All fall high school sports start this week

Ready or not, summer is about to end and while that does mean the end of summer vacation for students and teachers, it also means that the fall sports season is about to begin.

After a few months without Blue Pony athletics, Havre High followers are about to get a big-time dose of HHS athletics as football, golf, cross country and volleyball get set to begin practicing this week, with games soon to follow.

The Blue Pony golf team, led by head coach Brett Gilman will be the first team to get underway. Golfers will hit the links for practice starting Thursday with the first tournament of the year on Aug. 18 and 19 in Great Falls. Following the Great Falls Invitational, the Ponies will return home and host their own tournament at Prairie Farms Golf Course Aug. 21.

The Havre High football team is also hitting the practice field Friday in preparation for its nine-game slate. Head coach Jason Christenson returns for another season and will lead the Ponies onto the field for the first time this season Aug. 23 at 5:30 p.m. for the annual Blue-White game at Blue Pony Stadium.

The Ponies will kick things off for real Aug. 30, when they play host to Whitefish in the battle for the BNSF Trophy. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

Like football, the Blue Pony volleyball team will get things started with practice this week leading up to the Blue-White scrimmage, which will take place Aug. 23 at the HHS gymnasium at 2 p.m. Then the Ponies, led by head coach Melanie Skoyen, will travel to Belgrade Sept. 5 to take on Belgrade and Livingston in back-to-back games starting at 4 p.m. The team will then participate in the Windy City Classic on Sept. 6 starting at 10 a.m.

Darci Heninger will lead the Havre High cross-country team back into action as well this week with the first of nine meets throughout the season taking place on Sept. 5 in Cut Bank.

All area Class B and C schools will also get things started Friday as local volleyball and football teams get practice going.