Montana

Full Court Press: Montana high school basketball highlights (Jan. 5)

Published

2 years ago

January 6, 2024

Full Court Press: Montana high school basketball highlights (Jan. 5)

Editor’s note: Results are updated as we receive them. We rely heavily on coaches, athletic directors and district managers to input results into our 406 Sports “portal” as our source for Full Court Press. If you don’t see your team’s game(s) here, we encourage you to reach out to your AD and coach. If they don’t have the login and password, we can provide one for them.

BOYS

Class B

• Baker 63, Broadus 58 (3OT): Gentre Coulter was tops with 19 points, Riley Williams was right behind with 18 and the Spartans (5-1) pulled away in the third overtime to nip the Hawks (2-5) in a game that was tight the entire way. Marvin Sobanski added nine points for Baker, which trailed by four after one quarter but pulled within a point at halftime and sent the game into the fourth quarter tied at 31-all. Both teams scored 10 points in the final eight minutes, five in the first OT and six in the second before the Spartans won the third extra session 11-6. Landon Capp scored 16 points, Jaxon Bilbrey 13 and Cooper Zimmer 11 for Broadus.

• Park City 63, Big Timber 34: Zach Downing had the hot hand with 21 points and Gage Witt was right behind with 19 to lead the Panthers past the Herders from wire to wire. Mason Tilzey added eight points for Park City. Sawyer Durfee scored 12 points and Andy Anderson 10 for Big Timber.

• Lame Deer 83, Terry 30: Moses LittleBird was the big gun with 24 points and Markell LittleCoyote provided 14 more to help the Morning Stars (5-2) race past the Class C Terriers. Robert Bearchum III added 11 points and Kymani Fraser nine for Lame Deer, which sprinted to a 34-11 lead after one quarter and was up 52-15 by halftime. Liam Jackson scored 11 points to lead Terry.

• Colstrip 71, Roundup 28: Slade Toscano poured in 18 points and the Colts snapped a four-game skid, going up 46-16 at the half. Jared Killsback netted 13 points and Niyol Medicine Bull hit for 10 points.

• Plains 74, Noxon 39: Anaya Loberg had a stellar game with 24 points and Darren Standeford dropped 20 to lead the Horsemen to their sixth win of the year. Pablo Hernandez hit for 16 points. The Red Devils fell to 1-3 on the season.

Class C

• Sheridan 82, Gardiner 46: Cade Cathey was unstoppable, pouring in 39 points, and Trey Schrank hammered home 24 points as the Panthers (5-4) got back on track after their loss to Harrison. Sheridan exploded for a 32-13 run in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.

• Fromberg 56, Reed Point-Rapelje 52 (2OT): It took two overtimes to sort it out, but the Falcons emerged with their second win of the season. They trailed 23-19 at halftime and 32-27 going into the fourth quarter, rallying to tie things up as regulation ended. Marshall Ulmer did the heavy lifting with 23 points, Ben Broyles knocked down 13 points and Axel Blodgett added nine.

• No. 7 Melstone 53, Bridger 31: Nolan Kamerman paved the way with 21 points for the Broncs, who improved to 7-1 by breaking free from a tight game at halftime to take care of the Scouts (4-4). Michael Bergin scored 10 points and Niklas Muffler eight for Melstone, which led by three after one quarter and at halftime before taking control in a 21-8 third quarter.

• West Yellowstone 60, Shields Valley 26: The Wolverines improved to 4-2, getting 20 points from Ben Hales, 13 from Noah Flores and 12 from Hayden Turner. No stats were reported for Shields Valley.

• No. 1 Lustre Christian 83, Dodson 28: Johnslee Pierre led the way with 20 points and the unbeaten Lions (8-0) put 12 players in the scoring column in walloping the Coyotes (4-3). Cayden Klatt had 12 points, Terran Joseph and Ife Aniobi nine apiece, and Cam Reddig and Prestyn Klatt eight each for Lustre, which led 47-17 at intermission. Junior Stiffarm scored 13 points for Dodson. The Lions have yet to win a game by fewer than 20 points.

GIRLS

Class AA

• Helena Capital 38, Kalispell Glacier 17: The Bruins picked up their second win of the season, closing out the Wolfpack with a 14-2 run in the fourth quarter. Gracie Mockel and Taylor Sayers dropped 11 points apiece and Anna Cockhill tallied six points. Reese Ramey netted eight points for Glacier (2-3).

