My first major assignment as a Montana State sports beat writer was attending the Big Sky Football Kickoff in late July. The main story I wrote from the event in Spokane, Washington, was about the Big Sky’s COVID-19 protocols, specifically the conference’s vaccine recommendation, which wasn’t too far away from a mandate.

Big Sky commissioner gives warning to lowly vaccinated football teams

This story dove into why Montana State Billings’ athletic director resigned, and it featured insights from several people she worked with during her long career at the college.

Outgoing MSU Billings athletic director Krista Montague taking time to ‘figure out what comes next’

I’ve written some unique stories in my career, but none quite like this.

Hackers cause Lodge Grass’ state basketball tickets to be sold out early

Below is a chronological list of coronavirus-related sports articles I’ve published at 406mtsports.com. These do not include stories I’ve written that don’t include my byline, and I omitted articles that aren’t directly connected to COVID-19 (basically every article I’ve written since mid-March includes some mention of the disease).

State basketball tournaments will continue as planned amid coronavirus concerns

State A boys: No. 1 Hardin not happy about co-title with No. 2 Butte Central (The Montana state basketball tournaments were canceled after the semifinals because of the state’s first presumptive cases of COVID-19. This story explored how one team reacted to the cancellation, and I broke down some of the decisions and events of a chaotic day.)

Montana High School Association suspends spring sports indefinitely

Scobey, Fairview slowly process State C co-title as coronavirus rapidly changes life

Billings-area golf courses altered, but not shuttered, by spread of COVID-19

Montana schools turn on stadium lights to symbolize hope amid coronavirus pandemic

American Legion cancels 2020 regionals, World Series

Montana spring sports suspension extended through April 24 (This includes lists I put together detailing the status of spring sports in all 50 states. Up-to-date state lists, which I also compiled, can be found here. I didn’t create the map, but I did update it.)

Grass Range’s Jacob Jessen taking nothing for granted as he prepares to run for Dickinson State

Huntley Project thrower Emily Poole hopes to fill ’empty space’ at North Dakota State

Idaho gives Lewistown’s Sam Fulbright ‘something to look forward to’ after lost title chances

Spring sports cancellation provides unwelcome savings to Montana high schools (This story delves into the financial impact of COVID-19)

Never the bride: Shelby girls golfers grapple with erased chance to win state title

Golfers prepare for Men’s State Amateur, Senior Am as Yellowstone County battles COVID-19

Montana High School Association releases fall sports plan (An in-depth look at the fall sports guidelines while Montana continues to report many positive COVID-19 cases)

Lodge Grass, Northern Cheyenne, St. Labre cancel fall sports seasons

No spectators at athletic events, according to Yellowstone County fall sports plan

Yellowstone County health officer explains no spectator rule, other fall sports plan guidelines

Gallatin County will allow limited attendance at team sporting events this fall

‘We want our lives back’: Parents, athletes protest Yellowstone County no-spectator rule

Wibaux assistant football coach tests positive for COVID-19, game against Richey-Lambert canceled

Short-handed Glasgow opens ‘different’ football season with blowout win over Shepherd

COVID-19 pandemic thins already-shrinking pool of Montana high school officials (This story examines the state of Montana referees, who were struggling long before the pandemic)

Billings Central-Glendive football game canceled due to COVID-19 case

Big Timber-Fairfield football game canceled due to COVID-19 concerns

Glendive-Laurel football game postponed because of COVID-19

Grass Range-Winnett shuts down sports until Oct. 19 because of COVID-19 case

Roundup football cancels season finale against Huntley Project due to COVID-19

Billings Central-Havre football game canceled due to COVID-19

Park City cancels games, switches to remote schooling due to COVID-19 cases

Eastern Montana basketball coaches enter 1st week of practice with cautious optimism

Billings Public Schools’ Greg Upham explains why superintendents discussed winter sports postponement

COVID-19 forces Hardin to cancel four boys basketball games

State C tournaments’ move from Bozeman to Lockwood illustrates Montana’s ‘patchwork of regulations’

I enjoyed writing this story about three European foreign exchange students who are thriving for the boys basketball team in small-town eastern Montana.

Globe-trotting Terriers: Trio of Euros have led Terry boys to best season in years

Sports during the pandemic has largely been discussed in binary terms — “Let them play” vs. “Sports are too unsafe.” Both arguments are overly simplistic, especially when it comes to high school basketball on Montana Indian reservations.

Basketball is akin to religion for Native Americans, and canceling this season is out of the question for many of them. That doesn’t mean they’re deprioritizing COVID-19. In fact, some Native schools have canceled basketball for safety reasons, and people involved with Native basketball programs that are playing feel conflicted because they know firsthand how destructive COVID has been to their communities.

I wrote about this ambivalence last month.

Basketball is ‘oxygen’ for Montana Native Americans. COVID-19 has filled this season with challenges.

Few students in the world are qualified enough to even consider attending the California Institute of Technology, let alone get accepted. In December, I wrote about one of those rare students: a baseball player in Great Falls, Montana.

‘It’s kind of unreal’: Great Falls pitcher Cameron McNamee to attend one of world’s top schools

UPDATE (4/10/21): Caltech accepted another Montanan, a basketball player who has been through some rough experiences in recent years.

I tested positive for COVID-19 in late-October. I wrote about my experience (luckily mild) and the limitations of personal responsibility.

Victor Flores: I tried to be responsible. I got COVID-19 anyway.

I could put this story in my COVID-19 sports coverage section since it focuses on a high school athletic director, but it has nothing to do with sports. It’s about four family members on a Montana Indian reservation who got COVID-19. They all recovered, but as I detail in the piece, “recovery” is a relative term.

“I was like, ‘Well, if this happens to go the bad way, I’m going to be at peace with it because I really miss my brother and I really miss my son,’ ” said August “Tiger” Scalpcane, the aforementioned AD who nearly died from COVID-19.

‘This could go either way’: After COVID-19 scare, Lame Deer’s Scalpcane family still recovering

Nursing homes and assisted living facilties in Billings have avoided COVID-19 outbreaks as of this writing, but the coronavirus has still drastically altered life for residents and workers, sometimes in ways that are difficult to see from a distance.

Isolation, uncertainty make life in Montana care homes taxing during pandemic