CHUCK BANDEL
Valley Press
Recent Stories
COLUMN: Spring is my season
It is perhaps the most under-appreciated thing in our lives.
Hannum and LeCoure earn All-State awards
As expected the top two teams in boys and girls Western 7B dominated the recently released state and district all-star teams for 2023-24.
12 teams join new 13C conference
Now that the Class C basketball season is almost over, with only the state championships this weekend left to be played, it’s time to bid a fond adieu to the existing 14C conference.
Thompson Falls and Noxon form co-op baseball team
Get ready for the crack, or ping, of the bat.
COLUMN: Go, Joansie, go
Phone. For the love of God, where is my phone?
COLUMN: Basketball recap
In many ways, it was awesome to watch the Class C and B Divisional tournaments this past weekend in Pablo and Frenchtown.
St Regis boys finish fourth at divisional
While watching their likely second round opponent, Manhattan Christian, take apart a solid Drummond team during the Western C Divisional tournament this past weekend in Frenchtown, St. Regis assistant basketball coach Brandon Iverson summed up the task at hand regarding the top-seeded MC Eagles.
Hot Springs teams ends season at divisional
They can take consolation in the fact they made it to the Divisional playoffs.
Plains teams end season with winning records
It’s been a few years since either the Plains boys or girls basketball teams have made it to the Western Divisional tournament.
Lady Hawks season concludes with 14-8 record
It was like old home week for the Thompson Falls girls basketball team this past week at the Western B Divisional tournament at Salish Kootenai College in Pablo.
Lakko nets 23 in Plains' consolation loss
Despite a game-high 23 points from senior forward Blakely Lakko, the Plains Trotters could not fend off the Eukeka Lady Lions in the Western 7B consolation round final Saturday afternoon in St. Ignatius.
Tourney roundup: Trotters clip Superior, 29-28
The 14C and 7B boys and girls basketball tournaments were a treat for local hoop fans from the opening tip-off.
Seedings set for divisional tournaments
First-round pairings are in for this coming weekend’s two Divisional tournaments for schools in Sanders and Mineral counties.
Horsemen take third in 7B hoops tourney
It will go down as a 3-0 sweep for the Thompson Falls boys basketball team during this 2023-24 season, as once again the Blue Hawks came out on top of a rapidly improving Plains Horsemen team, 60-37, in a District 7B boys semi-final playoff game.
Lady Hawks top Eureka in 7B tourney
This was an important game, a springboard if you will, for future basketball tournament endeavors.
Hot Springs boys beat Noxon in consolation final
Coming out of the District 14C postseason tournament, the Hot Springs boys basketball team as the consolation round winner, had to wait until Monday night before they knew if their season was still alive.
St. Regis girls win 14C consolation final
As advertised, the St. Regis Lady Tigers are not a team to be overlooked in high school basketball’s postseason battles.
Thompson Falls boys earn No. 2 seed in Western B
Things pretty much followed the script at the boys 7B District basketball tournament this past weekend in St. Ignatius.
Charlo girls tops Hot Springs for 14C title
The Charlo Vikings girls basketball team left no doubt who the District 14C champion is.
Lady Hawks take second in 7B tourney
Form held in the girls Western 7B conference tournament this past weekend as the top-seeded and once-beaten Bulldogs from St. Ignatius beat No. 2 seed Thompson Falls for the league title Saturday night at Mission High School in St. Ignatius.
COLUMN: Cornhole scholarships?
It’s hard to get me to say “I can’t believe that” in today’s world.
Tigers claim 14C basketball championship
Chaos comes in many forms. It can be horrible or it can, believe it or not, be beneficial.
Lady Hawks top Cats, earn No. 2 seed
Make that five in a row for the Thompson Falls girls who picked up a pair of Western 7B conference wins in the last week of the regular season.
Blue Hawks primed with wins over Troy, Superior
Hitting your stride when the playoffs come to town is always a good thing.
Local wrestlers bring home hardware from state
It was probably the best match of the state wrestling tournament last weekend in Billings.
Panthers fight way into district tourney
True Grit lives in Alberton.
Two Eagle River clips Noxon, 56-55
It may not be kosher to think of a loss in a basketball game as a positive “statement” to be making.
St. Regis boys No. 1 seed for 14C tourney
The results are in, and the St. Regis boys are the basketball winners.
Horsemen earn No. 3 seed in district tourney
Things are looking up, as in up the conference standings ladder, for the Plains Horsemen basketball team.
Lady Tigers top Noxon on senior night
Beware the Lady Tigers.
Trotters can't snap slide in tough loss to Eureka
The meat of the Western 7B conference schedule has not been good for the Plains Trotters.
Thompson Falls wrestler Hannum medals at state
It was probably the best match of the state wrestling tournament last weekend in Billings.
COLUMN: Cotton Swab Bowl
Everyone recovered from Super Bowl Sunday?
Hot Springs girls No. 2 in 14C tourney
With their regular season schedule behind them following their 60-39 road loss to the Charlo Lady Vikings Friday night, the Hot Springs girls basketball team can now turn their attention to this week’s District 14C Conference tournament in Polson.
Plains-Hot Springs grapplers 3rd at divisional meet
The leaders at the top of the sports team competition are familiar to local high school sports fans: Florence-Carlton and Eureka.
Hot Springs girls pick up two wins
It’s probably fair to say the Two Eagle River Eagles boys basketball team would like to see Hot Springs more often.
COLUMN: Chuck’s Kiddie Korps
Let’s have some fun talking about the future, eh?
St. Regis moves to top of 14C with win over Charlo
Anyone who has watched the St. Regis Tigers boys basketball team this year most likely came away with the feeling that they had seen a good basketball team.
Thompson Falls sweeps county rival Plains
Thompson Falls boys and girls made it a clean, double sweep of regular season basketball games between the two Sanders County rivals this Thursday in Thompson Falls when the boys beat Plains’ Horsemen 26-28 after the T-Falls girls knocked off Plains’ Trotters 51-25 in the first game of a double-header.
Crabb scores 34 in Superior's win over Troy
One of the many fun things about the approach, and arrival, of Montana high school sports is playoff scrambling as the regular season comes to a conclusion.
Noxon boys cling to 4th place in 14C
To be the best, it has often been said, you have to beat the best.
Lady Hawks clip Eureka in OT
Without a doubt, it’s been a good season in Thompson Falls basketball circles this year.
Eureka outpaces Lady Bobcats
Two tough opponents, who like Superior have been struggling at times this season, were the obstacles in the path of the Lady Bobcats this past week, and both proved to be formidable blocks for the Cats to overcome.
Young Bobcats fall at Eureka
It was kind of a matter of picking your hardship for the young Superior Bobcats basketball team this past week.
Lady Hawks stay in mix with win over Eureka
While anything can happen once the postseason begins, the girls Western 7B race for the top is pretty much a four-team competition.
Hawks' LeCoure pops off for 36 in win over Mission
In one of the highest individual points totals so far among local high school basketball players, Thompson Falls junior forward Bryson LeCoure was king for a day.
Plains teams post impressive victories
The Plains boys basketball train is back on track.
Noxon upsets 14C division leader Charlo
Don’t look now, but another serious contender for the boys 14C basketball conference crown emerged this weekend as the Noxon Red Devils won a pair of league games and lost to Class B Troy.
First victory evades Noxon girls
Noxon came into their girls basketball game Friday night in Troy looking for their first win of the year.
Wresters tune up for postseason at Mission Valley Championships
It was a final tune-up for local wrestlers as they head into the Western Division B-C postseason this coming Friday and Saturday in Shelby.