CHUCK BANDEL
Valley Press
Recent Stories
Hawks fall on road at Boulder
Sometimes you run into a team on a roll and a team with a history of football success.
Hot Springs rack up two more wins
It was a good, if not a dominating week for Hot Springs’ six-player football team.
Noxon stumbles against West Yellowstone
It was, to say the least, a big game in this year’s Western 6-player conference football action.
Lady Hawks sweep rival Plains
It was a good week for the Thompson Falls volleyballers, who split a pair of games, sweeping one and going five sets in the other before falling after an extremely hard fought match.
St. Regis-Mullan squad off to strong start
Perfect sounds pretty good. One might say it even sounds perfect.
Lady Savage Heat edge Alberton
It was a hard fought week of volleyball for the young and improving Hot Springs volleyball team.
Superior volleyball looks to find footing
It was not a good week for the young Superior volleyball team as they dropped a pair of games to St. Ignatius, 3-0 Thursday at home, then were swept by Seeley 3-0 on the road.
St. Regis sweeps Two Eagle River
In the wacky world that is the Western 14C volleyball conference life is, as has been said, like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.
Display raises awareness of veteran suicides
The scars of the battlefield are often readily recognizable and visible. Sometimes they are not.
Plains falls to Park City on neutral turf
When two evenly matched teams meet on the football field, the winner is often determined by who makes the fewest mistakes.
Hot Springs upsets tough Seeley squad
If this keeps up the rest of the Montana High School volleyball season, surprises will be so common we won’t be able to call them “surprises” any more.
Trotters volleyball sweeps Lady Bobcats
Winning on the road is never easy, they say. By that way of thinking the Plains Trotters volleyball crew had a decent week.
Manhattan gets best of Hawks
It was a match up between two physically fit teams who look like they are no strangers to the weight room.
T-Falls posts fast times at Canal Run
On a day that was seemingly crafted for cross country running, harriers from both the men’s and women’s Thompson Falls High teams turned in solid performances.
Plains freshman runner Marina Tulloch finishes in top-5
Plains boys and girls cross country teams are continuing to grow a young program on the rise.
Injuries deplete Alberton football roster
It was a week like no other for Alberton football.
Lady Panthers volleyball tops St. Regis, 3-1
The Alberton Lady Panthers are on the prowl in Western 14C volleyball.
COLUMN: Put some respect on the harriers
In some ways, cross country runners are the Rodney Dangerfield’s of the sports world.
Grant helps 4-H club with cooler purchase
Thanks to the generosity of an organization that helps farmers and ranchers with financial matters, the Sanders County 4-H club will gain a new cooler for their fairgrounds pavilion.
COLUMN: Dig, set, spike
As anyone who knows me can tell you, sports are a big part of my goofy life!
Olympic javelin thrower Todd Riech inducted into Fresno Hall of Fame
He is arguably the best athlete ever from Hot Springs.
Joliet nips Blue Hawks in football thriller
Football is sometimes not for the faint of heart.
Plains harriers in the mix at stacked Flathead Invite
In a sea of big fish, Plains at least had some fish in the ocean.
Plains Trotters fall to Loyloa, 3-1
This was quite possibly a match up of two of the best teams in the Western B volleyball conference this year.
Deer Lodge locks down Superior volleyball
The Lady Wardens closed the door and locked em up Thursday night during a high school volleyball game in Superior.
Lady Hawks take two tough losses
The not so good news, it was a tough week for the young Thompson Falls Lady Hawks volleyball team.
St. Regis topples Hot Springs 3-1
After the first game of this unofficial rivalry clash, it looked like it was going to be one of those matches.
Lady Devils netters roar back against Troy
At first it looked like the home-standing Troy Lady Trojans were going to hold serve.
Town Pump plans new store and casino in Thompson Falls
One of the largest and most iconic businesses in Montana is set to become bigger and more iconic in Thompson Falls.
New Plains boutique offers 'cool and unusual' gifts
Being an entrepreneur has always been something in Plains resident Maralee Schall’s scope of interest.
Seeley edges St. Regis in volleyball opener
Nothing like starting the high school volleyball season off with a cliffhanger of a match.
Local harriers open season with meet at Deer Lodge
The Lady Hawks were good last year, finishing seventh in the team chase at the Montana Class B cross country championships.
Trotters volleyball opens season at Mission Invite
Things are looking up for the Plains Trotters volleyball team as they head into the 2023 season.
Panthers enter volleyball season with strong roster
No losses personnel wise from last year and a core of returning players bode well for the Alberton Panthers 2023 volleyball team.
Savage Heat kick off season with win at West Yellowstone
It’s 341 miles from Hot Springs to West Yellowstone, Montana. A mere road trip to Montana high school athletes.
Tigers nips Bobcats in rivalry showcase
Folks have no doubt had Aug. 26 circled in red on their calendars.
Noxon spoils Alberton's return to 6-man action
Everything went as hoped for, except the final score.
Clark Fork Soccer Alliance draws 300 kids
The sport with the highest player participation in Sanders and Mineral counties keeps on growing.
Horsemen can't overcome Mission firepower
Statistics don’t lie, they say, and those from Friday’s Mission at Plains 8-player football game in Plains tell a somewhat different tale than the 34-6 final score in favor of the visiting Bulldogs.
COLUMN: A frozen smile moment
There are precious few things that would prompt the local coroner/undertaker to tell my potentially grieving family members “we’ve tried everything and we just can’t get the smile off his face.”
55 structures destroyed in River Road East Fire
Progress and patience were two of the key words emerging from a public information meeting this past Thursday regarding what is being called the River Road East Fire.
Alberton 6-man team to play full varsity schedule
Last year was, by all accounts, a testing year for the Alberton Panthers football team.
Key returners to lead St. Regis volleyball
Each year in high school sports brings about change, including to team line-ups. Sometimes it is dramatic, other times very subtle.
Lady Hawks start season with solid foundation of talent
Last year was a good year to say the least for the always strong Thompson Falls High volleyball team.
Lady Heat volleyball fields well-rounded roster
The youth movement continues in Hot Springs.
Plains cross-country roster continues to grow
The mark of anything that gains followers is likely that it is popular and growing.
Hot Springs leans on speed and experience
The bad news for Hot Springs as they prepare for the 2023 football season is they lost their best player from last year.
Red Devils look to build off last season's success
Noxon High head football coach Lucas MacArthur would be forgiven if he’s thinking “we shall return.”
Superior volleyball roster 'energetic'
Despite some heavy losses to graduation and an injury to a key player that will sideline her for the season, Superior volleyball coach Kyra McElroy remains upbeat about this year’s team.
Horsemen football returns with corral full of talent
Mike Tatum is back at the helm.