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MONTANA SPORTS TRIVIA
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2016 TOP TEN MONTANA SPORTS STORIES
#10: The most successful volleyball coach in state history Jeff Carroll of Billings Senior resigns. Over his 31 seasons his teams advanced to the state tournament 29 times and won a state record 12 titles.
#9: My high school football team of the year…the Savage Heat of Hot Springs! All World Mr. Trevor Paro lead them to a perfect 13-0 season. During 2016 Hot Springs averaged 68 points a game and gave up just 9. Their closest game all year was in the championship when they got by the co-op of Westby/Grenora N.D. 54-20!
#8: Now when you average almost 27 points a game in girl’s high school basketball that is outstanding! But when you accomplish that as an 8th grader…well that is out of this world. Last season Mya Four Star of Frazer scored 530 points!
#7: What a weekend it was for Cayden Ayers out of Corvallis. On Friday night during the quarter finals of the state football playoffs Cayden kicked the game winning field goal in the closing seconds. The next day in a 4-3 win over Billings Central Cayden scored all four goals as Corvallis advanced to the state soccer championship game.
#6: On September 2nd Heart Butte running back Chasin Kipp rushed for a state record 553 yards! Than just five weeks later he broke his own record when he ran for 597. In that game he was in on 11 touchdowns.
#5: The comeback story of Baker Q.B. Luke Gonsioroski! On September 2nd, the ground shock when Luke was introduced at Bakers first football game. It came just a couple of months after he had an eight-pound tumor was removed from his lung.
#4: The final score, Montana State 24 and the Griz 17. What a huge upset! That was only the second conference win for the Bobcats all season!
#3: The legend retires. After 38 seasons, 36 winning seasons, 865 wins and 21 NCAA tournament appearances, Robin Selvig retires as the Lady Griz head coach.
#2: The most popular sports show on our web site in 2016? That would be the hole-in-one story by Rob Bergeson. After placing his father’s ashes on the 4th hole at the Whitefish Golf Course…two days later during the final round of the annual 4th of July tournament Rob aces that very same holt.
#1: The top Montana sports story for 2016? Well that is easy it’s what Miss Christina Aragon of Billing Senior accomplished. At the state track, Montana’s greatest distance runner broke all three all class distance state records. Than over the summer she won the Adidas Dream Mile in the third fastest time ever for a high school runner. The very next weekend in at the Brooks Invitational in Seattle she won the 800. Christina was also featured in the pages of Sports Illustrated, and advanced to the semifinal round of the U.S. Olympic Trails! Now we will wait and see what she accomplishes at Stanford.
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2016 TOP MONTANA SPORTS STORIES #11 – #20
#20: A state record 680 miles! That’s how far it was for Fairview to travel to Charlo for the quarter final round of the class “C” football playoffs. Fairview won in the closing seconds!
#19: Add it up it’s now 9 state cross country titles in a row for the Bozeman boys! Plus they also won the Nike national cross country championship!
#18: Jeff Bertelsen retires as the Wibaux head football coach. During 16 seasons with the Longhorns his teams never lost more than two game and went 154-20!
#17: Flathead high distance runner Jake Perrin. At the state track meet Jake broke the all class state records in both the mile and two-mile.
#16: Dane Warp of Havre becomes the first class “A” or “AA” basketball player to score 2,000 points in a career.
#15: Dillon Football! All the Beavers have done is advance to the state title game the past 6 years! Plus they have also won 8 of the last 13 state class “A” titles!
#14: On the same night recently both the Malta girls and Choteau boys had their 54 game winning streaks snapped.
#13 It’s now 14 years in a row that either Dillon or Billings Central have advanced to the state class “A” football championship game!
#12: Eureka wins their first state football title…and it took place on the final play of the game. Down 28-25 with just a few seconds left Garrett Graves hit Austen Sherwood for the game winning touchdown!
#11: Games of 51, 50 and 50! St. Labre’s Shiloh McCormick becomes the first basketball player in state history to score 50 or more points in three straight games!
