A VERY BLUE, VERY WHITE DAY AND NIGHT

The anticipation for another high school sports season is always high around these parts and this past weekend, Havre fans got to see their Blue Ponies in action for the first time, on both the hardwood and the gridiron.

The Havre High volleyball team was the first to show fans what it can do as the Blue Ponies took part in the Blue-White scrimmage Saturday afternoon inside the HHS gymnasium. There were three scrimmages in all, with the final one consisting of varsity players facing off against each other. Both teams wore blue jerseys, but the team that was designated as the home squad, won the first game 25-19 and the second 25-15.

"I was happy with how things went," HHS head coach Tamecia Jarvis said. "I thought that we worked hard and I thought that our passing was pretty crisp. We have some things that we need to work on, but I liked our effort and how hard they played."

Jarvis, who has already narrowed the team down to a 10-player varsity roster, said she is still unsure of who will play where and how much.

"I am not quite ready to reveal that yet," Jarvis said. "We still have some work to do."

Following the volleyball scrimmage, the HHS football team took to the field at Blue Pony Stadium for the first time this season under new head coach Ryan Gatch. The Blue-White scrimmage, which was scripted, pitted the No. 1 offense and No. 1 defense against the No. 2's and it consisted of about 45 minutes of action.

One of the biggest questions coming in, was at the quarterback position and for his part, junior Trey Murphy looked solid, completing all five passes he attempted for 54 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Murphy, who backed up Dane Warp the last two seasons, led the Ponies to a score each time he led the offense.

Ivar Aageson, who has been splitting snaps with Murphy at the quarterback spot, also saw some time and did lead a scoring drive, but also had a pass intercepted by Brady Ophus that would have gone for a touchdown had it not been blown dead.

"I thought both quarterbacks played well," Gatch said. "Ivar was in a situation, where I made a bad play call. Then, we made some personnel changes and you could tell that made a difference. I thought Trey played well, but Ivar played well, too. He made the mistake, but he was able to move on after that."

Senior Jase Stokes also stood out in the game, rushing for a pair of touchdowns offensively, while also forcing a fumble on defense that he could have returned for a score.

While Aageson played at quarterback, he also caught two passes from Murphy as a receiver for 26 yards. Isaac Warp also had one reception for 16 yards.

"Right now I can't make a commitment either way, I need to go watch the film," Gatch said in reference to naming a starting quarterback. "I know what I saw, but I want to watch the film.

"I can guarantee that they (Aageson and Murphy) will both play next week," he added. "But in what capacity, I am still not sure yet."

The quarterback position may still be unsettled, but the exact opposite is true with the offensive line, which showed promise in the scrimmage and the group that includes Tyler Schuab, Brock Smith, Jared Sienkowski, Chris Gabrielsen and Cody Rennick, drew high praise from the head coach.

"I thought our offensive line played very well," Gatch said. "They did a great job. We were replacing three starters there a year ago and I think that group has done well, and we have a chance to be pretty good there."

Overall, the biggest takeaway for Gatch, was the energy of his players, that was what he liked to see the most.

"Guys flew around to the football and they were playing hard," Gatch said. "That was nice to see. We have some work to do, but we saw some good things and we just need to get healthy."

The Pony football team opens its regular season this Saturday in Whitefish. The HHS volleyball team travels to Lewistown Friday and Saturday for the Eastern A Preseason Tournament.