Stadium on Sept. 5. But, for the Stars, the 2014 season is more about trying to build a program than it is about wins and losses.

“We have some freshmen that have a lot of potential and we do

have some athletes,” Sunchild said.

“Last year we started out slow and were getting beat pretty good, but our kids kept learning and once they started catching on, we were able to win some games. We had a pretty good stretch, where we were able to win three games in a row before losing our last game to Cut Bank JV. So hopefully we can build on that and start the season better this year.”

One of the biggest obstacles for Sunchild is getting the school’s talented athletes to go out for football as well as basketball, which many players have been resistant to do

because of the injury risk football presents.

“We have a lot of great athletes in our school but most of them are only focused on playing basketball,” Sunchild said. “A lot of guys are worried about getting injured, but my goal is to try and change the attitude about football. I want to get away from the thinking that football is a sport we can get hurt in, we want to get back to playing at the varsity level.”

Rocky Boy will kick off its 2014 season Sept. 5 when they travel to Havre to take on the Blue Pony JV football team.

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Morning Stars continue to improve Havre harriers

set out for an exciting season

George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com When Rocky Boy High School moved up to Class B in all its athletics programs several years ago, excitement was high. And for good reason, as both Rocky Boy boys and girls basketball teams have been right at home in the Class B ranks.

But it's been a different story for the Rocky Boy volleyball program. Over the years, the Morning Stars have struggled to catch up in Class B volleyball, and though they have always been competitive and have always been a team with no quit in them, the Morning Stars have yet to register a winning season since making the move up.

But, as each new season dawns, veteran Rocky Boy head coach Ty Watson is hopeful that change is coming. Watson has been a longtime high school volleyball coach, and no matter the wins, or lack of wins, he hasn't abandoned hope of helping Rocky Boy rise in Class B volleyball.

In 2014, Rocky Boy will take another shot at doing just that. And the Morning Stars do have some talented players hoping to help change the culture of volleyball in Rocky Boy. Led by key returnees like Jai-Lynne Day Child and Jurnee LaForge, the Morning Stars do have some returning experience this season. They also have good size at the net, and athleticism and speed in the back row, so if they continue to improve as a team, there's no reason to think the Morning Stars can't compete, and compete well within the tough District 1B. Also on the Rocky Boy roster this season is Jill Topsky, Kristen LaMere and Rainey Singer. Singer saw action with the Morning Stars a year ago, and she too should help provide some veteran experience on the court.

Rounding out Rocky Boy's roster for the 2014 season is Leilani Denny, Savanna Stump, Sean Henry, Shania Patacsil and Thalia Vazquez.

So, the Morning Stars won't have a lot of depth in their rotations this season, but they do have some returning experience, to go with some size and some outstanding athletes. That bodes well for what Watson would like to accomplish in 2014, but those pieces are also part of the puzzle.

Talent hasn't been the problem for the Morning Stars since moving up to Class B. Instead, the fact that they play in perhaps the top district in all of Class B volleyball is

Chris Peterson Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com

Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle Members of the 2014 Rocky Boy High School volleyball team take a team photo at the Rocky Boy gymnasium recently. Though the Morning Stars have struggled to keep pace since moving up to Class B several years ago, they come into the 2014 season with renewed hope that they can turn things around on the volleyball court. The Morning Stars begin the 2014 season with matches at the annual Malta Invitational this weekend.

what presents the biggest challenge.

The District 1B is always loaded, especially with Choteau being one of the best volleyball programs in the entire state. For years, the Bulldogs have been at the top of the 1B standings, and that's saying something considering the rest of the district is really good, too.

Fairfield is another perennial volleyball powerhouse, and the Eagles are always stacked with quality athletes and depth.

And the district doesn't get any easier after Choteau and Fairfield. Instead, Conrad and Cut Bank make up another part of what is easily the toughest schedule in the state

each year. The Cowgirls have been really strong the last two seasons and will likely be again in 2014, while Cut Bank has competed for district titles plenty of times over the years. Add in a Shelby squad which always has numbers and athletes, and it's easy to see why Rocky Boy has yet to have a winning season in the 1B. Still, the Morning Stars won't give up hope. They have been known around the 1B as a difficult team to play. They always play sound defense, and with plenty of quickness, they are good in serve-receive. And scrappy, defensive-minded teams are always tough to beat.

Rocky Boy is also a tough out because the Morning Stars work hard on the court, and truly want to be better in volleyball. The 2014 season will be no different. Yes, Choteau and Conrad will likely be the 1B favorites, but the Morning Stars will battle each and every match no matter who is across the net from them.

The Morning Stars opened their new volleyball season at last weekend's Malta Invitational. The Morning Stars will also play at the annual North Star Showcase Sept. 5-6 in Rudyard and Gildford, before playing their first home match of the season Sept. 13 in Rocky Boy.

The 2013 season was a successful one for the Havre High School cross country teams.

The HHS girls won the Central A Divisional meet and finished fourth in the Class A State cross country meet. The boys team also competed well at state with a 13th-place finish.

Now the Ponies will look to build on that success, and with a number of runners returning for the 2014 season, there is a chance that this season will be even better.

“I think we will do very well,” HHS head coach Darci Heninger said. “We have four of our runners back from our girls that went to divisionals and state, and I think that if they keep working hard, they have a chance to place high again this year. It just really depends on how bad they want it.

“The boys also have a chance to do well at state this year,” She added. “All our boys ... ran at state last year and they already have really good pack times. They are all really close so they rotate places. One week one person will run first, then the next week it will be another runner. But the competition is very difficult for the boys, there are a lot great runners out there and a lot of natural talent, so they will need to work really hard if they want to place at state.”

The Pony girls bring back a veteran unit with the return of Morgan Mazurkiewicz, Tori Mazurkiewicz, Rachel David and Emily Brurud. Morgan Mazurkiewicz is the top returning runner among the girls team and finished 25th at state, higher than any other individual runner returning for the Ponies this season. David also had a solid finish at state coming in 26th place. Brurud finished in 98th place for the Pony girls.

“Morgan and Rachel both did really well at state last year, and I think they can place very high at state this year,” Heninger said.

“Morgan is very competitive and she is good at everything she does. Rachel is the same way and she improved so much last season and is doing awesome so far in practice.”

Other girls that will contend for varsity spots are Meggie Zook, Kinnah Kinsella, Brooke Lavalley, Rainey Stoner, Mara Vogel, Marca Herron, Lainee Van Voast, Megan Alexander, Rachel Majeres, Maya Reed and Caitlyn Acuff.

Leading the Blue Pony boys into the 2014 season will be returning varsity runners Brandon Robertson, Brock Ross, Cameron Knapton, Dylan Stewart and Ethan Smith.

Robertson had the best finish at state coming in 47th place. Ross had the second-best time, finishing in 57th, while Stewart, Smith

Havre Daily News/Chris Peterson The 2014 Havre High boys and girls cross country teams take a team photo outside of Havre High School last week. The Blue Ponies begin a brand new season next week at the Cut Bank Invitational. The Ponies are in their second year under head coach Darci Heninger, and Havre should once again be strong.

and Knapton finished 92nd, 112th and 124th, respectively. Other runners who will contend for spots on the varsity team include Sundance Lodge, Chris Steinmetz, Ryan Stewart, Austin Jones, Bakit Kilgore and Jaime Lieberg.

“I think a lot of the boys could place well at state if they work really hard,” Heninger said. “Brandon, Brock and Dylan all have a chance to place really well at state. They just need to keep working hard at every practice and every meet to continue to improve their time every week.”

Even though the Ponies have a number of runners returning, the varsity team will not be set until after the first meet of the season at Cut Bank on Sept. 5. Then, after the varsity roster is finalized, Havre will travel to Missoula to compete in the prestigious Mountain West Invitational Sept. 20, which will give the Ponies a good idea of how they stack up against top competition. The only home meet of the season will take place Oct. 4.

“We do things a little different than most teams,” Heninger said. “We use the Cut Bank meet to determine our varsity teams. From there it will be just be about working hard every work to improve our times and getting better every week.”

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Cut Bank 3:20 p.m.

Malta 10:00 a.m.

Mountain West - Missoula

Browning 3:30 p.m.

Lewistown 10:00 a.m.

Havre 10:00 a.m.

Helena (Preview Meet) Divisionals Lewistown 11:00 a.m.

State Helena

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North Star will be strong on the court once again George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com The North Star Knights have been a Class C volleyball powerhouse for a long, long time. And as a brand new season approaches, it doesn’t look like that has changed.

As the 2014 high school volleyball season gets underway, it once again would appear that the Knights are poised for big things.

After finishing second at the 2013 District 6C Tournament, as well as an outstanding third

at the Northern C Divisional, the Knights, under the guidance of second-year head coach Angel Beamer, are back for more.

“I’m excited about this team,” Beamer said. “We did lose some really good players, but we have a lot of talented and athletic girls back. There are a lot of athletic girls on this team, and we have key players back who show really good leadership. And all the girls work really well together.”

The Knights did watch five talented seniors graduate from last year’s squad, a squad which included the likes of Bettie

Carlon, a four-time All-Conference standout. But Beamer does have girls back, all of which played key roles on last year’s team, and that bodes well for the 2014 season.

Seniors Tylynn Rettig and Mackenzie Hanson will be the leaders of the 2014 North Star team. Both were All-District type players a year ago, and both have been major contributors throughout their stellar volleyball tenure.

North Star will also rely heavily on its junior class, with returners Greyson Spicher, Sheridan O’Neil and Kiera Miller back for

Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle Members of the 2014 North Star High School volleyball team pose for a team photo at a recent practice in Rudyard. The Knights have long been one of the top teams in District 6C, and with another talented group out for the squad, the 2014 season will llikely be no different.

another season. O’Neil and Miller will be particularly key, as North Star presents a tall block in the front row.

“I think one of our biggest strengths is that we do have some tall girls,” Beamer said, “so it’s always great to have that. I think another strength is our chemistry and our leadership. These girls work well together on and off the court. They also work very hard, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to win. They are very competitive.”

Of course, as good as North Star will be again this season, there’s plenty of work to do if the Knights want to continue to be at, or near the top of the 6C and beyond. Chinook and Chester/J-I will be talented once again, while Big Sandy and Box Elder are somewhat of an unknown at this point.

“I think Chinook and us will be pretty even again,” Beamer said. “C/J-I will be really good this year, too. Big Sandy lost a lot of players from last year, but they always have a lot of talent, and Box Elder will be new for us, but you never really know. I think it’s going to be another really even year, and our district will be very tough.”

The Knights began the 2014 season with a match against Dutton-Brady, as well as a trip to the Belt Invitational last weekend.

North Star is home to host the North Star Showcase Sept. 5-6 in Rudyard and Gildford.

The 2014 6C district tournament is Oct. 30-31 in Chester.

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C/J-I set on staying an 8-man power Hawks are low on numbers this season, but they aren't short on talent

Chris Peterson Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com In Class C football, the numbers game is always a hot topic. For Chester/J-I, numbers are starting to dwindle, leaving doubts about the school’s future as an 8-man football program.

Yet, as long as the team plays 8-man football, head coach Jim Vinson believes they will be competitive, and after a promising 7-3 campaign in 2013, the Hawks are looking to make a return trip to the postseason, despite having just 13 players out for varsity football.

“We are going to be competitive,” Vinson said. “Our enrollment numbers are way down and we have only have 13 kids out for football, but we only have 19 boys in our entire high school. So it’s kind of been laboring to get enough kids to play, but we have some very good athletes, and we are going to keep competing at the 8-man level for as long as we can.”

One such athlete is Justin May, a 6-1, 175-pound junior that earned All-State honors in 2013 after excelling as both a running back and outside linebacker. May was the star of the Hawks’ offense as he racked up 1,917 total yards from scrimmage and scored 22 touchdowns. As a runner, he averaged

6.4 yards per carry and finished the season with 1,435 rushing yards to go along with 33 receptions for 482 yards.

