Troy football hopes for miracle playoff berth

This weekend will mark the end of at least two area prep sports seasons. Another team will scoreboard watch, pulling for a longshot upset knowing their final regular season game has no bearing on their postseason hopes. Here is a look at this weekend’s sports schedule.

Troy football

The Troy Trojans suffered an incredible defeat last week in Thompson Falls. A 99-yard touchdown drive with less than one minute left in the game all but buried the team’s playoff hopes. 

While the Trojans host non-conference opponent St. Ignatius (4-4) at 7 p.m. Friday, fans will want to keep an open eye and ear for the Eureka-Plains score. 

To make it to the playoffs, the Trojans need Plains to beat Eureka. It is hard to overstate how significant of an upset a Plains win would be. The Horsemen have lost more games than they have played this season; Plains (0-7) forfeited a September contest against St. Ignatius. 

Those looking for a glimmer of hope can refer to last weekend’s scorelines. Plains’ 48-26 loss to Deer Lodge was the closest game the Horsemen played all year. Eureka’s 47-0 home loss to Bigfork was the Lions’ worst result all season. 

Any concern that Plains may forfeit their last game of the season were quelled when Plains Athletic Coordinator Mike Cole confirmed Wednesday that his team would play Friday as planned. There is hope.

Libby football

The Libby Loggers travel Friday to Whitefish for a 7 p.m. kickoff. 

Libby lost 73-0 last week in Columbia Falls, and a visit with conference champion Whitefish (6-2, 3-0) will not be any easier. The Bulldogs beat Columbia Falls by a score of 20-15 earlier in the year. 

Libby Coach Neil Fuller has praised his team’s work ethic in recent weeks, acknowledging the difficulty of competing against schools with a significantly greater enrollment. 

The game will likely be Libby’s last in Class A. It will also be the final high school football game for nine senior Loggers. 

Libby volleyball

The Libby Lady Loggers will look for a key late-season conference win Saturday when they host Frenchtown. Both teams enter play tied for second in the conference standings. With only two games on the schedule before hosting the divisional tournament, the Libby Lady Loggers have been on a roll lately. 

Play begins at 1 p.m. with the junior varsity. 

Troy volleyball

The Lady Trojans will seek that elusive first win Saturday when they host Bigfork at 4 p.m.

Coach Mandy Love said her team is working hard, the girls just need to play a full game and avoid costly mistakes. 

Libby cross country

The Libby runners will wrap the season Saturday when they travel to Helena for the state tournament. 

While no Libby runners are considered contenders for a state title, junior Krysten Mossburg had a strong showing at last week’s divisional tournament. Her 22:52 earned her 15th place.