The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980

Articles written by Connie Mcafferty


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  • Jr. High Lynx Hoopsters Triumph Over P-Burg

    Connie McAfferty|Updated Aug 31, 2022

    The Friday home court Lynx win over Granite County might have been called "slice & dice" or "run and gun" by Coach Blubaugh, but when the final buzzer sounded, the result was a 53 - 22 rout over the Philipsburg Prospectors junior high men by the young Little Lynx. The Lynx led the contest from the first basket, leaving the Prospectors in the dust at half time 36 - 10. "Big and Tall" power ball was played by the three heavy hitters: Kayden Tybo, Roegun Dietz and Josh Rios,...

  • Lincoln varsity falls to Valley Christian

    Connie McAfferty, Contributing Writer|Updated Feb 10, 2021

    How many times can David face down Goliath on the battlefield of a high school basketball court? "It gets harder and harder to play against opponents who are 60 pounds heavier and five inches taller than me. It's intimidating," said Lincoln Lynx guard Teegan Tybo, When the Valley Christian Eagles filled up their bench before tip off, it was clear this contest was going to be another one of those "character building" opportunities that older people talk about, but for which no...

  • Lynx competitive against Seeley Varsity

    Connie McAfferty, Contributing Writer|Updated Feb 10, 2021

    Andrew Brown scored a game high 13 points on Thursday night to lead the Lincoln Lynx in a respectable showing against the perennial 13C powerhouse Seeley Lake Blackhawks. Shaking off the nerves that come with facing a visiting team whose starting squad averages 5-inches taller and three years older than our home grown JV Lynx, the Lincoln men put up lots of shots that didn't fall. But by the fourth quarter they had settled down and the Lynx matched the Blackhawks in steals,...

  • Lynx stands tall against Drummond

    Connie McAfferty, Contributing Writer|Updated Feb 2, 2021

    When it's time to separate the men from the boys you never know who is actually going to show up. Character, integrity and grit are not worn on shoulders like Boy Scout badges; they emerge amidst trials and struggles. Six scrappy young men at Lincoln High School are showing our town what courage, fortitude and dedication look like on the field of competition when they roll out on the basketball court to face taller, older and more numerous opponents every time they have a...

  • Life with 'the fam'

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Apr 22, 2020

    At first blush, the shelter-in-place order sounded like every teenager's delightful dream: sleep in, hang out with friends on social media, not worry about acne or bad hair days. But as the days and weeks dragged on, a new reality set in: the reality that life with the fam 24-7 was not such an odious ordeal after all. For most of the seven teenagers interviewed for this story, the biggest surprise was that movie nights, board games and doing chores with their families was... Full story

  • Lincoln basketball's 2020 All-State All-Star

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Mar 18, 2020

    The 2020 Class C basketball "All State" recognition is not a new award for Lincoln High School senior, Nathan Brown. When only a sophomore, Brown achieved that lofty selection after the Lincoln Lynx team finished in second place at the 2018 District Tournament in Hamilton. Finishing up a five-year varsity career on the round ball court, Lincoln's top hoopster racked up 1721 career points and is still seeing awards for excellence roll in. "I'd say being chosen for the Montana...

  • St. Regis Tigers clobber Lynx in Friday slug fest

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Feb 18, 2020

    In some basketball games, everyone shows up testy: fans, refs and players. Friday, Feb. 14 was one of those nights. The contest between the Lynx and the St. Regis Tigers was a knock-down physical tussle right from the first whistle, and the no-nonsense officials did their best to try and keep some sense of order in the stands and on the court. They almost succeeded. The intense defense put three Lynx starters in foul trouble early. With Brodi Henderson, Ryan Greenwood and...

  • Senior Night success for Lincoln's Lady Lynx

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Feb 18, 2020

    Friday night, Feb. 14, came up all hearts and flowers for the Lincoln Lady Lynx in their hard-fought win over the St. Regis Lady Tigers. The first period found the Lynx outscored and even the usual leaders couldn't make a basket. The St. Regis ladies were not a tall squad, but they were strong, athletic and accurate shooters. Frustration was thick in the air on the court and in the hometown stands. But, it was Senior Night after all and, in the end, it was the senior Lincoln...