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Columbia Falls Great Sportsmanship!
Hats off to the administrators at Colombia Falls High School. What they did this week needs to be recognized as outstanding sportsmanship. You see the Colombia Falls Wildcats were scheduled to play 
Corvallis on Saturday afternoon in the first round of the class “A” football playoffs. But that was also the same day and time that Corvallis was hosting Belgrade in the state “A” soccer championship. Plus the star soccer player for Corvallis Cayden Ayers is also the place kicker on the football team. So with that conflict in mind Colombia Falls officials have moved the post season football contest to Friday night.
Now Cayden will be able to play in both. You see he is outstanding in both! Last weekend he kicked the game winning field goal in the closing seconds as Corvallis got by Stevensville 30-27! Also in the that game Cayden was good from 37 and 42 yards out. Than the very next day in the state soccer semifinals in a thrilling overtime win against Billings Central Mr. Ayers scored all 4 goals in a 4-3 win!
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Wow….Baker’s Luke Gonsioroski Is One Amazing Young Man!
We all know that Baker Q.B. Luke Gonsioroski is one of the very best football players in the state. But it’s what he overcame this past summer that has made him into a super star.
Click on the following link to listen to this incredible story!
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ANOTHER STATE RECORD FOR CHASEN KIPP!
Wow, is this young man amazing or what! Back on September 12 Heart Butte All American running back Chasen Kipp ran for a state record 553 yards in a win over Northern Cheyenne! Well over the weekend Kipp shattered his own state rushing record as he went off for 597 yards in a 70-64 win against Box Elder. Now in that victory Chasen Kipp was in on 11 touchdowns and ended up with 717 yards of total offense! He scored 8 rushing, 2 receiving and had a kickoff return brought back for a score. For the season Kipp has rushed for 1,768 yards and scored a total of 34 touchdowns!
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Jordan Football 4-1! Started With Just 7 players!
The Jordan Mustangs started this 2016 high school football
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Great Story On My Time With Arnold Palmer!
A few years ago I got to meet the sports legion Arnold Palmer. That night he told us a wonderful story. Please listen.
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Great Story Of First Shrine Football Game!
This weekend it’s the 70th edition of the historic East – West Shrine football game! Game number one was played in 1947! At that first Shrine Game Tom LeProwse of Butte kicked off to start the game, made the games first tackle and than when the game ended…. well he married his high school sweetheart Joan that same night!
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Record Setting “AA” Football Game!
The wildest football game in week number six of this 2016 season took place at Washington Grizzly Stadium in Missoula as Glacier got by Missoula Sentinel 63-62 in over time!
The combined 125 points is a new “AA” state football record! The old mark of 122 was accomplished twice and the Hawks of Bozeman were involved in both contests. In October of 2002 Bozeman outscored Billings Senior 67-55, than the very next season Bozeman got by Missoula Sentinel 81-41!
Interesting to note that the 125 points was not even the most from over the weekend. Billings Christian and Terry lit up the scoreboard for 154! The final was Billings Christian 86 and Terry 68!
By the way last season “AA” boys basketball teams averaged just 54 points a game, now you have football teams scoring more!
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Best Golf Story Ever!
Even if you are not a golfer you will get chills listening to this amazing story! Last week at the annual Whitefish 4th of July golf tournament something incredible took place! You see, Rob Bergeson a two time state “AA” golf cha
mpion from Billings West has played in this event every year since 1990. He has also placed in the top two, ten times! Well back in April his father Bob passed away. During a practice round, Rob and some of his friends spread his fathers ashes on the 4th hole of the Whitefish Lake North Course! Then guess what took place a few days later when Rob played that hole?
This photo was taken on that same golf hole a year ago. From left to right; Joe Johnston, Justin Miller, Bob Bergeson, Rob Bergeson and John Moscrip.
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Remember The S.I. Story on Hardin’s Jonathan Takes Enemy?
