The Corvallis Blue Devils came out strong against Darby’s Lady Tigers Thursday night, running a press and using their speed to rattle the Tigers. The pressure defense worked on the Lady Tigers but the Blue Devils struggled running their offense in the beginning of the game. However, the Blue Devils found their rhythm and notched their first win of the season, defeating Darby, 48-38.

"We came out a little nervous," said coach Scott Marsh of his Blue Devils. "We worked really hard on the press over the break.”

Kirstin Bull hit a three-point shot from the top of the arc for the first trey of the game to give the momentum to the Blue Devils. By the end of the first quarter, the Blue Devils had a five-point lead.

But Darby was playing hard and behind Libby Ray’s field goal and two free throws, the Lady Tigers kept themselves right in the game.

“I think we’re playing better,” said Darby coach Caroline Ehmann. “There’s just some mental things we need to work on.”

Marsh said Corvallis made it to the free throw line more in this game, keeping the ball in control and not committing many turnovers. By the end of the third quarter, the Blue Devils had a seven-point lead. Darby made a couple of runs but Corvallis turned them back each time.

Corvallis' Sunni Bleibtrey reaches past Darby's Missy DeWalt for the ball during the Corvallis Darby game. Darby's Kayla Schallenberger holds her own against Casey Burnette. Corvallis wond the inter-valley matchup. Jean Schurman photo.

“We’re still struggling with the mental part of the game,” said Ehmann. “But I saw some good things out there tonight.”

Corvallis was paced by Bull’s 12 points. Darby’s Missy DeWalt had 11 points.

Corvallis - Sunni Bleibtrey 10, Kirstin Bull 12, Clarissa Boyer 5, Megan Auch 8, Kayla Gingerich 3, Kim Gilder 8, Whitney Henderson 2.

Darby - Rachel Wetzsteon 2, Kayla Schallenberger 6, Missy DeWalt 11, Lindsey Trowbridge 6, Mariah Cress 7, Libby Ray 6.

Darby fell to Valley Christian on Saturday. Corvallis lost to Dillon. In other basketball action, Dillon defeated Stevensville and Drummond topped the Lady Pirates.

Ben Endicott of Hamilton looks for an open Bronc while Florence's Max Burns pesters him. Hamilton topped Florence, 68-62. Jean Schurman photo.

Broncs win two

The Hamilton Broncs picked up a non conference win over Florence on Friday, defeating the Falcons, 68-62. Both coach Toby Stack of Hamilton and coach Sam Baerlocher of Florence agreed that the difference in the game was rebounding.

“I thought we did a good job on the boards,” said Stack. “I was pleased with the way we finished.”

Hamilton, who is senior laden, relied upon a junior to ignite the team after Florence clawed their way back to a one-point lead midway through the third quarter. Devin Leonardi came off the bench and after drawing three quick fouls, hit three baskets to give the momentum to the Broncs.

“He killed us,” said Baerlocher of Leonardi. “We had them scouted pretty well and didn’t think he could do much. He had a career-high 12 points, and a great game.”

But Florence wasn’t done yet. Down by 11 points with time running out, Reid Baerlocher hit a field goal and then two free throws to pull the Falcons within seven points.

“That Baerlocher kid, he’s a tough guard,” said Stack. “Ryan Turley’s a very defensive player and he had trouble with him a little bit, he really did. We need to do a better job on shooters.”

With 15 seconds remaining, the steady sophomore stepped back and hit a long three-point shot to close the gap to only five points but it wasn’t enough.

“It was a good, hard-fought clean game,” said coach Baerlocher. “It’s too bad anyone had to lose. Our kids are trying hard.”

Florence was led by Baerlocher’s 37 points.

Hamilton had three players in double figures - Jason Schallenberger dropped in 16, followed by Ryan Turley with 14 and Leonardi’s 13 points.

“I thought we did a good job on the boards and most importantly, we were able to finish the game, Stack concluded.

