State championship athletes recognized
One of the main goals for high school athletes as they prepare for an upcoming season is making it to the big dance, the state championships.
Lady Hawks' Koskela gets All-State nod
The fast pitch softball honors keep rolling in for Thompson Falls’ dynamic senior duo of Sarah Koskela and Olivia Fitchett.
Locals play in annual 6-man, 8-man football games
Just when you thought football was a long way off, local athletes engaged in gridiron warfare in two distant, Montana all-star football games this past weekend.
Kvelve's Comments: Charlie Hustle and Shoeless Joe
Sometimes, it takes a while to right a wrong.
Records broken at State B track meet
It was a record-breaking day for two local track and field seniors at the Class B State High School championships this past weekend in Missoula.
Lady Hawks eliminated at state softball
What turned out to be the final out of the season for the Thompson Falls-Noxon fastpitch softball season was in a way emblematic of the 2025 season.
St. Regis golfers among top finishers at state
For the St. Regis High boys’ and girls’ golfers, the Class C tournament this past week in Sidney was the second straight state championship appearance.
The injury bug
There is a part of sports no one likes to deal with, but it is a factor almost every year on almost every team.
Standout performances on the track at State B meet
The 2025 Class B boys track and field championships quickly became the Trizten Avila show.
Noxon's Williams launches to new State C record
Noxon senior Ricky Williams has boldly gone where no one, at least no Montana Class C High School high jumper, has ever gone.
Western 7B well represented in state softball tourney
While they didn’t win the big prize, a number one seed in this coming weekend’s State B-C Fastpitch Softball championships in Glasgow, the Western 7B conference will be well-represented.
Plains softball tops Eureka to get into divisional tourney
A season that was salvaged earlier in the week came to an end a few days later for the Plains Trotters fastpitch softball team.
Lady Hawks punch ticket to state
For the third straight year, Thompson Falls’ fastpitch softball team has made it to the big dance.
Avila leads Bobcats in strong team performance at divisional meet
It would be an understatement indeed to say Superior senior Trizten Avila had a “good” day at this past weekend’s Western Divisional track and field meet in Missoula.
Local golfers post low scores at State B
The Jefferson High (Boulder) boys golf team won their second consecutive boys’ Class B state championship this past week in Shelby, while Florence girls reigned supreme in the girls’ team title chase.
Kvelve's Comments: Memory lane
One of the best things about sports is the memories they can generate.
Western C Divisional sees solid performances
The recently completed Western C Divisional track meet in Missoula produced some mild surprises, some expected results and more young athletic talent.
Co-op baseball teams cap season
For the two high school baseball teams in Sanders County, Noxon-Thompson Falls and Plains-Hot Springs, the past week brought the end of the 2025 season.
Local golfers qualify for state tournament
For at least eight local high school golfers, the dream is a reality.
Plains boys, Superior girls win 7B titles
Fueled by some strong individual performances from their top athletes, teams from Plains and Superior reigned supreme at the 2025 Western 7B District track and field meet this past weekend in Eureka.
Thompson Falls-Noxon heads into post season after road trip
A rare tie, a big win and a loss highlighted the last week of the regular season for the Thompson Falls-Noxon girls fastpitch softball team with post-season play coming into view.
Noxon-Thompson Falls baseball goes 1-2 for week
With one game remaining on their regular season schedule, the Noxon-Thompson Falls Red Devils baseball team will be looking for a sixth win of the season to close it out.
Plains-Hot Springs baseball wrap up season
A long season came to a conclusion this past Monday when the Plains-Hot Springs baseball team hosted Troy at Amundson Sports Complex in Plains. The game was played just beyond the Valley Press publication deadline.
Williams shines at 13C track meet
The inaugural District 13C track and field meet this past weekend in Missoula could have been named the Ricky Williams show.
Kvelve's Comments: Love of the game
I gotta say, I was impressed.
Trotters wrap up regular season with battle against Kalispell
One of the things that concerns coaches at this point of a season, with playoffs knocking at the door, is momentum.
Plains-Hot Springs' rally falls short
Close but no cigar for the Plains-Hot Springs baseball team which came within one run of season win number two when a rally fell one run short this past Tuesday in Troy.