May was just as impressive on defense as the ball-hawking linebacker had 11 interceptions seven passes defensed and 89 tackles.

Another key returning player for C/J-I is going to be junior quarterback Brandon Richter. The 5-9, 165-pounder, saw most of his time at wide receiver last season, where he hauled in 20 receptions for 228 yards. He also carried the ball 20 times for 95 yards and had six total touchdowns. At quarterback he attempted 22 passes, completing 13.

“Brandon was our backup quarterback last season and was able to get some experience even though he mostly played wide receiver,” Vinson said. “But he is a good athlete. He runs well and throws it well and even though he is a not a very big kid, he is very physical for his size.”

Other key players returning for the Hawks include senior Brandon Theel, who will anchor the offensive and defensive lines, as well as junior tight end Troy Harmon, who is currently injured but should return sometime in the middle of the season.

Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle The 2014 Chester/J-I football team poses for a team photo recently in Chester. The Hawks are down in numbers this season, but they don't lack for talented football players, and that's why they will continue to remain in the Northern C 8-man division.

“With Troy hurt, we only have 12 guys to start the season, so our success is going to hinge on us staying healthy,” Vinson said. “We will not have much depth, so we really don’t have much room for error. We will be young, but we are athletic and we will be competitive. But one or two injuries could be very detrimental to our season.”

The Hawks’ 7-3 record earned them a third-place finish in the Northern C last season and they

Havre Daily News/File Photo Mackenzie Hanson is an important returning player for the talented North Stars Knights in 2014.

Havre Daily News/File Photo Chester/J-I's Justin May, right, is one of the top returning football players in all of the Northern C 8-man division in 2014.

look to continue that success in 2014. To do so, they will compete with the likes of Belt, the reigning Northern C champion and state semifinalist, as well as Simms and Power-Dutton-Brady. Other teams that should be in contention for the fourth and final playoff spot from the league are Chinook, Fort Benton, Great Falls Central, Cascade and Centerville.

“Belt won it last year and right now I would have to pick them as the favorite,” Vinson said. “They

lost a couple of kids from last year but have good numbers. Simms also has really good numbers and last year was kind of a turning point for them. Power-DuttonBrady also will have a good team, so it will be a scramble for that last playoff spot and I hope that we will be one of the teams that is fighting for it.”

The Hawks opened the season on the road as they traveled to Centerville last weekend for a key Northern C game.

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Hawks are young, but talented Chester/J-I volleyball ready to rise up once again in the District 6C

September 2014

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Knights poised for more grid success Chris Peterson Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com

George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com The Chester/J-I name is synonymous with success in the sport of high school volleyball. For years, the Hawks have been one of the top teams in the District 6C, and even the Northern C. But after what would have to be considered a down year for the Hawks in 2013, they are gunning to rise right back up the 6C ranks in 2014.

C/J-I, under the direction of veteran head coach Wendy Goldhahn, comes into a brand new season with a young, but talented athletic squad, and Goldhahn says she’s excited about what the future holds.

“We’re a very young team,” she said. “So right now, we’re just trying to figure out what works best for us and how we can best gel together as a team. But we are a very athletic and talented team. We just need to get better volleyball-wise and put the team together in the right way.”

The Hawks are indeed not short on talented athletes. Sophomore Allix Goldhahn (MH) is one of the premier athletes in the 6C and is one of four returning starters at C/J-I. The Hawks have one senior in Emma Earl (S), while juniors Madeline Woods (S) and Erin Wolfe (MH) were also starters last season. Junior Kristana Dahinden (OH) is also part of C/J-I’s veteran group.

But after that core group, the Hawks will rely on plenty of youth to step up. Sophomores Kylee Vinson (OH) and Jarica Tempel ((S, DS) have some varsity experience, but six freshmen will also help round out the C/J-I roster. Korrin Harmon, Katelyn Hansen, Gabby Mangold, Karra Lohr, Kayona Fraser and Kendahl Knapton will all help make up the rest of the C/J-I roster.

C/J-I's roster is indeed young, but it's not short on talent. The Hawks will also be a team which will be strong at the net, and good in serve-receive. So if, they can continue to gel on the court together, and gain confidence as the season goes on, there's no reason to think C/J-I can't be a 6C contender this season.

And though C/J-I is young, and coming off a season in which the Hawks finished

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Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle Above: The 2014 Chester/J-I volleyball team poses for a team picture last week in Chester. The Hawks struggled somewhat in 2013, and though they are young in 2014, they are talented and ready to compete for the District 6C title this fall.

Below: Madeline Woods is one of a key group of C/J-I volleyball players returning in 2014.

fourth in the 6C, Goldhahn noted that the conference should be very even, and that as her team gains confidence and momentum, the goals will continue to be the same, and that’s to compete for a district championship, and to their advantage, the Hawks will be hosting the 2014 District 6C Tournament in Chester in late October.

“I think it’s really hard to make a prediction about our district right now,” Goldhahn said. “Everybody in our district lost some good players from last year, but everybody is also still really talented. So every team in our district could be right there at the end.

“So it’s going to be a really fun season, and I’m really looking forward to it,” she added.

“I know the kids are truly looking forward to it, too. They have been practicing really hard and having a lot of fun so far.”

The Hawks opened the season last weekend with a match against Sunburst, as well as a trip to the Sunburst Showcase. Later in the year, C/J-I will also host the Chester/J-I Showcase, while the 2014 6C District Tournament will be played in Chester Oct. 30-31. The top two teams advance on to the Northern C Divisional the following week, while the 2014 Class C state volleyball tournament will be held Nov. 13-15 in Bozeman.

The North Stars Knights are establishing themselves as a top-flight program in the SixMan division of Class C football. After making five trips to the playoffs in their seven years of Six-Man football, the Knights have already become a perennial playoff contender and look to continue their success in the 2014 season.

Following their third-place finish in the Northern Division of Class C Six-Man football a year ago, the Knights were dispatched from the playoffs by Westby/Grenora in a 64-58 shootout that ended their season. Yet, with a solid group of veterans returning, the Knights have to like their chances of making the playoffs in 2014, and even making some noise once they get there.

“I really feel that we are still one of top four teams in our league, so that is what we are gunning for,” North Star head coach Steve Simonson said. “Our goal every year is to get into the playoffs and then we can play it out and see what happens from there.”

One thing that makes the Knights unique, particularly among six-man football teams is the presence of Simonson’s son, Jaxon Simonson, who is a 6-4, 280-pound lineman that has a legitimate chance to play college football.

Jaxson Simonson would be a weapon at any level of high school football simply because elite lineman are difficult to come by.

And you won’t find many better at the SixMan level than Simonson, who earned AllState honors last season.

However, Jaxon Simonson can do more than block. In six-man football every offensive player is eligible, even lineman, and North Star took advantage of this, making Simonson the team leader in receptions as well as its best offensive lineman.

“We will be running behind (Jaxon) a lot,” Steve Simonson said. “He was also my top receiver last season, too, because with him you throw him some short passes and he will pick up seven or eight yards every time. We have a lot of horses up front, but we are a little short on the speed and skill guys, so we are going to depend a lot on our running game.”

Another advantage for the Stars heading into the 2014 season is the return of starting quarterback Matthew Helmbrecht. The 6-2, 185-pound junior will lead the Knights’ runbased attack. But, even in a rushing offense, having an experienced quarterback is essential and puts a team one step ahead of the

competition.

Other key players on the offensive side of the ball for the Knights include running back Gavin Spinler, running back Payton Peterson and center Thatcher Smith. Jaxon Simonson leads the way on defense as a down lineman, while Spinler and Smith head the linebacking group. Peterson is the team’s best cover corner.

One thing standing in the way of the Knights and another berth in the playoffs is the difficult North Division. The league has a number of Class C powerhouses such as Geraldine/Highwood, the defending Class C state champion and Stanford/Geyser/Denton, the Class C runner-up. The 2012 Class C state championship game also featured Big Sandy and three of the four teams in the state semifinals that year resided in the North.

Valier, one of the three teams from the North to make the semi-finals in 2012 also made the playoffs last season. Their presence along with Geraldine/Highwood, Stanford/Geyser/Denton, Big Sandy and North Star means at least one solid team will miss the playoffs and that doesn’t even include Box Elder, which missed qualifying for the postseason by a single game in 2013.

“We have made the playoffs in all but two

years since we have been playing Six-Man, and we expect to get back,” Steve Simonson said. “We lost in the playoffs last year, so we just want to get back and see how it plays out.”

There are four playoff berths available from the North Division of Six-Man football, with the top two teams hosting a first-round game.

The Knights will began a treacherous 2014 schedule last weekend when they open their season against Sunburst, which dropped from 8-man football to Six-Man and is the newest member of the North Division.

Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle The 2014 North Star High School football team poses for a team photo during a recent practice in Rudyard. The Knights have been a perennial playoff contender in the Class C Six-Man North Division for years, and veteran head coach Steve Simonson says that is the goal for the Knights once again this season. North Star graduated some standout players from last season's playoff squad, but the Knights return plenty of talent for yet another push at making the playoffs out of the always tough North Division. The Knights open their season with North Division newcomer, the Sunburst Refiners, this weekend.

10

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September 2014

September 5

September 6 September 11 September 12-13 September 19 September 20

September 26 September 27 October 2 October 4 October 10 October 16 October 25

November 1 November 7-8 November 13-15

Varsity vs. Belgrade (T) Varsity vs. Park (Belgrade) Windy City Classic (Park) Conrad (H) Electric City Classic (GF) Varsity vs. Browning (H) Varsity vs. Hardin & Laural (Lewistown) Varsity vs. Lewistown (H) Varsity vs. Choteau (H) Varsity vs. Great Falls (H) Varsity vs. Browning (T) Varsity vs. Conrad (T) Varsity vs. Choteau (T) Varsity vs. Park (H) Varsity vs. Belgrade (H) Varsity vs. Lewistown (T) Divisionals State

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Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle The 2014 Havre High varsity volleyball team poses for a team photo at last Saturday's Blue/White game at the Havre Middle School. The Blue Ponies open their season with matches at Belgrade and Livingston. The Ponies finished third at the Central A divisional tournament a year ago, and they're hoping for even better results this season.

www.havredailynews.com

11

Area

September 2014

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Blue Pony spikers HLP gridders, spikers striving to be much gunning for a big improved in 2014 season on the court

Chris Peterson Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com

The Havre High volleyball team has been stuck in a rut the past few seasons. After making numerous trips to the Class A state tournament in the 2000s, The Ponies have failed to make the state tournament in each of the last four seasons. But with a bevy of young talent and the start of a new season, there is optimism that they can reclaim their status as a force to be reckoned with in Class A volleyball.

The 2013 campaign was one the Ponies would like to forget as the team finished 2-3 in Central A play, on their way to a 5-12 overall record. Havre did end up finishing third at the divisional tournament, but only the top two teams go to state, leaving Havre out as Belgrade and Lewistown represented the Central A in the state tournament.

“We have a few returning players coming back from last season, and we will have a lot of girls that didn’t play varsity last year but we have some talented girls and so far I think they have been doing a great job,” HHS head coach Melanie Skoyen said. “There are still things that we need to fine tune, but I really like what I am seeing. We have been able to start our quick offense and shoot sets, we are running more quick offense than we normally do at this point in the season but they are mature enough and experienced enough as a group that they can handle it.”

Whatever the Ponies lack in varsity experience they make up for with talent. Yet, one of the key players returning for this season is junior Dani Wagner, who is utilized as both a setter and outside hitter. Jordyn Warren is also one of two seniors on the team, and she will lead the way as a defensive specialist Other players who contribute in a big way for the Ponies this season are, Reggie Bernard, a junior, who plays in the middle, sophomore Naomi Terry, who plays the right side, and junior Megan Erickson, who is one of the top hitters on the roster along with Wagner.

