Winter sports season about to get started

For 10 high school football teams, the fall sports season isn’t quite over. But while those 10 teams are gearing for this weekend’s state championship games, other athletes across Montana, and on the Hi-Line are prepping for the start of the winter sports season.

Thursday, the Havre High wrestling team and the Blue Pony swimming teams will begin practice for the upcoming season. The HHS wrestling team enters the 2013-14 season as the defending Class A state champions and heavy favorites to repeat come February.

The Blue Pony wrestlers host the season-opening Havre Invitational Dec. 6-7, which is one of only three teams HHS will compete at home this season. The Ponies also host the Central A Divisional Tournament in February. The Blue Pony swimmers open their season with the annual Blue/White Dual Meet on Dec. 7, and the following Saturday, the Ponies will start the regular season at home with the annual Havre Invitational.

High school basketball season is also just around the corner. Practice for the Blue Pony boys and girls, as well as all area teams begins Monday. The Blue Pony boys and girls open the new season Dec. 13 in Malta. On Dec. 14, the Pony girls make their home debut against the CMR Rustlers, while the first home game for the HHS boys is set for Dec. 20 against the Livingston Rangers. Both the Pony boys and girls will be home the 21-22 of December to host Livingston and Belgrade.

Other big basketball events on the Hi-Line this winter include the annual Native American Classic, which will be held Dec. 6-7 at the Armory Gymnasium, and the District 9C Tournament, which is slated for Feb. 18-22 at the Havre High gymnasium.

Both the Class A boys and girls state basketball tournaments will be held at the Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls in March.