Class A

• Hardin 57, No. 1 Havre 54: Dierra Takes Enemy scored 18 points, Karis Brightwings-Pease added 12 and the Bulldogs (4-2) pulled off the surprise of the night, edging the three-time defending state champion Blue Ponies (6-1) in a rematch of last year’s Class A state championship showdown. Kadie Bends scored nine points and Taylor Slater seven for Hardin, which led by seven points entering the fourth quarter and held on.

Class B

• Shepherd 64, St. Labre 20: Lexie Dennison led nine players in the scoring column with 15 points as the Fillies (6-2) ran away from the Braves. Molly Gilbert netted 13 points, and Breelyn Fulton and Wilhelmina Wenz tallied eight points apiece. Ivy Walksalong paced the Braves (2-5) with six points.

• Three Forks 66, Whitehall 32: Maddie Tesoro had the hot hand with 25 points, and Tanaya Hauser and AdaRae Thomas backed her with 12 apiece as the Wolves horsed around with the Trojans. Three Forks (5-3) led by 12 after one quarter, 25 at halftime and 32 entering the final eight minutes. Lindsay Briggs scored 10 points for Whitehall (1-6).

• Ennis 63, Lone Peak 36: Marisa Snider drained 16 points, Megan Knack provided 14 and the Mustangs (5-3) jumped to an 18-5 lead after one quarter en route to trouncing the Class C Bighorns (2-5). Mikendra Ledgerwood chipped in with 12 points and Mikayla Ledgerwood eight for Ennis, which led by 16 at halftime and won each quarter. Astrid McGuire led all scorers with 22 points for Lone Peak.

• St. Ignatius 54, Thompson Falls 38: Kason Page led four players in double figures for the Bulldogs, who improved to 5-2, running out to an 18-10 first-quarter lead and going up 34-21 at halftime. Cora Matt and Ellannah Flat Lip drained 11 points apiece, with Kieran Incashola dropping 10 points.

Class C

• No. 9 Scobey 71, Frazer 23: Chloe Handran hit for 19 points, Kennadi Cromwell netted 12, and the Spartans ran their record to 7-1 with a takedown of the Bearcubs. Mya Green contributed eight points and Claire Lekvold added seven. Bailey Beston drained 10 points to lead Frazer (4-4), with Kassidy Hentges providing five.

• No. 3 Twin Bridges 51, No. 7 Manhattan Christian 20: Allie Dale was the go-to again with 14 points and the Falcons (7-1) led from start to finish in downing the Eagles (4-4) in a clash of District 12C titans. Emma Konen scored 10 points and Ellie Meek nine for Twin Bridges, which led by six after one quarter, 12 at halftime and took full control in a 14-2 third quarter. The Falcons’ only defeat has come against top-ranked Saco-Whitewater-Hinsdale.

• No. 2 Lustre Christian 69, Dodson 27: The Lions used 21 points from Kencia Brown and 14 points from Alexa Reddig and Lauryn Holzrichter to swamp the Coyotes and remain undefeated on the season at 8-0. Lauren Fast chipped in with eight points, and Aubri Holzrichter and Grace Brown supplied six points apiece. Kataya KillEagle carried Dodson with 14 points.

• Charlo 54, Arlee 31: The Vikings outscored the Class B Scarlets 33-10 in the first half and cruised to their fourth win (4-2). Brielle Zempel did the heavy lifting on offense with 22 points, including a trio of three-pointers. Seeley McDonald popped for 11 points, and Darcy Coleman supplied eight. Leah Mesteth hit a pair of treys and finished with 14 points to lead the Scarlets (2-4).

• No. 8 Circle 65, Nashua 5: Charlie Moline canned 14 points, Laura Guldborg netted 12 and Allie Kountz 10, and the Wildcats put 11 players in the scoring column as they trounced the Porcupines. Matilda Weeding added eight points.

• No. 10 Bainville 39, Plentywood 30: Elsie Wilson pumped home 17 points and Hailey Berwick did her share with 10 as the Bulldogs (6-1) kept rolling on the strength of a big second quarter to outlast the Wildcats (4-3). Bainville led by four after one quarter but won the next eight minutes 16-2 for an 18-point margin at intermission. Paityn Curtiss scored eight points and April McCabe seven for Plentywood, which made it interesting with a 16-9 fourth quarter.

• North Star 48, Sunburst 42: Kira King scored 17 points and Brea Sattoriva chipped in with 11 for the Knights (4-2), who overcame a monster 33-point night from Claire Bucklin to edge the Refiners (3-3). Adrina Sterner added 10 for North Star, which rallied from a six-point deficit after one quarter to tie the game by halftime and lead by five entering the fourth quarter. Bucklin scored 13 of Sunburst’s 15 points in the final eight minutes to keep it close. Ella Samsal scored the Refiners’ other nine points.

