Though Butte Central and Hamilton met on the football field only two weeks ago, it is not a rerun that is expected when the team clash again on Friday.

This week’s tangle comes in the first round of the state Class A high school football playoffs with even higher stakes than decided by Butte Central’s 42-19 win on the same Bob Green Field Oct. 16. Kickoff for Friday’s contest is slated for 7 p.m. at the Montana Tech facility. Both teams will carry 6-3 records into the fray. The loser will be done with its season and the winner will prepare for a long road trip to play at undefeated Eastern A champion Miles City in next week’s quarterfinal round.

The last meeting saw a tight first half before the Maroons scored in the last minute of the second quarter on an 80-yard Tanner Kump-to-Cole Harper pass play to grab a 21-12 halftime lead and seize momentum that carried through the second half. Sophomore fullback Ryan Moodry scored three touchdowns, including two speed plays in the second half of very unfullback distances of 57 and 27 yards.

Kump, the junior quarterback, passed for 166 yards and ran for 44. Cal Hollow caught seven passes for 61 yards and Harper hauled in four for 118. Hollow also was responsible for the game’s only turnover as he intercepted a Hamilton pass.

Ends Colin McArthur and Kyle Schulte again led the BC defensive charge with QB pressure.

Hamilton head coach Travis Blome will surely be looking to a different approach this time and such is what the Don Peoples Jr.-headed Butte Central staff will be trying to predict. The Broncs have plenty of weapons and a good senior quarterback in Bret Huxtable, who has two years of starting experience in his portfolio.

Hamilton running back Alex Draper ran for 121 yards against the Maroons the previous time, but was largely held out of the end zone. He scored once on a 3-yard plunge and drew a lot of linebacker attention through the night.

The big-play threat, sophomore second-year starter Bridger Bauder, could very well be one weapon the Broncs may try to use more. The all-purpose athlete lines up sometimes at receiver, sometimes at running back and in a lot of different spots. BC kept him pretty well-covered before, but the Bronc staff might look to get him the ball in the flat or on the edge, hoping his ample athleticism will take over to break a big play. He had a 70-yard pass play before against Butte Central on a pass from Huxtable. Bauder and Hollow are also two of Class A’s best returnmen and should provide some moments of excitement.

Fullback Manny Rivera flashed ability late in the previous contest and may be another candidate for more offensive duty. Huxtable also has Jonathan Ringer and Christian Ellis to hand off to, and tight end Josh Triplett as a dependable receiver.

Draper averages almost six yards a carry to pace the Hamilton ground attack. Bauder has caught nine touchdown passes and averages 91 receiving yards a game. Bauder is also the team’s kicker and punter, making fakes in either alignment possibilities to always consider. He, Huxtable and Ringer are leaders of a good Bronc secondary on defense.

Hamilton’s line has good size, but is young. It improves every week.

Butte Central had to overcome the loss of returning standout Kyle Harrington to a season-ending knee injury in the first game of the season to reach the playoffs. Juniors Blake Burton and Nate McGree, and the sophomore, Moodry, have all helped to fill in as ballcarriers with the speedy Burton gaining 634 yards despite missing the opener because of an injury. McGree also plays receiver while the Moodry has made tremendous strides as the season progressed.

Kump is a proven talent as both a runner and passer. He executed the offense well against Hamilton before and comes in with Southwestern A’s No. 2 QB rating for the season.

Harper was the No. 3 receiver in the conference this year and is very capable of the big play as are McGree and Hollow as pass-catchers. Junior Sam Johnston is a reliable possession receiver. McArthur moved from wide-out to tight end this year to fill a void as Schulte moved inside to tackle from tight end to bulk up the line.

Schulte is joined on the offensive line as starters by fellow senior Ethan St. John at tackle, senior Jake Michelotti and junior Ryan Richards at the guards, and sophomore Dylan Shea at center.

Harrington’s defensive end spot was taken over by McArthur, who was a cornerback in the program until August when he moved to inside linebacker. He was called upon to move again when Harrington was hurt and has responded tremendously. Schulte, a defensive standout for the third straight year, moved to end this year from linebacker where he had started for two seasons and has teamed with McArthur for a fierce pass rush.
Michelotti and St. John usually start on the inside at the tackles.

Moodry plays one inside linebacker spot while sophomores Hunter Hartwick and

Shea usually share the other. Johnston and Hollow man the outside pots. The secondary led the conference in interceptions with McGree, the safety, topping the league, with four. Harper plays one corner and junior Ryan Ashby lines up at the other. Moodry, Ashby and Harper each have two picks this season. As a team, the Maroons have picked off 12 passes in nine games.

Schulte handles the punting chores well and Tyler Kump has become a good kicker, further bolstering the BC scoring ability.

Central, Laurel ready for immediate playoff rematch

·         JEFF BERSCH jbersch@billingsgazette.com

• HANNAH POTES/Gazette Staff

Central quarterback Michael Stanton looks to pass during the Rams' game Saturday against Laurel. The teams play again this Saturday in the first round of the playoffs.

Billings Central coach Jim Stanton has been doing this a long time with the Rams. This week, however, he’ll face something he’s never had to do before.

After beating Laurel 25-20 on Saturday night with a late touchdown, Stanton’s team will turn around and face the same team in the opening round of the Class A playoffs.

Central and Laurel will play at 4 p.m. Saturday at Wendy’s Field at Daylis Stadium. The winner will advance to face Dillon, the two-time defending state champions.

"We’ve never done it," Stanton, in his 13th season, said following Saturday’s win. "It’s hard to say. It’s a real unfortunate design in our system that we pretty much have to continue conference another week.

"It doesn’t make a lot of sense to anybody, but that’s just the way it is. We’ll line up Saturday and try to make a run."

With two schools leaving Class A this season, there were changes made in the playoff system. The top two teams from each of the four divisions earned automatic playoff spots. The other four are wildcard spots; two each from the East and West.

Central (6-2), which had won the 10 previous Eastern A Conference championships, placed second. Laurel (5-3) was fourth. The playoff bracket, announced before the season started, called for the Eastern A No. 2 seed to host an Eastern wildcard team in the first round.

"It’s going to be tough; they’re a good football team," Laurel coach Mike Ludwig said after his team’s loss to the Rams. “I like our chances. We played well tonight.

"I’m just glad we’re in the playoffs and it’s nice we have to only travel 15 miles. We just have to line up and keep competing and see what happens."

Central’s latest win over Laurel was its 14th in a row in the series between the rivals. The Locomotives have not won since 2002 and the teams have not met in the playoffs since 2003.

The playoff matchup will be hard-pressed to live up to the excitement of Saturday’s regular-season finale.

Ben Voss scored on a 3-yard run with 24.6 seconds remaining to give the Rams the lead. Laurel had taken a 20-19 lead on a 2-yard run by quarterback Casey Cole with 3:26 to play. Seven of the team’s past 11 meetings have been decided by 10 points or less.

Central failed last season to reach the Class A championship game for the first time since 2007. It won state titles in 2007 and 2012.

Should the Rams advance out of the first round, it would set up a familiar matchup against Dillon. The teams played earlier this season, with Dillon winning at home 32-28.

Dillon also beat Central in last season’s state semifinals and in the state title game in 2013. Central beat Dillon for a state title in 2012

CLASS 'A'

Dillon, Havre, Miles City and Whitefish received first-round byes in the 12-team Class A field. After the class realigned in the offseason, a power-point formula was implemented to determine four wild-card teams. Hamilton, Laurel, Polson and Sidney earned wild-card berths.

Dillon is the two-time defending state champion and appears to be one of the favorites again. The Beavers defeated Southwest conference rival Butte Central 29-28 in last year’s championship. Miles City, which last won a state title in 2010, also enters the postseason with an unblemished record.

Hamilton at Butte Central, Friday, 7 p.m.

Butte Central, which lost a one-point heartbreaker in last year’s state championship, is back in the playoffs as the Southwest’s second seed. The Maroons (6-3) defeated Hamilton (6-3), a wild card, 42-19 earlier this season.

Laurel at Billings Central, Saturday, 4 p.m.

In an immediate rematch, Billings Central (6-2) hosts Laurel (5-3) after beating the Locomotives 25-20 last week. The Rams have won 14 consecutive games over their Yellowstone County rivals. The winner of Saturday’s matchup advances to play two-time defending state champion Dillon next week.

Polson at Columbia Falls, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Polson (3-5) qualified for the playoffs as one of the Western division’s wild-card teams, despite owning a sub-.500 record. Columbia Falls (4-3) beat the Pirates 35-26 two weeks ago.

Sidney at Belgrade, Saturday, 1 p.m.

In Class A’s only first-round game that isn’t a rematch from a regular-season meeting, Sidney travels to Belgrade. The Panthers (3-5) began the season losing their first four games, but won three of their final four to finish second in the Central conference. Sidney (6-3) was third in the East.

-- Slim Kimmel, Gazette Staff

Sidney to face Belgrade Saturday

·         Ashleigh Fox | Sidney Herald

• Ashleigh Fox | Sidney Herald

Sidney’s football team stands for the National Anthem ahead of action against Watford City earlier this season. Sidney travels to Belgrade for the first round of playoffs on Saturday.

Sidney’s football team is holding on to the momentum gained in Friday night’s win against Havre to propel the Eagles into the first round of playoff action in Belgrade on Saturday.

“I feel good about it,” Sidney’s head coach Roger Merritt said. “I feel good about the kids. They played really hard last Friday and we had very few mistakes. It’s a great momentum-builder to go into the playoffs with. I’m looking forward to it.”

After a nail-biting game between Billings Central and Laurel on Saturday, Sidney sits on the opposite side of the bracket from Billings Central and Laurel.

“[Billings Central and Laurel ] playing back-to-back weekends is going to be a tough challenge for both of them. They just have a unique rivalry between them, only being 10 miles apart,” Merritt said. “I’m just happy we’re sitting where we are. We have to take one game at a time, obviously, but with Belgrade, then Whitefish and hopefully the semi-finals we’ll be going back to Miles City and playing there. I feel really good about that matchup. But, whatever happens, happens.”

