Prep sports heating up

Kind of like wiping the slate clean and starting out from scratch.

A year after COVID-19 did its cancel culture number on U.S. sports, including here in Montana, the spring of 2021 is much more to the average fan’s liking, with plenty of local action to enjoy – from a socially distant perspective, of course.

Keeping up the pace on a busy schedule so far as the pandemic finally eases, most all Sanders County high teams will be in action this week in various venues across western Montana.

In track and field action, Hot Springs will host its annual Dave Tripp Memorial meet in Polson Friday. Normally hosting a much larger meet, Hot Springs athletic director Brenda Haase said Monday that only District 14C schools will be coming to the Tripp this season due to the short notice of the meet’s scheduling.

“Most of the other teams in the area had already agreed to go to the Frenchtown Invitational Saturday,” she said, adding that the meet was scheduled fairly late this spring due to the uncertainty of the situation going into this season.

Hot Springs, Noxon, Plains, Charlo, St. Regis, Clark Fork (the cooperative formed between Alberton and Superior) and Two Eagle River are all members of District 14C (although Two Eagle has not fielded any sports teams yet this school year) and are expected to compete in Polson Friday.

Although it is unclear whether any 14C teams will compete Saturday, the Frenchtown meet Haase referenced will be attended by Thompson Falls at the very least from Sanders County.

NOTE: The date of the Frenchtown track meet has been moved from Saturday to Friday due to potentially severe weather in the area this weekend.

The action heats up in softball this week as the Thompson Falls-Noxon Blue Hawks will visit powerful Mission-Arlee-Charlo for a single game at 5 p.m. Thursday, and the Hawks will host Bonners Ferry for a doubleheader, which will double as a dedication day for former long-time coach Randy Pirker, Saturday.

In Pirker’s honor, the Thompson Falls High School field will be officially renamed as “Pirk’s Place” in a special ceremony to be led by Randy’s daughters Stephanie and Arikka, both former Lady Hawks (who played for their dad) themselves.

The Hawks will close out their week of action on the diamond with a single game at Troy next Tuesday.

The Plains-Hot Springs Trotters will host the Deer Lodge Wardens for a doubleheader, beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday. The new head coach for the Trotters, Dani Walker Crowe will be enjoying a homecoming of sorts as she starred for the Wardens during her high school playing days in Powell County.

Thompson Falls and Plains golf teams will play the first day of the two-day Eureka Invitational Friday at the Wilderness Club course.