Remember When?

40 YEARS AGO • DECEMBER 29, 1983

LEDGER LINES by K.A.E.

The arrival of the New Year is traditionally a time for resolutions and a reflection on the past 12 months.

Here at The Ledger, we’ve enjoyed a good year despite the complications that accompany any economic downturn as experienced by Sanders County. We have a lot to say thanks for and a lot of wishes to extend for the year ahead.

Thanks to Leona Veach for her calls about the Bighorn being down and available for pictures.

Thanks to all of the courthouse staff for the help they provide in spreading county news - Dixie Vaught, June Thayer, Pat Eldridge, Carol Thomas, Eileen Wilson and Don Nicholson, Supt. Bette Volkmann, Sheriff Jim Doxtater and staffs, and of course commissioners John Muster, Pat DeLong and Norm Resler. Thanks are also due Highway Patrolman Harold Savik and Town Marshals Jack Wakefield and Clare Mates, Game Warden Chet Lamoreux and biologist Shawn Riley.

On the Forest Service side, we’re indebted to the Cabinet Ranger Station staff, Ron Humphrey and his new successor Jim Mershon.

Thanks to all the EMTs who so faithfully serve Thompson Falls, Trout Creek, Noxon, Heron and the Hot Springs areas; those who serve the meals on wheels and all the other many volunteers who serve on boards and organizations to help their fellow human beings.

And for the New Year, we hope:

It brings progress for Plains in the construction of a paved runway for the airport there.

A low interest rate for the Noxon school bonds.

That the Forest Service finds it within its intimate wisdom to retain present operations in Plains and Thompson Falls instead of pitting these two towns against each other. (Plains ended up with the bid for the Lolo Forest Service office headquarters.)

That the efforts to improve the sewer systems in both Hot Springs and Thompson Falls this year are successful.

That the cage and wrestling squads of the county’s five high schools enjoy highly successful seasons.

Above all, we hope that the year 1984 brings peace and prosperity to all.

30 YEARS AGO • JANUARY 6, 1994

‘BOYS BOUNCE BULLETS IN 13TH ANNUAL BOWL

by John Hamilton

Oh no! It’s the Oh-No-Boys - by a landslide. Or is it an ice-slide? Or a mud-slide?

In weather more fitting for misery than anything else, the Oh-No-Boys won the 13th Annual Keg Bowl 48-14 to snap a five game winning streak by the Silver Bullets.

On a wet, frozen Ainsworth Field, complete with patches of ice, snow and mud, featuring constant rainfall and bone-chilling temperatures, the 26 years and younger ‘Boys battered the 27 and older Bullets.

The young guys made up for a tough 34-26 loss in last year’s Keg Bowl by outrunning and outmuscling an experienced Bullet team.

Behind three current college football players (sophomore Shaun Smith and freshman Jesse Kegel of Montana Tech and Chadd Laws, who just completed his college grid career at Western Montana), the ‘Boys proved to have too much firepower for the Bullets to handle.

Smith turned in one of the most productive performances in Keg Bowl history by throwing for five touchdowns and returning an interception for another score.

Laws added a touchdown passing and two receiving and Kegel was named most valuable line player for his get-down work blocking and tackling on the line of scrimmage.

Midway through the second quarter, the hard running of Oh-No-Boy Mike Arnold set up another touchdown, this one on a one-yard pass from Smith to Kovarik. Arnold put the ‘Boys in position with a 45 yard run to the Bullet’s five-yard line two plays before the score.

Roger Willhite rallied the Bullets to a score before halftime, setting it up with a 35-yard pass to Owen Burch and completing it with a five-yard toss to Scott Sharp in the right corner of the end zone. He passed to Michael Benson for the two-point conversion and the half ended with the ‘Boys up 24-8.

Relentless defensive line work by Kegel, Jake Cremer and Chad Pardee made life for Bullet quarterback Willhite miserable all day long - they didn’t sack him all that many times but the constant pressure wore down the Bullets line and Willhite.

About 50 fans attended the Bowl and some even lasted until the end of the game.

Mike Allen served as referee and Louis LaRock acted as official timekeeper.

This year will be the 42nd Keg Bowl. It was established by alumni Blue Hawk players as a fundraiser. Last year’s funds were donated to Cancer Network of Sanders County.