Comparing season statistics for Sidney and Belgrade, Sidney has the upperhand on rushing and passing yards per game, as well as leading tackles and points per game. In common opponent records, both teams have lost to Billings Central, Miles City and Havre and won against Fergus. Sidney overpowered Laurel 26-20 while Belgrade fell to Laurel 34-14.

“Belgrade has had a tough season. They started out 0-4. They’re a 3-5 team, but all the games that they’ve lost are to playoff teams,” Merritt said. “They lost to Miles City, Billings, Laurel and Butte Central and then Havre. All of [those teams] are in the playoffs and two of them have byes this week, so they’ve had a tough schedule. They came off with a big win over Lewistown to give them that second-place position in their conference.”

Despite the losing record, Belgrade brings experience to the table. Leading the team in the shotgun is senior quarterback and running back Evan Luhrsen.

“[Belgrade] presents some things,” Merritt said. “The quarterback likes to run the ball, so he’s going to be our focus. They like to run the ball a little more than throw it. They have a lot of speed. They don’t have a lot of size up front, so we have to control the line of scrimmage.”

With a solid game against Hardin, Merritt focuses on perfecting the little things with the boys this week.

“It’s going to be a week of practice where you get back to work and take care of some little things that we need to fix from last week, and throw in some things that we need to accomplish for this week to cover them and take care of some of the threats that Belgrade has,” Merritt said. “When you get to the playoffs, turnovers are huge. You cannot have any turnovers, and you cannot have any huge penalties that will take you out of drives. You have to take care of the ball and execute. I think if we do those things and run the ball as successfully as we did last weekend, I think it’s going to be a good game for us.”

In addition to a winning record, Sidney brings experience and strength both offensively and defensively on the line of scrimmage.

“Just like all season, our running game and our success of our offensive and defensive lines [are Sidney’s strengths],” Merritt noted. “If we control the line of scrimmage, we’re going to be able to do a lot of things we want to do. Defensively, with our great play from our linebackers that we’ve had all year, and the experience that they do have is going to be a benefit. Being able to stop their running game and force them to throw. I have a lot of confidence in our secondary to step up.”

Sidney leaves Friday morning for its six-hour trip west. The Eagles will practice and stay in Bozeman Friday, then travels 10 miles to Belgrade for the game at 1 p.m.

“It’s our third year in a row that we’ve ended our season with a 6-3 record. Finally, we get a shot at the playoffs,” Merritt said. “We are where we felt we should have been last year. The kids are excited about the opportunity that they have. It’s going to be an exciting game. The kids, I know, will be ready to play and they’ll be buzzing. If we just take care of business, we’ll be in good shape.”

Belgrade gridders hosting Sidney in first round of postseason

Panthers bracing for run-oriented attack by the Eagles

Dan Chesnet

Belgrade junior Trey Mounts returns a punt during last week’s regular season finale against Park County High School.

Posted: Friday, October 30, 2015 7:00 am

Dan Chesnet, Sports Editor | 0 comments

Stopping the run has been a goal for Belgrade’s football team all season long. But the coaching staff has put even more emphasis on that this week in practice.

Belgrade is hosting Sidney on Saturday in a first round State A playoff game at Jason Green Memorial Field, and the Eagles are more adept at using their feet than spreading their wings.

Sidney (6-3), the Eastern A’s third seed, is averaging 237 yards per game on the ground and boasts a 1,000-yard rusher heading into the postseason.

“From what we’ve seen of them, they run. They run off tackle and they run off tackle often. So we’ve got to stop the run this week. If any week we need to stop it, it is this week,” Belgrade coach Eric Kinnaman said. “If not, they’re going to have the ball for a long time.”

Belgrade (3-5) is returning to the playoffs for a fourth straight year, and earned a home game by finishing as the Central A conference runner up. After losing the first four games of the season — all against teams that have reached the postseason — the Panthers won three of their final four in conference play to clinch a playoff berth.

“They’re excited about this playoff game. We talked about it last week going 0-4 and how difficult the beginning of the season was and we’ve been climbing ever since,” said Kinnaman. “Now we’re at the end of the season and I’m feeling these kids starting to peak with their emotions. We’re starting execute our game plan perfectly, and that’s what we need at this time of the year.”

Belgrade is coming off back-to-back routs against Browning, 55-26, and Park County, 64-8. In last week’s regular season finale, against Park, the Panthers scored on their first six possessions of the game and did not commit a turnover for the first time this season.

After winning a second straight conference title a year ago en route to earning a first round bye, Belgrade was upset in the playoffs by eventual state champion Dillon. The Panthers committed a turnover on the first play of the game, and then had three more, during a disappointing 48-17 loss.

“That’s the key when you’re playing at the high school or college level. Turnovers are killer, emotional killers,” said Kinnaman. “You can be doing well and one turnover can change the whole aspect of the game. So that is going to be important.”

Hanging on to the ball and shutting down Sidney’s powerful ground game will be the key to success. The Eagles are averaging 31.1 points per game behind bruising running back Bridger Coffman. The 5-foot-10 senior has rushed for 1,054 yards and 15 touchdowns thus far.

Quarterback Tel Hermanson ranks second on the team with 243 yards rushing and three scores, while senior Chris Gartner has gained 299 yards and five touchdowns. Hermanson, a 6-foot senior, boasts a strong arm as well, throwing for 754 yards and nine scores.

“They’re going to try and control the ball. They’ve got some heavy kids, big kids that run hard. They’re big up front,” said Kinnaman. “And they play pretty aggressive defense. They’re a very, very physical team and we’re going to be tested in that aspect of the game.”

Kinnaman added that the Eagles like to control the clock by chipping away on the ground with runs from about three to seven yards a pop. And, once they lull an opponent to sleep, they like to slip in a halfback pass.

“I expect to see that, too, because they run that toss off tackle. That’s a play that we have to stop,” said Kinnaman. “Our corners have got to be very aware of what their position is during that play or during all plays so they don’t come up on that run and get burnt deep.”

Evan Luhrsen, a 6-foot-2 senior, leads Belgrade in both rushing (459 yards, nine touchdowns) and passing (543 yards), and has shined since becoming the team’s full-time quarterback at midseason.

Editor’s note: Saturday’s playoff game is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. The contest will be broadcast locally via radio on KBOZ 1230 with Chet Layman providing the play-by-play.

Polson vs. Whitefish

By David Lesnick The Daily Inter Lake | 0 comments

Again, it comes down to Butte Central and Dillon to decide a championship.

The two common big-game opponents and neighborhood rivals will tangle on Friday at 7 p.m. on Vigilante Field in Dillon to decide the regular-season title for Southwestern A Conference high school football.

With the crown comes a first-round bye in the state Class A playoffs, which begin next weekend. The loser of Friday’s game will be home in the first round against probably Polson. Friday’s winner will be home for the playoffs all the way through the bracket as long it keeps winning.

Dillon, the two-time defending state Class A champion, enters the regular-season finale with a 7-0 record, 3-0 in conference play. The Beavers’ last football loss was in 2014, to Butte Central by a 31-29 score at Montana Tech. A few weeks later, Dillon avenged the defeat a 29-28 win over the Maroons in the state championship game played on the same field. Butte Central is the defending Southwestern A champion and carries records this year of 6-2 overall, 3-0 in league play.

“The last two years, we’ve had some great games,” Don Peoples Jr., head coach of the Maroons, said about playing the Beavers. “During the 1990s and since we came back to the Southwestern A in 2011, it’s come down to these two teams several times. It’s two rivals playing against each other.

“It always draws a good crowd and there’s a lot of excitement.”

Dillon has adjusted its attack some this year to make better use of this year’s cache of weapons. Both quarterbacks are speed-and-throw juniors with good passing abilities and sprinter’s speed. The two first-year starters sit one-two in the league passer rankings with Tanner Kump of Butte Central at No. 1 and Troy Andersen of Dillon second.

Peoples acknowledged some differences exist in this year’s Dillon squad compared to last year, but quickly added, “There are a lot of similarities.”

“They have a lot of personnel,” he said, “but they’re still the same outstanding old Dillon Beavers — winning mentality and execute to play winning football.”

“Their offense has a lot of opportunities to score,” Peoples continued. “Andersen can run and pass, (R.J.) Fitzgerald is a real powerful, bulldozer type of runner and they have a lot of good receivers.”

Andersen also has good size at the QB position at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds. Fitzgerald is a 5-10, 205-pounder and the receiving corps includes 5-11, 145-pound senior Nate Simkins, who played a key role in the Beavers’ state championship game win last year against Butte Central. Six of the top 10 receivers in Southwestern A will be in the game with three on each team — Simkins, Payton LaFrentz and Kohltin Starkel for Dillon, and Cole Harper, Cal Hollow and Nate McGree for the Maroons.

Simkins is the leading punt returner in the conference, and Hollow is the top kickoff returner.

The big man on the Dillon line is 6-4, 305-pound senior Brenan Hammer and other returnees to the trenches include 6-3, 250-pound senior Derek McCullough, 6-4 210-pound senior Kyle Finch, 6-2, 220-pound Miles Korpi, 6-0, 180-pound Nick Huber and 5-10, 205-pound Todd Nordahl.

Fitzgerald averages more than seven yards a carry, LaFrentz is 2 for 2 kicking field goals, Gabe Hupp is another receiver and the team’s punter and Simkins has 37 catches for 593 yards.

“We’ll have to move the ball ourselves,” Peoples said, adding that the Maroons played their best game of the year last week in a key 42-19 victory over Hamilton that clinched a playoff spot. “We’ve been trying to build confidence through the year. We finally came close to putting togther a full game. The kids played hard and with a lot of confidence. Hopefully, we can carry that into this week’s game.

“Offensively, we spread the ball around well against Hamilton, so that was good. We had balance with run and pass, so that was good. We’ve been starting to execute better. Hopefully, that’s the way we play the rest of the season.”

Peoples noted that the Maroons have been in a gel process through the season due to starting three sophomores and several juniors who were not starters a year ago.

Junior Blake Burton leads Butte Central is rushing with an average of almost 5 ½ yards a game. Sophomore fullback Ryan Moodry ran for three touchdowns against Hamilton.

