CHUCK BANDEL
Valley Press
Recent Stories
Lady Hawks notch another win over Florence-Carlton
A deadly combo is emerging on the courts for the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks so far this season.
Alberton hoopers showing improvement
Since announcing they were returning to varsity sports in the Montana class B-C sports world, the Alberton Panthers boys and girls teams have not been treated very kindly.
Plains-Hot Springs take 4th at Bob Kinney Invitational
Local wrestlers brought home lots of hardware from this year’s Bob Kinney Invitational, the watermark event in this area’s high school wrestling scene.
St. Regis edges Darby, 44-42
Sometimes, even the best shooters could swear the opposing team put a clear plastic lid over their basket.
Column: For the love of soccer?
A quick bit of gratitude to express, then on to this week’s debate.
Hot Springs teams look good at tip-off
Of the local teams entered in the Hamilton Tip-off basketball tournament this past weekend, Hot Springs came out with one of the best combined records.
Alberton hoopers return to the court
The true test of character, they say, is not so much how you respond to prosperity, but how you respond to adversity.
Lady Hawks rout Deer Lodge to open season
If it’s the winter sports season, one truism appears to be holding as it does every year. The Thompson Falls Lady Hawks will have a very good basketball team.
Horsemen open season with win at tip-off
All the ingredients have been there, ripening and getting better.
Good results at Owen Invitational wrestling tourney
A pair of seniors led the way for the Superior Bobcats wrestling team while Thompson Falls scored the area’s lone weight class championship during action at this past weekend’s Owen Invitational Wrestling tournament in Polson.
All-State volleyball honors awarded
Three players named to the 2022 Western 14C conference were also chosen as All-state performers in recently released postseason honors tabulations.
B-C football championship roundup
So who are the new State champions in the Fall sports B-C world?
Lady Bobcats battle at divisional tourney
They battled their way out of the tangled world that is Montana Western 14C high school volleyball.
Lady Hawks punch ticket to state
Welcome to the Department of Redundancy Department, Volleyball division for volleyball.
Superior ends season in frigid loss at Culbertson
Football is a crazy game. Everyone knows it, and it is strangely why so many people love the game with the oblong ball.
COLUMN: No whistling in sports
You know who you are.
COLUMN: The Greatest Generation
It’s a memory that will stay with me forever.
Hot Springs' season ends in playoff heart-breaker
For all its purported roughness and toughness, football can also be a cruel breaker of hearts.
Bobcats rebound with dominant playoff victory
The good teams all have it and all do it.
COLUMN: The fall classic
Anyone else notice something missing lately?
Valier upends Noxon in playoffs
In the days of late summer, hope springs eternal on football fields everywhere in this land.
St. Regis faces top-rated Drummond
For western Montana volleyball fans and players alike, one need look no further than Drummond to see a team that might be able to become a state champion.
Hot Springs outlast Darby in five sets
The latest in a string of five-set volleyball matches to grip the area was a back and forth jousting match between visiting Hot Springs and the Lady Tigers from Darby.
Superior suffers first loss at St. Ignatius
It would be hard to say there’s a better 8-player high school football team in Montana if you look at the 58-0 win by top-ranked St. Ignatius (aka Mission) over the fourth-ranked Superior Friday night in St. Ignatius.
St. Regis-Mullan tear up Wallace
Another successful run in the Idaho 1A-DII division playoffs is lining up for the co-op St. Regis-Mullan 8-man football team after they thrashed Wallace 60-22 Friday night in Mullan.
Savage Heat storm back in 65-22 win over W. Yellowstone
Given the scope of at least a few of the “upsets” that took place this past weekend in the local high school football realm, it would have easy to understand why there may have been a collective “gulping” sound in the stands at Hot Springs High Saturday afternoon.
Thompson Falls secures first win in 11-man
For those who thought it might never happen … thhppppttttt!
Tournament time for local volleyball teams
Beginning this week with the Western 7B volleyball tournament hosted by Thompson Falls and the Western 14C tourney at the Ronan Events Center, volleyball fans will have a chance, in some cases one last chance, to see their teams in action this year.
COLUMN: Sports word search
What’s the word I’m searching for here? Wow? Wacky? Unbelievable?
Lady Hawks win one, lose one
For the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks volleyball players, it was a matter of being at both ends of the volleyball spectrum.
Lady Bobcats get 2 wins heading into playoffs
Peaking at this time of year can be a very good sign with District playoffs beginning this weekend.
Lady Hawks dominate Western B/C Invitational
One title and a quarter is not a likely reason for the town council to get out the brushes and paint the town blue.
St. Regis pushes Charlo in tight match
In hindsight, the volleyball match between Charlo and St. Regis Thursday night might have been a harbinger of matches to come.
Tigers win JV matchup at Kootenai High
When the other team had problems putting together a varsity lineup, the football coaches at St. Regis-Mullan, Idaho co-op saw it as an opportunity to get some good playing time for the younger guys.
Superior stays unbeaten with win over Darby
The recipe for a delicious evening of football includes:
Noxon upsets top-rated Charlo
The volleyball epicenter Saturday night could easily be traced to mid court of the Charlo High School gym.
COLUMN: It's playoff season
Let’s clean up some loose ends and get ready for playoffs, shall we?
Red Devils stare down Gardiner Bruins
So it just makes sense.
T-Falls takes loss at Eureka
If you haven’t ever tried playing football, you probably wouldn’t understand.
Lady Hawks pick up win over Plains
Nothing like a pair of wins to make the sun seem brighter and the air crisper.
Noxon splits volleyball matches
As local volleyball matches go, these were a couple marathons for the Noxon Lady Red Devils this past week.
Fun run: Local harriers score PRs at Pablo
After a season of running up and down hills, over streams and jumping hay bales, it is no doubt time to have a little serious fun.
Charlo Lady Vikings notch another win
The Charlo Lady Vikings are cruising again this year in Western 14C volleyball circles.
Superior stays perfect in win at Charlo
The prop boys have done their jobs and the stage has been set.
Turnovers hurt Plains in loss at Victor
When you don’t take care of the ball, you can’t take care of the game, which is not a good thing
Column: Eight-man unbeatens to clash
If you are an eight-man high school football fanatic, this is what you have been waiting for.
Lady Hawks clash with Western B power Bigfork
With Western B volleyball playoff action looming, Thompson Falls’ girls were trying to do what no one else had done this year so far.
Superior steamrolls Victor, 50-6
When a team hits that elusive thing called “stride” it can literally cause nightmares for opposing coaches.
Hot Springs gets volleyball win a Noxon
It was a mixed bag for the Hot Springs volleyball team this past weekend as they split a pair of home games in Western 14C conference play.
Lady Bobcats outlast Noxon in volleyball showdown
The the tumultuous world that is Class C volleyball around these parts, you can have a really good week by winning one of two games.