The Bobcat Nation

Since it is kind of Bobcat sports slow. When I was a highschooler Anaconda, Columbia Falls and Havre were AA schools in Montana. Then in the very early 80’s in a major reshuffling these schools were all dropped down to the A classification. By my count since then, over a 25-year time period only two schools have joined or left the AA (both were additions). That is about to change in a very short time period, at least two new schools will join the AA. Can you name the next two?

mslacat wrote:Since it is kind of Bobcat sports slow. When I was a highschooler Anaconda, Columbia Falls and Havre were AA schools in Montana. Then in the very early 80’s in a major reshuffling these schools were all dropped down to the A classification. By my count since then, over a 25-year time period only two schools have joined or left the AA (both were additions). That is about to change in a very short time period, at least two new schools will join the AA. Can you name the next two?

I'm thinking it is only a matter of time before Belgrade High joins up, with how big the town is growing, it would be silly not too. Plus they have pretty good facilities as far as athletics go already (especially their gym). Aside from Belgrade I would start leaning towards Laurel or one of the central schools (Butte or Billings) maybe? If not those two then Belt of course.

coachouert wrote:Aside from Belgrade I would start leaning towards Laurel or one of the central schools (Butte or Billings) maybe? If not those two then Belt of course.

What about Ismay? With all that exposure they got on ESPN's visit to Montana, they've got to have people moving in droves to "Joe, MT". I mean, who can resist that nice community center they've got?

(No offense at any actual residents of Ismay--just cracking some humor in the light of the thread)

Belgrade is one. The other one will happen much the same way the last two AA additons were added. it will most likely happen first.

Kalispell is breaking ground on a new high school. If the two schools are equall in size, they both should be double AA schools.

BobCatFan wrote:Kalispell is breaking ground on a new high school. If the two schools are equall in size, they both should be double AA schools.

Kalispel is the other. Kalispel l by far has the biggest enrolement of all aa schools. It will be a AA school from opening bell

mslacat wrote:

BobCatFan wrote:Kalispell is breaking ground on a new high school. If the two schools are equall in size, they both should be double AA schools.

Kalispel is the other. Kalispel l by far has the biggest enrolement of all aa schools. It will be a AA school from opening bell

Do you know how they plan on dividing Kalispell schools up? I'm assuming they will do it by district (ie address in Kalispell) but I was just curious if they had thought about going another direction with it (not that I can really think of anything at the moment)

the central schools (Butte or Billings) maybe?

Billings Central only has about 350 students in the HS. Butte Central is even smaller. Neither of these schools will go up to AA. Really both schools’ populations are closer to class B, but neither would ever go down to B. There have been a number of eastern MT schools that have dropped down from A to B and B to C, that is a trend that doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

mslacat wrote:

BobCatFan wrote:Kalispell is breaking ground on a new high school. If the two schools are equall in size, they both should be double AA schools.

Kalispel is the other. Kalispel l by far has the biggest enrolement of all aa schools. It will be a AA school from opening bell

From what I hear, the first year that new school (Glacier HS) is open, there won't be any seniors, and juniors will have the option on which school they want to attend, and the sophomores will not have a choice which high school to attend. So, it is possible that Glacier HS won't be able to field any AA athletic teams until 2008.

wbtfg wrote:

mslacat wrote:

BobCatFan wrote:Kalispell is breaking ground on a new high school. If the two schools are equall in size, they both should be double AA schools.

Kalispel is the other. Kalispel l by far has the biggest enrolement of all aa schools. It will be a AA school from opening bell

From what I hear, the first year that new school (Glacier HS) is open, there won't be any seniors, and juniors will have the option on which school they want to attend, and the sophomores will not have a choice which high school to attend. So, it is possible that Glacier HS won't be able to field any AA athletic teams until 2008.

that was kind of what i was worried about. I know growing up in Great Falls, that many students' parents would manipulate what school they would attend due to sports. If Glacier HS has the possibility that they won't have varsity athletics, that might hurt some people's opinions about attending school there instead of at Flathead HS.