Kump has passed for 13 touchdowns, second only to Andersen’s 20 TD throws in the conference. Kump leads the league in passing yardage by more than 200 yards.

Harper has the most receptions in Southwestern A with 44 while Hollow has 29 and McGree 19. McGree leads the conference in interceptions with 14, and Ryan Ashby and Moodry have two apiece.

Defensive end Colin McArthur recorded two sacks and another tackle for loss against Hamilton, Kyle Schulte and Dylan Shea combined on another sack, and McGree and Sam Johnston also notched tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Hollow picked off a pass. Schulte batted down two passes.

The Maroons can be expected to use a lot of players and combinations on position rotations through the game.

Schulte (6-2, 205, senior), McArthur (6-0, 190, senior) and Ethan St. John (6-3, 265, senior) see time on defense at ends, St. John, Jake Michelotti (6-0, 240, senior) and Ryan Richards (5-11, 285, junior) at tackles, Shea (5-9, 175, sophomore), Hunter Hartwick (6-10, 170, sophomore), Moodry (5-10, 185, sophomore), Burton (5-10, 170, junior), Hollow (5-9, 175, senior) and Johnston (5-10, 165, junior) share various linebacker roles, Ashby 5-9, 150, junior), Harper (6-1, 170 senior) and Kump 6-0, 180, junior see time at cornerback, and McGree (6-3, 200, senior) plays strong safety.

On offense, Archie Petritz (6-0, 195, junior) is a quick-change artist on the sideline, depending on whether he is subbing in at tight end or on the offensive line, McArthur starts at tight end. Others seeing duty up front are Schulte, St. John, Michelotti, Richards, Shea and Liam Devine (5-10, 200, senior). Harper, Hollow, McGree, Johnston, Jared Schneider (5-9, 150, junior) and Chay Bouchee (5-11, 165, junior) all played at receiver last week. Moodry is the fullback in the power game, McGree spells Burton at running back and Kump is the quarterback.

Schulte is the punter, Tyler Kump (6-1, 180, senior) is the kicker, and Hollow, Burton and Harper all have been good on returns.

Butte Central (6-2, 3-0) at Dillon (7-0, 3-0), 7 p.m.

A game that need no introduction. Two of the most decorated teams in Class A square of with the Southwestern A title up for grabs in the 61st meeting between the two teams. Central holds a 40-19-1 edge in the all-time series. The two played a pair of thrillers last year, with Butte Central taking the regular season contest, but the Beavers getting the ultimate revenge by beating the Maroons in the Class A title game. The winner will take home the conference title, and with it a first-round bye in the Class A playoffs, while the loser will host a first round game next weekend.

The Maroons will look to carry the momentum from what was their most complete effort of the season last week, a 42-19 win over Hamilton to clinch a playoff spot. The key for the Maroons will be getting the offense going early, in their six wins they have averaged 35 points per game, while scoring just 16 per game in the two losses. In the win over Hamilton, quarterback Tanner Kump passed for 209 yards and accounted for four touchdowns. The Maroons' defense has also been strong, giving up less than 120 passing yards per game.

For Dillon, the Beavers come in on a roll, dominating in their past five victories by a combined total of 202-46, including giving up just 19 points in their three conference wins. The Beavers boast the league's best passing attack in terms of yards and touchdowns, with Troy Andersen leading the way. Andersen has tossed 20 touchdowns this season to just six interceptions. But the Beavers can also play defense, giving up just 136 yards per game on the ground, and the second toughest defense in terms of points allowed.

A host spot in the playoffs, and maybe more, is on the line for Friday’s Hamilton-Butte Central football game scheduled for Bob Green Field on the Montana Tech campus.

The kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. and the game is a Southwestern A Conference high school contest.

The winner will lock up a first-round slot in the state Class A playoffs. Butte Central will also keep its league championship hopes alive with a victory while Hamilton, which has lost to undefeated Dillon, will secure the conference runner-up berth and first-round home field in the playoffs. Dillon and Butte Central will close out the regular season against each other on Friday, Oct. 23 in Dillon.

The league champion earns a first-round bye and second-round playoffs host opportunity. Whoever places third will be in contention for one of two wild-card berths assigned to the combined Southwestern A-Northwestern A group.

“This game is as big as they get (in the regular season),” Don Peoples Jr., head coach of the Maroons, said.

Butte Central is 2-0 in conference play, sharing the Southwestern A top spot with Dillon, and 5-2 for the season. Hamilton comes in at 2-1 and 6-1.

Adding to the moment will be that the BC seniors and their parents will be honored in Senior Night festivities prior to the game, Butte Central’s last home tilt of the regular season. The seniors are Tyler Kump, Kyle Harrington, Kyle Schulte, Cal Hollow, Ethan St. John, Jake Michelotti, Cole Harper, Colin McArthur and Liam Devine. Harrington and Devine have both been out because of injuries.

Butte Central seniors pose for a photo after the first game of the season. They are, standing from left, Kyle Harrington, Kyle Schulte, Liam Devine, Ethan St. John and Jake Michelotti, and kneeling from left, Colin McArthur, Cal Hollow and Col Harper. Senior Tyler Kump, who joined the team later in the season, is missing from the photo. (Courtesy photo)

Hamilton’s head coach is former Butte High offensive coordinator Travis Blome and one of the Broncs’ assistant coaches is Deer Lodge native Steve Weston, who headed a powerful Hamilton program for several years before stepping down.

Bret Huxtable, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior, is in his second year as Hamilton’s starting quarterback and his strength is running the offense by making good decisions. Huxtable is a capable runner and passer to make it all go.

The Broncs’ rushing attack features 6-0, 200-pound senior Alex Draper, who averages about 118 yards a game, second in the conference only to Corvallis’ Wyatt Haldorson. Also, expected to challenge the Maroons’ defense is 5-11, 185-pound sophomore Bridger Bauder, who earned postseason honors in 2014 playing is a freshman. He ranks second in the conference in receiving and is one of the top returners.

Another top receiver for the Broncs is 6-0, 200-pound senior Jonathan Ringer.

“Hamilton is a very good football team,” Peoples said. “Huxtable is a good, experienced quarterback and Draper, their running back is very good, and Bauder is one of the top receivers in Class A

“Then, they reloaded their line this year with a bunch of 240-pounders. I can’t believe how huge these teams are getting.”

Hamilton follows Corvallis and Polson as the third straight Butte Central opponent with large linemen to try to move and muscle.

The bigger Broncs include 5-10, 260-pound junior Jose Menjivar, 6-2, 260-pound junior Brendon Brown, 6-3, 240-pound sophomore Zach Fussell, 5-11, 230-pound sophomore Blake Pitzinger and 6-2, 220-pound junior Riley Presswood.

“Travis Blome and Steve Weston make them a very well-coached team,” Peoples said. “They execute well on offense and defense.”

The BC squad is coming off a 28-14 road loss suffered at Northwestern A contender Polson. Butte Central saw a first-half touchdown called back on a penalty and also suffered through some assignment and alignment breakdowns on both sides of the ball, Peoples said.

“We need more consistency in our defense,” he said. “Our kids played very hard, but we had some problems on defense, sometimes in just lining up. We have to do better than that.

“We just need to put together a full football game. We haven’t done that, yet.”

Another area Peoples said he is looking for improvement is capitalizing on chances. He said the Maroons need to “do a better job in the red zone.”

Butte Central is expected to rotate personnel with the use of McArthur at tight end, when the position is required, while Harper, Hollow, Nate McGree, Sam Johnston and Jared Schneider see time at wide receiver. Ryan Moodry will be in fullback in the power sets while Blake Burton and McGree share running back duties. Junior Tanner Kump is at quarterback. The offensive line will include combinations employing Dylan Shea, Ryan Richards, Michelotti, St. John, Schulte and Archie Petritz.

On defense, McGree will be at safety while Harper and Ryan Ashby man the corners in the secondary. Linebacker time will be divided between Burton, Moodry, Hunter Hartwick, Shea, Johnston and Hollow. Up front, St. John, Michelotti and Richards trade off at the tackle spots while McArthur, Schulte and St. John will each see time at end.

Schulte is also the punter, Tyler Kump the kicker and Hollow, Burton and Harper lead the return corps.

Burton ranks third in the conference in rushing while averaging about 71 yards a game. Tanner Kump is second in passing with just over 222 yards a game on average. Harper has a conference-high 40 receptions and Hollow averages a league-high 23 yards per catch. McGree is also a Top 10 receiver in Southwestern A standings.

McGree leads the conference in interceptions with four while Moodry and Ashby have two each. Schulte averages 38.0 yards a punt. Hollow tops the league in kickoff returns by averaging 32 yards per runback. McGree and Tyler Kump are both among the league leaders in kickoffs with averages topping 40 yards per boot.

“We’re excited,” Peoples said. “This is our first marquee of the year for the kids.”

Both Butte Central and Stevensville will be looking for bounce-back efforts Friday when the two teams clash in a Southwestern A Conference high school football contest.

The game, the league opener for both, is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff in Stevensville.

Butte Central is coming off a 25-18 loss to Laurel after a 3-0 start on the season while the Yellowjackets began the year with a win over Livingston but have since fallen to three tough Northwestern A opponents — Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Frenchtown.

“We had a good week of practice and the kids are anxious to get back on the field,” Don Peoples Jr., head coach of the Maroons, said. “We’ve, hopefully, cleaned up a few things from last week. We were disappointed with the way we didn’t take advantage of some of our red zone opportunities, and we had some assignment errors on defense that hurt us.

“We were happy with our offensive and defensive lines last week and the blocking efforts. Now, we need to be more efficient.”

Stevensville has been showing a power running game augmented by a spread passing attack on offense under new head coach Tif Myers. The Yelllowjackets are led by 6-foot-5, 190-pound senior quarterback Bryce Torrey, who not only has the height to see over his line and the defense, but also possesses a strong passing arm. Even, better though, might be his running ability. Torrey is the third leading rusher in the Southwestern A Conference through the first month of football.

Stevensville has a pretty good stable of ball carriers with 5-1, 175-pound John Diepstraten getting the most handoffs while 6-3, 170-pound junior James Fry and 5-7, 135-pound sophomore Kaleb Behner also rank among the league’s top 10 toters.

