Prep sports start Saturday

Thompson Falls will be a hotbed for high school sports in Sanders County this weekend as the winter seasons finally begin.

Over a month past the time winter sports generally begin, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, wrestling and basketball seasons kick off Saturday for local fans, and both brand new beginnings feature Thompson Falls teams.

The Blue Hawk wrestling squad will host a double dual meet Saturday, making the Hawks one of the first sporting teams in Montana to spring into action. The matches, involving Cut Bank, Simms and Mission will be held at the Thompson Falls high school and junior high gyms.

Coach Mike Thilmony’s Blue Hawks will be in the high school facility for two matches, hosting the Simms Tigers at 1 p.m. and the Cut Bank Wolves at 3. Meanwhile, at the junior high gym, Mission will tussle with Cut Bank at 1 p.m. and with Simms at 3.

Thilmony said the MHSA is allowing only two duals per day in a facility, leading to the unique arrangement being used Saturday.

The Thompson Falls boys and girls basketball teams will also commence the season Saturday, opening the campaign with a boy/girl doubleheader at Troy.

Tipping the new year off first, the Hawk boys will start it off in Troy with the junior varsity game set for noon and the varsity tilt at 1:30 p.m. The Lady Hawks will take the court for games at 4 and 5:30 p.m.

Although the first weekend of 2021 will be relatively quiet, there will be an avalanche of activity beginning the second week of next year, involving all county prep teams.