Butte Central junior quarterback Tanner Kump threw for four touchdowns and ran for one more Friday night as the Maroons beat Hamilton 49-14 in the first round of the Class A playoffs on the Bob Green Field.

The click was back in the Butte Central football mechanism Friday night as the Maroons dealt Hamilton a 49-14 loss in the first round of the state Class A playoffs.
Junior quarterback Tanner Kump passed for four touchdowns and ran for another on the Bob Green Field artificial turf at Montana Tech. The turf was all that was artificial. The win was genuine and sends BC to Miles City next week for a Saturday afternoon game against the undefeated Cowboys in the playoff quarterfinals.
“It was fun,” Butte Central linebacker Cal Hollow said after his two sacks halted two Hamilton drives on fourth-down plays. “We started clicking. Last week, we weren’t really clicking (a 33-7 loss at Dillon).”
Kump’s TD pass plays measured 65 and 46 yards, both to Cole Harper, 7 yards to Blake Burton and 40 yards to Nate McGree. The quarterback’s 24-yard keeper for a score came late in the game when the Maroons were running out the clock. The first scoring toss to Harper came on the first play from scrimmage in the game.
“That touchdown by Cole Harper, you couldn’t start any better than that,” Hollow commented.
“We put a couple of new wrinkles into the passing game and got over the top on them early,” BC head coach Don Peoples Jr. said. “I think it was important to get an early lead.”
Butte Central had lined up to receive the kickoff, but the ball was booted out of bounds as Hamilton avoided kicking to Hollow, one of the state’s best returnmen. So, the ball was put at the 35-yard line and Kump connected with Harper on the deep route with Harper loping 5 yards beyond the nearest defender. It was an easy touchdown.
The Broncs made up for it, though, as their QB, senior Bret Huxtable, saw the Maroon defense part in front of him for a 60-yard sprint to the end zone. The score was tied 7-all in the middle of the first quarter.
BC broke the knot with a dump-off pass to Burton, a running back, when a drive seemed stalled inside the Hamilton 10-yard line. Butte Central kept the lead the rest of the way. The TD throw to McGree made it a 21-7 game and the second TD pass to Harper made it 28-7. However, Hamilton scored on the last play of the half as Alex Draper broke across the goal line on a 1-yard power play.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Maroons tacked on a 25-yard crash-and-dash for touchdown by sophomore fullback Ryan Moodry to go ahead 35-14. McGree then picked off his fifth pass of the season and ran it back 64 yards for another TD with the interception forced by fierce pressure on Huxtable. The McGree pick-six widened the gap to 42-14 before Kump bolted down a clear path to the end zone with less than 2 minutes to play.
“I’m really proud of how we played,” Peoples said. “Tanner did a great job of throwing the ball and he ran it well for us, too, at times.”
Kump completed 14 of 20 passes and suffered no interceptions. He gained 242 yards through the air and 65 on the ground for 307 yards of personal total offense. Harper finished with five catches for 142 yards. Moodry led the ballcarriers, churning for 70 yards on eight totes.
“Our receivers got open and our line protected,” Peoples said of the passing game success. “And I was really proud of our defense, too. We got a lot of pressure on the passer and our secondary, I think, had its best game of the season. Ryan Ashby, Nate McGree, Cole Harper, Cal Hollow, Tanner Kump and Sam Johnston were all in our pass coverage.”
The defense blanked Hamilton after intermission and, for the game, collected nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including the two sacks by Hollow, one by Colin McArthur, one by Kyle Schulte, one by Dylan Shea, and one shared by Schulte and Shea. Harper, Moodry, Jake Michelotti and Archie Petritz also lassoed Broncs for losses.
Butte Central held Draper to 36 yards rushing after giving up 121 to him two weeks ago in a 42-19 home win over Hamilton that solidified BC’s spot in the playoffs. It was a Southwestern A Conference game and was also played on the Bob Green Field. Butte Central also held the dangerous sophomore athlete, Bauder, to only two receptions for 47 yards and two carries for nine yards. They also kicked and punted away from him rather than risk electrifying returns, similar to how the Broncs dodged Hollow runbacks.
“Hamilton is a good team and did a good job tonight,” Hollow complimented. “I think they did a better job of scouting us this time. But, out defense, everybody played well.”
Hollow started his sophomore and junior years at free safety, then moved to outside linebacker this year, but is moved around a lot in the defensive alignments. His inclusion in the blitz package Friday was his most extensive use there yet this season.
“I like the moving around,” Hollow said. “We put me in the blitzing package this week. It’s one of the new things we did. The defensive ends did a good job holding their guys in so I could get in the backfield. The guys up front make it so (the blitzers) can get through. I sometimes miss playing free safety, but I like hitting the quarterback. Blitzing is a lot of fun.”
Peoples said he felt like Hamilton was tough to put away and was never comfortable until the lead went beyond three touchdowns.
“It wasn’t until the pick-six that I felt like the game was ours” he said. “They have a good team and so many ways to score. Our coaches did a great job getting the team prepared and making the adjustments.”
The coach also pointed out that senior Tyler Kump, older brother of the quarterback, was again 100 percent on his point-after-touchdown kicks. He joined the football team during the season and also competed on the Maroons’ golf team.
Peoples said the football coaches and players will enjoy the playoff win for “about 24 ½ hours” and then start to work on going against Miles City. The winner of the Butte Central-Miles City game will be the host for a semifinal-round game against Whitefish, Belgrade or Sidney, depending on how that part of the bracket plays.
“When we’re playing well, we can compete with anybody,” Peoples said. “We’ll go over there and fight our tails off. We’re not lying down for anybody.”
Butte Central is 7-3 for the season. Hamilton finished 6-4.