The Yellowjackets are a young team with only four seniors on the roster — Torrey, Diepstaten, 5-8, 175-pound tight end Josh Barker and 5-9, 215-pound lineman Kordale Behner. The wide receiver spots are mostly filled by sophomores and freshmen, but sophomore Alex Gavlak, listed as a running back, might be the most dangerous deep threat. He is also their best return man and Torrey is the Southwestern A’s leading punter with an average of 49.0 yards a boot. There is good size available on the lines, but it is young.

“We’re expecting a tough game,” Peoples said. “They usually run two tights (at the ends) on offense and try to run the ball hard. But, they will spread out and throw the ball. It’s a dual challenge — a smash-mouth running attack, and 6-5 strong-armed kid to throw the ball.”

Butte Central has shown balance on the offensive side. Running backs Blake Burton and Nate McGree rank sixth and eighth, respectively, in league rushing. Senior receiver Cole Harper has the most catches in the conference with 24 and senior Cal Hollow has 10 to also rank among the leaders. Junior Tanner Kump continues to make positive strides at the position. He showed some quick ones last week in a 52-yard touchdown dash against Laurel.

Defensive highlights last week included forcing four fumbles, three recovered by junior outside linebacker Sam Johnston, and one by sophomore inside linebacker Ryan Moodry. The Maroons caught Laurel behind the line of scrimmage a number of times as Hollow had or was in on three tackles in the backfield, Kyle Schulte, Colin McArthur and Jake Michelotti were there for two apiece, and Ethan St. John registered one. McGree leads the league in interceptions with two.

Schulte is the No. 2 punter in the league at 37.8 yards per kick while Hollow leads in kickoff returns, 33.8 yards a runback, and is tied with Gavlak for No. 2 in punt returns, 15.0 yards for each on average.

“We have to finish in the red zone,” Peoples said. “We had a pretty solid game against Laurel, but assignment errors in the red zone kept us from scoring in the first half.

“The better the team we play against, the smaller margin there is for error. We have to put a full offensive and defensive game together. We’re excited that its conference. These games are really huge.”

Butte Central has the top-rated defense in the league going into conference play while its offense is No. 2. Stevensville stands No. 4 on both sides of the ball.

Peoples will again go with an offensive lineup of Dylan Shea at center, Michelotti and Ryan Richards at the guards, St. John and Schulte at the tackles, tight end McArthur rotating with wideouts Harper, Hollow, McGree and Johnston as receivers, Moodry at fullback in power sets, Burton and McGree sharing running back, and Kump at quarterback.

The defensive regulars are Michelotti, Richards and St. John rotating at the tackles, McArthur and Schulte at the ends with St. John also maybe seeing time there, Moodry at one inside linebacker, Burton and Hunter Hartwick switching off at the other, Hollow and Johnston manning the outside linebacker stations, Ryan Ashby and Harper at the corners, and McGree at safety.

The placekicker is Tyler Kump and Schulte is the punter.

Buy Now

Ron Balaskovitz, The Montana Standard

Dillon quarterback Troy Andersen, left, leads the Southwestern A Conference in passing, and guides the 3-0 Beavers into a home showdown with 4-0 Hamilton in our Game of the Week.

Two undefeated teams a third of the way into the prep football season will tangle Friday night at Bob Green Field in a Class A non-conference game.

The two squads, Butte Central and Laurel, have some familiarity headed into the 7 p.m. kickoff at the Montana Tech facility where BC defeated Laurel last year in the state Class A playoffs quarterfinals. It will be the Maroons’ homecoming game. (Radio: KOPR 94, online or 94.1 FM)

Both teams have also found success this season. Butte Central is 3-0 with wins of 16-10 over Belgrade, 22-0 over Browning and 39-13 over Hardin. The Locomotives have chugged past Livingston 48-0 and Belgrade 34-14.

“We’re excited to be home, too, after those two long road trips,” Don Peoples Jr., head coach of the Maroons, said, referring to BC’s games at Browning and Hardin the past two weekends after the home opener versus Belgrade. “The kids will be having a lot of fun with Homecoming this week.

“It seems a little early for Homecoming, but the weather seems like mid-October, so I guess it’ll feel like it.”

The mood was light Wednesday night, but facing Laurel will be a more serious business for the Butte Central players and coaching staff come Friday. The Locomotive offense has been smooth on the rails with quarterback Caje Golden sharing the role, but being responsible for most of the team’s scoring execution last weekend against Belgrade.

Laurel head coach Mike Ludwig, a one-time assistant for the Maroons, had to replace a number of seniors who graduated from last year’s state contending team. Junior Casey Cole, a 6-foot-1, 185-pounder, transferred from Forsyth to help the process. He ran for 132 yards on 10 carries against Belgrade.

Cole and Jared Craig each scored one touchdown rushing and one receiving against Belgrade. Golden is a tall, lanky QB at 6-2, 165. Ludwig can also count on returnees like his son, Connor, a wide receiver and linebacker, and Brandon Connolly, for good play. The line is anchored by a player almost as big as a locomotive in 6-foot-1, 315-pound Colter Hickok.

“They beat Livingston pretty handily and played really well in their win against Belgrade,” Peoples said of the Locomotives. “They’ll be the best team we’ll play so far.”

Peoples said Laurel, much like BC, will use run-pass balance on offense and quick pursuit on defense.

“They’re 60-40 (percent) pass to run,” he said. “It’s amazing that they were so senior-dominant last year and reloaded the way they have this year. They look really good on offense and they get to the ball well on defense.”

The coach said having two games on film for scouting Laurel has helped Butte Central in preparations. He said some new wrinkles might show, but does not expect any real surprises.

“They run their offense and their defense,” he said. “And they do it well. But we know what we’ll be up against and that helps with preparations.”

The Maroons continue to be without star running back and defensive end Kyle Harrington because of a torn ACL. He will miss his senior season. Consequently, BC has used the first couple of weeks to adjust and adapt.

Several other good players are back for Butte Central from last year and some more are being developed. Some changes of position have taken place for improved use of the personnel, Peoples indicated.

On offense, junior quarterback Tanner Kump, looked to have found his stride against Hardin and closed the game with a strong fourth quarter. Junior Blake Burton has taken over the main running chores, but the ball also is handed off to junior Nate McGree and sophomore fullback Ryan Moodry, depending on sets.

Senior Cole Harper is one of the leading receivers in the state. Senior Cal Hollow, McGree and junior Sam Johnston also rotate through the receiver spots while senior Colin McArthur is at tight end.

The offensive line has sophomore Dylan Shea at center surrounded by good size and strength in senior guard Jake Michelotti (6-0, 240), junior guard Ryan Richards (5-11, 285), and senior tackles Ethan St. John (6-3, 265) and Kyle Schulte (6-2, 205).

The defense rotates St. John, Michelotti and Richards through the tackle spots with McArthur and Schulte manning the ends. Burton and sophomore Hunter Hartwick share an inside linebacker spot while Moodry is at the other. Outside linebackers are Hollow and Johnston. The secondary has junior Ryan Ashby and Harper at the corners, and McGree at safety.

Hollow, McArthur, Richards and Schulte are among the veterans who started at other positions prior to this season and willingly made changes to help the team. Hollow had been a safety, McArthur a wide receiver and cornerback, Richards a center and Schulte a tight end, fullback and outside linebacker.

“We’ve had a good week of preparations,” Peoples said. “And, we had a good fourth quarter last week against Hardin. We put things together and scored on all of our times in the red zone. Hopefully, that will continue this week.

“Tanner threw the ball well and he had a great fourth quarter. It was his best game so far.”

Kump is in his first year as a starter after backing up at QB last season.

Peoples said the Maroons have remained fairly healthy except for the loss of Harrington.

“We have some typical bumps and bruises,” he said. “Health is the key to any football season.”

Even though the game is a non-conference tilt, the result could have bearing on playoff qualification and seeding under the new power rating system Class A is using for advancement to postseason this year. All games factor into the determinations.

Panthers battle injuries, elite competition during winless start

By MICHAEL APPELGATE Chronicle Sports Writer

• Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez/Chronicle

Belgrade has faced three consecutive teams with playoff wins from a year ago, and will play No. 4 tonight against visiting Custer County.

Eric Kinnaman weighed the positives and negatives for scheduling a challenging pre-conference slate.

The head coach and his Panthers are experiencing more negatives through three games.

They don’t just show up in the record, either. Winless Belgrade is dealing with injuries to a standout lineman and a center, and might be struggling with confidence, too.

These are a few byproducts of playing three of the top teams in Class A, Kinnaman said, and a fourth visits town today. Custer County, like the Panthers’ three previous opponents, won at least one postseason game last fall. Those squads combined for a 32-12 record.

Kinnaman and players spoke before the season started about how they will be tested before they reach their conference slate, which commences next week at Fergus. Now, the coach is hoping his squad can hit the road with some momentum.

“This game is huge for us knowing we can compete and beat a tough opponent and then go to conference and beat other tough teams,” he said. “Ending (the non-conference schedule) with a loss, we don’t take any steps forward.”

The Panthers have competed well in spurts, but penalties and sluggish play from an up-tempo, run-based offense has let close games slip away.

Kinnaman said he didn’t feel his team improved in Saturday’s 34-14 loss at Laurel. Defensive end and tight end Derek Marks, a Montana State commitment, was out with a hip flexor injury and center Zach Whelan didn’t play because of a hip ailment.

The two absences slowed an already taxed offensive line that has struggled creating running lanes for quarterback Tanner Campbell or running back Haden Van Winkle.

“Right now, people are just slamming in and getting up the middle and jamming us in the backfield,” Kinnaman said. “Hopefully, we can counter that with some old things we put in. We put in old stuff we ran in the past to ease their minds a bit.

“They do realize we’re playing high-caliber teams, but it’s hard to get that first win. A win would show the kids and know we’re doing the right thing on offense, defense and special teams and believe the system does work.”

Campbell replaced a dynamic playmaker, Brayden Konkol, with the hope he could be a similarly mobile threat and occasionally use his arm. With an ineffective run game, however, the senior hasn’t had time to drop back and scan the field.

