It was a split week for Helena's high school athletic programs, with Capital High's football team suffering a narrow road loss while Helena High's soccer squad rolled to a convincing win.
The Capital Bruins fell to the Big Sky Eagles of Missoula 24-21 in a conference road game on September 10. The Bruins trailed by three at the final whistle in what appears to have been a back-and-forth contest. Capital will look to regroup as conference play continues — losses in the early part of the schedule, particularly on the road, can be absorbed, but the margin will matter as the standings take shape heading toward the postseason.
Helena High's varsity soccer team had a much better Wednesday, shutting out the Butte Bulldogs 4-0 in an away conference match also played September 10. A four-goal shutout on the road is a strong result at any point in the season, and it gives the Bengals a confidence-building win as they work through their conference schedule.
Earlier in the week, both Helena-area volleyball programs dropped road matches on September 8. The Capital Bruins fell to the Big Sky Eagles 3-0 in Missoula, and Helena High lost to the Sentinel Spartans 3-0 in what were shutout losses for both squads. The volleyball teams will have opportunities to respond as the conference slate continues.