Hi-Line Volleyball: Longhorns claim Northern C in dramatic fashion

Four Hi-Line volleyball teams had a chance to reach the All-Class State Tournament in Bozeman when last weekend's divisional tournaments got underway. Unfortunately, only one area squad is headed there now.

At last weekend's Northern C Divisional tournament in Cascade, the Fort Benton Longhorns made an exciting run to the divisional title. Fort Benton reached the championship match undefeated, where the Longhorns would take on arch rival Belt. In the first championship match, the Huskies beat the Longhorns by scores of 25-22, 20-25, 25-16 and 25-14. The win forced the Longhorns to have to play a second match to win the title, and in a five-set thriller, Fort Benton did just that, beating the Huskies by scores of 17-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-20 and 16-14.

Coming from way behind, it was a thrilling weekend for the Longhorns, who opened the tournament with a win over Augusta in four sets. The Longhorns then beat Chinook in the quarterfinals, by scores of 25-22, 25-18 and 25-18 to reach the winner's bracket semifinal Friday night, where the Longhorns beat Belt in a five-set marathon, by scores of 25-20, 21-25, 15-25, 25-15 and 15-11.

While it was a magical weekend for the Longhorns, the North Star Knights nearly made it out of the divisional, too. North Star lost in five sets to open the tournament against Simms Thursday but the Knights bounced back to eliminate Big Sandy Thursday night, then beat Geraldine-Highwood in a four-setter Friday morning. The win set up a Saturday morning loser-out match between the top two teams from the 6C East in Chinook and North Star, and while Chinook beat the Knights four times leading up to divisionals, Saturday, it was the Knights who prevailed, by scores of 25-23, 25-20, 13-25 and 25-10. The win pushed North Star into the fourth-place match where the Knights fell to Simms in a five-set heartbreaker, by scores of 14-25, 25-23, 25-17, 22-25 and 15-13. The loss meant North Star finished a solid fourth, while Chinook was fifth.

The Harlem Wildcats also saw their magical season end last weekend, when they were outside at the Northern B Divisional in Wolf Point. Harlem lost to Fairfield by scores of 25-11, 25-22 and 25-18 in the first round Thursday, then the Wildcats were eliminated Friday morning when they fell to arch rival Malta in five sets.

Choteau would go on to win the Northern B crown, beating Glasgow in the championship Saturday. Shelby also qualified for the State B tourney with a third-place finish.

From the Northern C, Fort Benton and Belt are also on their way to Bozeman. The Longhorns open play against Charlo Thursday afternoon. The All-Class State Volleyball Tournament runs Thursday-Saturday in Bozeman.

Northern C at Cascade

(2 teams advance)

Thursday

Match 1: Power def. Big Sandy, 25-22, 16-25, 25-22, 25-13

Match 2: Fort Benton def. Augusta, 27-25, 25-18, 23-25, 25-19

Match 3: Chinook def. Geraldine-Highwood, 25-27, 25-16, 25-14, 25-20

Match 4: Simms def. North Star, 25-19, 25-11, 15-25, 19-25, 15-11

Match 5: Belt def. Power, 25-14, 25-15, 25-16

Match 6: North Star def. Big Sandy, 25-22, 25-13, 25-20

Friday

Match 7: Fort Benton def. Chinook, 25-22, 25-18, 25-18

Match 8: Belt def. Simms, 25-15, 25-9, 26-24

Match 9: North Star def. Geraldine-Highwood, 25-19, 25-23, 15-25, 25-11

Match 10: Augusta def. Power, 25-18, 27-25, 25-22

Match 11: Fort Benton def. Belt, 25-20, 21-25, 15-25, 25-15, 15-11

Saturday

Match 12: North Star def. Chinook, 25-23, 25-20, 13-25, 25-10

Match 13: Simms def. Augusta, 25-13, 25-20, 25-16

Match 14: Simms def. North Star, 14-25, 25-23, 25-17, 22-25, 15-13

Match 15: Belt def. Simms, 25-17, 25-18, 25-10, 3rd place

Match 16: Belt def. Fort Benton, 25-22, 20-25, 25-16, 25-14, first championship

Match 17: Fort Benton def. Belt, 17-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-20, 16-14, second championship

Northern B at Wolf Point

(3 teams advance)

Thursday

Match 1: Choteau def. Malta, 25-5, 25-9, 25-7

Match 2: Fairfield def. Harlem, 25-11, 25-22, 25-18

Match 3: Glasgow def. Great Falls Central, 25-11, 25-6, 25-13

Match 4: Shelby def. Wolf Point, 23-25, 25-13, 25-19, 25-13

Match 5: Choteau def. Fairfield, 25-20, 25-16, 25-12

Match 6: Shelby def. Glasgow, 19-25, 16-25, 25-10, 25-13, 15-12

Friday

Match 7: Malta def. Harlem, 26-24, 26-28, 10-25, 25-16, 15-11

Match 8: Great Falls Central def. Wolf Point, 25-10, 25-22, 25-21

Match 9: Glasgow def. Malta, 25-13, 25-11, 25-6

Match 10: Fairfield def. Great Falls Central, 23-25, 25-16, 25-15, 15-13

Match 11: Choteau def. Shelby, 22-25, 25-13, 25-14, 25-12

Match 12: Glasgow def. Fairfield, 21-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-17, 4th place

Saturday

Match 13: Glasgow derf. Shelby, 3rd place

Match 14: Choteau def. Glasgow, 25-23, 25-9, 25-13, championship