Coach K

Polson head boys soccer coach Jess Kittle has done so much for the program during his tenure, and he was recently honored as the Coach of the Year by the NSCA. Here is a snippet from the feature story we did on him in last week's Leader...

POLSON - Polson boys soccer head coach Jess Kittle doesn't like to take credit, but his own peers gave it where it's most certainly due.

The National Soccer Coaches of America just named Kittle their Class A boys soccer head coach of the year after the Pirates finished this season by advancing to the state championship game, and the seven-year Pirates coach believes that it highlights the hard work his kids put in this season.

"I don't see this as an individual award, I see this as for the team," Kittle said.

Since 2005, Kittle has been the head coach of the boys soccer team and he credits the success of the team to the players that suit up.

"We have an amazing group of guys, they're the ones that have built this program," Kittle said.

You can read the full story here.

Two Lady Pirate volleyball players named to all-state team

(FROM THE DAILY INTER LAKE)

Regular season and Northwestern A divisional champion Polson placed two players on the Class A All-State volleyball team, while Whitefish and Libby both had one selection.

Named from Polson are senior Riley Kenney and junior Shalaina Duford.

Abby Strellnauer was Whitefish's all-state selection. Selinna Maefau was Libby's all-state pick.

Strellnauer and Maefau are both seniors.

Those four players also made the all-conference first team along with Shaun Rowe, a senior from Columbia Falls, and Marlow Schulz, a sophomore from Whitefish.

Second-team all-conference selections were: Josie Anderson, sophomore, Frenchtown; Kenzie Clay, senior, Polson; Lauren Wepprecht, junior, Libby; Emily Sullivan, freshman, Whitefish; Gabrielle Stenger, senior, Columbia Falls; and Taylor Peterson, junior, Columbia Falls.

Honorable mention all-conference selections were: Kelsey McFadden, junior, Whitefish; Heidi Rausch, junior, Polson; Ashley Johnson, senior, Polson; and MacKenzie Banner, junior, Polson.

Polson and Whitefish advanced to the Class A State Volleyball Tournament.

Daily Inter Lake Article on Polson volleyball

Here's a write-up from Dixie Knutson of the Daily Inter Lake about Polson's run in the Class A state tournament. It has some good insight from Lady Pirates' head coach Jan Toth and also talks about Whitefish's exit from the tournament.

Click here for the article. 

Polson volleyball bows out of the state tournament

Polson battled to the very end, but had their season wrap up in the second day of the Class A State tournament on Friday after a 3-1 loss to Billings Central in a loser-out matchup. The Lady Pirates went 1-2 in the tournament and capped off their fourth-straight trip to Bozeman and their second-straight conference championship.

Billings Central 3, Polson 1
25-20, 22-25, 25-15, 25-15
The Lady Pirates showed balance in their attack, with three different players getting an impressive number of kills, but they couldn't get past Billings Central to extend their season in a 3-1 loss. Ashley Johnson (14), Heidi Rausch (10) and Kenzie Clay (9) combined for a monster-like performance in kills for Polson.

The Lady Rams used large runs to put down the Lady Pirates. In the first game with everything tied at 10-10, Billings Central went on a 10-4 run to take a commanding lead. They would go on to win 25-20.

In the second set, thing were tight the entire way before Polson scored the last three points for the 25-22 victory. Things were also close in the third match and both teams were tied 15-15 before the Lady Rams went on a 10-0 run to win the match.

In the fourth and deciding match, things were tied 8-8 but Billings Central outscored the Lady Pirates 17-7 the rest of the way for the victory.

Shalaina Duford was her usual wonderful self out on the volleyball court, notching 34 assists and 21 digs. Showcasing Polson's awesome defense were three other players in double-digit digs: Riley Kenney (17), MaCall Banner (15) and Mackenzie Banner (15).

Polson 3, Hamilton 2
21-25, 26-24, 25-27, 25-15, 15-12
It was an early-morning thriller for the Lady Pirates as they came from behind in the fifth set to knock Hamilton out of the Class A State Tournament. Polson had four girls in double-digit kills in the 3-2 victory, led by Riley Kenney with 15.

