The 2022-2023 high school basketball season came to a close last weekend, with championship tournaments in all classes playing out across the state.
Neither Jefferson High team made the Class B tourney in Great Falls – but the Panthers’ conference rival Sweet Grass County advanced to the girls’ final, where its sterling season finally ended with a 49-37 loss to Bigfork. Baker defeated Huntley Project, 70-68 for third place.
In the boys’ Class B final, Missoula Loyola won its first title ever, taking down Malta, 65-55. Bigfork beat Red Lodge, 45-36, in the third-place game.
In other classes, Missoula Hellgate leveled Billings West, 70-50, for the AA boys’ crown in Butte, with Kalispell Glacier beating Bozeman, 53-43, for third place. On the girls’ side, Billings West defeated Kalispell Flathead, 48-43, for the championship, while Billings Skyview took down Missoula Hellgate, 48-34, for third.
In Class A, it was Fergus (Lewistown) over Beaverhead County, 54-47, for the boys’ championship, with Butte Central taking third, 66-48 over Frenchtown.Havre defeated Hardin, 74-57, for the girls’ crown, while Laurel edged Billings Central, 54-49, for third place.
And in the Class C tournament, Manhattan Christian won the boys title by defeating Big Sandy, 74-68; Fairview defeated Belt, 49-43, for third. Saco-Whitewater-Hinsdale decimated Twin Bridges, 59-26, for first place on the girls’ side, with Plentywood taking third place with a 49-40 win over Roy-Winifred.
Meanwhile, it’s spring! More or less. Practices started Monday for Panther track and field, golf, and tennis. But with snow still blanketing the area, Jefferson teams will have to make do with indoor workouts for a while. Completely normal for this part of Montana in March; hopefully, things will start warming up soon.