Last week at the National Sports Media Assoc. awards ceremony held in North Carolina is was great to meet famous sportscasters like Billy Packer, Chris Berman and writer Rick Riley. But my favorite person to visit with was sportswriter Gary Smith! His story on Hardin’s Jonathan Takes Enemy that was printed in 1991 is the best sports piece that I have ever read! In two programs that I did with Gary he tells us how he came across basketball stand out Jonathan Takes Enemy and his reaction to Native American basketball in Montana! His story titled “Shadow Of A Nation…The Crows, once proud warriors, now seek glory…but often fine tragedy…in basketball” won a national award.
Please listen to the complete unedited interview that I had with Hall of Fame sportswriter Gary Smith.
PS: The cute girl to my right is my perfect wife Kristi!
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Jess Lockwood Goes for 4th High School Title!
So, what if NBA superstar Lebron James, went back and played in a high school basketball tournament? Or can you imagine Tom Brady up against high school football players?
Well that is what it’s going to be like this week in Baker. One of the top bull riders in the world, 18 year old Jess Lockwood of Volborg, will be competing at the Montana State high school rodeo finals. Lockwood is attempting to win his 4th high school state title. He is one of the very best bull riders in the world, ranked 15th this week in the professional bull riders ‘Built FORD Tough Series’.
In April, Jess Lockwood won the Billings PBR event and pocketed more than $40000.
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Montana – Wyoming All Star Games Are This Weekend!
For the 23rd year in a row this Network will broadcast the annual Montana – Wyoming all star basketball series! Friday night we will be at the Bruce Hoffman Golden Dome on the campus of Sheridan College in Sheridan, Wyoming! Than on Saturday night at the Fortin Center at Rocky Mountain College in Billings! This is the 41st year of the boys series, Montana leads 53-27 and they have won the last eight games! In the girls series it’s year number 20! The Montana girls lead in the series against the very best from Wyoming 26-12!
2016 MONTANA GIRLS ROSTER:
Shiloh McCormick Siant Labre
Haylea Elkin Billings West
Nora Klick Great Falls
Janie McRae Shepherd
Hailey Nicholson Malta
Dana Wagner Havre
Emerald Toth Bozeman
Raelynn Keefer Forsyth
Alexi Payne Broadview
2016 BOYS MONTANA ROSTER:
Dane Warp Havre
Jacob Hadley Billings Central
Nick Tranel Billings Skyview
Payton Stott Billings Skyview
Derrek Durocher Choteau
Collin Achenbach Choteau
Dylan Pannabecker Choteau
Jerrod Four Colors Box Elder
Brandon The Boy Box Elder
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Jess Lockwood….Montana Pride
Wow, he’s only 18 years old, he has not even graduated from high school yet and he is now one of the very best bull riders in the world! Over the weekend Jess Lockwood of Volborg won the Billings PBR event and took home over $40,000!
Please listen to this great interview that I had with Jess and his mom Angie!
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Rams Jacob Hadley Can Jump!
This summer Billings Central stand out Jacob Hadley will compete in all three major all star games…the Montana-Wyoming all star basketball series, the Montana-North Dakota all star football game and the East – West Shrine Football Game. Hadley was an all state W.R. who will play football at Montana State and scored 34 points in the state title game loss in basketball to Dillon! Than this spring he went out for track for the first time since 7th grade! How did he do? Well he set the Billings Central school record in the high jump at 6-6 1/4 in his very first meet! That is impressive…..very impressive!
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2016 High School Basketball Awards!
With high school basketball in the books for another year it’s time to hand out the Network basketball awards!
BOYS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dane Warp of Havre
At the Eastern “A” Divisional Warp scored 34 as Havre won the title! Than at state Dane had games of 33,29,29 and 32! For the post season Warp averaged more than 30 points a game and for the year he was tops in boys hoops at 27! Plus Dane Warp also is the first class “A” or “AA” player to ever score 2,000 points in a career.