Hamilton - Jake Jessop 6, Ben Jessop 2, Jason Schallenberger 16, Ryan Turley 14, Evan Green 2, Devin Leonardi 13, Ben Endicott 6, Britt Farley 7, Phillip Silcher 1

Florence - Reid Baerlocher 37, Brandon Lorensen 6, Damon Moe 12, Alex Mitchell 3, Jack Finlay 2, Trevor Stoos 2.

Hamilton topped Anaconda on Saturday in overtime, 59-56. The tandem of Turley and Schallenberger combined for 40 points including four each in overtime to earn the Southwest A conference win.

Florence lost to Frenchtown in another non conference game, 63-49. Baerlocher dropped in 21 and fellow sophomore Brandon Lorensen added nine.

In other boys basketball games, Corvallis topped Darby, 61-41. Matt Smith had 18 points and Rodee Anderson added 14 points for the Blue Devils. Darby was paced by John Pyles’ 14 points.

Victor Pirates undefeated in conference play

The Victor Pirates took on two tough opponents over the weekend. The Pirates began their weekend against Loyola in a non conference game. Loyola controlled the first half and took an 11-point lead into the locker room at the half. But the Pirates weren’t done. They came out and outscored the Rams 2-1 in the third quarter to reduce the margin. Victor’s two Erics, Taylor and Bissett, combined for 11 of the 18 points the Pirates scored in the third quarter. And the Pirates weren’t done. They kept the pressure on and kept coming at the Rams throughout the fourth quarter, trailing by only one point with a couple of minutes remaining. Loyola pulled away on free throws and took the 48-42 win.

Victor was led in scoring by Taylor’s 14 points. Tyler Swanson added 10 and Chris Mai had 6 points.

Victor traveled to Drummond on Saturday for a 13-C conference game. The Trojans were the preseason pick to win the conference while Victor was ranked fourth. Victor apparently didn’t read the rankings as they came into the game undefeated in conference play. And that’s how they finished the game as well, with one more 13C conference win under their belts. The Pirates topped Drummond, 45-39.

Balanced scoring by the Pirates kept them in the lead throughout the game. Free throws made the difference at the end with Victor sinking nine charity shots in a row to seal the victory. Taylor led the Pirate scoring with 15 points.

Victor - Eric Bissett 6, Tyler Swans 4, Eric Taylor 15, Mark Frye 8, Gatlin Lamb 7, Chris Mai 5.

Drummond - Coughlin 5, Reynolds 11, Mannix 10, Bignell 4, Rohrer 4, Mannix 3, Verlanic 2.

Stevensville boys have tough weekend

The Victor Pirates opened their season against an unknown opponent on Friday night. The Salmon, Idaho, Savages made the trip over the hill for the non conference game. Although it was Victor’s first game of the season, it was Salmon’s fifth game.

First year coach Jay Jagelski of Victor was impressed with his team’s attitude and gutsy play. The bigger Salmon team jumped out to an early lead but the Pirates stayed right with them and challenged almost every pass and shot.

"We never gave up," said Jagelski. "We kept them on their heels."

Tenacious defense by the Pirates kept Salmon from getting into an offensive rhythm but 6'6" Mark Hobbs was able to work inside the paint for the score and, on the defensive side, challenge the inside shot. He finished the night with 10 points.

Victor relied on their quick, athletic guards to create turnovers and score in transition. Eric Taylor and Eric Bissett kept pressure on the Savages for the turnovers. However, a few missed opportunities for the Pirates was the difference in the game.

Stevi's Boone Chambers goes for two as Dillion's Stephen Resset and Corey Eisenzimer try to stop him. Jean Schurman photo.

“There were a couple of missed shots there,” said Jagelski. “If they had, we’d have been playing for the last shot. But we never gave up and we kept them on their heels.”

