George Ferguson From the fringe ...
It’s that time of year. It’s that time I love. The anticipation for the fall sports season to begin. As a sports writer and all-around sports junkie, there is nothing more exciting then the anticipation of a new season. And on the local level, I think this fall can be every bit as exciting as last year. And what a year last year it was. I don’t have to remind anyone how great the Montana State University-Northern football teams' run to the NAIA playoffs was. I shouldn’t have to refresh anyone’s memory about the day the Lights put an end to the Carroll College winning streak. For a football team that has endured a lot of hardship and struggle, 2006 was magical. And this writer has every reason to believe this season can be as good, if not better. Don’t forget the Havre Blue Ponies either. In 2006, the HHS football team returned to the top of the Central A and the Class A playoffs. Another run like that seems likely with the talent the Ponies return. And the HHS volleyball team, under the direction of veteran head coach Bill Huebsch, has put together two great seasons in a row, with this year possibly being even better. Actually, all of the fall sports at Havre High could be in line for a lot of success this year. The HHS golf team gets its season under way on Monday at the Great Falls Invitational, and both Blue Pony cross country teams are extremely talented. But what makes fall sports so special in Havre, and on the Hi-Line isn't just that we have a great university to watch, or a dominant Class A school it’s the little guys that add so much flavor and excitement to the sporting landscape in our little corner of Montana. In past seasons, we have witnessed great local football teams from the Northern C eight-man division like Chester/J-I and Big Sandy do remarkable things with small enrollments but great talent. We have also watched the Chinook Sugarbeeters storm their way to the Class C volleyball state championship in their first year of existence. And we get to witness one of the most rare things in all of high school sports, Six-man football. There is truly nothing else like it, and if you haven’t seen it, go to Box Elder or to Rudyard and see a game for yourself it’s well worth it. Yes, we have great talent and great sports at MSU-N and Havre High, but it’s the Rocky Boy’s, Big Sandy’s, Turner’s and Hays-Lodge Pole’s of the area that help shape the Hi-Line and Havre into the sports hotbed that it is today. From MSU-N football and volleyball, to Six-man football, this fall marks the beginning of what is truly going to be another special sports season in our area. And why am I so excited about it, even though I’ve been doing it all these years? Because I have a front row seat to all of it, and if you're a sports fan, you should come join me at fields and gyms all over the area. Because if you don’t, you don’t know what you’re missing.