Hamilton 7 7 0 0 — 14
Butte Central 14 14 0 21 — 49
First Quarter
BC — Cole Harper 65 pass from Tanner Kump (Tyler Kump kick), 11:50. Drive — 65 yards in 1 play. Key play — Scoring play.
HAM — Bret Huxtable 60 run (Bridger Bauder kick), 7:32.. Key play — 71 yards in 3 plays. Key play — Scoring play.
BC — Blake Burton 7 pass from Tanner Kump (Tyler Kump kick), :55. Drive — 65 yards in 14 plays. Key play — Nate McGree 5-yard run to Hamilton 16-yard line on 4th-and-2.
Second Quarter.
BC — Nate McGree 40 pass from Tanner Kump (Tyler Kump kick), 11:42. Drive — 40 yards in 1 play. Key play — Scoring play after defensive stand.
BC — Harper 46 pass from Tanner Kump (Tyler Kump kick), 3:42. Drive — 64 yards in 4 plays. Key play — Cal Hollow 4th-down sack of Hamilton quarterback Huxtable at Butte Central 36-yard line.
HAM — Alex Draper 1 run (Bauder kick), :00. Drive — 65 yards in 12. Key play — Huxtable 15-yard run combined with 6-yard penalty against Butte Central for gain to Butte Central 7-yard line.
Third Quarter
No scoring.
Fourth Quarter
BC — Ryan Moodry 25 run (Tyler Kump kick), 7:43. Drive — 74 yards in 4 plays. Key play — Tanner Kump 38-yard run to Hamilton 36-yard line.
BC — McGree 64 pass interception return (Tyler Kump kick), 6:58. Drive — None. Key play — Scoring play.
BC — Tanner Kump 24 run (Tyler Kump kick), 1:58. Drive — 44 yards in 6 plays. Key play — Cal Hollow 4th-down sack of Hamilton quarterback Huxtable at Hamilton 44-yard line.

Ham BC
First downs 19 14
Rushes-yards 39-118 26-153
Passes 12-35-1 14-20-0
Passing yards 149 242
Total offense 74-267 46-391
Return yards 0 64
Punts-avg. 3-36.3 3-39.0
Fumbles=lost 3-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 3-30 5-32
Individual Statistics
RUSHING — Hamilton, Bret Huxtable 13-51, Alex Draper 17-36, Christian Ellis 4-13, Tycen Collins 1-11, Bridger Bauder 2-9, Michael Golden 1-(-1), Team 1-(-11). Butte Central, Ryan Moodry 8-70, Tanner Kump 10-65, Blake Burton 6-11, Nate McGree 2-7.
PASSING — Hamilton, Huxtable 12-35-1-149. Butte Central, Tanner Kump 14-20-0-391.
RECEIVING — Hamilton, Bauder 2-47, Jonathan Ringer 4-33, Ty Chouinard 2-27, Josh Triplett 1-19, Draper 2-18, Manny Rivera 1-5. Butte Central, Cole Harper 5-142, Cal Hollow 3-46, McGree 3-42, Sam Johnston 1-9, Burton 2-3.
TURNOVERS — Fumble recoveries — none. Pass interceptions — Hamilton 0, Butte Central 1 (McGree).