  • Junior High Lady Lynx end season with a bang

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Feb 18, 2020

    The Saturday morning tournament of multiple schools who brought their junior high teams to Lincoln had some new twists and turns for all the fans. Starting at 9 a.m., the teens running the concession stand made a land office business of selling donuts and maple bars out in the stands, and the eye-opening coffee was extra strong. The Lincoln Little Lynx A-team made the first bucket in the contest against the Fairfield junior high Eagles and Lincoln led all the way to the wire,...

  • Little Lynx ladies lose nail-biter to Prospectors

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Feb 11, 2020

    For the junior high “B-Team” a competitive game has been a long time coming. The young Little Lynx, comprised of 4th and 5th grade gals, are still learning the basics from Coach Shane Smith and putting on their game faces to demonstrate what they have been practicing when it really counts against an out-of-town opponent. Remi Dietz, Kaya Butterfield and Jordyn Zarske are the older leaders of the B Team, but the hot hand of the night belonged to Kaitlyn Brown who made thirteen points in the hard fought contest that...

  • Lynx riding a winning streak

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Feb 11, 2020

    It's been a tough season for the boy's varsity basketball team in Lincoln. Losing several games by only one basket, "games we should have won," according to Coach Brown, the tide seems to be turning for the Lynx. Coming off a close away game win in Augusta Friday night, the Lynx had only a quick recovery time for the Saturday face-off at home with the Eagles of Valley Christian School. With their fast-paced run and gun offense, the Eagles took the floor with confidence and...

  • Lady Lynx ground Valley Christian Lady Eagles

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Feb 11, 2020

    Bouncing back from a Friday night defeat in Augusta, Lincoln's varsity Lady Lynx cruised to an easy 31-18 victory over Valley Christian in front of an appreciative hometown crowd Saturday, Feb. 7. Led by senior Alexis Cannon, who racked up twelve points, the Lady Lynx got off to a slow start. The score at halftime was tied at eleven and one voice in the bleachers commented that it looked like our team was "swimming under water." But the Lady Lynx ran out of the locker room to...

  • Lady Lynx varsity swat Lady Hornets 41 - 25

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Jan 28, 2020

    Leading the score from wire to wire, the Lady Lynx varsity was firing on all cylinders in their Friday night basketball contest with the Lady Hornets from White Sulphur Springs. Under the guidance of floor general Sage Kamps, the Lynx were able to match their defense to the changing Hornet offense and shut down their passing lanes into the key. The Lincoln fans visibly relaxed when the score at half time was 15 - 5. The big margin allowed Coach Kurtis Janzen to give his...

  • Lynx overwhelmed by White Sulphur Springs Hornets

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Jan 28, 2020

    The round ball was not falling through the net for the Lincoln Lynx Friday night, Jan. 24. Despite a flurry of shots going up from the hometown key, only a few of them actually saw the bottom of the hoop. The 61 - 81 loss was a bitter pill to swallow for senior star Nathan Brown, who posted 38 points alone, including an 80 percent success rate from the free throw line. Even Larry Bird couldn't win a game all by himself. The Lynx team members were also missing the buckets and...

  • Buzzer-Beater b-ball; it doesn't get any better

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Jan 28, 2020

    If you missed the Thursday after-school basketball game between the Junior High Lady Lynx A-Team and the visiting Helena Christian Rams, you missed a lot. The two evenly matched teams fought tooth and nail to a thrilling 17 point tie with twelve seconds left in the game. The Rams, assuming they had the 'last possession,' were working a play in their key hoping for a lay up and a win. Suddenly, Makena Copenhaver stole the ball. Could the Little Lynx really have a chance? Alas,...

  • Lady Lynx snatch victory from defeat in St. Regis

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Jan 21, 2020

    It was almost criminal. Behind the whole game, the Lincoln Lady Lynx decided to steal their way to a win in the Friday night away basketball game against the St. Regis Tigers. The varsity perp line-up featured Sophomores Alyvia Blotkamp with four steals and Jenna Templeton with five, abetted by Alexis Cannon with three grabbed balls and loud Lindsey Weisner with one steal. The squeaker win, 23 - 21, wasn’t secured until the last minutes of the fourth quarter, when the tough defense of Weisner and Andrea LaManna allowed...

  • Little Lynx girls fall to Drummond Junior High Trojans

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Jan 21, 2020

    Getting off to a slow start, the 5th through 8th grade Little Lynx gals struggled to match up to the older, athletic Drummond junior high Trojan girls in a Jan. 18th Saturday morning basketball contest that ended in a loss for the Lincoln A-squad: 17 - 30. The team has mastered the dribble and one-on-one defense, but they are still tentative in driving to the hoop and going up for a shot with determination and aggressive force. Elbows were flying on both sides and the physicality of a tough opponent is slowly becoming more co...