Jagelski said the running and pressure style of play seen over the weekend will be the norm for the Pirates this year. “We have quick athletic guards and so we are going to use them.”

Victor was paced by Eric Taylor’s 14 points. Mark Frye added 10.

Saturday night the Pirates played host to Superior. The Pirates came out on fire and never let up in the non conference game. They had 45 points on the board by half time and with their swarming defense, held the Bobcats to only 14 points in that half. With 10 players scoring, and led by senior Eric Taylor’s 17 points, the Pirates cruised to a 72-27 victory.

Salmon 48, Victor 36

Salmon - Blair 5, Dahle 11, Insanger 8, Nooner 6 , Hobbs 10, Stokes 4, Jones 2, Sessions 2.

Victor - Gatlin Lamb 7, Eric Bissett 2, Tyler Swanson 4, Eric Taylor 14, Mark Frye 10.

Victor 72, Superior 27

Superior - Sternberg 12, Repke 2, Labbe 3, Luke Ragan 2, Rennick 4, Walen 2, Yarnell 2.

Victor - Lamb 13, Bissett 4, Swanson 6, Taylor 17, Frye 10, Mai 9, Josh Hixon 7, Xavier Morigeau 2, Clay Sacks 2, Saxton Coorough 2.

In other boys basketball action, Florence defeated Superior, 48-33. Sophomore Reid Baerlocher dropped in 16 points and Brandon Lorensen added 11. Florence fell to Salmon on Saturday. Baerlocher and Lorensen each had 10 points in that game.

Darby is off to a good start with two games and two victories under their belts. Darby topped Townsend in overtime behind the double digit scoring of John Pyles (18), Dillon Oliver (18) and Kyle Rider (14). The Tigers turned around and defeated Townsend again on Saturday, 61-55. Pyles dropped in 25 points and Rider added 14 in the win.

The Tip Off Tourney was held in the Flathead over the weekend for the western Class A schools. Columbia Falls was the host for the boys which featured matchups between Southwestern A and Northwestern A schools. For many teams, this is their only chance to see some of these teams.

Hamilton topped Libby, 43-39, in a close game. One point separated the two teams after a half but balanced scoring in the second half allowed the Broncs to pull away. Jason Schallenberger led the scoring for the Broncs with 17 points.

Hamilton’s second game was against the Pirates of Polson. Although they scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, it was not enough as the Broncs fell to Polson, 50-44. Schallenberger again led in scoring, knocking down 14 points.

Stevensville is faced with playing without senior post Ryan Grove who injured his knee before the season. The loss of Grove has meant Coach Keith Chambers has had to do some adjusting. The adjustments weren’t quite done on Friday when the ‘Jackets fell to Ronan, 70-55. After a 20-point first quarter, Stevensville went cold while Ronan caught on fire. The Chiefs built a lead and gained steam in the fourth quarter for the win. Stevensville was paced by Logan Creech’s 18 points.

The Yellowjackets topped Whitefish on Saturday, 62-59. With only two points separating the two at half, Stevensville came out of a cold third quarter to overtake the Bulldogs for the win. Sophomore Drew Zeiler had 10 points while junior Ethan Pateman had 16 and senior Logan Creech added 14 points.

Columbia Falls defeated Corvallis, 63-51, in the Blue Devils’ first game of the tournament. Corvallis came out strong but couldn’t contain the Wild Cats. Branden Bowles led the scoring with nine points. Matt Smith, Dalton Sybrant and Garrett Morris each added eight points.

The Blue Devils fell to Libby, 68-46, on Saturday. Sybrant had nine points to pace Corvallis.

Florence splits two non conference games

Friday night, the Lady Falcons put together their best complete game of the season according to coach Bryon Neuman. Playing tough defense and executing their plays, the Florence team handed Hamilton their first loss of the season, winning the non conference game, 48-32.