GIRLS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Shiloh McCormick of Saint Labre
When you score 50 points three games in a row, well people notice! Miss Shiloh also averaged more than 32 points a game for the season and became the all time leading class “B” score!
BOYS TEAM OF THE YEAR: Choteau Bulldogs
The 2015-16 Choteau boys will go down in history as one of the very best class “B” teams of all time! Not only did they go undefeated but only one team came within 10 points of beating them.
GIRLS TEAM OF THE YEAR: Tie: Malta and Butte Central
These are the only two teams that went the entire season without a loss.
BOYS COACH OF THE YEAR: Kevin Morales of Billings Skyview
Before Kevin Morales took over at Skyview the school had never even played in the state championship game and now they have won the last two!
GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR: Erika Gustavsen of Bozeman
In the fall she was the head coach of the state champion volleyball team! In the winter her girls basketball team won it all. Plus the Lady Hawks entered the state tournament as the number three seed from the east and a win-loss record of just 13-8!
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Dane Warp First From Class “A”!
Before last weekends state “A” boys turnament no “A” or “AA” basketball payer had ever scored 2,000 points in a career! Well all of that changed when Havre’s Dane Warp exploded for 123 points over four games! Warp had games of 33, 29, 29 and 32! His 123 points at state is the 4th most in state history! Second in class “A” to the Hardin legend Larry Pretty Weasel who scored 128 points back in 1957! Dane Warp finished his career with 2,072 points, first in class “A” and 23rd overall!
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Eastern “A” Divisional Sets Record!
Well as I predicated the Eastern “A” Super Divisional held at Rimrock Auto Arena in Billings set an all time MHSA record! With gross receits of $194,406 the 2016 Eastern “A” was the biggest tournament of all time! It broke the old record of $183,000 set at the 2010 State “A” combined event that was also held at Metra! Keep in mind that the Eastern “A” this year was a four day 18 team event!
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Dillon’s Terry Thomas – National Finalist
The National High School Athletics Coaches Association announces the advancement of Terry Thomas from Beaverhead County HS as a finalist for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association national coach of the year in Boys Basketball. Terry’s win-loss record with Dillon is 216-34.
Terry Thomas is also a Hall of Fame member of both the Montana Coaches Association (2007) and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2013).
By the way, when Dillon won state this year, which was also the 40th anniversary of the state championship that Terry Thomas won as a player in Great Falls High School in 1976.
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First from Montana to Play in the Final Four
As we approach the 2016 final four this weekend, here is a story of the first from Montana to play in the NCAA division one national championship game.
As far as I know we have only ever had two from our state, participate in the NCAA division one national championship game. One male and one female. Most of us remember Joslyn Tinkle of Missoula Big Sky, the two time state tournament MVP who led Big Sky to back to back state “AA” titles in 2008 and 2009. As a true freshman at Stanford, Joslyn played in the 2010 national championship. That season, despite having an impressive 36-1 win-loss record, Stanford was the underdog as they went up against the 38-0 Connecticut.
At the half, Stanford led by 8 in an extremely low scoring game 20-12! The 12 points by the University of Connecticut was not only a championship game all-time record low, but also a school record low! In the second half, Connecticut would come back and eventually win 53-47 making it their 78th straight win. In that title game from 6 years ago, Joslyn Tinkle played 12 minutes, scored 3 points and had 2 rebounds.
So if Joslyn Tinkle is the first woman, who is the first man to play in the national championship game. It’s a name you might not even remember, Mike Huggens. Huggens played his high school basketball at Flathead and his college basketball for John Wooden at UCLA. In the 1964 national championship game, UCLA went up against DUKE, the Bruins won 50-38. Montana’s Mike Huggens did not score but he did grab 2 rebounds. In 1964, UCLA went 30-0 and it would be their first of 10 NCAA titles over the next 12 seasons.
By the way…one of Montana’s most famous high school players, Mike Lewis of Missoula played in the final four but not in a national championship game. Back in 1966 while playing for DUKE, UCLA beat the Blue Devils in the semifinals.