While Hamilton won the first set 25-21, thanks to a 7-1 run midway through the game, Polson bounced back in the second stanza by going on a 10-0 run to gain the 20-14 lead and they held on for the extra-points 26-24 victory.

The third set went into extra points too, but Hamilton won that one 27-25. It appeared they might upend the Lady Pirates in the tournament but Polson won the fourth game 25-15.

In the thrilling fifth set, Hamilton had the 10-5 lead, but the Lady Pirates went on a improbable 10-2 run to win the match.

Shalania Duford had an eye-popping 49 assists, and the Lady Pirates defense was just as impressive. Duford had 33 digs, Mackenzie Banner had 29 and Macall Banner had 20.

The win moved the Pirates on in the bracket against Billings Central.

Belgrade 3, Polson 2
19-25, 17-25, 25-20, 27-25, 15-11
Kenzie Clay and Riley Kenney both had eight kills, Heidi Rausch had 4 blocks and Mackenzie Banner had 28 digs but it just wasn't enough and the Lady Pirates were downed in five sets in the first round of the Class A State Tournament.

After defeating Belgrade 25-19 and 25-17 in the first two games of the match, Belgrade won the third 25-20 and won rather controversially 27-25 in the fourth game. Polson had a match point overturned in that match by the officials. The momentum would carry on to the fifth game for Belgrade and they would win 15-11 for the match.

Shalaina Duford had 28 assists in the game.

The loss sent Polson to an early-morning (10 a.m. so early by journalist standards) matchup against Hamilton.

NOTE: Whitefish, also from the Northwestern A conference went 0-2 in the state tournament.

Here are some photos from the game... you can buy the full-sized prints here.

Click on "Read More" to see the full gallery.

Polson volleyball wins NWA Championship

Coming off the bench, Jessica Hoel provided the spark that Polson needed and showcased just what kind of depth the Lady Pirates have going into the state tournament next weekend in Bozeman. Hoel had 12 kills and senior Ashley Johnson had 13 to power Polson to a 3-1 victory over Whitefish for the NWA Divisional championship.

It will be the fourth straight time that the Lady Pirates are headed to the state tournament after they clinched their postseason berth with a win over the Bulldogs last night.

In the championship match, Polson won the first game 25-18 but the Lady Bulldogs would even things up with a second set 23-25 victory. The Lady Pirates then went on to win the next two matches 25-17 and 25-23 for the NWA title.

While Johnson and Hoel provided the firepower, Shalaina Duford was all over the court with 41 assists, four aces and 22 digs. At the net, Kenzie Clay dominated with four blocks, and Mackenzie Banner was unflappable with 31 digs.

Check out this week's Leader on Thursday for the full story on Polson's championship!

Northwestern A Divisional Championship
Polson def. Whitefish 25-18, 23-25, 25-17, 25-23
Kills — Whitefish 44 (Abby Strellanuer 17, Emily Sullivan 15), Polson 57 (Ashley Johnson 13, Jessica Hoel 12); Assists — Whitefish 42 (Taylor Havens 39), Polson 45 (Shalaina Duford 41); Blocks — Whitefish 3 (Havens 1, Baylee Tveidt 1, Sullivan 1), Polson 9 (Kenzie Clay 4); Digs — Whitefish 47 (Ryan Chauner 8, Kelsey McFadden 7), Polson 99 (Mackenzie Banner 31, Duford 22); Aces — Whitefish 7 (Tveidt 4, Shelia Murphy 2), Polson 9 (Duford 4, Johnson 2, Heidi Rausch 2).

Here are photos from the match... you can buy full prints from the Leader here.

Click on "Read More" to see the full gallery.

Football: Pirates season comes to an end

In a classic slugfest between two virtually even-matched teams, the fourth-ranked Custer County Cowboys knocked out the previously-undefeated, fifth-ranked Polson Pirates 7-6 in Polson on Saturday afternoon.

The defenses from both sides reigned supreme throughout, with the Pirate D forcing punt after punt, while the Cowboys were able to force turnovers from Polson's offense.

Quarterback Vince DiGiallonardo put Polson on the board toward the end of the first quarter, scoring on an 8-yard touchdown run, but after a penalty, the extra point was no good, giving the Pirates a 6-0 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Custer County went 80 yards for a touchdown and, after the deciding extra point, led 7-6.

