CHUCK BANDEL
Valley Press
Recent Stories
Eureka volleyball escapes Plains with win
If Thursday’s match between unbeaten Eureka and unbeaten Plains was any indication, and it definitely was, the Western B volleyball playoffs this year are going to be awesome.
Bobcats volleyball team falls at Mission
Not only did the Superior Bobcats volleyball team run into the conference co-leaders this past week, they also had to deal with a power outage.
Kvelve's Comments: The half-way point
This time fly's thing boggles my mind.
Tulloch fourth at Mountain West Classic
There are big cross country meets, and there is the Mountain West event each year in Missoula.
Trotters volleyball improves to 7-0
To say the Plains High Trotters volleyball team is playing well would be like saying the surface of the sun is hot.
Lady Tigers get volleyball win over Victor
After losing to unbeaten Plains this past Tuesday, the St. Regis Lady Tigers were looking for a solid volleyball win.
Lady Hawks win third straight
The Thompson Falls Lady Hawks are on a volleyball roll. This past week they won a pair of Western B conference matches to increase their winning streak to three and boost their season record to 5-3.
Lady Savage Heat sweeps Two Eagle River
It was a mixed bag of matches for the Hot Springs Lady Heat volleyballers, who won two matches and lost one this past week.
Soccer teams face tough matches at Columbia Falls
With just one match this week in their inaugural varsity season, the Thompson Falls-Plains co-op Blue Hawks continued to build on improvements they have seen.
Hot Springs posts another shutout
There is an interesting parallel between nature and Montana 6-player football.
Bobcats beat host Plains, 60-28
It’s probably enough to make a grown football coach get misty-eyed: running backs with track speed and wrestler physicality.
Red Devils cruise past Alberton in shutout win
While no game is “easy” in the world of football (that’s where they get the term ‘on any Sunday’), not going down to the wire every time out can be a good thing.
Hawks shut out Anaconda, 28-0
After a grueling and challenging beginning to the 2024 season, the Thompson Falls Blue Hawks return from playing four of their first five football games on the road.
Seeley-Swan outlasts Tigers on homecoming night
Speed, it has been said, kills. When you add power to velocity, it often creates some intense collisions.
Tulloch sets course record at River Bend
There is something special, and very young, brewing in the Plains-Thompson Falls area this year.
St. Regis tops Superior in I-90 football rivalry
With the new alignment of the Western B 8-player conference, the I-90 football rivalry between Superior and St. Regis will take place each year.
Coop soccer squad falls to Bigfork, Whitefish
In their inaugural season of high school varsity soccer, the Thompson Falls-Plains boys’ and girls' teams are experiencing what might be considered a baptism under fire.
Alberton notches first volleyball win of season
This was the victory the Lady Panthers were looking for.
Kvelve's Comments: In full stride
Saturday, as is the case with most every Saturday during the school sports year, was a great day for this guy.
Trotters bounce volleyball rival Hawks
The Trotters needed the win. For themselves and their fans.
Heat sweep Arlee for first volleyball win
There were signs of progress this past week for the Hot Springs Lady Heat volleyball team, highlighted by their first win of the season, a 3-0 on-the-road sweep of the Arlee Scarlets Thursday night.
Lady Bobcats suffer two losses
It was another challenging week for the Superior Lady Bobcats volleyball team.
Savage Heat scorch West Yellowstone
In what was a crucial mid-season game between two 6-player playoff hopefuls this past Friday night in Hot Springs, the hometown Savage Heat routed West Yellowstone 50-0.
Mission gets best of Plains in key conference game
For a first half of the season game, the Plains at Mission football game in St. Ignatius this past Saturday was a contest both needed to win in a Western Conference standings race that is taking shape.
Red Devils rally, again
If this trend continues, they may become known as the “cardiac” Red Devils.
Boulder spoils Blue Hawks homecoming
After three straight weeks on the road to open the 2024 season, the Thompson Falls Blue Hawks returned to Previs Field for their annual Homecoming game against highly ranked Jefferson High (Boulder) this past Friday.
Plains XC runners off to fast start
It would be easy to get really excited about the youthful group of runners on both the girls and boys cross-country teams at Plains High this year.
Thompson Falls-Plains play to draw with Libby
Being the new kids on the block, or in this case, the pitch, progress can be frustratingly slow.
Kvelve's Comments: What's a sport anyway?
It can be a fine line, other times it is not up for debate.
Noxon outlasts Lincoln in shootout, 55-53
There may not be a more exciting game this year, especially the second half, than the Noxon-Lincoln thriller this past Friday night in Lincoln.
St. Regis volleyball snares first win
St. Regis’ volleyball team split a pair of games this past week, picking up their first win of the 2024 season before running into a perennially tough opponent who swept them at home.
Lady Hawks volleyball back on track with wins over St. Ignatius, Superior
Nothing like a pair of sweeps to lift the spirits of a team that struggled a bit out of the gate.
St. Regis-Mullan sneaks past Arlee
One of the questions coming into the 2024 high school football season was how St. Regis would fare playing their games back in Montana after several years as an Idaho competitor via their co-op arrangement with Mullan, Idaho.
Savage Heat bury Big Sandy, 45-0
It was not a good day for the Pioneers.
Hot Springs volleyball falls to 0-4
It has been a tough start to the 2024 season for the Hot Springs volleyball team, but with the core of players they have, things are likely to get better.
Plains' Tulloch finishes first at Corvallis Invite
This is shaping up to be an excellent year for the area’s two cross-country schools.
Blue Hawks rack up 252 yards in loss at Manhattan
It has been, to say the least, a challenging start for the Thompson Falls High football players, coaches and staff.
Plains volleyball notches two wins
Here come the Trotters. No trotting here, it's out of the gate and moving.
Savage Heat drops close game in Centerville
Yogi Berra, the legendary Yankees catcher famous for head-scratching sayings, would have said it was “deja vu all over again”.
Lady Bobcats volleyball take on Wardens
One thing is for certain, the young Superior Lady Bobcats volleyball does not give up.
St. Regis Tigers score big win over Charlo
For the St. Regis Tigers, the football game versus Charlo was just what the gridiron doctor ordered.
Hot Springs goes 0-2 in opening week
One traditional power, Drummond, and one traditionally average team, Lincoln, were on the menu this past week for the Hot Springs Lady Heat volleyball team.
Bobcats swamp Trojans 65-14
After a season-opening 35-20 loss to Valley Christian last week in Missoula, the Superior Bobcats were ready to play as they hosted Troy in Superior.
Horsemen fall in battle with Tigers
Decades ago, a national TV network opened its weekly sports show with the phrase, “the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat.”
Kvelve's Comments: On the pitch
This may be a shocker to folks who know me.
Trotters fall in five-set thriller with Loyola
If the first match of the 2024 season is any indication, the Plains Trotters volleyball team is going to be an improved, edge-of-your-seat squad.
Barry Fowler fundraiser at Plains Golf Course
This past weekend’s Barry Fowler Clark Fork Valley Hospital fundraising golf tournament was just the latest example of the generosity prevalent in Plains.
Thompson Falls girls soccer battles Polson
As newcomers to the world of Montana high school, varsity soccer, the Thompson Falls boys’ and girls’ teams are in the “curve”.
Lady Panthers fall in conference play
The combination of Western C conferences 13 and 14 one large 13C conference brings some new foes together on a regular basis this season.
Blue Hawks lose in Joliet, 23-14
It will likely be good for some home cooking for the road-bound Thompson Falls Blue Hawks B-11 football team.