  • Lady Blackhawks of Seeley Lake overwhelm Lady Lynx

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Jan 14, 2020

    26 - 10 was not the score of the Saturday night basketball contest between the Lincoln Lady Lynx and the Seeley Blackhawks. It was instead the comparison of the two team rosters listed on the game night program. Lincoln's JV/varsity combined team dressed out ten brave Lady Lynx. Seeley didn't even bother to bring their JV to back up the varsity since they had three whole starting fives on the bench and didn't need the younger ladies. To make matters more dire for the hometown...

  • Lynx lose Saturday shootout with Seeley Blackhawks

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Jan 14, 2020

    The football team from Seeley Lake left their shoulder pads home and donned basketball jerseys for their Saturday, Jan. 11 basketball game with the hometown Lincoln Lynx, and it was clear that they were used to thundering up and down the field of play. Starting Blackhawk quarterback in the 2019 football season, Owen Mercado, dominated this basketball night with his six-foot-three, 185 pounds of offensive and defensive strength, scoring 26 points and most of the rebounds. Merca...

  • Lady Lynx crush Valley Christian

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Jan 14, 2020

    Three or four years ago, when the hordes of Valley Christian lady Eagles rolled into town, the Lincoln Lady Lynx would take a deep breath and get out their game plan for taking down a giant. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Friday night's away basketball contest in Missoula gave the Lady Eagles a taste of their own medicine as the Lincoln Lady Lynx crushed the 2020 Valley squad 39 - 25. Revenge, even when long-awaited, is just as sweet. Lincoln had three pointers flying from...

  • Mountain Cats edge Lady Lynx in nail-biter

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Jan 8, 2020

    Basketball is not for the faint of heart in Lincoln these days. The tied up games and intense last seconds on the floor remind fans of the old Bette Davis line from “All About Eve” - “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.” Saturday, Jan. 4 was indeed a bumpy night for the Lady Lynx in their shoot out with the lady Mountain Cats of Superior/Alberton. With the score tied up at the end of the third quarter, fans and players alike both looked worn out. The Mountain Cats ran a never-ending full court...

  • Injuries plague Lynx in Pirate loss

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Jan 8, 2020

    Senior standout Nathan Brown sat out the pre-game warm-up shoot around to rest his sore ankle, hurt in practice last week. In obvious pain, Brown still took the floor in the first quarter Jan. 3 and led his team to a nice lead over the visiting Victor Pirates basketball squad. Midway in the second quarter, Brown crashed into a pile of players under the Lynx bucket and when the scrim was sorted out, everyone got up except him. Bring out the ice and signal freshman Hayden...

  • Lady Lynx pound Victor 44 -15 in Friday night clash

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Jan 8, 2020

    The home court advantage didn't look like much of an advantage up to the halftime of the Jan. 3 varsity visit by the Victor Lady Pirates. The size and skill of the Lady Lynx should have put them far ahead of the visitors but the score at mid-game was only 13-11. "The team was very nervous before the game, hands shaking and worried faces. But at half time they all came together to fire each other up to a more intense level of play. They rallied themselves," Said Coach Kurtis...

  • Lincoln boys tangle with Superior

    Connie McAfferty, MVD|Updated Jan 7, 2020

    Calling themselves Mountain Cats, the basketball combine of Alberton - Superior came to Lincoln Jan. 4 to lay claim to “Top Cat in the Western C Conference.” The road to that achievement looked promising since the Lincoln Lynx top scorer and 2019 All-Conference standout, Nathan Brown, was benched with a disabled ankle that was injured last week. Surprises were the order of the day, however. With athletic feats of jumping, scoring and stealing, Brodi Henderson took the reins of the squad and led them to a thrilling tie...

  • Lady Lynx battle Darby Lady Tigers to OT standoff

    Connie McAfferty, BVD|Updated Dec 23, 2019

    The first home hoops game for the Lincoln Lady Lynx tipped off Friday night, Dec. 20, against the Lady Tigers from Darby in a close nail-bitter contest that saw the lead change back and forth eight times. The Lynx starting five averaged three inches taller than the short but quick Lady Tigers, and the Lincoln gals used their height advantage to hold the lead in scoring for the entire first half of the game. Led by experienced seniors Sage Kamps and Alexis Cannon, the starting...

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