• Melstone 60, Bridger-Belfry-Fromberg 10: Maggie Eike drained 17 points for the Broncs (5-3) in a romp over the Scouts. Avery Eikie netted 12 points and Emma Myhre was right behind with 11 points. Savannah DeJaegher chipped in with eight points. Sidney Frank scored nine points for the Scouts.

20-Point Club

39: Cade Cathey, Sheridan

33: Claire Bucklin, Sunburst

24: Trey Schrank, Sheridan

24: Moses LittleBird, Lame Deer

23: Marshall Ulmer, Reed Point-Rapelje

22: Astrid McGuire, Lone Peak

22: Brielle Zempel, Charlo

21: Nolan Kamerman, Melstone

21: Zach Downing, Park City

21: Kencia Brown, Lustre Christian

20: Darren Standeford, Plains

20: Ben Hales, West Yellowstone

20: Johnslee Pierre, Lustre Christian

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Montana

Missoula and Western Montana neighbors: Obituaries for March 11

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4 hours ago

March 11, 2026

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Missoula and Western Montana neighbors: Obituaries for March 11

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Montana

Montana AG letter alleges Helena violates law banning ‘sanctuary cities’

Published

16 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Montana AG letter alleges Helena violates law banning ‘sanctuary cities’

HELENA — On Monday, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen sent a letter to the City of Helena claiming the municipality is not in compliance with the state’s law banning “sanctuary cities.” The letter comes just under a month after the State of Montana launched an investigation into a city resolution on Helena Police policy and Helena’s involvement in federal immigration enforcement.

In the letter, Knudsen laid out the ways he believes the city’s resolution violated state law. The attorney general gave Helena 15 days to respond or reverse the policy. If the city does not comply, his office will pursue legal action.

“Helena’s resolution appears to contain blatant violations of this law,” wrote Knudsen.

MTN News

On January 26, 2026, the City of Helena adopted a resolution clarifying when and how the Helena Police Department will cooperate with federal immigration officials. The vote was 4 to 1. The Helena commission seats and the mayor are elected in non-partisan races.

In the letter, Knudsen alleges the resolution established “a broad sanctuary city policy” that seeks to protect every illegal immigrant, regardless of whether the individual had committed a serious crime or not. The state further claims the resolution gives illegal immigrants “special privileges” in plea deals and establishes a “free-for-all policy” where a police officer can request the unmasking of Department of Homeland Security and ICE officers.

Knudsen has requested that the City of Helena, in their response, specifically describe in detail how the resolution complies with Montana law, provide emails and correspondence from city staff and the commission regarding the resolution.

Helena City manager Alana Lake told MTN in a statement: “The City of Helena is aware of the issues being raised by the Attorney General’s Office and is reviewing the matter. While we cannot discuss the details of a potential legal issue, the City is committed to transparency and compliance with the law. The City takes these matters seriously and will continue to cooperate with the appropriate authorities while remaining focused on serving our community.”

Passed in 2021, Montana House Bill 200 prohibits a state agency or local government from implementing any policy that prevents employees or departments from communicating with federal agencies regarding immigration or citizenship status for lawful purposes. It also states governments must comply with immigration detainer requests if they are lawfully made.

HB 200 was backed by Republicans and passed with only Republican votes. Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the legislation into law on March 31, 2021.

Passage of the resolution by the Helena City Commission has drawn ire from conservative voices in Montana politics and on the national level.

The resolution said the commission supported the Helena Police Department avoiding “committing its resources to federal action for which it has no authority,” such as entering into an agreement with the federal government to directly enforce immigration laws. Under federal law, immigration enforcement is conducted by federal agencies under the Department of Homeland Security. However, under the Immigration and Nationality Act, state and local governments can voluntarily enter into 287 (g) agreements with the federal government that allow them to enforce immigration laws.

The commission further supported HPD’s policy not to stop, detain, or arrest a person solely on suspected violations of immigration law, including assisting other agencies in an arrest based solely on immigration law.

DEEPER LOOK: Helena has seen a growing debate over ICE and local police involvement

In the resolution, the commission also supported an HPD officer, using their own discretion, requesting the identification and unmasking of a Department of Homeland Security Officer if the HPD officer “feels it will not be interfering with the actions of federal officers exercising their jurisdiction.”

“This adversarial relationship by local law enforcement toward federal officers itself undermines public safety and forces immigration officers to fear for their safety when they are simply carrying out their lawful duties,” wrote Knudsen.

The resolution further supports the City of Helena’s policy not to consider immigration consequences in a plea agreement with a defendant.