Junior Madison Huebsch, senior Carlene Rennick and sophomore Samantha Huston round of the remainder of the HHS varsity roster.

“I can definitely see these girls doing some great things this season,” Skoyen said.

“It’s always hard to judge because I don’t have anything to compare them to. We always look good in practice and then when we go up against some competition it brings us back a little bit but right now everything seems to be flowing really well and this team has a lot of talent.”

Of course if the Ponies want to make some noise in the Central A this season they will need to stand up to the likes of Lewistown and Belgrade, which have become perennial powers in the league, and it won’t take long for

HHS to see how it stacks up.

Havre will take its traditional trip to the Windy City Classic in Livingston Sept. 6, but before that, the Ponies will take part in two key Central A matchups as they will face both Belgrade and Livingston Sept. 5 in Belgrade.

Skoyen, who enters her fifth season as head coach, is hoping to take that next step this season and get Havre back to state.

“The last few years we have finished in the top three at Divisionals, we just haven’t been able to get to state,” Skoyen said. “We are usually pretty even with Park, but Belgrade and Lewistown continually produce very good teams, but with this group I think we can give them a run for their money. This year we really need to go into every match thinking that we can win and be successful against any team we play.”

“But I have really liked what I have seen from this team so far,” she added. “Everyone has really good attitudes, and they are all working so hard that I feel very good about where we are at right now, and I am expecting some great things this season.”

After travelling to face Belgrade and Livingston Sept. 5, then playing in the Windy City Classic Sept. 6, the Ponies will return to the HHS Gymnasium for their home-opener against Conrad Sept. 11.

Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle Havre High junior Dani Wagner will be a key returning player for the 2014 Havre High volleyball team.

Chris Peterson Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com

The 2013 season was a difficult one for the Hays-Lodge Pole football team as it posted its third-straight season without a victory.

But the team did show progress, and after losing a number of close games, the Thunderbirds are poised to end their winless streak this season, thanks to a promising group of returning players and the direction of head coach Shawn Mount.

“We ended up at 0-7, we didn’t get a win, but we were competitive in some games,” Mount said. “Even though we didn’t win, we had some good points in the season. The kids competed hard, and we ended up having a decent season, now we have a good group of guys that are coming back that dedicated themselves over the summer. We even went to a team football camp this summer, which is something that hasn’t happened in a long time.”

The Thunderbirds, who play in the 8-man division of Class C football, have a core group of players returning that has provided a reason for optimism about the football program that hasn’t existed in previous seasons.

“We had six or seven kids that really worked hard together this summer, which was really exciting to see,” Mount said. “We competed very well at the team camp we went to, and I think that playing and working out this summer has given our kids a new level of confidence. We are really working to change the culture of our football program and if we can get ours kids to keep working at getting bigger, faster and learning more skills, then their confidence level will be even better.”

The first order of business for the T-Birds is going to be deciding who will be under center. Last season’s starting quarterback, Sterling White Cow, has moved to running back, leaving senior Darnell Parisian and sophomore Tyson Shambo to compete for the job.

“Sterling is one of our key guys and one of our best athletes, so we moved him to running back to take advantage of that,” Mount said. “Tyson is one of the fastest kids on the team and because of that he brings something a little different to the position than Darnell, who is a stronger passer. We do like to run with our quarterbacks as well, so it’s possible that if there is not a clear cut winner that we will play both guys because they have different strengths.”

Other key retuning players for the Thunderbirds include Cody Kirkaldie, who plays defensive back and wide receiver, fullback/ linebacker Damon Castillo, wide receiver Frank Runs Above and Tough Snow, who will see time in the offensive backfield and at linebacker.

Despite the fact that the team has been winless the past few seasons, Mount still believes the T-Birds can contend for a playoff spot in the challenging Eastern C Division. The conference features Wibaux, which lost in the 8-man state championship a year ago, as well as Culbertson/Bainville, Fairview, Broadus, Circle and Scobey/Opheim.

“To be honest, I believe there is going to be a log jam at the top of the conference and then in the middle,” Mount said.

“Wibaux, Broadus and Fairview will probably be the top three teams but after that I think everyone, including us, is going to be fighting it out for that fourth playoff spot.

First, we have to gain the respect of our opponents, once we get that, our next goal is to get a win and then get into the playoffs. But with the improvement we have seen in our program, the kids have a different attitude and are tired of being the doormat. They are hungry and they really want to win.”

The T-Birds will open their 2014 season on the road Sept. 6, when they will travel to Scobey to take on Scobey/Opheim in a key Eastern C divisional matchup.

Meanwhile, the HLP volleyball team, now coached by Lisa Criswell, will open a brand new season at this weekend's North Star Showcase.

www.havredailynews.com

Pony Football: Havre has the talent in 2014 ■ From Page 6 “We are going to try to mix it up as much as we can, it just depends on our offensive line,” Christenson said. “I am always of the philosophy that 50-50 is good but if we have to lean more on the pass we will. It just depends on how our o-line progresses but if we can run the ball we will. That will take a lot of pressure off Dane and open up the passing game even more.”

Defensively, the Ponies are led by senior Tyrell Pierce, who earned AllConference honors at defensive end. In the secondary, Filius and Rismon will play key roles, starting at strong safety and cornerback, respectively.

At linebacker, the Ponies are led by returning starters Pribyl and senior Jace Billy, who will each play outside. Sophomore Jase Stoke will man the middle.

“Nate and Parker are two good players for us as defensive backs,” Christenson said. “We also have a crew of linebackers that I am pretty excited about.”

When it comes to the Central A conference, the Ponies should do well enough to finish in the top three and qualify for the playoffs, but in order to capture the confer-

ence championship for the first time since 2011, HHS will need to conquer Belgrade, which dominated Havre 37-7 in last year’s meeting.

The Ponies will open the season with four nonconference games, including the annual season-opener against Whitefish for the BNSF trophy, before beginning Central A conference play Sept. 26 with a trip to Livingston. Belgrade comes to Havre Oct. 3 for a crucial game that will likely decide the Central A championship.

“You never know what Belgrade is going to bring to the table because they have so many kids, so they will be tough,” Christenson said. “But, I am pretty confident that we will be competing for the conference championship. I know that is boastful to say, but these kids have been working hard and practicing hard. We will go as far as these kids want to take us but if they keep working as hard as they have been, I think we will be pretty tough.”

The Ponies started their 2014 season with their annual BNSF Trophy game against the Whitefish Bulldogs at Blue Pony Stadium. Havre travels to rival Miles City this Friday night to take on the Cowboys for the third time in the last year.

10

Area

September 2014

September 5

September 6 September 11 September 12-13 September 19 September 20

September 26 September 27 October 2 October 4 October 10 October 16 October 25

November 1 November 7-8 November 13-15

Varsity vs. Belgrade (T) Varsity vs. Park (Belgrade) Windy City Classic (Park) Conrad (H) Electric City Classic (GF) Varsity vs. Browning (H) Varsity vs. Hardin & Laural (Lewistown) Varsity vs. Lewistown (H) Varsity vs. Choteau (H) Varsity vs. Great Falls (H) Varsity vs. Browning (T) Varsity vs. Conrad (T) Varsity vs. Choteau (T) Varsity vs. Park (H) Varsity vs. Belgrade (H) Varsity vs. Lewistown (T) Divisionals State

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Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle The 2014 Havre High varsity volleyball team poses for a team photo at last Saturday's Blue/White game at the Havre Middle School. The Blue Ponies open their season with matches at Belgrade and Livingston. The Ponies finished third at the Central A divisional tournament a year ago, and they're hoping for even better results this season.

www.havredailynews.com

11

Area

September 2014

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Blue Pony spikers HLP gridders, spikers striving to be much gunning for a big improved in 2014 season on the court

Chris Peterson Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com

The Havre High volleyball team has been stuck in a rut the past few seasons. After making numerous trips to the Class A state tournament in the 2000s, The Ponies have failed to make the state tournament in each of the last four seasons. But with a bevy of young talent and the start of a new season, there is optimism that they can reclaim their status as a force to be reckoned with in Class A volleyball.

The 2013 campaign was one the Ponies would like to forget as the team finished 2-3 in Central A play, on their way to a 5-12 overall record. Havre did end up finishing third at the divisional tournament, but only the top two teams go to state, leaving Havre out as Belgrade and Lewistown represented the Central A in the state tournament.

“We have a few returning players coming back from last season, and we will have a lot of girls that didn’t play varsity last year but we have some talented girls and so far I think they have been doing a great job,” HHS head coach Melanie Skoyen said. “There are still things that we need to fine tune, but I really like what I am seeing. We have been able to start our quick offense and shoot sets, we are running more quick offense than we normally do at this point in the season but they are mature enough and experienced enough as a group that they can handle it.”

Whatever the Ponies lack in varsity experience they make up for with talent. Yet, one of the key players returning for this season is junior Dani Wagner, who is utilized as both a setter and outside hitter. Jordyn Warren is also one of two seniors on the team, and she will lead the way as a defensive specialist Other players who contribute in a big way for the Ponies this season are, Reggie Bernard, a junior, who plays in the middle, sophomore Naomi Terry, who plays the right side, and junior Megan Erickson, who is one of the top hitters on the roster along with Wagner.

Junior Madison Huebsch, senior Carlene Rennick and sophomore Samantha Huston round of the remainder of the HHS varsity roster.

“I can definitely see these girls doing some great things this season,” Skoyen said.

“It’s always hard to judge because I don’t have anything to compare them to. We always look good in practice and then when we go up against some competition it brings us back a little bit but right now everything seems to be flowing really well and this team has a lot of talent.”

Of course if the Ponies want to make some noise in the Central A this season they will need to stand up to the likes of Lewistown and Belgrade, which have become perennial powers in the league, and it won’t take long for

HHS to see how it stacks up.

Havre will take its traditional trip to the Windy City Classic in Livingston Sept. 6, but before that, the Ponies will take part in two key Central A matchups as they will face both Belgrade and Livingston Sept. 5 in Belgrade.

Skoyen, who enters her fifth season as head coach, is hoping to take that next step this season and get Havre back to state.

“The last few years we have finished in the top three at Divisionals, we just haven’t been able to get to state,” Skoyen said. “We are usually pretty even with Park, but Belgrade and Lewistown continually produce very good teams, but with this group I think we can give them a run for their money. This year we really need to go into every match thinking that we can win and be successful against any team we play.”

“But I have really liked what I have seen from this team so far,” she added. “Everyone has really good attitudes, and they are all working so hard that I feel very good about where we are at right now, and I am expecting some great things this season.”

After travelling to face Belgrade and Livingston Sept. 5, then playing in the Windy City Classic Sept. 6, the Ponies will return to the HHS Gymnasium for their home-opener against Conrad Sept. 11.

Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle Havre High junior Dani Wagner will be a key returning player for the 2014 Havre High volleyball team.

Chris Peterson Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com

The 2013 season was a difficult one for the Hays-Lodge Pole football team as it posted its third-straight season without a victory.

But the team did show progress, and after losing a number of close games, the Thunderbirds are poised to end their winless streak this season, thanks to a promising group of returning players and the direction of head coach Shawn Mount.

“We ended up at 0-7, we didn’t get a win, but we were competitive in some games,” Mount said. “Even though we didn’t win, we had some good points in the season. The kids competed hard, and we ended up having a decent season, now we have a good group of guys that are coming back that dedicated themselves over the summer. We even went to a team football camp this summer, which is something that hasn’t happened in a long time.”

The Thunderbirds, who play in the 8-man division of Class C football, have a core group of players returning that has provided a reason for optimism about the football program that hasn’t existed in previous seasons.