DILLON — Butte Central is headed to the Class A football playoffs looking forward to home-field advantage.

The problem for the Maroons is that they will be playing a week earlier than planned.

Troy Anderson ran for two touchdowns and passed for another Friday night as the Dillon Beavers beat the Maroons 33-6 at Vigilante Field.

The win gives the Beavers the Southwestern A Divisional title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

BC takes second place in the division and will host a playoff game next week. That game, which will likely be against Polson, will likely be on Friday night.

The Butte Central Maroons played their best game at the best time Friday night.
Sophomore Ryan Moodry ran for three touchdowns and the Butte Central football team fired on all cylinders in a 42-19 Southwestern A Conference win over Hamilton on Bob Green Field at Montana Tech.
The win gave the Maroons at least second place in the Southwestern A and a home playoff game. It also sets up a de facto conference championship game next Friday in Dillon.
Moodry scored on runs of 4, 57 and 27 yards in the win. Tanner Kump and Cole Harper hooked up on TD strikes of 80 and 26 yards.
The 80-yarder closed the first half with the Maroons up by 21-12. The 26-yard scoring pass opened the third quarter.
Kump also scored on a 7-yard run to start the scoring.
“I’m really proud of our kids,” BC head coach Don Peoples Jr. said. “We’d been really searching for that formula to play a full, complete game. Although there room for improvement, we came close to completing a full game tonight.”
Butte Central showed its speed and athleticism in racking up the Senior Night victory, one that may have been surprising by the width of the gap in the final score. The line shined both ways, with good blocking, especially in the passing game, on offense, and with its constant pressure on Hamilton quarterback Bret Huxtable on defense.
Senior ends Colin McArthur and Kyle Schulte kept Huxtable well hemmed in while the middle of the defense held the Broncs in check almost all of the second half. Senior Cal Hollow set up a touchdown with a kickoff return, intercepted a pass on defense and caught seven aerials on offense in a starring role.
His interception and runback was one of three touchdowns the Maroons had called back on penalties. They also lost a TD on a fumble at the goal line that bounded into the end zone for a touchback.
Penalties were a problem for BC. The team suffered 12 markoffs for infractions.
The Butte Central line play seemed to improve as the game progressed. It was dominant in the second half, especially on the defensive side and in passing situations.
“We all worked hard,” said McArthur, who moved from his cornerback spot of last year to inside linebacker to start this season, then being switched again, to defensive end, after Kyle Harrington suffered a season-ending knee injury.
“We stepped it up,” McArthur continued. “We got some new formations and got it working tonight. We all just rushed, worked hard on getting off our blocks.”
He had at least two solo sacks and was in on several other big plays, defensively.
Peoples said he believed the key part of the game was scoring just before halftime to gain a touchdown lead to take into the locker room, then scoring right away when the second half started. Both TDs were passes from Kump, the junior quarterback, to Harper, who piled 118 receiving yards. The 80-yarder was to Harper going down the west sideline. After grabbing the pass, he wheeled a spin move that rid the defender and then dashed untouched to the end zone. The catch at the beginning of the second half was of a loft deep into the end zone that settled perfectly into Harper’s hands.
Moodry showed power and speed during his 97-yard rushing performance,
“The touchdown before halftime was big,” Peoples said. “It gave us the momentum going into the locker room. Then, we came out and got a stop on defense, then another touchdown. The kids put in a great effort.”
Hamilton lost two fourth-down gambles that led to Butte Central touchdowns, the first coming when punter Bridger Bauder decided to try to run for first down, but was stopped short by Nate McGree. The turnover on downs positioned the Maroons at the Broncs’ 4-yard line. After a penalty moved the ball back, Kump scored on a keeper. Senior Tyler Kump, the QB’s older brother, booted his first of six extra points.
Hamilton responded immediately as Huxtable hit Bauder on a 70-yard scoring pass play. Bauder got behind the BC defense and eluded would-be tacklers. However, they missed the point after touchdown, allowing the Maroons to keep the lead.
Moodry’s 4-yarder ut his team back ahead by a touchdown, 14-6. However, the Broncs responded with a long drive and capped it with a 3-yard touchdown run by Alex Draper, who led all rushers with 121 yards. Hamilton attempted a two-point conversion, but Butte Central stopped the run in front of the goal ine.
Twelve seconds of game time later, Kump and Harper connected on the 80-yarder and BC had its 21-12 halftime advantage.
Hamilton tried again on a fourth-down run on its first possession after intermission, but Butte Central linebacker Sam Johnston tackled Bauder before he could reach the marker. Kump threw to Harper on the next play for the 26-yard TD play.
Moodry broke his 57-yard scoring scoot on the Maroons’ next possession and their lead was more comfortable at 35-12. The Broncs finished their scoring on a 29-yard pass Huxtable threw to tight end Josh Triplett near the end of the third quarter. The Maroons finished with Moodry’s 47-yard touchdown run set up by Hollow’s 45-yard kickoff return.
“We’ll enjoy this for about 24 hours,” Peoples said, “then get back to work. Dillon is incredible.”
Dillon and Butte Central last met last November on the Bob Green Field for the state Class A championship. The Beavers avenged a 31-29 regular-season loss with a 29-28 win to capture the crown, their second consecutive title.
The winner of next Friday’s Butte Central-Dillon game will receive a first-round bye in the playoffs and the loser will be home in the first round against an opponent to be decided. The Maroons are the defending Southwestern A champions. Butte Central is 6-2 for the season, 3-0 in conference. Dillon is 7-0 and 3-0. Hamilton fell to 6-2 and 2-2.