Plains softballers ready for divisional play-in
After an 0-3 week that could have been a 2-1 week, the Plains Trotters await word on their Western B-C division playoff opponent in what will be a “play-in” game to be part of the division tourney the weekend of May 16-17 in Florence.
Tigers roar at home golf tourney
It was a near sweep of both team titles for the host St. Regis golfers at this past week’s Trestle Creek Invitational in St. Regis.
Kvelve's Comments: Special moments
It’s not, fortunately, a rare occurrence, especially in the world of sports.
Local teams face top competition at Archie Roe
With a strong group of AA, A and B schools on hand, the Archie Roe Memorial track meet at Legends Stadium in Kalispell was a good barometer of Western Montana talent.
Lady Hawks top rivals in Plains in softball
The Thompson Falls-Noxon Lady Hawks are on a roll.
Thompson Falls-Noxon fastpitch wraps up regular season play
Momentum in sports can be a fickle friend indeed.
Noxon-Thompson Falls baseball notches wins
Back-to-back wins for the first time this season are evidence the Noxon-Thompson Falls baseball team is making progress in 2025.
Local golfers tested at Anaconda Invite
The 2025 western Montana B-C golf season is rapidly becoming a case of who can catch Loyola’s Elsie Munding or Seeley-Swan's Mia Nicholas.
Local throwers go long at Top 8 meet
The “Top 10” and “Top 8” high school track competitions for this part of Montana featured athletes from most of the Class AA and A schools in Western Montana, with some solid showings from local (Sanders-Mineral) tracksters sprinkled among the results.
Noxon-Thompson Falls baseball claim wins over county rival
This year’s unofficial and non-existent local high school baseball wars trophy goes to the Noxon-Thompson Falls co-opers who could lay claim to the title following a pair of wins over Sanders County rival Plains-Hot Springs this past week.
Superior's Cataldo cards low score at Gary Thompson Invite
On a mostly sunny skies day, albeit a chilly morning start, the Gary Thompson Invitational high school golf event at River’s Bend Golf Course near T Falls crowned a pair of team and individual champions this past Saturday.
Local track teams flex strength at ARM meet
As the 2025 high school track and field season heads toward the inevitable collision with playoffs on the way, the Whitefish ARM Invitational provided an intriguing look at athletic issues to be settled.
Lady Hawks stay on winning trajectory
There are teams who peak at the right time, while others fly or flop out of the gate.
Loyola Spring Swing tests local golf teams
For local high school golfers, the Loyola Spring Swing, a two-day tournament at two Missoula area golf courses last week was a learning experience and an opportunity.
Kvelve's Comments: Out of this world
Maybe it’s a case of I’ve maxed out on sports, or maybe it is a simple matter of curiosity, but the other day I was cruising along in Big Red, my legendary Dodge Ram, and I began wondering what outer space aliens may think of some of these events we Earthlings call sports.
Trotters tally wins over Deer Lodge
The split of a four-game week, even with two losses, can be viewed as another step in the right direction for the young Plains-Hot Springs Trotters fastpitch softball team.
Savage Hawks softball post mixed results
It was a mixed bag for the Thompson Falls-Noxon varsity fastpitch softball team this past week as the team routed Eureka 14-1 Tuesday on the Lady Lions’ home field, their third straight win.
Plains sweeps team titles at T-Falls Invitational
Plains continues to roll in track and field as they swept the men’s and women’s team titles at this past week’s Thompson Falls Invitational meet in T Falls.
Savage Horsemen go 0-3
The quest for victory number one goes on for the Thompson Falls-Noxon baseball team after a tough week gone by.
Prep golfers tested on Eureka course
In more ways than one, the Tobacco Valley Invitational golf tournament this past week in Eureka was a sneak peek at post-season play.
Plains-Hot Springs baseball co-op notch first victory
Not to be outdone by the counterparts on the Trotters, the young Plains-Hot Springs baseball co-op (Savage Horsemen) won their first game of the season last week in a big way.
Kvelve's Comments: Track dreams
This track and field stuff amazes and befuddles me in a good, envious kind of way.
Local track teams compete at Seeley Swan
The Plains women’s track team placed fifth at the Seeley Swan High School track and field meet this past Friday at Missoula County Public Schools stadium.