“We had six or seven kids that really worked hard together this summer, which was really exciting to see,” Mount said. “We competed very well at the team camp we went to, and I think that playing and working out this summer has given our kids a new level of confidence. We are really working to change the culture of our football program and if we can get ours kids to keep working at getting bigger, faster and learning more skills, then their confidence level will be even better.”

The first order of business for the T-Birds is going to be deciding who will be under center. Last season’s starting quarterback, Sterling White Cow, has moved to running back, leaving senior Darnell Parisian and sophomore Tyson Shambo to compete for the job.

“Sterling is one of our key guys and one of our best athletes, so we moved him to running back to take advantage of that,” Mount said. “Tyson is one of the fastest kids on the team and because of that he brings something a little different to the position than Darnell, who is a stronger passer. We do like to run with our quarterbacks as well, so it’s possible that if there is not a clear cut winner that we will play both guys because they have different strengths.”

Other key retuning players for the Thunderbirds include Cody Kirkaldie, who plays defensive back and wide receiver, fullback/ linebacker Damon Castillo, wide receiver Frank Runs Above and Tough Snow, who will see time in the offensive backfield and at linebacker.

Despite the fact that the team has been winless the past few seasons, Mount still believes the T-Birds can contend for a playoff spot in the challenging Eastern C Division. The conference features Wibaux, which lost in the 8-man state championship a year ago, as well as Culbertson/Bainville, Fairview, Broadus, Circle and Scobey/Opheim.

“To be honest, I believe there is going to be a log jam at the top of the conference and then in the middle,” Mount said.

“Wibaux, Broadus and Fairview will probably be the top three teams but after that I think everyone, including us, is going to be fighting it out for that fourth playoff spot.

First, we have to gain the respect of our opponents, once we get that, our next goal is to get a win and then get into the playoffs. But with the improvement we have seen in our program, the kids have a different attitude and are tired of being the doormat. They are hungry and they really want to win.”

The T-Birds will open their 2014 season on the road Sept. 6, when they will travel to Scobey to take on Scobey/Opheim in a key Eastern C divisional matchup.

Meanwhile, the HLP volleyball team, now coached by Lisa Criswell, will open a brand new season at this weekend's North Star Showcase.

www.havredailynews.com

Pony Football: Havre has the talent in 2014 ■ From Page 6 “We are going to try to mix it up as much as we can, it just depends on our offensive line,” Christenson said. “I am always of the philosophy that 50-50 is good but if we have to lean more on the pass we will. It just depends on how our o-line progresses but if we can run the ball we will. That will take a lot of pressure off Dane and open up the passing game even more.”

Defensively, the Ponies are led by senior Tyrell Pierce, who earned AllConference honors at defensive end. In the secondary, Filius and Rismon will play key roles, starting at strong safety and cornerback, respectively.

At linebacker, the Ponies are led by returning starters Pribyl and senior Jace Billy, who will each play outside. Sophomore Jase Stoke will man the middle.

“Nate and Parker are two good players for us as defensive backs,” Christenson said. “We also have a crew of linebackers that I am pretty excited about.”

When it comes to the Central A conference, the Ponies should do well enough to finish in the top three and qualify for the playoffs, but in order to capture the confer-

ence championship for the first time since 2011, HHS will need to conquer Belgrade, which dominated Havre 37-7 in last year’s meeting.

The Ponies will open the season with four nonconference games, including the annual season-opener against Whitefish for the BNSF trophy, before beginning Central A conference play Sept. 26 with a trip to Livingston. Belgrade comes to Havre Oct. 3 for a crucial game that will likely decide the Central A championship.

“You never know what Belgrade is going to bring to the table because they have so many kids, so they will be tough,” Christenson said. “But, I am pretty confident that we will be competing for the conference championship. I know that is boastful to say, but these kids have been working hard and practicing hard. We will go as far as these kids want to take us but if they keep working as hard as they have been, I think we will be pretty tough.”

The Ponies started their 2014 season with their annual BNSF Trophy game against the Whitefish Bulldogs at Blue Pony Stadium. Havre travels to rival Miles City this Friday night to take on the Cowboys for the third time in the last year.

12

Area

September 2014

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

www.havredailynews.com

Hawks are young, but talented Chester/J-I volleyball ready to rise up once again in the District 6C

September 2014

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

www.havredailynews.com

Knights poised for more grid success Chris Peterson Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com

George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com The Chester/J-I name is synonymous with success in the sport of high school volleyball. For years, the Hawks have been one of the top teams in the District 6C, and even the Northern C. But after what would have to be considered a down year for the Hawks in 2013, they are gunning to rise right back up the 6C ranks in 2014.

C/J-I, under the direction of veteran head coach Wendy Goldhahn, comes into a brand new season with a young, but talented athletic squad, and Goldhahn says she’s excited about what the future holds.

“We’re a very young team,” she said. “So right now, we’re just trying to figure out what works best for us and how we can best gel together as a team. But we are a very athletic and talented team. We just need to get better volleyball-wise and put the team together in the right way.”

The Hawks are indeed not short on talented athletes. Sophomore Allix Goldhahn (MH) is one of the premier athletes in the 6C and is one of four returning starters at C/J-I. The Hawks have one senior in Emma Earl (S), while juniors Madeline Woods (S) and Erin Wolfe (MH) were also starters last season. Junior Kristana Dahinden (OH) is also part of C/J-I’s veteran group.

But after that core group, the Hawks will rely on plenty of youth to step up. Sophomores Kylee Vinson (OH) and Jarica Tempel ((S, DS) have some varsity experience, but six freshmen will also help round out the C/J-I roster. Korrin Harmon, Katelyn Hansen, Gabby Mangold, Karra Lohr, Kayona Fraser and Kendahl Knapton will all help make up the rest of the C/J-I roster.

C/J-I's roster is indeed young, but it's not short on talent. The Hawks will also be a team which will be strong at the net, and good in serve-receive. So if, they can continue to gel on the court together, and gain confidence as the season goes on, there's no reason to think C/J-I can't be a 6C contender this season.

And though C/J-I is young, and coming off a season in which the Hawks finished

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Area

Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle Above: The 2014 Chester/J-I volleyball team poses for a team picture last week in Chester. The Hawks struggled somewhat in 2013, and though they are young in 2014, they are talented and ready to compete for the District 6C title this fall.

Below: Madeline Woods is one of a key group of C/J-I volleyball players returning in 2014.

fourth in the 6C, Goldhahn noted that the conference should be very even, and that as her team gains confidence and momentum, the goals will continue to be the same, and that’s to compete for a district championship, and to their advantage, the Hawks will be hosting the 2014 District 6C Tournament in Chester in late October.

“I think it’s really hard to make a prediction about our district right now,” Goldhahn said. “Everybody in our district lost some good players from last year, but everybody is also still really talented. So every team in our district could be right there at the end.

“So it’s going to be a really fun season, and I’m really looking forward to it,” she added.

“I know the kids are truly looking forward to it, too. They have been practicing really hard and having a lot of fun so far.”

The Hawks opened the season last weekend with a match against Sunburst, as well as a trip to the Sunburst Showcase. Later in the year, C/J-I will also host the Chester/J-I Showcase, while the 2014 6C District Tournament will be played in Chester Oct. 30-31. The top two teams advance on to the Northern C Divisional the following week, while the 2014 Class C state volleyball tournament will be held Nov. 13-15 in Bozeman.

The North Stars Knights are establishing themselves as a top-flight program in the SixMan division of Class C football. After making five trips to the playoffs in their seven years of Six-Man football, the Knights have already become a perennial playoff contender and look to continue their success in the 2014 season.

Following their third-place finish in the Northern Division of Class C Six-Man football a year ago, the Knights were dispatched from the playoffs by Westby/Grenora in a 64-58 shootout that ended their season. Yet, with a solid group of veterans returning, the Knights have to like their chances of making the playoffs in 2014, and even making some noise once they get there.

“I really feel that we are still one of top four teams in our league, so that is what we are gunning for,” North Star head coach Steve Simonson said. “Our goal every year is to get into the playoffs and then we can play it out and see what happens from there.”

One thing that makes the Knights unique, particularly among six-man football teams is the presence of Simonson’s son, Jaxon Simonson, who is a 6-4, 280-pound lineman that has a legitimate chance to play college football.

Jaxson Simonson would be a weapon at any level of high school football simply because elite lineman are difficult to come by.

And you won’t find many better at the SixMan level than Simonson, who earned AllState honors last season.

However, Jaxon Simonson can do more than block. In six-man football every offensive player is eligible, even lineman, and North Star took advantage of this, making Simonson the team leader in receptions as well as its best offensive lineman.

“We will be running behind (Jaxon) a lot,” Steve Simonson said. “He was also my top receiver last season, too, because with him you throw him some short passes and he will pick up seven or eight yards every time. We have a lot of horses up front, but we are a little short on the speed and skill guys, so we are going to depend a lot on our running game.”

Another advantage for the Stars heading into the 2014 season is the return of starting quarterback Matthew Helmbrecht. The 6-2, 185-pound junior will lead the Knights’ runbased attack. But, even in a rushing offense, having an experienced quarterback is essential and puts a team one step ahead of the

competition.

Other key players on the offensive side of the ball for the Knights include running back Gavin Spinler, running back Payton Peterson and center Thatcher Smith. Jaxon Simonson leads the way on defense as a down lineman, while Spinler and Smith head the linebacking group. Peterson is the team’s best cover corner.

One thing standing in the way of the Knights and another berth in the playoffs is the difficult North Division. The league has a number of Class C powerhouses such as Geraldine/Highwood, the defending Class C state champion and Stanford/Geyser/Denton, the Class C runner-up. The 2012 Class C state championship game also featured Big Sandy and three of the four teams in the state semifinals that year resided in the North.

Valier, one of the three teams from the North to make the semi-finals in 2012 also made the playoffs last season. Their presence along with Geraldine/Highwood, Stanford/Geyser/Denton, Big Sandy and North Star means at least one solid team will miss the playoffs and that doesn’t even include Box Elder, which missed qualifying for the postseason by a single game in 2013.

“We have made the playoffs in all but two

years since we have been playing Six-Man, and we expect to get back,” Steve Simonson said. “We lost in the playoffs last year, so we just want to get back and see how it plays out.”

There are four playoff berths available from the North Division of Six-Man football, with the top two teams hosting a first-round game.

The Knights will began a treacherous 2014 schedule last weekend when they open their season against Sunburst, which dropped from 8-man football to Six-Man and is the newest member of the North Division.

Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle The 2014 North Star High School football team poses for a team photo during a recent practice in Rudyard. The Knights have been a perennial playoff contender in the Class C Six-Man North Division for years, and veteran head coach Steve Simonson says that is the goal for the Knights once again this season. North Star graduated some standout players from last season's playoff squad, but the Knights return plenty of talent for yet another push at making the playoffs out of the always tough North Division. The Knights open their season with North Division newcomer, the Sunburst Refiners, this weekend.

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North Star will be strong on the court once again George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com The North Star Knights have been a Class C volleyball powerhouse for a long, long time. And as a brand new season approaches, it doesn’t look like that has changed.

As the 2014 high school volleyball season gets underway, it once again would appear that the Knights are poised for big things.

After finishing second at the 2013 District 6C Tournament, as well as an outstanding third

at the Northern C Divisional, the Knights, under the guidance of second-year head coach Angel Beamer, are back for more.

“I’m excited about this team,” Beamer said. “We did lose some really good players, but we have a lot of talented and athletic girls back. There are a lot of athletic girls on this team, and we have key players back who show really good leadership. And all the girls work really well together.”

The Knights did watch five talented seniors graduate from last year’s squad, a squad which included the likes of Bettie

Carlon, a four-time All-Conference standout. But Beamer does have girls back, all of which played key roles on last year’s team, and that bodes well for the 2014 season.

Seniors Tylynn Rettig and Mackenzie Hanson will be the leaders of the 2014 North Star team. Both were All-District type players a year ago, and both have been major contributors throughout their stellar volleyball tenure.