Hamilton 0 12 7 0 — 19
Butte Central 0 21 14 7 — 42
First Quarter
No scoring.
Second Quarter
BC — Tanner Kump 7 run (Tyler Kump kick), 10:50. Drive — 4 yards in 2 plays. Key play — Nate McGree tackled Hamilton punter Bridger Bauder on a fake punt play at the Hamilton 4-yard line on fourth down.
HAM — Bridger Bauder 70 pass from Bret Huxtable (kick failed), 9:48. Drive — 72 yards in 2 plays. Key play — Scoring play.
BC — Ryan Moodry 4 run (Tyler Kump kick), 3:23. Drive — 61 yards in 9 plays. Key play — Cole Harper 10-yard pass from Tanner Kump to Hamilton 5-yard line on 3rd-and-5.
HAM — Alex Draper 3 run (run failed), 1:03. Drive — 75 yards in 8 plays. Key play — Jonathan Ringer 15-yard run to Butte Central 3-yard line on 3rd-and-7.
BC — Cole Harper 80 pass from Tanner Kump (Tyler Kump kick), :51. Drive — 80 yards in 1 play. Key play — Scoring play.
Third Quarter
BC — Harper 26 pass from Tanner Kump (Tyler Kump kick), 10:27. Drive — 26 yards in 1 play. Key play — Sam Johnston tackles Hamilton punter Bauder on fake punt play at Hamilton 26-yard line on 4th-and-2.
BC — Moodry 57 run (Tyler Kump kick), 3:41. Drive — 69 yards in 5 plays. Key play — Scoring play.
HAM — Josh Triplett 29 pass from Huxtable (Bauder kick), 1:20. Drive — 80 yards in 7 plays. Key play — Scoring play.
Fourth Quarter
BC — Moodry 27 run (Tyler Kump kick), 11:47. Drive — 47 yards in plays. Key play — Cal Hollow 45-yard kickoff return to Hamilton 47-yard line.

Ham BC
First downs 15 18
Rushes-yards 40-211 35-227
Passes 11-23-1 16-24-2
Passing yards 158 202
Total yards 369 431
Return yards 3 18
Punts-avg. 2-43.0 2-24.0
Fumbles-lost 3-0 1-1
Penalties-yards 6-25 12-98

Individual Statistics
RUSHING — Hamilton, Alex Draper 19-121, Manny Rivera 5-49, Jonathan Ringer 1-15, Christian Ellis 2-13, Bret Huxtable 10-13, Bridger Bauder 3=0. Butte Central, Ryan Moodry 7-97, Blake Burton 18-86, Tanner Kump 10-44.
PASSING — Hamilton, Huxtable 11-23-1-158. Butte Central, Kump 16-24-2-202
RECEIVING — Hamilton, Bauder 4-97, Josh Triplett 3-37, Ellis 1-16, Draper 2-7, Ringer 2-3. Butte Central, Cole Harper 4-118, Cal Hollow 7-61, Nate McGree 3-42, Sam Johnston 2-18.
TURNOVERS — Fumble recoveries: x-0. Pass interceptions: Hamilton 2 (Draper 1, Ringer 1), Butte Central 1 (Hollow). x-Butte Central fumble traveled into end zone for a touchback, possession to Hamilton at the 20-yard line.

