Chinook High School moving back to Class B

In Montana, things change. And that holds especially true for its rural towns, including on the Hi-Line. So, with that said, it's back to Class B for Chinook High School.

On Wednesday, the Montana High School Association announced realignments for the 2022-23 school year, with Chinook a part of the changes.

For more almost two decades now, Chinook sports had been a member of the Class C District 9C, and after more than two decades prior in Class B. Now though, Chinook will once again be a Class B school due to growing enrollment over the past three years.

This move back to Class B, however, will be different than the last time the Sugarbeeters were a B school. Prior to 2004, Chinook was a member of the District 2B, but, starting next year, the Beeters will compete in the 1B for volleyball, boys and girls basketball and track and field. Chinook will also still be a member of the Eastern B-C Division in wrestling, and will move up to Class B Division 1 in boys and girls golf.

Another major difference from the last time when Chinook was Class B is football. Before moving to Class C, Chinook, and every Class B school played 11-man football in those days. Now however, Class B schools can petition to play 8-man football based on numbers, and as a result, Chinook will remain a member of the Northern C 8-Man Division for football next fall.

As for the 1B, the realignment means the district will now have Fairfield, Cut Bank, Conrad, Choteau, Shelby, Rocky Boy and the Sugarbeeters.

In total, seven Class C schools are moving up to B, and one school will also change the landscape of the District 2B, in which Chinook used to reside. Fairview is one of the seven schools moving up, and they will play in the 2B for boys and girls basketball, volleyball, and track and field, while remaining in the Eastern C for 8-Man football. Along Fairview, the 2B will feature Harlem, Malta, Glasgow, Poplar and Wolf Point.

The other schools moving up from Class C are, Lone Peak, Darby, Ennis, Park City and Superior, while Forsyth is moving down to Class C.

Class A is also getting a new school, with Bigfork set to move up for the second time in the last 20 years. For most of its existence, Bigfork has been a Class B school, but did have a short stint in Class A in the early 2000s. Now, the school is back to Class A, and will compete in the Northwest A.

Also announced earlier this week were the names of the Montana Coaches Association Coach of the Year awards for the winter sports season. That list once again included Havre High head girls basketball coach Dustin Kraske, who was named Class A Coach of the Year after the Blue Ponies captured their fifth state championship under Kraske last month in Missoula.