“I’m happy with the way he’s running the ball and how he’s operating back there,” Kinnaman said. “We’re running the quarterback a lot. We have to get touches to some other kids.”

Kinnaman also noticed a difference between how his team performs in practice compared to games. He said his players might have “stage fright” under the lights.

“We’re tying to build the confidence to realize if they do what they did in practice, they will be successful,” he added.

Custer County offers another tough test. The Cowboys are coming off a 49-0 rout of Park and a 27-19 win over Havre in recent weeks.

“Your ultimate goal is to win a state championship, and we know there are three teams better than us,” Kinnaman said. “If we perform at a level we’re capable of, we can beat those teams. We’ve had another great week of practice … and I hope they realize the product is there.”

Park Rangers (0-3) at Hardin Bulldogs (0-3), 7 p.m.

The Rangers were shut out last week for the second consecutive time. There have been productive drives for first-year head coach Bruce Knerr’s team, but the handful it has produced were squandered by untimely mistakes.

“We re going hunting for points this week,” Knerr asserted. “We’re set in what we’re doing. All the motions are in and we added a power play. We’re getting there, though.

“Kids are still energetic about the whole thing.”

Ponies ready for Sidney ground attack

Week Four: Back at Home

Roger Miller

Havre High senior Nate Rismon, front, hauls in a pass during a Class A football game earlier this month in Havre. The Blue Ponies are home tonight to face their third straight Eastern A rival. Havre takes on Sindey at 7 inside Blue Pony Stadium.

When the Havre High football team takes the field tonight against the Sidney Eagles, it will not only be looking to win a football game — it will also be looking to win back some respect.

That's because the 2015 season has started unexpectedly rough for the Blue Ponies. First, HHS was soundly defeated at home by Whitefish, then after squeaking out a home win against Hardin, the Ponies were again dominated last week in Miles City, losing 54-28. So now, as the Sidney Eagles, another vaunted Eastern A program, gets set to invade Blue Pony Stadium, Havre is looking for a win and looking to regain some confidence.

"I think after the Miles City game some kids were dropping their heads a bit," HHS head coach Mark Samson said. "And Sidney is another good football team. They have a lot of kids back, but there is no reason why we can't compete with them. We have seen it at times this season. We just need to be consistent and we need to go out there and compete for four quarters."

The biggest area of concern for Havre after three games is a defense that has surrendered rushing yards seemingly at will and has allowed opposing offenses to score an average of 37 points per game. The Ponies have given up more than 200 yards rushing to all three of their opponents so far this season, which is something that will need to stop if HHS is going to get back on track.

"Sidney has some really big kids up front, and they are going to come in here and run it right at us," Samson said. "It's just a matter of the kids competing and doing a better job of finding and trusting their reads."

Havre and Sidney are long-time non-conference rivals that meet again this season after the Eagles came to Havre and snuck out a 14-13 victory over the Ponies a season ago. Last year, despite a 6-3 record, the Eagles failed to make the playoffs and as they come into tonight's game sporting a 3-0 record, they are determined to make sure they don't miss out on the postseason again.

And part of the reason why the Eagles have gotten off to such a hot start has been its running game, which is averaging close to 300 yards per game. While Sidney has a number of different ball-carriers, the primary one will be Bridger Coffman, who is averaging close to 140 yards per game and has eight touchdowns so far this season.

Coffman has been so dominant this season that he is averaging 6.2 yards per carry and in a 32-8 win over Lewistown last Friday in Sidney, he racked up 181 yards and two TDs on the ground.

When Coffman isn't toting the rock, it will usually be in the hands of senior fullback Chris Gartner, who has 92 rushing yards and two scores this season, as well as sophomore Alex Lovegren, who is averaging 8.4 yards per carry this season and is a threat as both a runner and receiver.

At quarterback, the Eagles will go with Tel Hermanson, who is in his first season as the team's full-time starter and thus far, he has played well, completing 65 percent of his passes, while throwing two touchdowns and just one interception. He also has 62 rushing yards and a touchdown.

The Havre defense may have its hands full stopping Sidney, but the offense also needs to improve on its play from recent weeks. So far through three games, the Ponies are averaging just 18 points per game, a pedestrian number for a team that features a three-time All-State quarterback as well as All-State and All-Conference wideouts.

Havre quarterback Dane Warp has been putting up solid numbers, averaging 198 passing yards per game to go along with six touchdowns and three interceptions. But, those yards have not equated to a lot of points for Havre and according to coach Samson it comes back to offensive miscues.

"Offensively, I think that we have played well at times," Samson said. "But it seems like on every drive, we get a couple of good things and then we shoot ourselves in the foot with penalties or giving up sacks. We have been struggling up front and we need to get better there."

In terms of targets to throw to, Warp couldn't do much better than junior Parker Filius and senior Nate Rismon. Through three games, Filius has hauled in 18 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns, while Rismon has caught 14 for 160 yard and a pair of receiving touchdowns.

Filius and Rismon will be vital in the passing game, but Havre will also look for contributions from Nate Korb, who caught a touchdown pass against Miles City, as well as from Logan Pleninger. In the running game, Havre will turn to Jase Stokes to carry the load. Jazz Schroeder should also gets a fair share of touches.

"I know that we can score points against these guys," Samson said. "Looking at the film, we know that we can move the ball, we just need to get off to a good start and stop making the mental mistakes."

On the defensive side of the ball, Stokes has been a standout for the Ponies this season as has Filius. Those two will pace the Havre defense from the linebacker spot, while Rismon, Pleninger, Korb and Ivar Aageson are key parts of the secondary. Up front, the Ponies will be counting on defensive lineman Travis Adams and Chris Gabrielsen to wreak havoc and hold the point against Sidney's dominant ground game.

Havre and Sidney will kick off tonight inside Blue Pony Stadium at 7. The Ponies will then travel to Browning next Friday to open Central A Conference play.

Tonight at 7 p.m.

Blue Pony Stadium

Radio: 610 KOJM AM

 

Friday Night Lights: Aiming Higher

Blue Ponies renew rivalry with vaunted Sidney Eagles

September 18, 2015

File Photo

Havre High's Parker Filius, left, runs by the Sidney defense during a Class A football game last fall at Blue Pony Stadium. The Ponies and Eagles have had a storied rivalry, and they'll do it again tonight at 7 in Havre.

There is nothing better than watching two great football teams go at it on a Friday night. And this week at Blue Pony Stadium, football fans will see yet another great battle between two traditional Class A powers in Havre and Sidney.

There is plenty of history that exists between the Ponies and the Eagles. Since the early 2000s, Havre and Sidney have regularly met in non-conference play, and the two teams will do so again tonight at 7 p.m.

Sidney is one of the most successful teams in the history of Class A football in Montana, with a total of nine state championships to its resume. Even though the Eagles have not won the state title since 1993 or played for the state championship since 1998, when they knocked off a Pony team led by Matt Kegel in the semi-finals of the 1998 playoffs, Sidney is still a contender year in and year out, in the always-difficult Eastern A conference, which makes them a marquee matchup each and every season.

"I think that does matter some to the kids," Havre head coach Mark Samson said when asked if his team was looking forward to playing its Eastern A rival. "They are always a good team. The Eastern A is a really tough league. I know the kids are happy to be playing at home and I think it does help to play a good team like Sidney,”

Of course, the Ponies shouldn't need any extra motivation after starting their season 1-2 in the non-conference with losses to Whitefish and Miles City, sandwiched in between a win over Hardin, another Eastern A foe.

Havre, which, just like Sidney, has been a perennial playoff team for decades, has gotten off to a slow start, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Ponies can't make noise in Class A football, especially with the relative weakness of the Central A conference, which has a 1-14 overall record through three weeks of play. Currently, Havre is the only team with a win.

Yet, coach Samson said the Ponies should not be satisfied with just contending for a conference title or a playoff spot. He believes Havre can compete with the best teams in the state, starting with Sidney.

"There are a lot of great teams in Class A football right now," Samson said. "And a lot of them have a lot of kids back. Whitefish had a lot of kids coming back, Sidney has a lot of kids coming back. Unfortunately, we don't have as many kids back, and we are playing some younger kids, but I am not one of those people that is going to step on the field and be happy with a loss and say it's a moral victory. I just don't believe in that kind of thing. Anytime we play a team in Class A, we should be able to compete in that football game and have a chance to win it."

In terms of needing a big win, few could argue that HHS is in desperate need of one and with an old rival in town, one that the Ponies have met in the postseason multiple times in the past two decades, the stage is set for a big victory and playing a high-quality team like the Eagles, could be just what the doctor ordered for the Ponies.

Obviously, losing to the Eagles will not cost the Ponies anything in the Central A conference, but after failing to compete against Class A contenders Whitefish and Miles City which, like Sidney, owns nine Class A state titles, Havre needs to make a statement. With the history between the two teams, few wins on the schedule would mean more than knocking off an old rival on a Friday night at Blue Pony Stadium.

"These kids really need to start aiming higher," Samson said. "We cannot just be happy being a playoff team or being one of the better teams in the Central A. I want to go into the playoffs with a good record and be able to compete against the top teams in Class A. That is my goal and I think that is what we need to aim for."

Belgrade gridders hosting Cowboys on homecoming

Will honor Miles City coach Stanton before game

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Posted: Friday, September 18, 2015 7:30 am

Dan Chesnet, Sports Editor | 0 comments

There’s a football game tonight as there is every other Friday in September. But players, coaches and fans will have more than just a game on their minds at Jason Green Memorial Field.

Belgrade is hosting Miles City in a non-conference contest to highlight a week’s work of homecoming festivities. But it’s the first game for Miles City without Dan Stanton. The beloved 47-year-old head coach passed away on Sunday morning after an eight-year battle with brain cancer.

 

Belgrade will honor Stanton, who led the Cowboys to state Class A championships in 2008 and 2010, with a moment of silence before the game.

Then Miles City’s players and coaches will be presented with a No. 32 Belgrade jersey (that was Stanton’s number in high school at Baker) signed by Belgrade’s players and coaches.