North Star will also rely heavily on its junior class, with returners Greyson Spicher, Sheridan O’Neil and Kiera Miller back for

Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle Members of the 2014 North Star High School volleyball team pose for a team photo at a recent practice in Rudyard. The Knights have long been one of the top teams in District 6C, and with another talented group out for the squad, the 2014 season will llikely be no different.

another season. O’Neil and Miller will be particularly key, as North Star presents a tall block in the front row.

“I think one of our biggest strengths is that we do have some tall girls,” Beamer said, “so it’s always great to have that. I think another strength is our chemistry and our leadership. These girls work well together on and off the court. They also work very hard, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to win. They are very competitive.”

Of course, as good as North Star will be again this season, there’s plenty of work to do if the Knights want to continue to be at, or near the top of the 6C and beyond. Chinook and Chester/J-I will be talented once again, while Big Sandy and Box Elder are somewhat of an unknown at this point.

“I think Chinook and us will be pretty even again,” Beamer said. “C/J-I will be really good this year, too. Big Sandy lost a lot of players from last year, but they always have a lot of talent, and Box Elder will be new for us, but you never really know. I think it’s going to be another really even year, and our district will be very tough.”

The Knights began the 2014 season with a match against Dutton-Brady, as well as a trip to the Belt Invitational last weekend.

North Star is home to host the North Star Showcase Sept. 5-6 in Rudyard and Gildford.

The 2014 6C district tournament is Oct. 30-31 in Chester.

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C/J-I set on staying an 8-man power Hawks are low on numbers this season, but they aren't short on talent

Chris Peterson Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com In Class C football, the numbers game is always a hot topic. For Chester/J-I, numbers are starting to dwindle, leaving doubts about the school’s future as an 8-man football program.

Yet, as long as the team plays 8-man football, head coach Jim Vinson believes they will be competitive, and after a promising 7-3 campaign in 2013, the Hawks are looking to make a return trip to the postseason, despite having just 13 players out for varsity football.

“We are going to be competitive,” Vinson said. “Our enrollment numbers are way down and we have only have 13 kids out for football, but we only have 19 boys in our entire high school. So it’s kind of been laboring to get enough kids to play, but we have some very good athletes, and we are going to keep competing at the 8-man level for as long as we can.”

One such athlete is Justin May, a 6-1, 175-pound junior that earned All-State honors in 2013 after excelling as both a running back and outside linebacker. May was the star of the Hawks’ offense as he racked up 1,917 total yards from scrimmage and scored 22 touchdowns. As a runner, he averaged

6.4 yards per carry and finished the season with 1,435 rushing yards to go along with 33 receptions for 482 yards.

May was just as impressive on defense as the ball-hawking linebacker had 11 interceptions seven passes defensed and 89 tackles.

Another key returning player for C/J-I is going to be junior quarterback Brandon Richter. The 5-9, 165-pounder, saw most of his time at wide receiver last season, where he hauled in 20 receptions for 228 yards. He also carried the ball 20 times for 95 yards and had six total touchdowns. At quarterback he attempted 22 passes, completing 13.

“Brandon was our backup quarterback last season and was able to get some experience even though he mostly played wide receiver,” Vinson said. “But he is a good athlete. He runs well and throws it well and even though he is a not a very big kid, he is very physical for his size.”

Other key players returning for the Hawks include senior Brandon Theel, who will anchor the offensive and defensive lines, as well as junior tight end Troy Harmon, who is currently injured but should return sometime in the middle of the season.

Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle The 2014 Chester/J-I football team poses for a team photo recently in Chester. The Hawks are down in numbers this season, but they don't lack for talented football players, and that's why they will continue to remain in the Northern C 8-man division.

“With Troy hurt, we only have 12 guys to start the season, so our success is going to hinge on us staying healthy,” Vinson said. “We will not have much depth, so we really don’t have much room for error. We will be young, but we are athletic and we will be competitive. But one or two injuries could be very detrimental to our season.”

The Hawks’ 7-3 record earned them a third-place finish in the Northern C last season and they

Havre Daily News/File Photo Mackenzie Hanson is an important returning player for the talented North Stars Knights in 2014.

Havre Daily News/File Photo Chester/J-I's Justin May, right, is one of the top returning football players in all of the Northern C 8-man division in 2014.

look to continue that success in 2014. To do so, they will compete with the likes of Belt, the reigning Northern C champion and state semifinalist, as well as Simms and Power-Dutton-Brady. Other teams that should be in contention for the fourth and final playoff spot from the league are Chinook, Fort Benton, Great Falls Central, Cascade and Centerville.

“Belt won it last year and right now I would have to pick them as the favorite,” Vinson said. “They

lost a couple of kids from last year but have good numbers. Simms also has really good numbers and last year was kind of a turning point for them. Power-DuttonBrady also will have a good team, so it will be a scramble for that last playoff spot and I hope that we will be one of the teams that is fighting for it.”

The Hawks opened the season on the road as they traveled to Centerville last weekend for a key Northern C game.

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Morning Stars continue to improve Havre harriers

set out for an exciting season

George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com When Rocky Boy High School moved up to Class B in all its athletics programs several years ago, excitement was high. And for good reason, as both Rocky Boy boys and girls basketball teams have been right at home in the Class B ranks.

But it's been a different story for the Rocky Boy volleyball program. Over the years, the Morning Stars have struggled to catch up in Class B volleyball, and though they have always been competitive and have always been a team with no quit in them, the Morning Stars have yet to register a winning season since making the move up.

But, as each new season dawns, veteran Rocky Boy head coach Ty Watson is hopeful that change is coming. Watson has been a longtime high school volleyball coach, and no matter the wins, or lack of wins, he hasn't abandoned hope of helping Rocky Boy rise in Class B volleyball.

In 2014, Rocky Boy will take another shot at doing just that. And the Morning Stars do have some talented players hoping to help change the culture of volleyball in Rocky Boy. Led by key returnees like Jai-Lynne Day Child and Jurnee LaForge, the Morning Stars do have some returning experience this season. They also have good size at the net, and athleticism and speed in the back row, so if they continue to improve as a team, there's no reason to think the Morning Stars can't compete, and compete well within the tough District 1B. Also on the Rocky Boy roster this season is Jill Topsky, Kristen LaMere and Rainey Singer. Singer saw action with the Morning Stars a year ago, and she too should help provide some veteran experience on the court.

Rounding out Rocky Boy's roster for the 2014 season is Leilani Denny, Savanna Stump, Sean Henry, Shania Patacsil and Thalia Vazquez.

So, the Morning Stars won't have a lot of depth in their rotations this season, but they do have some returning experience, to go with some size and some outstanding athletes. That bodes well for what Watson would like to accomplish in 2014, but those pieces are also part of the puzzle.

Talent hasn't been the problem for the Morning Stars since moving up to Class B. Instead, the fact that they play in perhaps the top district in all of Class B volleyball is

Chris Peterson Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com

Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle Members of the 2014 Rocky Boy High School volleyball team take a team photo at the Rocky Boy gymnasium recently. Though the Morning Stars have struggled to keep pace since moving up to Class B several years ago, they come into the 2014 season with renewed hope that they can turn things around on the volleyball court. The Morning Stars begin the 2014 season with matches at the annual Malta Invitational this weekend.

what presents the biggest challenge.

The District 1B is always loaded, especially with Choteau being one of the best volleyball programs in the entire state. For years, the Bulldogs have been at the top of the 1B standings, and that's saying something considering the rest of the district is really good, too.

Fairfield is another perennial volleyball powerhouse, and the Eagles are always stacked with quality athletes and depth.

And the district doesn't get any easier after Choteau and Fairfield. Instead, Conrad and Cut Bank make up another part of what is easily the toughest schedule in the state

each year. The Cowgirls have been really strong the last two seasons and will likely be again in 2014, while Cut Bank has competed for district titles plenty of times over the years. Add in a Shelby squad which always has numbers and athletes, and it's easy to see why Rocky Boy has yet to have a winning season in the 1B. Still, the Morning Stars won't give up hope. They have been known around the 1B as a difficult team to play. They always play sound defense, and with plenty of quickness, they are good in serve-receive. And scrappy, defensive-minded teams are always tough to beat.

Rocky Boy is also a tough out because the Morning Stars work hard on the court, and truly want to be better in volleyball. The 2014 season will be no different. Yes, Choteau and Conrad will likely be the 1B favorites, but the Morning Stars will battle each and every match no matter who is across the net from them.

The Morning Stars opened their new volleyball season at last weekend's Malta Invitational. The Morning Stars will also play at the annual North Star Showcase Sept. 5-6 in Rudyard and Gildford, before playing their first home match of the season Sept. 13 in Rocky Boy.

The 2013 season was a successful one for the Havre High School cross country teams.

The HHS girls won the Central A Divisional meet and finished fourth in the Class A State cross country meet. The boys team also competed well at state with a 13th-place finish.

Now the Ponies will look to build on that success, and with a number of runners returning for the 2014 season, there is a chance that this season will be even better.

“I think we will do very well,” HHS head coach Darci Heninger said. “We have four of our runners back from our girls that went to divisionals and state, and I think that if they keep working hard, they have a chance to place high again this year. It just really depends on how bad they want it.

“The boys also have a chance to do well at state this year,” She added. “All our boys ... ran at state last year and they already have really good pack times. They are all really close so they rotate places. One week one person will run first, then the next week it will be another runner. But the competition is very difficult for the boys, there are a lot great runners out there and a lot of natural talent, so they will need to work really hard if they want to place at state.”

The Pony girls bring back a veteran unit with the return of Morgan Mazurkiewicz, Tori Mazurkiewicz, Rachel David and Emily Brurud. Morgan Mazurkiewicz is the top returning runner among the girls team and finished 25th at state, higher than any other individual runner returning for the Ponies this season. David also had a solid finish at state coming in 26th place. Brurud finished in 98th place for the Pony girls.

“Morgan and Rachel both did really well at state last year, and I think they can place very high at state this year,” Heninger said.

“Morgan is very competitive and she is good at everything she does. Rachel is the same way and she improved so much last season and is doing awesome so far in practice.”

Other girls that will contend for varsity spots are Meggie Zook, Kinnah Kinsella, Brooke Lavalley, Rainey Stoner, Mara Vogel, Marca Herron, Lainee Van Voast, Megan Alexander, Rachel Majeres, Maya Reed and Caitlyn Acuff.

Leading the Blue Pony boys into the 2014 season will be returning varsity runners Brandon Robertson, Brock Ross, Cameron Knapton, Dylan Stewart and Ethan Smith.

Robertson had the best finish at state coming in 47th place. Ross had the second-best time, finishing in 57th, while Stewart, Smith

Havre Daily News/Chris Peterson The 2014 Havre High boys and girls cross country teams take a team photo outside of Havre High School last week. The Blue Ponies begin a brand new season next week at the Cut Bank Invitational. The Ponies are in their second year under head coach Darci Heninger, and Havre should once again be strong.

and Knapton finished 92nd, 112th and 124th, respectively. Other runners who will contend for spots on the varsity team include Sundance Lodge, Chris Steinmetz, Ryan Stewart, Austin Jones, Bakit Kilgore and Jaime Lieberg.

“I think a lot of the boys could place well at state if they work really hard,” Heninger said. “Brandon, Brock and Dylan all have a chance to place really well at state. They just need to keep working hard at every practice and every meet to continue to improve their time every week.”

Even though the Ponies have a number of runners returning, the varsity team will not be set until after the first meet of the season at Cut Bank on Sept. 5. Then, after the varsity roster is finalized, Havre will travel to Missoula to compete in the prestigious Mountain West Invitational Sept. 20, which will give the Ponies a good idea of how they stack up against top competition. The only home meet of the season will take place Oct. 4.