Florence jumped out to an early lead and kept up the pace the entire game. Using a zone defense to slow Hamilton’s speedy Misha Trotter down, the Lady Falcons relied on quick hands from all the players to create turnovers and make baskets. But, by the end of the first half, Hamilton was slowly gaining momentum and only trailed by five points.

“They’re better than we are,” said Hamilton coach Mark Albert about Florence. “We can play better than that but they are well coached. I didn’t do a very good job tonight. They got us into that chaotic style and we didn’t respond very well.”

The third quarter opened with Jordan Rick of Florence finding her range. She dropped two quick treys and Florence was off and running. A bucket by Brooke Zeiler followed by one by Lindsey Bauck and the Lady Falcons were in control.

“Jordan hit some big shots,” said Neuman. “It kind of busted it open.”

Florence went on to take the non conference win. Rick finished with 18 points followed by Kristina Kmetekova with 12. Hamilton was paced by three players with seven points each, Misha Trotter, Ashley Albert and Annie Schultz.

Hamilton - Misha Trotter 7, Ashley Albert 7, Cierra Smith 2, Dayna Moerkerke 4, Ali Mildenberger 4, Annie Schultz 7, Jill Harmon 1.

Florence - Rae Baerlocher 2, Brooke Zeiler 6, Jordan Rick 18, Odessa Conley 3, Kristina Kmetekova 12, Lindsey Bauck 2, Katie Niemeir 2, Brittany Heinz 1, Jo Johnston 2.

Florence lost to Frenchtown on Saturday, 39-34. Zeiler netted 15 points to lead the Lady Falcons.

Hamilton fell to the Anaconda Copperheads, 66-28. Ashley Albert had 11 points for the Lady Broncs.

Wrestling results

The Corvallis Blue Devils finished behind the Ronan Chiefs at the Western Montana Duals in Ronan over the weekend. The two teams were undefeated going into the championship dual but the Chiefs pulled out the 38-34 win. Levi Gingerich (98), K. Thomas, Taylor Allen, Landon DellaSilva, Nathan DuBose, Alex Jessop, Danny Gates, Dennis Jessop and Dan Sanderson all were victorious in the championship match.

The Blue Devils topped Arlee (56-23), Glacier (55-18), Mission/Charlo (58-23), Drummond (88-0) and Flathead(44-42) in the two day event.

Hamilton picked up wins against Deer Lodge (54-14), Plains (71-18), Florence (54-21) and Glacier (42-30). They lost to Ronan, 59-23 and Polson 42-39.

Darby won two matches and lost four. The Tigers topped Loyola and Deer Lodge. They lost to Ronan, Arlee, Polson and Glacier. Florence defeated Hellgate but lost to Ronan, Arlee, Mission and Libby.

Bulldog volleyball signs Corvallis star

University of Montana Western head volleyball coach Katie Howells took the next step in her rebuilding process by signing Maria Peterson, a 5-10 setter/right-side hitter from Corvallis, to a Frontier Conference/NAIA letter of intent.

Peterson transfers from Montana State-Bozeman and will be a sophomore in eligibility. She is a 2006 graduate of Corvallis High School.

“Maria is a great athlete and will help our program as a setter and a hitter,” said Howells. “She wanted the opportunity to go somewhere and help a program rebuild. Maria is going to help Montana Western take another step in the right direction. She will be a key player in our offense.”

In her senior season at Corvallis, Peterson guided the Blue Devils to a fourth place finish at the state tournament and to a 10-4 conference record. She had 313 kills, 212 assists, 82 service aces and 72 blocks. Peterson earned all-conference and all-state honors and was a three-time all-state academic selection.”

“I like the small town atmosphere and the people are so nice.”said Peterson. "There are great opportunities both in the classroom and on the court. I am excited because Montana Western is a different kind learning environment. The classrooms are small and not your typical classroom. I'm happy to be a part of the team and a part of the rebuilding process.”

Peterson will major in business. She is the daughter of Curtis and Carol Peterson.

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