“We’ll present that to them before the game and try and not make too big a deal out of it. We definitely want to remember Dan and give them all the support that we can. But we don’t want to take away from what the kids have given to the game,” ninth-year Belgrade coach Eric Kinnaman said. “I think it’s important that Dan be recognized. He’s meant so much to Class A football, he’s won state championships over there and he’s done a tremendous job. He definitely needs to be recognized.”

Stanton is among four brothers well known within Montana high school football who are all currently coaching. Jim is the head coach at Billings Central, while Rob is the head coach at Billings West. Pete, who was the head coach at Belgrade High School in 1998 and 1999, is the head coach at Dickinson State University in North Dakota.

“That’s a tough loss for them. He’s been there for a long time,” said Kinnaman. “It’s quite the family and I feel bad for the city of Miles City and their team. It’s a tough loss for them.”

As difficult as death can be, life does go on, however. Thus, there is a football game to be played tonight.

Miles City is off to a 3-0 start under the guidance of interim head coach Kevin McAuliffe with victories against Powell, Wyo., Fergus, and Havre. The team is averaging 40 points per game led by senior quarterback Matt Blunt.

“It’ll be another tough task for us. They’re big and physical and they have some good speed this year,” said Kinnaman. “Just watching film on them a little bit, they’ll do what they try to do generally every single game. They’ll try to run right at you and they’ll just drive the ball right down the field by running right at you.”

Belgrade is still in search of its first victory of the season, which won’t come easy against a team undoubtedly playing in honor of their head coach tonight.

“They’re going to want to win it all. That’s going to be their ultimate goal is to win the whole darn thing,” said Kinnaman. “I don’t know what his condition was before this. I know in 2007 is when he first got diagnosed with it and they’ve been playing their hearts out for him, and they always do every single year. I’m sure they were playing extremely hard this year. So it’s going to be an emotional time for them — for the coaching staff, community and the players.”

Belgrade (0-3) is coming off a 34-14 road loss to Laurel in which the offense struggled to get anything going. The Panthers are averaging just 14.3 points per game, so the coaching staff made some changes heading into the final non-conference game of the season.

The quarterback has been the focal point of the Panthers’ offense in recent years, and opponents have made that their primary key on defensive.

Kinnaman re-evaluated the offense and has decided to go with an older system within the same offense Belgrade is already running that was successful in 2013, but with a couple of new wrinkles.

“We’re gonna try that,” he said. “We had a lot of success with it two years ago. So we’re going to go back to that and hopefully that opens things up for us a little so they can’t just key on our quarterback.”

Senior Tanner Campbell will continue at quarterback, but the coaching staff would like to get the ball into the hands of their play-makers more often. Meaning 5-foot-11, 180-pound tailback Hayden Van Winkle and 6-foot-2, 180-pound fullback Evan Luhrsen could see more carries.

“He’s (Luhrsen) such a great athlete. We got a lot of great athletes on our team that need to be touching the ball, that need to be getting the ball,” said Kinnaman. “So we’re going to try and get the ball in other people’s hands, too, other than just our quarterbacks.”

The Panthers will be without 5-foot-11, 240-pound sophomore guard Zach Whelan for a couple of weeks with a hip injury. But Kinnaman was hopeful that 6-foot-3, 230-pound tight end/ defensive end Derek Marks would be available tonight after missing the Laurel game with an injury.

“Hopefully we’ll have him back for this game,” Kinnaman said. “He’s had hip-flexor issues. Happened early last week, so hopefully (after) taking last week off and all of this week he’ll be healed and ready to roll.”

Editor’s note: Tonight’s game is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. It will be broadcast locally via radio on KBOZ 1230 with Chet Layman providing the play-by-play.

Don Peoples Jr. didn’t mince any words. The Butte Central head football coach was not happy with his team’s performance in last Friday’s 20-0 win at Browning.

“We’ve got to get better this week,” Peoples said as his team readies for a nonconference game Friday at Hardin. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. (Radio: KOPR 94, 94.1 FM or online)

In particular, Peoples said his team’s offense has to be better if the Maroons are going to improve to 3-0 on the season. Against Browning, the Maroons came away empty on five trips to the red zone because of mistakes or turnovers.

“We were disappointed by the way we played offensively,” the coach said. “We had way too many turnovers to be successful.”

Peoples said the Maroons need to get the ball to their playmakers, like Cole Harper, Cal Hollow and Nate McGree.

Junior quarterback Tanner Kump passed for 84 yards in horrible, wet conditions in Browning. The Maroons, though failed to complete a pass after halftime.

Peoples said he likes what he sees in his quarterback, who has just two varsity starts under his belt.

“We’ve just got to get him some experience,” Peoples said. “He’s got a lot of potential.”

He’s also got several weapons at his disposal with the likes of Harper, McGree, Hollow, fellow receiver Sam Johnston and tight end Colin McArthur.

Even though the Maroons lost star running back Kyle Harrington to an ACL tear in the season-opening win over Belgrade, the Maroons appear to be set at running back.

Blake Burton, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound junior, returned from a broken foot suffered at a camp over the summer to rush for 126 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Burton is a speedy back who can also break tackles and run over defenders.

He’ll be running behind a formidable offensive line made up of center Dylan Shea, guards Ryan Richards and Jake Michelotti and tackles Kyle Schulte and Ethan St. John. Ryan Moodry will also lead the way from his fullback position.

“He ran hard,” Peoples said of Burton. “It was nice go get him back.”

The Bulldogs went 0-8 last year, but came close to knocking off a Havre team playing under first-year head coach Mark Samson, the former head coach at MSU-Northern and Helena Capital.

The Bulldogs had a chance to win but fell 14-13 Friday night at Blue Pony Stadium. The game was the opener for Hardin.

Peoples pointed out that the Bulldog defense held Havre star quarterback Dane Warp in check in the loss. Warp is one TD pass shy of becoming the all-time leader in Montana high school history in that category, so that is an impressive feat.

“Hardin did a nice job containing him,” Peoples said.

The Bulldog offense is led by a powerful running game with Connor Murdock, a 5-foot-7, 190-pound running back who scored two touchdowns last week. He also broke off a 64-yard run.

“They didn’t throw much, but they ran the ball hard,” Peoples said.

Defensively was not a problem for the Maroons in last week’s shutout victory.

St. John stepped in at defensive end in place of Harrington and held up well. He’ll switch off with McArthur at that spot this week. Michelotti, Richards and Schulte will also start up front.

Johnston, Moody, McAurthur, Burton and Shea will all see time at linebacker.

The athletic BC secondary is made up of Harper and Ryan Ashby at cornerback, Hollow at free safety and McGree at strong safety.

“On defense we played really solid,” Peoples said. “Browning is a much-improved team. They’re going to win some games this year.”

The Maroons will return home next week to celebrate homecoming against Laurel.

Road Test: Ponies visit rival Cowboys

Week Three: Old rivalry renewed

Roger Miller

Havre High junior Nate Korb and the Blue Ponies play their third game of 2015 tonight when they visit the Miles City Cowboys.

One of the wheels fell off the Butte Central bus before the Maroons were able to head to Browning for Friday’s Class A non-conference high school football game

At least, figuratively, it happened. The BC club will be playing without star senior Kyle Harrington for the rest of the season. Butte Central head coach Don Peoples Jr. confirmed that Harrington suffered a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in his right knee late in the Maroons’ 16-10 season-opening win over Belgrade last Friday. Harrington is to undergo surgery in three weeks to repair the damage. The recovery period is generally eight months to a year or more.

“We are just sick about it,” Peoples said. “Kyle is an awesome kid in our program. He is a very hard worker, very good player and a polite gentleman. People know about him mostly for his ball-carrying, but he is a very good defensive player, too.

“We told him that the positive is that once he has this done, the knee will be 100 percent fixed.”

Harrington ran for 1,491 yards as a junior while helping BC to the state Class A championship game. He gained 129 last week before being injured on a play near the west sideline at Montana Tech’s Bob Green Field that helped set up the winning touchdown, a short carry by sophomore fullback Ryan Moodry.

“As usual, Kyle was trying for extra yardage,” Peoples said, “and his right leg planted kind of funny.”

Peoples said Butte Central will try “running back by committee” on Friday when the Maroons play at Browning. The game is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Arrowhead Stadium.

Senior Cal Hollow and junior Nate McGree will both see action at running back and at wide receiver on offense. Also,Peoples said  junior running back Blake Burton has been cleared to join the team after healing a broken foot suffered in a summer football camp. Moodry will also carry, in fullback sets.

Harrington’s defensive end spot will go to senior lineman Ethan St. John, who had been rotating with Jake Michelotti and Ryan Richards on the inside. Kyle Schulte plays the other end.

“Otherwise, personnel-wise, we’re going with the same guys as last week,” Peoples said.

Burton is the first of a few players who were hurt in the offseason expected to return at different times this fall.

Probable starters, then, on offense have center Dylan Shea at center, Michelotti and Richards at guard, St. John and Schulte at the tackles, senior Colin McArthur at tight end, senior Cole Harper, McGree, Hollow and junior Sam Johnston rotating at the wide receivers, and then Moodry at fullback and McGree, Hollow and Burton alternating at running back behind junior quarterback Tanner Kump.

The win over Belgrade marked Kump’s first as a varsity QB. He completed nine passes and directed a pair of touchdown drives. A TD pass to Harper was one of seven aerial connections between the two.

On defense, Michelotti, Richards, St. John and Schulte will be the front four. Johnston, McArthur and Moodry will form the linebacking corps while Harper and Ryan Ashby man the cornerback roles, Hollow is at free safety and McGree at strong safety. Ashby and McGree both had interceptions last week, and Hollow recovered a fumble.

In special teams, BC may still be without a placekicker this weekend but Schulte demonstrated a good leg as the punter versus Belgrade. Hollow nearly broke two returns for touchdowns.

“I like the way our kids competed,” Peoples said about opening with the win. “We gave up a big play in the first quarter, then the defense played really solid football. Offensively, we had some trouble with center-quarterback snaps that hurt a couple of drive opportunities. That’s something that can be cleaned up.

“Overall, I liked the way the kids fought, competed in that game.”

Butte Central will be facing a somewhat unknown opponent in Browning. The Indians had their opener with Polson canceled because health concerns associated to heavy wildfire-caused smoke in both places. Smoke hung in the air in Butte, too, but was deemed by authorities to be thin enough to allow for play.