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2015 High School Football Team of the Year
Three teams finished undefeated: Fairfield, Chinook and the six-man co-op of Stanford/Geyser/Denton.
The award goes to the Fairfield Eagles. No team came within 12 points of beating Fairfield. They were the most dominating team in the state giving up just 7 points a game. Fairfield has qualified for 7 title game appearances since 2005.
2015 Player of the Year
The award goes to Whitefish Quarterback Luke May.
Not only did Luke lead his team to a state championship, but along the way he threw for over 1,800 yards, completed an amazing 69% of his passes with 22 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions.
For Luke’s career, he finished 5th on the state’s all-time passing list with 7,825 yards behind these greats (1) Dane Warp, Havre; (2) Mark Desin, Billings Senior; (3) Brock Osweiler, Kalispell; (4) Dallas Cook, Butte.
Top Single Game Performance
Honorable mentions to:
- Dillon Quarterback Troy Anderson who went 14 of 15 in the semifinals.
- Arlee’s Patrick Big Sam with his 10 touchdowns against Seeley-Swan.
- Running Back Quade Russell of Custer/Hysham who rushed for a Class “C” record 423 yards in a game.
The award goes to John Bannon of Deer Lodge. On the night of October 16, Big John rushed for an all-class state record 512 yards in a single game.
Best Game of the 2015 High School Football Season
Runner-Up: The exciting State “A” Championship between Whitefish and Dillon.
The best game of the 2015 Football Season goes to the Billings Senior versus Bozeman regular season game. Bozeman blocked a field goal as time expired to win by one: 20-19. Several fans remarked that it was one of the very best games they had ever witnessed.
High School Football Coach of the Year
This award has to go to Miles City Cowboys’ Coach, Kevin McAuliffe.
Right before the first game of the 2015 season, long time and much loved head coach Dan Stanton’s cancer came back and he checked into a Billings Hospital.
Then, on the night of September 13, Dan passed away.
The Cowboys under the direction of Kevin McAuliffe would win the next 10 games. Including that emotional senior night win over Dan Stanton’s Brother, Jim Stanton, the head coach of Billings Central.
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For the Rams of Red Lodge it was thier first state volleyball title in school history! The Rams got by Huntley Project, the team that had won 6 of the last 7 state class "B" volleyball titles! By the way that is the 10th year in a row and 18th time in 19 years that a team from the Southern Division have won it all!
In class "A" the Wildcats of Columbia Falls won for the first time in 19 years and in "AA" the Bozeman girls won for the first time.
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Over the weekend I announced two high school playoff football games! On Saturday in Dillon during thier quarter final match up with Billings Central I witnessed a moment of incredable sportsmanship! With Dillon up 32-7 and driving in to score the Beavers called a time out! Dillon head coach Rick Nordahl instructed his team to not score but to take a knee....Dillon not only did that once but all four downs!
Please listen to the Monday Montana Sports program sponsored by Universal Athletic!
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Next week will be the 115th edition of the Montana State - Montana football game! To me the most important game that has ever been played in this series was played back in 1941.
Please listen to this incredable story.
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Over the weekend I did the play-by-play for the Montana High School Association for their web stream of the 2015 State "AA" boys soccer championship! What a game it was! First let me set the stage, Missoula Hellgate will be remembered as one of the best defensive teams of all times! In 15 games this season Hellgate only gave up two goals! Their keeper Peter Byrne is all world! But in the final game of the regular season Peter broke his arm! No problem he still played at state....and played great. He shut out Senior in game one than keep the three time defending state champs Bozeman off the score board in the semi-final round! Let's move to the title game....Hellgate up 1-0....less than a minute to play....hand ball in the box....Helena has a penality kick to tie and send the state title game into over time! What took place well you can listen and watch right here.
By the way during that great save by Peter Byrne...he dislocated his shoulder...a broken arm and a dislocated shoulder. A soccer game that he will never forget.