“We do things a little different than most teams,” Heninger said. “We use the Cut Bank meet to determine our varsity teams. From there it will be just be about working hard every work to improve our times and getting better every week.”

September 5 September 13 September 20 September 22 September 26 October 4 October 9 October 18 October 25

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Cut Bank 3:20 p.m.

Malta 10:00 a.m.

Mountain West - Missoula

Browning 3:30 p.m.

Lewistown 10:00 a.m.

Havre 10:00 a.m.

Helena (Preview Meet) Divisionals Lewistown 11:00 a.m.

State Helena

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Blue Ponies are ready to explode this fall

September 5 September 12 September 19 September 26 October 3 October 10 October 17 October 24 November 1

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Miles City (T) 6:00 p.m.

Sidney (H) 7:00 p.m.

Glendive (T) 7:00 p.m.

Park (T) 7:00 p.m.

Belgrade (H) 7:00 p.m.

Lewistown (T) 7:00 p.m.

Polson (H) 7:00 p.m.

Browning (H) 7:00 p.m.

First Round of Playoffs

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Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com

Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com The 2013 season was defined by highs and lows for the Havre High football team. But after a roller coaster of a season, the young and talented Ponies are poised to take the next step in 2014, which would be reclaiming the top spot in the Central A Conference,

something Havre hasn’t done since 2011.

After a difficult 0-2-1 start in nonconference play last season, the Ponies rallied, posting a 3-1 record in the Central A conference, finishing the season 4-4-1. Their 3-1 record was good enough for second in the league, giving them a home game in the first round of the Class A state playoffs. Havre knocked off Miles City 21-20 before falling in the state quarterfinals at the hands of Co-

lumbia Falls in blowout fashion.

Despite the fact that the Ponies did not advance as far as they would have liked in 2013, that playoff experience will prove invaluable as HHS returns a number of key players from last season. The top player returning for Havre is All-State quarterback Dane Warp, who enters his junior season with two years of starting experience under his belt. Warp had a tremendous statistical season for the Ponies in 2014, as he completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,941 yards, 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 125 yards and had a pair of rushing touchdowns.

Yet, Warp is not the only weapon coming back on what should be an electrifying Pony offense. The Ponies also return a pair of wide receivers in junior Nate Rismon and sophomore Parker Filius, both of whom earned All-Conference honors a season ago.

Rismon is a true wide receiver and was third on the team with 43 receptions last season to go along with 640 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Filius, on the other hand, will do damage to defenses as both a runner and a receiver. Last season, Filius showed just how dynamic he can be, leading the Ponies with 49 receptions and 1,034 yards from scrimmage. He also was second

on the team with seven touchdowns.

One big change for the Havre offense in 2014 will be the play-caller. Those duties used to reside with former offensive coordinator Danny Wirtzberger, who is no longer part of the coaching staff after moving on to become the Athletic Director at Laurel High School. That responsibility now belongs to veteran HHS head coach Jason Christenson.

“I have never called plays on offense so I am nervous but also very excited,” Christenson said. “I will make mistakes just like everybody else, but I know enough about it and been around enough very good coaches and coordinators that I know how to call and manage a game.”

While Warp and the passing game will be the strength of the Pony offense, Christenson still wants to establish the run whenever possible, which will be made easier with the return of Filius and Second-Team AllConference fullback Kody Pribyl. Pribyl, a junior, led HHS in rushing yards last season totaling 312 yards on 66 carries, good enough for an average of 4.7 yards per carry. He also scored six rushing touchdowns and hauled in 18 receptions for 238 yards.

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Stars continue to build in football

Chris Peterson

Chris Peterson

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

The transition to Class B 11-man football has been a difficult one for Rocky Boy, and once again, due to numbers constraints, the team will be playing a junior varsity schedule in 2014.

That doesn’t mean the program can’t take a step forward this season as head coach Rick Sunchild continues to build a program that he hopes can return to the varsity level sometime in the near future.

“With our numbers and our commitment level, we are barely above B level and are more of a high class C level,” Sunchild said. “But we have good numbers at the junior high level and have some freshmen

that are showing a lot of promise so, hopefully, down the road we can get back to being a varsity level program. That is my goal, and I think with our younger generation is a lot more interested in football.

I see them playing tackle football a lot even on the playground, so I think down the road I am hoping we will have the numbers to do it.”

Last season, playing the junior varsity schedule, Rocky Boy enjoyed a solid season, posting a 4-4 record. Despite lacking numbers in football, the Stars have some solid players returning for the 2014 season in Chase Coffee and Isiah Murie, who play both running back and wide receiver.

“It’s tough for our kids because with our numbers, they have to go iron man and play both sides of the

Havre Daily News/Eric Seidle The 2014 Rocky Boy football team takes a team photo last week in Rocky Boy. Despite moving up to Class B several years ago, the Stars haven't played a varsity season as of yet. Rocky Boy will play another junior varsity schedule this season. ball,” Sunchild said. “We try to give them a break whenever we can, but that is why it is important for us to make sure that they are in really good physical condition.”

Rocky Boy, which competes in District 1B will play a seven-game schedule this season that includes two games against the Havre High JV squad, the first of which will come at Blue Pony Stadium on Sept. 5. But, for the Stars, the 2014 season is more about trying to build a program than it is about wins and losses.

“We have some freshmen that have a lot of potential and we do

have some athletes,” Sunchild said.

“Last year we started out slow and were getting beat pretty good, but our kids kept learning and once they started catching on, we were able to win some games. We had a pretty good stretch, where we were able to win three games in a row before losing our last game to Cut Bank JV. So hopefully we can build on that and start the season better this year.”

One of the biggest obstacles for Sunchild is getting the school’s talented athletes to go out for football as well as basketball, which many players have been resistant to do

because of the injury risk football presents.

“We have a lot of great athletes in our school but most of them are only focused on playing basketball,” Sunchild said. “A lot of guys are worried about getting injured, but my goal is to try and change the attitude about football. I want to get away from the thinking that football is a sport we can get hurt in, we want to get back to playing at the varsity level.”

Rocky Boy will kick off its 2014 season Sept. 5 when they travel to Havre to take on the Blue Pony JV football team.

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Harlem spikers aim to improve George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com Success on the volleyball court as been hard to come by at Harlem High School. After all, the Wildcats play in one of the best volleyball districts in Class B, the daunting District 2B. But the 2014 season could be a different story as the Wildcats are loaded with athletic and talented players, many who have been in the program for three or four seasons, and have gone through the growing pains.

In other words, Harlem is gunning for a breakout year, and with talent and numbers, the Wildcats could do just that.

“Things have been going great so far,” said Harlem assistant coach Cindy LaMere. “We have really good numbers and have had great participation. We have three returning players from our varsity team last year, so we are going to be a young team and we have a lot of younger kids out which is what you want to see.”

Harlem might be a team short in experience, but with three returning starters and 12 upperclassmen on the roster, the Wildcats have a solid lineup, and depth.

Erin LaMere (S, OH) is back for her senior season, as are fellow senior starters Ticia Cliff (OH) and Audena Wing (L). Those three give Harlem experience and leadership, while seniors Alexa Longknife, Chanda Sears, Sammi Werk and Deena Skinner will also be counted upon to play key roles this season. Harlem’s junior class is also good. Brooke LaValdo, Emma Humpreys, Anita Bentley, Jaidyn Bishop and Hailey Lamebull add to Harlem’s depth and experience.

“I hope the girls accept their roles and just work really hard and specializing on their roles on the team,” LaMere said. “We are working on things so that we are able to capitalize more when we have opportunities. I want to see them make good passes, when I first got it, it was just about get-

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Big Sandy ready to get back to winning ways Pioneers hope to get back into the Six-Man playoff picture Chris Peterson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com

ting it over the net, but now we can do back sets and can be very competitive at the net.”

While Harlem has a chance to be very compeititive in the 2B, a league which includes powerhouses like Malta and Glasgow, the Wildcats are also working toward the future. With their numbers up and interest in volleyball growing, Harlem wants to use this season

as a springboard for future volleyball success.

"We have a lot of girls that are going to get some experience for us this year and we just want them to learn their role on the team and work as hard as they can," LaMere noted.

The Wildcats opened the 2014 season at last weekend’s Malta Invitational.

Havre Daily News/Chris Peterson Members of the 2014 Harlem High School volleyball team pose for a team photo recently at the Harlem High gymnasium. The Wildcats, who play in the difficult District 2B, are hoping that the 2014 season is one in which things start to turn around in volleyball. Harlem has had long stretches of difficult seasons on the volleyball court, but with numbers way up and a group of senior and junior leaders on the team this season, the Wildcats will have a chance to make this fall a special one on the volleyball court. Harlem opens its 2014 season at this weekend's Malta Invitational.

Staying healthy is an important part of winning in any sport. In football, it’s especially key and when it’s Six-Man football, avoiding injury is more imperative than at any other level. So when the Big Sandy football team suffered injuries to three key players last season, which equaled half the starting lineup, it was too much to overcome and the Pioneers finished 3-5, one game out of the playoffs.

Yet, a new season has spawned new hope for the Pioneers, who are healthy and ready to make amends for an injury riddled 2013 campaign.

“Last year, we had quite a few injuries, we lost three of our six starters so it was kind of a long season,” said first-year head coach Walter Sivertsen. “But we still only finished one game out of the playoffs. The good thing about losing some of those kids so early is that we got a lot of other kids some good game experience.”

One key player that is back from last season’s walking wounded is senior quarterback Kyle Strutz, who earned the starting job only to see his junior season cut short after two games due to a torn ACL. Other key returning players include Cody Bailey, Jacob Schuster and Geno Menard.

Other players that will contribute for Big Sandy at the varsity level this season are Ricky Cook, Nick Carol, Laramie Long, Zack Works, Eric Schwarzbach, Lawrence Allderice, Weston Allderice, Tanner Allderice and Duke Darlington.

In six-man football, players are required to be versatile and willing to play multiple positions on offense and defense. Baily and Schuster fit that mold perfectly as both players will spend time on the offensive line and in the backfield. Menard is another talented senior that will man the tailback position and add a dimension of speed to the Pioneers offense.

“It was tough to lose Kyle so early in the season, but we are expecting big things from him in his senior season,” Sivertsen said.

“Cody and Jacob are two more strong seniors.

Geno also comes back and he has been working really hard this summer and picked up some speed, which is always a good thing.”

The one thing working against the Pio-

Havre Daily News/Chris Peterson The 2014 Big Sandy football team takes a team photo at the Big Sandy Field. After missing the Class C Six-Man playoffs in 2013, the Pioneers are hoping to stay healthy and get back to their winning ways this fall. neers and their hopes of making the playoffs is the very difficult North C Division of SixMan football, which features traditional powerhouses such as Geraldine/Highwood and Stanford/Geyser/Denton, who squared off in the Class C Six-Man state championship game last season with Geraldine/Highwood winning by a score of 50-18.

North Star has also been a perennial playoff contender since entering the six-man ranks seven years ago, leaving the Pioneers

to compete against them and the likes of Box Elder, Valier, Sunburst and others to fight for one of the four playoff spots given out in the North Division.

“It’s kind of hard to judge how tough the conference will be with new coaches coming in and Sunburst dropping to six-man,” Sivertsen said. “But things are going well for us, the kids have great attitudes and are really working hard. We went down to Butte for a team camp this summer and we saw a lot

of positive things there. I don’t think we will stomp everyone, but we will work hard and will not quit. After last season, we are hungry to win and I think we should reach the playoffs. It all depends on if we can stay healthy but if we can, I think we can make it and have the ability to go deep into the playoffs.”

The Pioneers opened their 2014 season and begin their quest to return to the six-man playoffs last weekend when they played host to Heart Butte.

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Pioneers begin a volleyball rebuilding process young. Alex Richter is the only sophomore on the team, while freshmen Jenna Leader, Jasmine Genereaux, Jessica Roth, Andrea Rutledge, Sophie Reichelt and Dakota Terry round out the Pioneer roster.