Changes from what the Indians have done on the football field in the past are expected due to Browning head coach John Lucke involving the team in two University of Montana football camps during the summer.

The Indians also bring back a corps of talented seniors, including a number of whom have good football size. The Glacier Reporter newspaper listed Cody Lucke, Kevin Trombley, Jace Conway, Colton Wippert, Ryan Loring, Morgan Boggs and Tristen Redhorn as being leading returnees. The team has 14 seniors, the newspaper said.

“We don’t know a darn thing about them, except for what we have on film,” Peoples said. “We found out against Belgrade that things change.”

Belgrade used different formations on both offense and defense from what the Maroons expected after they’d prepared from viewing last year’s film on the Panthers. So, the BC coaches and players had to adjust on the fly.

“The film we have on Browning shows big and athletic kids,” he said.

Smoke shouldn’t be a problem this time for the teams. Heavy rains are being predicted, Peoples said.

Living for the moment....

There are certain characteristics required to be a great quarterback and in three-plus years as the Blue Ponies' starting quarterback, Havre High's Dane Warp has proven that he has them all.

Roger Miller

Havre High senior Dane Warp is nearing setting the Montana High School Association records for passing yards and touchdowns in a career. But in his senior season, Warp just wants championships.

Being a quarterback isn't easy. In fact, it's one of the most difficult positions to play in sports. Yet, Dane Warp has often made it look simple.

Maybe it's because he's built like a prototypical quarterback, standing 6-4 and weighing close to 200 pounds, or maybe it's his athleticism. Warp isn't a speed demon, but he runs a 4.8 in the 40-yard-dash, is athletic and can do anything that's asked of him. He's also extremely accurate as a passer with great velocity to boot.

Yet, the senior signal caller is not just a great athlete, he gets it done in the classroom too as evidenced by his 4.0 GPA.

In short, Warp has everything a coach could want in a quarterback, which is why he has been able to put together one of the most storied passing careers in the history of Montana high school football.

"I think the most important thing for a quarterback is great leadership," Warp said. "I think successful teams have quarterbacks that are efficient and are good at managing the game. I just try to take what the defense gives me and when the chances arise to make big plays, I try to take advantage of them. But, I have had a chance to play with some great teammates, some great receivers and running backs and offensive linemen. Having good teammates has been the biggest key for me."

Warp started right away as a freshman for Havre, but he didn't play like one, and from the day he became the starting quarterback for the Ponies, he has been breaking records left and right. And if you look inside the MHSA record book, particularly when it comes to the passing section, you can't go through a single category without seeing Warp's name.

"I owe a lot of that to my teammates," Warp said. "I have had a chance to play with some great teammates and under some great coaches. I got a chance to play as a freshman, the coaches trusted me to run their system and that experience really gave me a lot of confidence."

The three-time All-State selection already owns every major passing record as far as Havre is concerned, with career completion percentage being the lone exception as Gary Wagner (68.4 percent) holds a slight edge on him (65.2 percent), and soon he will hold the most important passing records in MHSA history as well.

Thanks to three record-breaking seasons already in the books, Warp is set to surpass former Billings Senior great Mark Desin as Montana's all-time leading passer this season, possibly as soon as Friday's game against Hardin. And not long after that, Warp should also exceed Brady McChesney of Glacier to be the state's all-time leader in touchdown passes as well. "You know when I was a freshman and sophomore and was told I was on pace to break those records, I thought that it was really important for me to do that," Warp said. "But now, I just want to win. Having those records is a great honor, especially because of the great players that held them before, but the people that win conference championships and state championships, they are the ones that get cemented in history. That's what I need to do, so if we have to run the ball 200 times to win a football game, that's what I want to do. I just want to win."

Warp, who currently has 8,625 passing yards for his career, following a 218-yard performance against Whitefish last Saturday, now trails Desin by just 282 yards. He also has 80 career touchdown passes now, thanks to tossing a pair in the Whitefish game, which puts him two short of the 82 McChesney had.

With the Ponies set to face the Hardin Bulldogs Friday night at Blue Pony Stadium, those records could certainly fall then and if not, with Warp, it's just a matter of time. After all, in addition to those records, the four-year starter is also fourth all-time in passing yards per game for a season as well as fourth in completions per game for a season, second in career completion percentage and ninth for completions during a season.

Yet, Warp also ranks highly in state annals in terms of single game achievements as well, ranking fifth all-time in the MHSA with most passing yards in a game thanks to a 438-yard performance against Lewistown in 2012. Along those same lines, he is also one of just eight quarterbacks in MHSA history to throw at least six touchdown passes in a game, which he did last season on the road at Livingston.

With his eye-popping skills and jaw-dropping statistics, it's no wonder why college coaches have been interested in Warp since he came on the scene in 2012. And while he has yet to commit to a school, there is no shortage of interested parties. But for now, at least, Warp is trying to keep that from his mind.

"I am just trying to play my butt off and work hard," Warp said. "I am obviously still going to talk to a coach if they call, but I am really just trying to focus on winning games."

When looking back on his illustrious career though, there is one thing that is missing and, according to Warp, that's championships. Despite all of his records, Warp and his Blue Pony teams have not won a state or conference championship, which at this point, is the only thing that he cares about and is something he would trade his records for in a heartbeat.

Roger Miller

Blue Pony senior Dane Warp has spent his summers working hard on football, hoping to earn a college scholarship. But right now, Warp is focused on winning football game for the Blue Ponies.

"Winning is the only thing that matters to me," Warp said. "I think to be remembered as one of the great players, you need to win championships. I remember back in middle school when our coaches told us we would be the next class to win a state championship in Havre. Mr. (Jeremiah) Nitz always told us that, and I still think about that when I go on the field for practice or a game. That's what I need to do, I haven't won a conference title or a state title, so I need to win a conference title before I can talk about winning a state title, but that's my goal."

With new head coach Mark Samson and a talented group of players around him, this season may present Warp with his best chance yet of achieving that goal. And if he can lead HHS to the promise land this season, or even close to it, it will be one more achievement on a list that is already amazingly long. It will also cement his status as not only one of the great quarterbacks in the annals of Havre High, but the state of Montana as well.

"I have always wanted to win championships," Warp said. "Winning a state championship has always been my dream, and I am going to do the best I can to try and make that happen."

 

Eagles prepare for Williston

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Posted: Wednesday, September 2, 2015 12:15 am

Ashleigh Fox | Sidney Herald

After a successful night in Watford City Friday, the Sidney Eagles football team looks to repeat a win at home in the annual Spud Bowl against Williston on Friday night. Last year Sidney beat Williston, 26-6, and the team is putting in the work in this week at practice.

“We’ll spend a lot of time on special teams. We’ve got to get comfortable with our special teams and kicking the ball. We’ve got some younger kids there that are very talented, we just have to get them some more time.”

— Roger Merritt, Sidney football head coach

Sidney overpowered Watford City last weekend 34-0 on the road, with 37 rushes for 197 yards and 13 completed passes out of 17 for a total of 184 yards, totaling 381 yards. Even with a loss, Williston’s road game against Devils Lake proved positive with 291 yards compared to Devils Lake’s 217.

Williston lost in its 12 penalties for 142 yards against Devils Lake, while Sidney had three penalties for 25 yards lost. If the Coyotes clean up their penalties and hold Sidney’s offense to limited yardage, the Spud Bowl should serve as a good early test for both teams.

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Dawson County High School football players perform a running drill during the team’s second practice of the year Saturday. The public is invited to see the Red Devils in action during the Red and White scrimmage, which is set for Aug. 28 at 6 p.m.

Jamie Ausk Crisafulli photos

RED DEVILS HOPE BIGGER MEANS BETTER THIS SEASON

Tue, 08/25/2015 - 6:43am admin

By Anthony Varriano

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

The Dawson County High School football team isn’t returning a lot of experienced players this season, but head coach Ryan Buckley said the team “might be a little bigger than last year,” which is good for a team that will focus on running the ball.

“Offensive line is where our focus is because we had five seniors last year,” he said. 

Of the 53 players, which is comparable to last year, 14 seniors return to the gridiron for DCHS, including Jarod Asche, who moved from tight end to tackle. Buckley said that move really helped solidify the offensive line.

“If Jarod didn’t move down we would probably have to play two (sophomores) …He’s a senior leader, and he wants us to do well, so he took it pretty well,” Buckley said.

Classmate Carson Oakland is at the top of the depth chart to play quarterback, with sophomore Cade Dockter in the mix as well.

“Both throw the ball pretty well,” Buckley said. “They’ll be expected to run the ball, and they’re both athletes, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

The one area the Devils do return some experience is in the backfield. Seniors Kacen French, Gunnar Garpestad and Dalton Larsen will split carries at running back. Junior Jameson Crisafulli will also get a few carries because all of them will play defense as well, with underclassmen likely seeing time on special teams.

“Our special teams is really up in the air,” Buckley explained. “The kid we had as a kicker last year moved … so we’re trying to figure that out.”

Asche is leading the competition to be punter with Crisafulli “pushing him” at the position. Cody Rossi, Garpstead and Taylor Conrad are competing to return punts.

Even if the offense and special teams have some question marks, Buckley expects the team to be competitive defensively and keep the Devils in games. 

“We’ve returned our linebackers and our corners,” he explained. “We have to find a free safety, but defensively, I expect us to be pretty good.”

With the Red and White scrimmage scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m., fans will get a good look at some of the underclassmen battling for spots on special teams, but Buckley isn’t quite sure how he’ll run the scrimmage, given he only has eight juniors.

“I don’t want to line our seniors up against a sophomore defense. That just doesn’t do us any good.”

The scrimmage won’t be a traditional scrimmage, but it will be an opportunity for sophomores Dockter, Jayden Holley, Tyler Clapp, Sean Daniel Taylor and newcomer Johnny Egan from Idaho, to show what they’ve got and try to earn a backup role.

“They’ll probably get some time in at the varsity level …There’s some good kids coming around, and those kids are working hard,” Buckley said. “Those sophomores will have to fill some holes, special teams holes and as backups.”

