The Inspiration Behind the Battle of the Kootenai
By Bryn Van Orden
October 13, 2023
The Battle of the Kootenai is an event the whole county looks forward to each season. The Battle of the Kootenai is an on-going competition between the two towns of Eureka and Libby, Montana. The athletics go head on with each other and see who comes out on top each year.
The Battle of the Kootenai started the year of 2015-2016 when Libby moved down from class A to class B. Wayne Baker was the athletic director for Libby High School and Chad Dunn was the athletic director for Lincoln County High School when the Battle of the Kootenai started and helped create the tradition.
“When Libby moved down to class B we figured we would play them every year so we started a tradition to add excitement.” Dunn stated.
The tradition was also created “to gain more community involvement,” current athletic director Brendan Miller said.
The Battle of the Kootenai has existed for nine years and Libby holds the most wins. Libby has won five out of eight years and Eureka has won three. This year is the ninth year and is pending. Each year the Battle begins with spring sports and ends with winter sports. The trophy is handed out after a night of girls basketball, wrestling, and boys basketball.
The current status of the trophy of the Battle of the Kootenai is in Libby's hands. Libby won the battle last year, 2022-2023. For Lincoln County, our current individual sport records against Libby for the Battle of the Kootenai are boys cross country 8-1, girls cross country 7-2, football (for the years 2015/16-2016/17 when Libby was class B) 2-0, volleyball 4-5, girls basketball 6-2, boys basketball 0-8, wrestling 3-4, softball 1-8, boys track 1-8, and girls track 3-4. Miller keeps track of the tradition each year of the wins and losses overall and within each sport.
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