Kvelve's Comments: It's playoffs time

And just like that, someone flipped the regular season off-on switch, and the Montana high school sports regular season was done.

It was just the other day, I’m sure, that I embarked on my attempt to gather information from coaches and ADs in Mineral and Sanders counties about the rapidly approaching football, volleyball, cross-country and, this season for the first time, soccer seasons. 

There are seven high schools in those two counties, and I do my best to get from my home in Plains to all those schools and their sports programs.  Thompson Falls, the largest school enrollment wise in my “territory” usually leads the way in number of teams and number of sports each season. 

This year T Falls joined forces with Plains and St. Regis to field a co-op varsity soccer team with, as is the case with all schools and sports, teams for boys and girls. 

Years ago, there was an uneven balance of coverage between boys' teams and girls' teams, I did not want to do that.  I set out to do my best to cover ALL the varsity teams. 

With a huge assist from sports parents like Kami Milender in Superior, who submits a steady stream of photographs involving her group of talented kids as they take part in Bobcats sports, my job is made easier. 

And there are several coaches who are equally vital, such as cross-country coach Sarah Naegeli from Thompson Falls who has provided photos and statistics on not only her T Falls teams, but also the squads from Plains. 

There are also several outstanding athletic directors, or activity directors as they are most recently known, who have been awesome in helping me tackle this daunting challenge. 

Thank you so much to all who have pitched in and made me look good.  I couldn’t do what I try to do without you all. 

Once again, the opening games barely had time to be memories until the final whistle blew and the final horn blared, signaling the end of the regular season schedules for Alberton, Superior, St. Regis, Hot Springs, Plains, Thompson Falls and Noxon. 

It’s time for the cream that has risen to the top to be tested in this system we know as post-season playoffs. 

Cross-country got a jump on the process with their state championship event this past weekend in Kalispell. 

And the Sanders-Mineral area got its first champion, sophomore Marine Tulloch from Plains, who cruised to a dominating victory in the state Class B finals.  The Plains boys team placed third, the girls' team was fifth, and Thompson Falls had the eighth-place girls' team, while the Blue Hawks boys were eighteenth. 

Both of those cross-country programs and well stocked with sophomores, freshmen and a healthy dose of eighth graders, setting the table for success in the next several years. 

This weekend, volleyball and football playoffs begin, including the Class 13C District tournament at Skagit College in Pablo and the Western 7B District event in Thompson Falls. 

Also getting underway will be the state eight-player and six-player football post-season at various sites awarded by the teams’ finish during the regular season.  In football, unlike volleyball, only the top teams make the first round of playoffs.  Everyone has a shot in the volleyball District events. 

Football is simply too physical to play multiple games on a weekend, bruises need time to heal. 

And while coaches, players and fans from those schools assess their just, or soon-to-be ended seasons, others will watch videos of their upcoming games and matches.  Plans, including travel, meals, strategies for victory and booster club events will amp up. 

For fans, this is the most wonderful time of the year.  Will Hot Springs overcome early season injury woes and advance through six-player football post-season challenge and be able to paint another set of year numbers on their press box, signifying a state title in 2024? 

Will the Thompson Falls or Plains girls be able to knock unbeaten, number one seed Eureka from its volleyball regular season throne this weekend in T Falls?  Is there a dark-horse, Cinderella team seeking to prove it belongs in the post season? 

Stay tuned, it's gonna be fun. Check your Velcro supply and your blood pressure. 

It’s playoff time!