Looking at the rest of the Eastern A, Sidney is the early favorite by consensus.

“Sidney is returning a ton of kids, and I think preseason that’s probably everybody’s pick, but in talking to the coaches and ADs at our meetings, it’s as open as it ever has been,” Buckley explained. “From top to bottom, it’s as competitive as it has ever been.”

The Red Devils will get their first action on Friday, Sept. 4, in Glasgow. The froshmore team starts at 4 p.m., and the varsity squad goes at 7 p.m. The first home game is against Livingston on Sept. 11 at 7 p.m.

All coaches return from last season, with John Larsen coaching linebackers and acting as defensive coordinator. Stephen Schreibeis is handling wide receivers and defensive backs. Jim Mires coaches the offensive and defensive lines and kickers. Ryan Conrad coaches defensive ends and running backs and will be the froshmore team’s defensive coordinator. Brady Yrjo will be the offensive coordinator for the froshmore team and is coaching wide receivers and linebackers. Blaine Berg is assisting with wide receivers and defensive backs and will be coaching at the junior high level.

Dillon in search of its next state football championship

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Al Balderas photos, Montana Standard

Nate Simkins, the lone All-State returning player for Dillon High, jumps in front of Chris Carson to make a reception during Wednesday’s practice.

September 02, 2015 8:19 pm  •  Al Balderas The Montana Standard

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DILLON – The Dillon High football team is one day away from starting its 2015 season and thoughts of a third consecutive state championship are already on the minds of the Beaver players and coaching staff.

That should come as no surprise for a football program that has won three of the last four State Class A Championships.

Only six returning starters will grace the Beavers’ lineup this season but that is three times more than the Beavers had last season when they won their seventh state title.

Dillon coach Rick Nordahl explained that about 10 positions – five on offense and five on defense – will have to be filled because some of the players who graduated played on both sides of the ball. Filling in those blanks doesn’t seem to be something that is concerning Nordahl or his coaching staff.

“With our kids, it’s not that difficult of a task because they had a lot of playing time from last year,” Nordahl said. “The greatest thing about all of the kids stepping in now is that they got to play against those (starting) kids last year for four days a week. That’s where I think they get sound in their techniques. Practicing against those kids, that’s where our success has been.”

It’s not every day that backup players get the chance to practice and learn from starters on a state championship team.

One player who will be making his first start on Friday, when the Beavers host Whitefish at 7 p.m., is quarterback Troy Andersen. Andersen played behind J.D. Ferris the last two seasons and feels that he’s ready to do his part to keep the school’s winning trend alive.

“J.D. did a great job last year but I worked hard this summer and the team worked hard this summer,” Andersen said. “I think we have some big shoes to fill with last year’s state championship team so I’ll just try to do my best and we’ll all give it our best effort.

“There is always a little bit of pressure, being the quarterback, but we’ll all share the load as a team.”

Picking up some of that load is Nate Simkins. Simkins is other two-way player but one who has the ability to make big plays as a receiver. He is also the Beavers’ only returning All-State selection.

“Nate is that guy that has that extra sense on the field,” Nordahl said. “Anytime he touches the ball, he’s electric. He showed that in our scrimmage the other night. That’s just the type of kid he is.

“He’s a gifted athlete that can do anything that you can imagine, be it wrestling, basketball, baseball, football. For his size, pound-for-pound, I don’t think there is a better gifted athlete than Nate. A lot of it he makes up with just his field-sense.”

Andersen’s initiation as a starter should be made easier with a strong and experienced offensive line. Last season’s front line was essentially filled with inexperienced players. This year, things have drastically changed.

Senior center Mark Waldrup will be lined up with tackles Kyle Finch and Miles Korpi, and guards Nick Huber and Cordell McGinley. All but McGinley started last season.

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Finch, Huber and Waldrup are also expected to see their share of snaps on defense. Huber will is slated to be a defensive end, while Walrdup, Finch, Isaak Koslosy and R.J. Fitzgerald fill in the linebacker positions.

“The challenge was for the younger kids on the offensive line to jell,” Nordahl said, thinking back to the 2014 season. “That was where we made the most strides last year by the end of the season. The offensive line and defensive line really matured. I felt that really led us to the state championship. This year it’s kind of nice having four of five starters back on the offensive line. And a lot of the kids on the defensive side had a lot of downs.”

Waldrup has been picked as one of the team captains – along with Finch, Payton Lafrentz and Simkins – and is taking that role seriously. He would like to finish off his career at Dillon with another state championship and is pushing his linemates and teammates toward that goal.

“I need to make sure everybody is on the ball,” Waldrup said. “I feel that I have a responsibility as a center and a team captain to make sure the line gets its job done. If the line screws up, part of that is on me. I’m going to make sure that everybody is doing their job the way the coaches want it done.”

The road to another championship won’t be easy for the Beavers. Everyone on Dillon’s schedule will jump at the chance to dethrone the defending champs. The Beavers seem to be up to the challenge and expected to be tested by Whitefish.

“It’s about striving to get to perfection,” Nordahl said. “I tell our kids it’s not important if they start on our team. Their goal is to be the best in the state at their position. If they’re concerned about being a starter on our team, then that’s pretty selfish. But if they’re concerned about being the best player in the state at their position, that’s going to drive them to success.”

Having a short memory can also come in handy.

“At the start of every year, you’re looking to win the state championship,” Simkins said. “It doesn’t matter what we did last year. It’s about this year. It’s a new team and we’re looking to win a state championship.

The Maroon machine needs to connect all the moving parts, but the pieces certainly all seem to be there for another successful Butte Central high school football season.
The BC team held its Maroon-and-White preseason scrimmage Saturday morning on the Torger Oaas Maroon Field and a good-sized crowd got a look at a lot of promise. A good nucleus of standouts from last year’s state Class A runner-up team performed as expected. The first offense trampled the second defense, and the first defense stifled the second offense. Of course, the firsts are the pretty much the same players on both sides of the ball, as are their backups on the second teams.
Head coach Don Peoples Jr. welcomed one of his highest turnouts in 26 years at the helm as 39 players hit the field for Butte Central football.
“We’re not quite ready for a game,” Peoples assessed after the scrimmage. “I think we’re a week away.”
The Maroons,the 2014 Southwestern A Conference champions, are to open their season Friday with a non-league home game against Belgrade on the Bob Green Field at Montana Tech.
“A bunch of kids made athletic, speed plays,” Peoples said. “We had a lot of kids swarming to the football on defense. But we have to keep in mind that they were playing against a lot of younger guys.”
Offensively, junior Tanner Kump, with some limited varsity experience, is stepping up to take over for graduated two-year starter Danny Peoples and combines good speed with a fine throwing arm in the quarterback position. He scored on a 55-yard dash threw four touchdown passes in what looks like will be a dangerous big-play attack. His TD tosses were of about 35 and 80 yards to junior Nate McGree, 20 yards to senior Cole Harper and 10 yards to sophomore Ryan Moodry.
Senior Kyle Harrington, a 1,000-yard-plus rusher last year, displayed his power and speed on 60- and 80-yard touchdown bursts. McGree also busted an 80-yard TD run. The defense got into the scoring act with three interception returns for touchdowns — 40 yards by McGree, 55 by Kump and 15 by senior Cal Hollow.
Harrington and Hollow also teamed up on a quarterback sack, and senior defensive end Kyle Schulte collected a batch of tackles in the backfield.
Harrington has grown to 6-foot, 195 pounds since last year while keeping his sprinter’s speed, and McGree, who started in the secondary later in last year’s season, has shot up to 6-3, 200, and may have even improved his speed.
Another speedster, junior Blake Burton, sat out the scrimmage, but is expected to contribute much when he recovers from a leg injury suffered during a summer football camp.
“Offensively, we have good speed kids,” coach Peoples said. “Overall, we might have even more speed than we did last year.”
The line has good size. Schulte, a tight end/fullback and linebacker last year, is moving inside to tackle on offense, and going to end on defense, and joins returnees Jake Michelotti (6-0, 240 senior), Ryan Richards (5-11, 285 junior) and Ethan St. John (6-3, 265 senior) in the trenches. Also, senior Liam Devine (5-10, 200) saw quite a bit of time up front last year. Junior lineman Paul Thomas LaFleur, however, will miss the season with a knee injury, also suffered in a summer football camp, Peoples said.
The defense is a veteran group.
“We have seven or eight kids who played a lot of key minutes on defense in the state championship game,” the coach said.
Some have changed position. Schulte, 6-2 and 205, is now at end and McGree moves to linebacker from safety. Harrington returns at the other end while the offensive interior linemen will also play inside on defense. Several players contend for open linebacker spots while the secondary has starters Harper and Colin McArthur returning at the corners and Hollow back for a third year starting at free safety.
Peoples said many candidates are looking to take over the kicking duties, held by his son for four years before taking them to the University of Montana program. Junior Archie Petritz performed the tasks Saturday and Schulte has previous punting experience.
“Development of the offensive line is always the hardest (of preseason workouts),” the coach said. “It is especially so with it having to learn pass protection, run-block, and the different nuances in option, screen pass and so forth. The offensive line just needs to gel. But even though we’ve had only eight days of practice, the kids have playing football since June 1st with the seven-on-seven summer competitions and the camps we go to.
“We have work in the kicking game, but to be fair, the kids (practicing for the spot) have been kickers only about a month-and-a-half and there’s a lot to learn. We need somebody to kick extra points. We might be going for nothing but touchdowns until we get to the 10-yard line.”
A different element in this year’s scrimmage, Peoples pointed out, was that the freshman candidates didn’t have to take the upperclassmen’s brunt so much. More depth exists in the sophomore and junior classes than has existed in more recent seasons. So, the varsity’s showing Saturday was against bigger, more physically developed and experienced opposition than was usually available.
“There is an air of optimism, right now,” Peoples said, with a smile, about the anticipation for the season. “Everybody is undefeated.”
Peoples’ assistants this year are defensive coordinator Tom Peterson, offensive coordinator Doug Peoples, and position coaches Stephen Burns, Mike Paffhausen, Scott Mansanti, Marcos Pica, Jeff Hartwick, Pat Schulte and Clay McQueary.