Year after year, the Helena sporting community is treated with a plethora of choice sporting news, and 2008 was no different.

Football again topped the list, as Carroll College and Capital High both went undefeated during their regular seasons. They both racked up impressive win streaks — one which is still in tact, while the other came to an end.

In 2008, a Helenan made the NFL, becoming only the fifth gridder in Capital City history to do so.

Three local wrestlers won state championships, one going undefeated and the other two each losing just once.

In basketball, the Carroll women achieved a milestone, as did the local Junior A hockey team.

So here it is sports fans, the Independent Record’s top-10 sports stories of the year:

1Capital High football

The Bruins captured their third straight AA football championship, going undefeated (13-0) while beating Billings West 35-14 in the title game. Coach Pat Murphy’s Bruins are only the third team in state history to win three or more AA crowns in a row, joining Missoula County (four, 1943-46) and C.M. Russell (three, 1984-86). CHS has won its last 21 consecutive games. It was Capital’s 10th state title.

Wide receiver/defensive back Matt Miller and defensive lineman Brad Daly were selected the AA offensive and defensive MVPs, respectively. Miller was tabbed first team at wide receiver and cornerback, becoming the first Bruin junior to make two-way first team and MVP in the same year. Daly received his second first-team selection, while establishing four CHS defensive records, including the career sack mark of 26.

2Carroll College football

The Fighting Saints qualified for their sixth national championship game in seven years, entering the title tilt with an undefeated season record of 13-0 and riding a 28-game winning streak. Along the way, they lost several key players due to injury, and went most of the year with a pair of freshmen splitting the quarterback duties.

Carroll beat Lindenwood 38-37 in a stunning NAIA playoff semifinal at Nelson Stadium to advance to the championship contest in Rome, Ga. But the Saints fell in the title game to the University of Sioux Falls, 23-7.

Coach Mike Van Diest was named both the Frontier Conference and regional coach of the year. Linebacker Owen Koeppen was selected the Frontier’s defensive MVP, an AFCA All-American for the second straight year, and was named the 2008 NAIA player of the year.

3Dan Carpenter

The former Helena High and University of Montana kicker won the starting kicking job for the Miami Dolphins, becoming only the fifth local Helenan to play in the NFL (joining John Dolan, Earle “Pruney” Parsons, Bob “Spud” McCullough and Pat Donovan). Carpenter finished his career at Montana as the school’s all-time leading scorer.

Carpenter has been named the NFL special teams player of the week, and was the player of the month for November. As of Dec. 20, Carpenter had made 19-of-23 field goals, and had not missed an extra point for the Dolphins, booting 32-for-32.

4Triple crown

Helena High junior wrestler Toby Erickson (now a senior) won the AA heavyweight championship, setting an all-class “quick pin” record by stapling all four opponents in a combined 1 minute, 40 seconds. The 280-pound Erickson finished the season at 33-1 with 25 pins. Erickson signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Division I Boise State.

Townsend twins Jade and Valyen Rauser, both just freshmen last season, captured Class B/C mat crowns at 98 and 105 pounds, respectively. Jade went an unbeaten 31-0, while Val was 39-1.

5Carroll women’s basketball

The Saints ladies (27-6) qualified for the national basketball tournament in Jackson, Tenn., making it to the NAIA quarterfinal round for the first time school history. Senior Jolene Fuzesy received her second straight All-American selection, while establishing a national career 3-point accuracy record of 51.6 percent (464-for-899). Fuzesy left Carroll with no less than five school scoring records.

6Bighorns hockey

The Helena Bighorns won the NorPac Hockey Junior A championship. First, they captured the American West Division title, taking the best-of-five series over Bozeman, 3-2. Then Helena garnered the NorPac crown, defeating the Seattle Totems in three straight games. The Bighorns finished with a 52-10 overall record, and placed fifth at the national tourney in Massachusetts.

7Townsend twosome

Broadwater High’s girls won two state championships. Last spring, the Bulldogs won the Class B tennis title, and then this fall, they captured the state volleyball crown, while posting a 27-4 record. Coach Jill Flynn, who was the school’s only volleyball coach since the sport was inaugurated in 1984, went out on top by announcing her retirement after 25 seasons at the helm.

8Shelley Murphy

Barrel racer Shelley Murphy qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, becoming the first local to make it to the NFR in 35 years (and only the second local ever), since East Helena’s Marvin “Butch” Joyce turned the trick in 1972-73. Murphy entered the NFR as the fourth-ranked barrel racer in the world, earning over $102,000 during the regular season.

9Travis Rauh

Townsend football coach Travis Rauh was reinstated as head coach, having been released by the Broadwater County School Board after the previous season. The Townsend community and students came to the support of Rauh, successfully lobbying for his reinstatement. The Bulldogs responded by winning the 2008 5B District championship, their first outright conference crown in almost 20 years.

10Ben Ternes

Capital’s Ben Ternes placed second at the state golf tournament. Ternes was in fifth place after the first round, but he carded a sizzling round of 68 on the second day, leap-frogging three places and finishing runner-up by five strokes to Glacier’s Larry Iverson, 141-136.

Reporter Curt Synness: 449-2150 or curt52s@bresnan.net