The first round of the Class AA playoffs started on Tuesday, Oct. 13 after the Beacon went to print. In the west No. 2 Glacier (9-3-2) faced No. 7 Flathead (2-11-1) for the first game. The quarter-final round will take place on Oct. 17
For the girls, No. 2 Glacier (10-4-0) hosts Helena Capital (1-11-1) while No. 5 Flathead (7-5-2) will travel to Missoula to take on No. 4 Hellgate (7-4-3).
In Class A, play-in games started on Oct. 12 after the Beacon went to print. Top seeded Whitefish (10-0-1) is hunting for another state title. The Bulldogs blanked Libby 6-0 last weekend and will start tournament play on Oct. 17, as will Columbia Falls (9-1-1), who rolled past Bigfork 4-1 last weekend.
In the girls tournament, Whitefish (9-0-1), Columbia Falls (9-2-0) and Bigfork (4-5-1) are all playing straight into the quarterfinals on Saturday. Columbia Falls blanked Bigfork in their last regular season game 6-0 while Whitefish did the same to Libby, 2-0. Last year, both Whitefish and Columbia Falls lost in the semifinals and return to the tournament seeking a championship berth.