The commission also supports the City of Helena not disclosing any sensitive information about any person – including immigration status, sexual orientation, or social security number – except as required by law.

“This is a restriction that directly conflicts with Montana’s prohibition on sanctuary jurisdictions, specifically ‘sending to, receiving from, exchanging with, or maintaining for a federal, state, or local government entity information regarding a person’s citizenship or immigration status for a lawful purpose,’” the attorney general wrote.

If a government is found to be violating Montana’s law banning “sanctuary cities”, the state could fine them $10,000 every five days, prevent them from receiving new grants from the state, and have their projects with the state re-prioritized. A government in violation can avoid penalties by becoming compliant with the law within 14 days of being notified of the violation.

Read the full letter from the Montana Attorney General to the City of Helena:

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Montana

Dispatches from the Wild: Montana’s wild inheritance at risk | Explore Big Sky

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

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Dispatches from the Wild: Montana’s wild inheritance at risk | Explore Big Sky

Steve Pearce and the future of the BLM

By Benjamin Alva Polley EBS COLUMNIST

If you care about hunting elk in crisp October air, floating a clear-running river for cutthroat trout, or simply taking your kids camping beneath a sky unspoiled by drill rigs, you should be outraged that Steve Pearce was ever considered to run the Bureau of Land Management.

The BLM is the largest landlord in the West. It oversees nearly 245 million acres of public land—millions of those acres in and around Montana’s most cherished places. This land is the backbone of our elk and mule deer herds, our sage grouse leks, our pronghorn migration routes and our blue-ribbon trout streams. It’s also the stage on which Montana’s hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation economy plays out.

Putting someone with Steve Pearce’s environmental record in charge of that land is like handing your cabin keys to the arsonist who’s always hated it. In the four months since Pearce was first nominated, it emerged that, if confirmed, he and his wife would divest from more than 1,000 oil and gas leases in Oklahoma to address potential conflicts of interest. While some senators strongly support his “active forest management” approach, he still faces opposition from groups alarmed by his record on public land transfers. On March 4, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted 11-9 to advance his nomination, despite concerns from conservation groups.

Pearce’s track record is no mystery. He has consistently sided with extractive industries at the expense of wildlife, habitat and public access. He has supported opening more public lands to oil and gas drilling, weakening bedrock environmental safeguards and undermining science-based management. His votes and public statements have signaled again and again that he sees wild country as an obstacle to be overcome, not a legacy to be stewarded.

For Montana, that posture is an existential threat. Our big-game herds rely on intact winter range and unfragmented migration corridors across BLM lands. Aggressive drilling, poorly planned roads and relaxed reclamation standards shred those habitats. Once you carve up a landscape with pads, pipelines and traffic, you don’t get solitude—or mature bull elk—back with the stroke of a pen.

Anglers should be just as alarmed. Headwater streams and riparian corridors on BLM ground are the life support system for native bull trout, cutthroat and wild trout. A BLM director hostile to environmental safeguards is far more likely to greenlight development that increases sediment, degrades water quality and depletes the cold, clean flows our rivers depend on.

If Pearce takes office, outdoor recreation—and the rural economies built around it—will not be spared. In Montana, hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation pump billions of dollars into local businesses, guiding operations, gear shops and main-street cafes. People travel here precisely because of the open space, healthy herds and functioning ecosystems that BLM lands help sustain. When those landscapes are sacrificed to short-term profit, we don’t just lose scenery; we lose jobs, identity and a way of life.

This is not a partisan issue, especially in Montana. Public lands are one of the few things we truly share: ranchers who graze allotments, tribal communities with cultural ties to these places, hunters and anglers who’ve long defended habitat, and families who just want a place to pitch a tent. A BLM director should be a careful, science-driven steward accountable to all Americans—not a politician with a history of dismissing environmental protections as red tape.

Montanans know what’s at stake. We’ve fought bad ideas before—land transfers, giveaway leases, rollbacks to bedrock conservation laws—and we’ve won when we stood together. Steve Pearce’s nomination should have been dead on arrival. The fact that he was even on the list tells us how vigilant we must remain.

Our outrage must translate into action: calling elected officials, packing public hearings, writing letters and voting as if our public lands are on the line. Truly, they are. The BLM needs a director who sees these landscapes the way Montanans do: as sacred ground, not a balance sheet.

Anything less is a betrayal of the wild inheritance we’re supposed to pass on.

Benjamin Alva Polley is a place-based storyteller. His words have been published in Rolling Stone, Esquire, Field & Stream, The Guardian, Men’s Journal, Outside, Popular Science, Sierra, and WWF, among other notable outlets, and are available on his website.