Nobody in Polson figured those would be the final points of the game, but had they known how the defenses would play, might have thought differently.

At the end of the second quarter, with the Cowboys driving, Pirate defensive lineman Eric Williamson recovered a fumble, allowing Polson to head to the locker room down only one.

Pirate drive after Pirate drive would head into Custer County territory, but they couldn't regain the lead. DiGiallonardo lost a fumble with 2:25 left in the third quarter before Polson had their best opportunity of the game. After a series of good runs by Paul McClurg, the Pirates had a goal-to-go situation, but a 23-yard field goal missed wide right with 4:55 left.

It wasn't Polson's last chance. The defense allowed a pair of first downs on Custer County's next possession, but got the stop when they needed to, giving the ball back to the offense at midfield with 1:48 left.

A pass interference call got the Pirates to the Cowboy 35 before DiGiallonardo hit Will Davey for 18 yards to get the ball into the red zone and close to field goal range. DiGiallonardo then scampered for three yards before fumbling, but the ball was recovered by Polson. Justin Hoel then reeled in an 8-yard grab from DiGiallonardo with under a minute left to give the Pirates the ball on the 6 with a half a minute to go.

DiGiallonardo tried to hit Davey for the game-winning touchdown, but the Cowboys were able to intercept the pass, ending the game and Polson's season.

Here are photos from the game... you can purchase prints of the photos from the Leader here.

Click on "Read More" to see the full gallery.

Polson clinches state playoff berth

BY ERIC SCHWARTZ/DAILY INTER LAKE

WHITEFISH — When the Polson Pirates dropped the opening set to the Whitefish Bulldogs Friday at the Northwestern A volleyball divisionals, coach Jan Toth had a simple, strong and direct message for her players.

“I just told them the game wasn’t over,” Toth said.

“I said if Whitefish is going to beat us, they’re going to have to do it the hard way. Because we don’t stop fighting. My girls know how to win.”

The Pirates put that knowledge on display in the final three sets, dropping a tenacious and relentless Whitefish team 25-19, 25-20, 25-22 to render the 15-25 loss in the opening set moot.

The win sends Polson to the NWA championship match today. Whitefish heads to the loser-out bracket where it will face the winner of a game between Columbia Falls and Frenchtown for a trip to the championship.

The Pirates (12-2 overall) earned their fourth consecutive All-Class State Volleyball tournament berth with the victory.

Toth thinks the loud and boisterous Whitefish crowd will help prepare Polson for the atmosphere that awaits them at the tournament in Bozeman.

It also might be one of the reasons the Pirates were slow out of the gate Friday.

“We just had to play our tempo of volleyball and just settle,” Toth said. “We were nervous ... This is a big crowd. To play in Whitefish and to play above the noise of the crowd is kind of like playing in the state tournament.”

The play of Whitefish (6-8) likely had just as much of an impact.

“Whitefish is tremendous,” Toth said. “They have huge hearts. They never let anything die.”

The Bulldogs stormed back midway through the first set after finding themselves down 14-10. They rattled off eight consecutive points behind the serving of Kelsey McFadden and outscored the Pirates 15-1 down the stretch to earn the win.

“Overall, I think we served very well,” Whitefish coach Sarah Scott said. “Kelsey McFadden definitely helped take Polson out of its comfort zone.”

It didn’t take long for the Pirates to get their groove back.

Polson built a 24-13 lead in the second set, but as would become a theme, Whitefish came charging back. The Bulldogs posted six consecutive points but ultimately fell 25-19.

The Pirates controlled the tempo for much of the third set and grinded out a 25-20 win before repeating the process again in the form of a 25-22 victory that came down to the wire.

One difference maker for Polson was the play of junior hitter Heidi Rausch. She totaled two aces, five blocks and 13 kills to lead the Pirates.

“She had the game of her life,” Toth said. “I think she was tremendous.”

Toth likewise lauded the play of MaCall Banner who, while not a statistical leader, provided a spark for the Pirates.

