GPAC football: Morningside's Chevalier, Ryan, NWC's Fryar lead conference honorsHAS Deadline: HAS Investors with Losses in Excess of $100K Have Opportunity to Lead Hasbro, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit

Sports Editor {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The trunk of my late-model car is filled with old coats, sweatpants and stocking caps. They're not real flashy and you'll find holes if you look real close. But those clothes have come in handy in the chilly Treasure State, where so many of us take pride in making the most of challenging weather days. I think of the Montana defense the same way I do those 30-year-old wind pants I pull out of the trunk to wear at football games. Both have been largely underappreciated the last five weeks. On Saturday in Bozeman, the Griz defense surrendered 34 points, so nobody is going to be comparing them to Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain of 1975. Certainly fans of the maroon and silver had a lot of reasons to be flustered. But take a step back and consider Montana State possessed the ball for almost two-thirds of the first half. Then the Cats had some good field position in the first 13 minutes of the third quarter and Montana's defense refused to relent, clinging to hope despite a 20-3 deficit. "They chucked it down the field a few times and made two catches — it's not a high percentage play for them and we've gotta live with that," Montana coach Bobby Hauck said coming out of the locker room after halftime. "Other than that we're tackling well. I think we're playing pretty well on defense." The most prolific scoring team in the FCS was limited to 20 points through the first 43 minutes. Kudos to the Montana defense for its hustle and heart. It's just that the Grizzly offense, held scoreless in the first half at home last Saturday against Portland State, was held to three points through three quarters in Bozeman against the best defense in the Big Sky Conference. Sure, we all expected Montana to do better in its 123rd annual rivalry game at MSU. Maybe at least score more than one touchdown with so much motivation. But give credit to Montana's defensive coaches for again coming up with a strong game plan against Montana State senior quarterback Tommy Mellott. And credit the defense for its vast improvement since giving up 55 points at home earlier this season to Weber State (3-8) and 49 at Eastern Washington (4-7). Not to beat a dead horse, but I can't help wondering how things might have been different had Clifton McDowell stayed around. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound quarterback led Montana to the FCS title game last December with a knack for picking up tough yards on the ground and doing just enough with his passing. He entered the transfer portal last winter for reasons unreported. Maybe he was looking for more NIL money. Maybe he disliked Montana's weather. You could say it's all ancient history now and doesn't matter. But it does matter. It matters a lot because Montana could have been much better. The banged-up Grizzlies need to regroup in a hurry now with a playoff game — likely at home — coming up next weekend. If the defense plays the way it did against the Bobcats, I like Montana's chances. But something needs to be done with the offense and I'm not even sure what it is at this point. Maybe go back to Keali'i Ah Yat at quarterback, assuming he's healthy, or give 6-4 sophomore Kaden Huot of Helena a few snaps. Montana has beaten only one conference team with a winning record (Northern Arizona), so maybe Griz fans should be grateful their guys are in the playoff mix with an 8-4 record. Any postseason success would feel like a bonus at this point. Bill Speltz is Missoulian Sports Editor. Email him at bill.speltz@missoulian.com . Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sports Editor {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

The Seattle Seahawks placed leading rusher Kenneth Walker III on injured reserve due to an ankle injury and signed George Holani off the practice squad on Thursday afternoon. Walker had been ruled out earlier in the day ahead of Thursday's game against the host Chicago Bears. He returned from a two-game absence due to an ailing calf on Sunday before injuring his ankle in the Seahawks' 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Zach Charbonnet is set to shoulder the load in the backfield for the Seahawks (8-7), who have lost two in a row heading into Thursday's game against the Bears (4-11). Seattle is in a must-win situation. Even if the Seahawks can top Chicago and beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18, they still might miss out on the postseason because of the strength-of-victory tiebreaker. Walker, 24, leads Seattle in carries (153) and rushing yards (573) to go along with seven rushing touchdowns. Charbonnet, 23, has a team-best eight rushing touchdowns to go along with 106 carries for 453 yards. Holani, who turned 25 on Dec. 16, has three carries for 10 yards in three games this season. He is an undrafted rookie out of Boise State. The Seahawks also ruled out tight end Brady Russell (foot) and safety K'Von Wallace (ankle) for Thursday's game. Cornerback Artie Burns was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster for the contest. The Bears will be without defensive backs Elijah Hicks (ankle/foot) and Tarvarius Moore (knee), running back Travis Homer (hamstring) and offensive lineman Teven Jenkins (calf). --Field Level MediaCommunity news for Bishop's Waltham, Upham, Swanmore and Meon Valley