Even though the Pioneers have very little varsity experience, and even with the 6C expected to be extremely difficult yet again, Roth isn’t saying her team can’t compete.

She said she likes the talent and she likes how practices have gone this far.

“With being a brand new team, we have had to change our goals for this season,” Roth said. “We don’t want to set the bar too high too early. We just want to improve every game and set new goals as the season goes on.

“Our first practices have gone pretty well,” she continued. “The girls are working very hard, they came in in very good condition and they have been really positive and upbeat. And I think as the season goes

on, and we continue to learn the game and learn to play together, we’ll get better and better.”

The Pioneers opened the season last weekend with a match against Geraldine, as well as a trip to the Belt Invitational. The 2014 District 6C tournament will be held in Chester Oct. 30-31. The top two teams advance on to the Northern C Divisional the following week, while the 2014 Class C state volleyball tournament will be held Nov. 13-15 in Bozeman.

George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com To say the 2014 Big Sandy volleyball team is going to look a lot different than the 2013 version would be a big understatement. After all, the Pioneers have to replace eight of the nine girls who played varsity a season ago.

And though graduation hit the program hard, optimism is still high in Big Sandy, because the Pioneers, under head coach Sherri Roth, have built a strong volleyball tradition. And with 16 total girls out for the volleyball team this season, it’s time for Big Sandy to go forward.

“We have great numbers,” Roth said. “We are just really inexperienced, much more inexperienced than what we’ve had in the past. So it’s going to be a rebuilding year for sure. It’s a brand new group, and it’s going to take some time for them to get used to each other. We’re going to be a short team this year, but we do have some very good athletes and again, our numbers are very good.”

Only senior Abby Gregory returns from last year’s team which took third at the District 6C Tournament, and Gregory has been a part of a lot of successful volleyball teams at Big Sandy. So her leadership will be crucial this season. Meanwhile, fellow seniors Cheyenne Johnson and Stephanie Hale will step into key roles for the Pioneers this fall.

Big Sandy’s junior class will also be asked to step up. Lisa Pegar, Molly Rain, Rachel Guthrie, Cheyenne Pegar and Maddy Reichelt make up that group. After that, the Pioneers aren’t just inexperienced, they are Havre Daily News/George Ferguson The 2014 Big Sandy Pioneers volleyball team takes a team photo in Big Sandy. The Pioneers graduated eight seniors from the 2013 team, but with good participation numbers, Big Sandy is optomistic about rebuilding in 2014.

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Wildcats will battle on the gridiron Chris Peterson

Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com After a season filled with close calls and near misses, the Harlem Wildcats football team will look to forget the disappointments of the 2013 season and improve on a 1-7 record that could have easily been much better.

Long-time Harlem head football coach Joe Shupe, who has been involved with Wildcats at the high school or junior high level for 28 years, is back for another season at the helm and brings back a group of experienced veterans who are looking to do more than just win a game or two in the District 2B. “Even though we didn’t win many games, we were in every game that we played,” Shupe said.

“We just didn’t finish. We would play a good first half or a good second half but we had a hard time putting together a complete game for four quarters. We had a tough team, we were not bad. We had a 10-0 lead at halftime over Glasgow, who made the playoffs and we also were leading Shelby 18-12 going into the fourth quarter and had Conrad on the ropes, we just couldn’t finish.”

One thing that did not aid the Wildcats’ cause in 2013 was an injury suffered by starting quarterback Deion Hammett, who also starts for the team at safety. The loss of Hammett hurt, and his return for his senior season is one reason for optimism in Shupe’s eyes.

“We have some good skill position players coming back,” Shupe said. “Deion was hurt last year, so he will be back. He has had some injury issues so he really wants to come back and finish what he started and get through a season healthy. He is also a very good safety, he is better at safety than he is at quarterback.”

Other players who will have key roles on the Harlem offense include wide receiver turned running back Brendan Johnson, run-

Havre Daily News/Chris Peterson The 2014 Harlem High football team poses for a team photo inside the Harlem High School gymnasium. The Wildcats had a lot of close calls on the football field last season, and in 2014, are hoping to turn those close games into victories.

ning back Damon Adams and wide receiver Lucas Reed. The Wildcats also bring back some experience on the offensive line with returning starters Ramon Chavez, who is an offensive guard and Denton Cornell, who is the team’s starting center.

Hammett will lead the way on defense for the Wildcats but he will get plenty of help from the likes of Johnson, Chavez and Adams, who are Harlem’s three starting linebackers. Cornell will also contribute at defensive end, while Reed is

at cornerback.

A big obstacle in the way of Harlem becoming a playoff contender in 2014 is the difficulty of the 2B. Malta, which has been a perennial powerhouse in the district for quite some time, made it to the Class B state championship in 2012 losing to Missoula Loyola in a heartbreaker 20-14. Yet, even though Malta was down last season, Glasgow picked up the slack, winning two games in the Class B playoffs before bowing out in the semifinals.

In addition to Malta, Glasgow

and Harlem, the 2B also features Plentywood and Wolf Point, leaving the five teams to fend for two playoff spots.

“Glasgow is going to be far and above everybody,” Shupe said.

“They didn’t lose anybody from their team last year, so they will be tough. As far as the rest of us go, I think we are all going to be fighting it up for that No. 2 spot.”

Another thing that will make wins hard to come by for the Wildcats in 2014 is the difficulty of their schedule. Not only will Harlem

play two playoff teams from its own district but three other teams that made the Class B playoffs are on the slate for nonconference games as the Wildcats will face Bigfork, Choteau and Conrad this season.

The Wildcats will open their 2014 season Sept. 5 when they head to Big Timber to begin the 2014 campaign. That will be followed by a home game against Shelby Sept.

12, then by road trips to Conrad ept. 19 and defending 2B champion Glasgow Sept. 26.

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Box Elder is back on the varsity level Beeters hope to bounce back this fall Bears excited to be back in District 6C volleyball this season George Ferguson

so we can build and grow the program as the years go on.”

Box Elder will certainly have fun this season, especially under the guidance of an enthusiastic coach like Kicksnosway. But they will also have to compete against the likes of Chinook, North Star and Chester/

J-I twice each this season, and that won’t be easy. Still, it is a positive step that the Bears have moved forward enough to rejoin the 6C, and things will hopefully continue to grow through this first season back on the varsity level.

Box Elder began its 2014 season with a

trip to the Sunburst Showcase in Sunburst.

The 2014 District 6C tournament will be held in Chester Oct. 30-31. The top two teams advance on to the Northern C Divisional the following week, while the 2014 Class C state volleyball tournament will be held Nov. 13-15 in Bozeman.

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com For the last two seasons, there hasn’t been much to cheer about when it comes to volleyball at Box Elder High School. But the current Box Elder volleyball team is trying to change that.

For the first time in three seasons, Box Elder is fielding a full varsity team. After missing much of the 2012 season, and playing a junior varsity-only schedule last year, the Bears are officially back in the District 6C. And under the direction of head coach Devin Kicksnosway, the goal for 2014 is to first, make volleyball fun in Box Elder, and second, learn and grow the game.

“With me, I’m a personal trainer, so my first goal is getting the kids to learn better movement, all over the court,” Kicksnosway said. “Volleyball is such a technical sport, that movement is so important. If we get in shape and get that down, the game itself will fall into place. So with this being so new to so many of these girls, we’re really working on that, really working on the basics right now.”

Volleyball will be new to most of the Bears this season, and playing in the tough 6C won’t be easy. But, Box Elder has good numbers out for the team, and some strong athletes, with several of the Box Elder basketball players ready to try their hand at volleyball.

Box Elder’s roster this season consists of Sayra Long Fox, Alicia Wolf Chief, Tia Russell, Lani Ameline, Brenna Trench, Dominique Nault, Kendal Chaneller, Nikayala Anderson and Tyra Gopher among others, so there’s some athletes to work with.

Still, for a team playing at the varsity level for the first time since 2011, the Bears’ goals are small and simple early on. And Kicksnosway is intent on fun being the biggest goal for the Bears this season.

“We want to teach them the game, and to play the game at the varsity level,” he said. “But that comes with practice, and experience and playing games. Right now, the biggest thing is, I just want them to have fun. I want this to be a fun experience for them. And I want them to pass that along, that playing volleyball at Box Elder is fun,

Havre Daily News/George Ferguson The 2014 Box Elder Bears volleyball team takes a team photo inside the Box Elder gym. After two years away from varsity-level volleyball, the Bears are back in the District 6C this season.

Chris Peterson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com The 2014 season will be one of change for the Chinook High School football team, and for the first time since 2000, there will be no one by the name of Molyneaux involved in Sugarbeeter football.

Not only do the Beeters have a new head coach in Scott Friede, who replaces longtime head coach Matt Molyneaux, but they will also have to move on without All-State running back Zach Molyneaux, who rushed for 1,824 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior last season.

Yet, long-time fans of Chinook football can take solace in the fact that Friede, who was the Beeter's head coach from 1994-99, when the team played 11-man football, has returned to take over the program.

“When the job came open I thought it

would be a good opportunity to get back into coaching,” Friede said. “I really enjoy the game, I think it’s so fantastic, so I decided to get back in it. Mr. Moylneaux did a great job with the program, and they were solid contenders for years, and he left some solid kids for this year. The cupboard is not empty. I think we have a real balanced team and that is a tribute to him and his staff.”

One advantage that Friede will have in his first season back at the helm of the Beeters, will be having an experienced quarterback as Ian McIntosh returns for his junior season, his second as the starting quarterback.

Last year, McIntosh was not asked to do much with Zach Molyneaux carrying the offense, but he did throw 10 touchdown passes as opposed to seven interceptions. He was only asked to throw the ball around nine times per game and his focus was more on the big play as he averaged 17 yards a completion despite connecting on just 41 percent

Havre Daily News/Chris Peterson The 2014 Chinook football team poses for a team photo at Hoon Field recently. After missing the Class C 8-man playoffs for the first time in a long time a year ago, the Sugarbeeters are hoping to get back into the postseason this fall.

of his passes.

“Ian will likely be our quarterback again this season. He was the starter last year,” Friede said. “So far he has been throwing the ball really well and making good decisions. We would also like to be able to use him in our running game. And hopefully his passing on both long and medium throws will be a real attribute to our team.”

One thing that will aid McIntosh's development is the return of tight end Lane Seymour, who led the Beeters in 2013 with 22 receptions and 469 yards receiving to go along with 11 touchdowns.

In addition to his role on offense, Seymour is one the Beeters’ top defensive players and will play a key role on that side of the ball at linebacker.

“Lane will be one of our toughest kids,” Friede said. “He has worked very hard in the weight room, and he has gotten much

stronger. He is coming in at 200 pounds. He is good on his feet and just a tough kid, who will be one of our leaders.”

Rounding out the offense for Chinook will be seniors Gavin Gunderson and Thomas Reid, who will each see time at running back this season. Other players who will contribute for the Beeters this season are Kenneth Pruttis, Travis Hamilton, Gage Haugen, Derek Bell, Cody McCracken, Zack Schellin, Kevin Young, Josh Norby, Wyatt Lechner and Jesse Daniels.

“We have seven seniors,” Friede said.

“Which isn’t too bad for Class C to have seven players returning and almost all of them have good experience playing. So we have a fair amount of experience returning from last season. That is a big advantage in Class C football. If you had seven players coming back in 11-man football it would not be that big of a deal but in 8-man football that is a big advantage.”

The 2013 campaign started out with promise for the Beeters as they got off to a hot start, winning four straight after a seasonopening loss to Chester/J-I to get to 4-1. Yet, after knocking off Cascade 65-12, Chinook would not win another game. They lost four straight to end the season at 4-5 and were on the outside looking in at the Class C 8-man football playoffs.