“She was a tremendous leader and that was the best game she has played,” Toth said. “She read the hitters and she took some huge, huge digs back there.”

The win means that the team that moves on to the championship — be it Whitefish, Frenchtown or Columbia Falls — will have to beat Polson twice to eliminate it from the tournament.

The first game is set for 4 p.m. with a second game, if necessary, set for 6 p.m.

The top two finishers at divisionals earn trips to the state tournament, which begins Thursday.

“It lets us have a little bit of comfort,” Toth said of her team’s undefeated tournament status. “But we’re never comfortable. Pirate volleyball is never satisfied. The girls went to the locker room and said ‘no way. It was sweet to win but tomorrow we’ve got to be ready.’”

Semifinal
Polson def. Whitefish 15-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-22
Aces — Polson 8 (Ashley Johnson 3, Heidi Rausch 2, Kenzie Clay 2), Whitefish 6 (Kelsey McFadden 2); Kills — Polson 37 (Rausch 12, Johnson 7, Tina Marquardt 7), Whitefish 35 (Emily Sullivan 15, Abby Strellnauer 9); Assists — Polson 35 (Shalaina Duford 30), Whitefish 34 (Taylor Havens 28); Blocks — Polson 6 (Heidi Rausch 5), Whitefish 14 (Baylee Tveidt 5, Marlow Schulz 4); Digs — Polson 86 (Duford 27, Riley Kenney 15), Whitefish 32 (Xerox 10, Ryan Chauner 7)

Second Round
Polson def. Columbia Falls 25-22, 25-16, 20-25, 25-15
Aces — Polson 11 (Heidi Rausch 4), Columbia Falls 5 (Erika Nelson); Kills — Polson 43 (Riley Kenney 12), Columbia Falls 29 (Haley Belgrade 8); Assists — Polson 31 (Shalaina Duford 33), Columbia Falls 21 (Burlage 14); Blocks — Polson 4 (Kenzie Clay 2), Columbia Falls 7 (NA); Digs — Polson 64 (Kenney 15), Columbia Falls 83 (NA).

Here are photos from the game... You can buy full prints of these photos from the Lake County Leader here.

Click on "Read More" to see the full galley and to buy full prints of photos.

Polson Pirates playoff football video

Here's a video to get you pumped up for Polson's home playoff game this Saturday against Custer County. Go Pirates!

Something we've noticed...

Class A Boys soccer state championship game photos

Here are photos from Polson's trip to the Class A Boys Soccer State Championship game. While they lost 3-0 to Whitefish, they still had an awesome season and have been the most successful team in the past two years in Class A. Coach Kittle, Moll, the players, the parents and the Polson community have a lot to be proud about. They represented the area very, very well.

Click on "Read More" to see the full gallery.

Polson soccer state championship game video

Yesterday I put up a video for Ronan football heading to the playoffs. Here's a video for the Polson boys' soccer team, which will be playing Whitefish in the state championship game on Saturday. Go Pirates!

Montana State XC

After running in the Live Locally 5K this morning as part of team LEADER (with Brandon Hansen), I was able to make it to Missoula just in time to catch AA and A teams duke it out for Montana State Cross Country superiority.

All our Lake County teams did an amazing job at this final meet of the season.We'll have all the details in this week's Leader, but here's a quick summary (from memory and limited to the coaches/parents I was able to catch up with):


- Mission's Paden Alexander took 5th place in Class B.
- Mission girls team placed 4th in Class B.
- Polson boys and girls were both 8th in the Class A team standings.
- Polson's Claudia Hewston ran her heart out to a third place individual finish.
- Her teammate, Tegan Bauer, was All-State as well, placing ninth.

And I know there were more incredible efforts out there on the course!

Here are a few photos from the Class A race:

Click on "Read More" to see the full gallery.

NWA Cross Country Championships

The Polson girls went one-two-three to capture the Northwest A Championship today at the Polson Golf Course. Claudia Hewston, Aja Starkey and Tegan Bauer led the Lady Pirates to a one-point victory over Columbia Falls.

For the boys, the trophy went to Whitefish, but the Pirates looked strong behind senior Alex Nystrom's sixth place, finishing just seven points behind the Bulldogs in the end.