Back on the gridiron

There’s some big games this weekend around the state of Montana. Of course, the college football season at the NCAA level kicks off with the Montana Grizzlies and North Dakota State Bison on ESPN Saturday in Missoula.

But, when it comes to football, there’s plenty of big games closer to home, too.

The biggest of them all, and perhaps the biggest game in Class A’s first week of the season, will take place in what will be hot and windy Blue Pony Stadium Saturday afternoon. That’s when the Havre Blue Ponies and Whitefish Bulldogs will kick off the 2015 season with their annual BNSF Trophy game. Whitefish edged the Ponies last year, and Havre, under new head coach Mark Samson, will be looking to snag the trophy back from the Bulldogs before the series shifts to Whitefish for the next two seasons.

The game between the Blue Ponies and Bulldogs is highly anticipated, mainly because they are predicted to be two of the top teams in Class A this season. Both teams are loaded with offensive talent, and both teams have highly-touted senior quarterbacks. Both are heavy favorites to win their respective conference this year, and many people think, they could meet again in the Class A playoffs in November. So Saturday is a big day no doubt.

But, the Havre/Whitefish clash is just the tip of the iceberg for the Hi-Line, as many area teams get their season underway this weekend.

In the Class C ranks, the Chester/J-I Hawks open their 8-man season against an old foe, the Fort Benton Longhorns. The two are natural rivals, but Fort Benton didn’t field a team in 2014 because of dropping enrollment. However, the Longhorns are back this season, and a trip up to Chester is a perfect way to kick off the season.

Friday night will also have a big Hi-Line clash in Big Sandy. The Big Sandy Pioneers and North Star Knights are bitter rivals in the Six-Man North Division, and their rivalry game opens the season. With such an intense contest, the game will have last playoff implications.

On Saturday, the Box Elder Bears, who are poised to have a huge season with such a talented lineup, will test themselves in their season-opening game with two-time defending state champion Geraldine-Highwood. The Rivals have dominated Six-Man football in recent years, and it’s a perfect way for the Bears to see what they’re made of.

So there you have it, four big high school football games on the Hi-Line on the opening weekend of the 2015 season, not to mention plenty of Class C volleyball action as well. And still to come are season-openers for Chinook and Harlem.

So make no mistake, the fall sports season is certainly starting with a bang.