Chinook last made the Class C state playoffs in 2012, when they defeated Victor in the first round before falling to Fairview in the state quarterfinals.

If the Beeters want to get back to the playoffs in 2014 they will have to finish in the top four of the Northern C in order to do so. That means Chinook will need to contend with a deep conference that consists of perennial contenders such as C/J-I, Power-Dutton-Brady, Simms, Belt and Great Falls Central.

“There are some teams in our conference that are just good year in and year out,” Friede said. “(C/J-I) is one of those teams, they have been solid every year. Belt is coming on, they have a young head coach who is doing a really good job with their program.

Fort Benton made a nice showing last year, so it will be very competitive to try and get into the playoffs.”

Chinook began its bid to get back to the 8-man playoffs when the Beeters played host to Great Falls Central last weekend in a critical Northern C matchup.

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Chinook spikers are loaded yet again Bears hungry for more in football George Ferguson

Chris Peterson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com For the last couple of seasons, the District 6C volleyball landscape has been one that has belonged to the Chinook Sugarbeeters, especially in 2013, where the Beeters put together a season they won’t soon forget.

However, in Chinook volleyball success is measured by the present and not just the past, so the 2014 Beeters are looking ahead, not back. Still, in 2013 Chinook won both the 6C regular season and district championships, then finished second at the Northern C Divisional and advanced to the Beeters’ first Class C state tournament in nine years.

It was a season for the ages, and one that will be hard to top.

But if anyone might be able to top that success, it’s the talented 2014 Beeters, who open their season this weekend. Chinook, led by head coach Mollie Rose, has to replace some key components from last year’s team, including three-time All-Conference performer Makhayla Farmer. But the cupboard is by no means bare, and Rose expects her team to be right in the thick of the 6C race yet again.

“Our goals are the same, certainly,” Rose said. “We have some very talented players on this team, some really athletic girls.

They have a great work ethic and a great team attitude. So we have the same goals we have every season.”

Led by a very talented senior class, one which has already tasted a ton of volleyball success, it’s easy to see why the Beeters will likely be a top team in the 6C yet again.

Katelyn Neibauer (MB/OH) returns for her senior season, as does Hannah Weber (S), one of the top setters from a year ago.

Also back is another talented setter and hitter, Mariah Swank, as well as Jordan Surber (S, DS) and Adrianna Standiford (OH).

The Chinook senior class isn't just athletic and talented, it’s also a veteran group, and they are joined by a great group of juniors and sophomores as well. Brooke Nicholson (OH) and Lauren Harshman are both experienced players for the Beeters, and will aid to Chinook’s powerful starting rotation.

Also starring for the Beeters this season will be Allie Skoyen (MB), Cortney Gunderson (DS, L) and Kelsey Mathon (S, OH).

And with a roster like that, Chinook could not only be a 6C title contender this season, the Beeters could set their sights much higher, like competing with Belt for the

Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com

Havre Daily News/Chris Peterson The 2014 Chinook High School volleyball team poses for a photo inside the Chinook Gymnasium recently. The Sugarbeeters enter the new season as the defending District 6C champions, and are favored to win the conference title again this fall.

Northern C title, as well as advancing even deeper into the Class C state tournament.

“Because we were such a good front row team last year, I think our passing and our defense are already very good this season,” Rose said. “So our passing is up to speed already. But I think we are still going to be strong in the front row this season, and that will be another strength for us. We just be a very solid team all the way around.”

But as solid as Chinook appears to be, the

Beeters will still have their hands full in the 6C, one of the best volleyball conferences in Class C. North Star will be a contender again, and Chester/J-I should be tough. And as everyone knows, anything can and usually does happen at the 6C tournament, which will be held in Chester in October.

“It’s going to be an exciting season,” Rose said. “I think it’s going to be really evenly matched again. We have been big rivals with North Star and C/J-I for a while now, and I think that will stay the same.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun, and we have some big goals to achieve this season.”

Chinook kicks off the 2014 volleyball season began with a home match against Fort Benton, followed by a trip to the Malta Invitational. The Beeters will also host the annual Chinook Invitational Sept. 5-6, while the 2014 6C District tournament will be held in Chester Oct. 30-31. And the goal is to reach the Northern C Divisional tournament and the Class C state tournament in November in Bozeman.

The Box Elder Bears football program has come a long way in the past few years.

Last season, the Bears took a gigantic step forward and almost qualified for the Class C Six-Man football playoffs. Yet, in the end the Bears lost to Valier in the last game of the season, leaving them with a 3-5 record and one win short of a berth in the postseason.

With that close call in mind, and knowing that they were just one win away from the playoffs, the Bears are more optimistic than ever that they can crash the postseason party, and head coach Ronnie Simpson, who played football and basketball for the Montana State University-Northern Lights, is among those who believe the Bears can break through.

“We are really excited for the season and we have a lot of guys that are dedicated and have been working hard all summer,” Simpson said. “The one good thing about losing to Valier, which knocked us out of the playoffs, is that we have kept that feeling with us all summer. It has helped keep our guys motivated and looking forward to the start of the season. It has been a real motivating factor for us.

“We got off to a good start last year but we weren’t able to finish as strongly as I wanted to. We wanted to get into the playoffs,” he added, “but, this year I am hoping that we will be able to get started with some wins a little bit earlier, and if we can do that it will put us in a pretty good spot.”

One reason why Simpson is so optimistic about the upcoming season is the fact that he will have starting quarterback Brandon The Boy back for his third season as the team’s signal caller. At any level, an experienced quarterback is a plus but in high school football, a three-year starter can provide a distinct advantage.

“I am very excited about Brandon returning as our quarterback,” Simpson said. “It’s awesome to have him for a couple more years, and he is already very comfortable and familiar in our system.”

However, The Boy is not the only Bear who is returning for a third consecutive season as a starter. Running back/linebacker Bodis Duran also enters his third season as a starter, along with utility player Shane Ketchum, who has seen time at quarterback, wide receiver, center, linebacker and defensive line.

Havre Daily News/Chris Peterson The 2014 Chinook Box Elder football team takes a team photo recently in Box Elder. After a breakout 2013 season in the Class C SixMan ranks, the talented Bears are hoping to take things a step further, and make the Six-Man playoffs this fall. Box Elder opens its season at home against the Valier Panthers.

“(Shane) is Mr. do it all,” Simpson said.

“He can kind of play it all for us and that is important because in Six-Man, everyone has to play multiple positions.”

The biggest obstacle standing in the way of the Bears making the playoffs is the difficult and demanding Northern Division of Class C Six-Man football. The league, which is arguably the most difficult in all of SixMan football consists of Geraldine/Highwood and Stanford/Geyser/Denton, the two participants in the Six-Man state champion-

ship game.

The North Division also boasts perennial contenders such as North Star, Big Sandy, Valier and Sunburst, which joined the league after dropping down from 8-man football. With back-to-back games against Geraldine/Highwood and Stanford/Geyser/ Denton to close the season, the Bears know it is imperative to get off to a good start if there is to be any hope of reaching the playoffs.

“Our conference is very difficult, there is

no doubt about it,” Simpson said. “We have the state champion and the runner-up in our conference. North Star is always tough and Big Sandy is tough. But I feel confident. The loss to Valier has been a motivating factor for us, and we know how important it will be for us to get off to a good start and that starts with Valier.”

The Bears opened their 2014 season with an exciting North Division Six-Man game against the Valier Panthers. Box Elder plays again this weekend.

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Browning Invite (V-JV) 9:30 a.m.

Lewistown Invite (V-JV) Pine Meadows 9:30 a.m.

Havre Invite (V-JV) Beaver Creek 9:30 a.m.

Billings Central Invite Eagle Rock

Laurel Invite

Divisionals Bozeman State

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Back on the golf course Havre High golf teams look for more success as the season is already in full swing

George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com For some, the golf season is starting to wind down. But for golfers on the Havre Blue Pony golf team, things are just starting to get interesting.

While summer isn't over just yet, the Havre High boys and girls golf teams have already been in high gear for two weeks. The Blue Ponies have already competed at the Great Falls Invitational and the Havre Golf Tournament this season.

And with another season of Havre High golf back so, too, is head coach Brett Gilman who took over the program a year ago, helping the HHS girls to a Central A Divisional team title, as well as bringing along a solid but young Pony boys squad.

Now, in his second year at the helm, Gilman is excited about both his boys and girls teams, as he has plenty of returning talent on the golf course. And he’s already very pleased with what he's seen out of his teams so far this season.

“I think most of the kids are ahead of where I thought they’d be right now,” Gilman said. “Dustin Haas is playing very well right now, and all of the other guys have had their good moments, too. So I’m really pleased with how all of our players are progressing.”

The HHS boys return four Class A state qualifiers from a year ago, including juniors Jeff Miller and Jerod Boles. Both are two-time state qualifiers and spent much of last season trading places as Havre’s No. 1 golfer. And while Miller and Boles led a young Pony team a year ago, this year’s version could be very exciting to watch.

The return of sophomores Kane Gabrielsen and Dustin Haas, as well as senior Wyatt Lindbloom, gives Gilman a varsity squad which is intact from last year. Haas and Gabrielsen were also state qualifiers a season ago and spent the summer continuing to improve.

Lindbloom is Havre’s most veteran golfer and is on a mission this season to help the Ponies capture the Central A championship, and more.

But the Havre boys program doesn’t stop with the top five, as

Havre Daily News/George Ferguson The Havre High boys and girls golf teams pose for a team photo at Prairie Farms Golf Course. The Blue Ponies started their season Aug. 14 and are already reaching the midway point of the 2014 high school golf season. Both Havre varsity teams should be contenders for Central A championships this season.

the Ponies are also building plenty of depth. Trey Hanson and Aden Passon are two more players who could crack the varsity lineup at any time this season and, overall, the Ponies have a roster full of young golfers, as boys golf has really risen in recent seasons. The Havre boys have a roster of nearly 20 players on the course this season, and players like Kyle Kirkpatrick could also compete for varsity time.

"We have a lot of the same kids back on the varsity team that we have had the last couple of years, so we are expecting good things from our boys team,” Gilman said.

Good things happened to Havre’s

girls team in 2013, but the Ponies graduated the likes of Nikki Gabrielsen, Boston Swenson and Katie Beck from last year’s divisional championship team. Gilman must rebuild around veteran golfers Randi Gabrielsen and Peyton Howard, both of whom are two-time Class A state qualifiers. Mackenzie Tilleman also has some golf experience, but beyond those three returnees, newcomers Grace Litzinger, Regan Lammers and Jordan Keith will have to help round out the Ponies’ varsity lineup.

“Our girls team has a couple of girls back that qualified for state, but they are going to be rebuilding a bit,” Gilman noted.

Whether it’s a deep boys roster,

or a young girls roster, the Ponies will get plenty of chances to get better as the season goes.

Havre will attend two different meets at Browning’s East Glacier Lodge and one tournament in Lewistown and wrap up the regular season with the Billings Central and Laurel Invitationals. The Ponies also have a second home date, Sept. 13, when they host the Havre Invitational at Beaver Creek Golf Course. That schedule leads to the Central A Divisional, which is what Havre will be working toward all season long. The divisional tourney will be held at Bozeman’s Riverside Country Club Sept. 26, and team and individual spots to the Class A state tournament, which is

Oct. 3-4 in Hamilton, will be on the line in Bozeman.

“The boys will be among the favorites in the Central A and, I think, by the end the girls will be right in the running, too,” Gilman said. “I am really looking forward to starting the season. I am excited. I think the boys and girls have a good chance to make some noise at divisionals. We have some good kids coming back, and I am just excited to get going and see where the season takes us.”

The Blue Ponies continue their golf season with this weekend's Browning Invitational. Havre is back home to host the Havre Invitational Sept. 13 at Beaver Creek Golf Course.