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It took place on the night of October 7, 1995 in Colstrip. On that magical night Billings Central Q.B. Chris Klein threw for 624 yards! A state record that still stands after more than 20 years!
Please listen to this interview with Chris right here;
Also his wife is much more famous! That would be one of the state's all time greatest female basketball players Katie Edwards!
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It's not every day that I get to interview an 81 year old sports star. Charles Simonsen recently told me a great story of the 1951 Sidney Eagles football season! Back 64 years ago Sidney almost had to cancel their season due to lack of players! Well a few more boys came out, including Charles, and Sidney would go undefeated up until the state championship game! Please listen to this awesome interview with this wonderful young man.
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It was a high school football game that will never be forgotten! Friday night in Deer Loge Powell County junior running back John Bannan rushed for a state record 512 yards! John had 33 carries and scored four touch downs! The old single game rushing record was set just three years ago by Tucker Bronson of Three Forks who went for 455 yards! By the way the final score of John's record setting game was Deer Lodge 84 and Ronan 64! The 148 combined points is an 11 man state record! Other huge marks set in that game include 690 rushing yards and 910 total yards!
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That's right the Whitefish Bulldogs 5-1 on the year one of the very best teams in Class "A" football have a girl as thier place kicker! And not just any young lady but she is also one of the leading soccer players in the state!
Please listen to this great program with Whitefish super star Miss Haley Nicholson! By the way she has booted 14 extra points the last two weeks!
Listen right here.....
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Two seasons ago I did a great story on the Ekalaka football team playing the Class "C" 6-man game with only 6 players! Well this season they have 8 out for football...but last week they finished a game with only four!
It's a story worth listening, click here for audio:
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Havre Q.B. Dane Warp offically got the record over the weekend in a win against Sidney! Warp threw for more than 200 yards as he went over 9,200 career passing yards to break the all state state passing record held by Mark Desin of Billings Senior of 9,003!
Dane tells us about breaking the record!
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The Montana sports community came up big over the weekend in honor of beloved Miles City football coach Dan Stanton!
Please listen to this special program on what football teams did to honor the Staton family!
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Please take just three minutes out of your busy day to listen to this special tribute to Miles City head football coach Dan Stanton! Dan left a giant foot print on so many lives during his short 47 years on this earth! You can listen to this special program right here.
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I think this is a huge story! During this next school year the Montana High School Association will be offering it's 179 member high schools concussion insurance for every high school student-athlete and cheerleader! The insurance is with the HeadStrong Concussion Insurance Program developed by Dissinger reed Insurance. Plus the deductible cost is $0!
Listen to my interviewthat I had with MHSA Executive Director Mark Beckman.
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Some fans say it could be the biggest opening football game in Griz history! On August 29th Montana will host the four time defending national champions North Dakota State! It will also be the first college football game to be played in the nation. Plus it will be aired live on ESPN!
It's interesting to note that the last time the Montana lost a home opener was on September 6, 2003 when they got beat by North Dakota State 25-24.
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Wow what a great weekend for Missoula Hellgate super star Treys Tinkle and Billings Skyview's Kendal Manuel! Over the weekend at the 40th Montana - Wyoming All Star basketball games Tinkle scored 25 and 27! His 52 total points are 5th best on the all time list! Plus Kendal Manuel of Skyview had games of 17 and 23! His 40 total points are tied for 25th on the all time list! Treys Tinkle was also named this Networks Mr. Basketball! I look for Kendal to join Treys at Oregon State after his one year at prep school! By the way Steve Keller is now 8-0 as the Montana boys coach! Montana also leads in the overall series 53-27!
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On Saturday night in front of a backed house at the Fortin Center on the campus of Rocky Mountain College Hamilton's Taylor Goligoski was named this Networks Miss Basketball! All Miss Goligoski will do at the Univ. of Montana is play not one but two sports as she also plans on playing softball as well as basketball! Montana won both games over the weekend. They were led in scoring by Brook Jones of Manhattan who scored a total of 28 points! The Montana girls have now won 26 of the 38 games played in this series.