Butte Central senior defensive end Colin McArthur chases down Hamilton quarterback Bret Huxtable.

Maroon Cal Hollow looks to make Hamilton’s Christian Ellis miss.

Defensive linemen Ryan Richards (52), Jake Michelotti (53) and Kyle Schulte (54) chase Hamilton quarterback Bret Huxtable.

 

Dillon spoils senior night in Stevensville

At Stevensville, though coach Tif Myers was complimentary of his eldest class, senior night did not go to plan against powerhouse Dillon.

The Beavers scored two touchdowns in the opening quarter and expanded their lead to 34-0 before the Yellowjackets got on the board on John Diepstraten's 15-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Dillon quarterback Troy Anderson threw three touchdowns and ran in another from 35 yards out.

Dillon 41, Stevensville 6

Dillon;14;7;13;7;-;41

Stevi;0;0;0;6;-;6

D - McKay 5 pass from Anderson (PAT)

D - Anderson 35 run (PAT)

D - Starkel 5 pass from Anderson (PAT)

D - Hritse 59 run (kick no good)

D - Walker 5 pass from Anderson (PAT)

S - John Diepstraten 15 run (PAT)

D - Jones 7 pass King (PAT)

 

POLSON — The Polson Pirates used big plays at key moments to sink the Butte Central Maroons 28-14 in a key non-conference Class A showdown Friday night.

The Pirates had 6 plays that went at least 25 yards, including 2 separate 3rd and 26 conversions, both of which lead to touchdowns.

The Maroons hung tough all night, trimming the lead to 20-14 with just over 5 minutes to play in the game when Blake Burton punched in his second rushing touchdown on the night.  Junior quarterback Tanner Kump made an outstanding effort play on the 2 -oint conversion, a called pass play that wasn’t open and he took on three Polson defenders before barely stretching the ball across the plane of the goal line.

Polson’s longest play of the game came only two snaps later.  Pirate QB Tanner Wilson busted up the middle and raced past the entire Maroon defense for a back breaking 62-yard score to give Polson a 2 touchdown lead, a cushion they enjoyed most of the game.

The Maroons got things moving on their initial possession but finally bogged down in the red zone.  An unfortunate theme for Central all night was untimely penalties, in this case a hold on a reverse that would’ve resulted in a first and goal instead became 3rd and long.  The Pirates held and took over on their own 17.

Another tough penalty on the ensuing drive helped set up Polson’s first points, this time a pass-interference infraction hurt the Maroons.  The first of the big plays was the 32 yard strike from Wilson to Matthew Rensvold to put the Pirates up 6-0.

Central got going in the wrong direction before their next drive officially started with a false start penalty.  The Maroons couldn’t overcome it and were forced to punt after a three and out.

The Pirates next drive saw the first of their two crushing thrid and long conversions.  Jacob Harrod got behind the Maroon defense on a go route to get Polson out of a 3rd and 26 hole, gaining 57 in the process.  Rensvold then took over the drive, catching a 25 yard pass to the 1, rushing in the touchdown and then catching the 2 point conversion from Wilson for a quick 14-0 Pirate advantage.

The Maroons’ next drive was déjà vu from the previous one.  False start on first down, three and out, punt.

Central finally got going on the next drive, forcing a punt that went off the side of the kicker’s foot and only traveling about 10 yards before going out of bounds.  The Maroons took advantage of the short field by feeding Burton on 5 of the 7 plays needed to travel 60 yards.  Burton rushed for 45 of them including the 4 yard score and the Maroons looked to seize back some momentum, cutting the lead to 14-6.

The Maroons again forced a punt on the Pirates next drive.  This time Kyle Schulte busted through and had a great chance to block the kick.  The Pirates punter saw this and tried to angle the kick around him which resulted in the ball going directly out of bounds for a one yard loss, giving Central the ball at the Polson 35.

Central tried to go right back to the well that got them on the board their last time with the ball.  Three Burton totes got 7 yards but on 4th down Haden Smith jumped up from his defensive line position to bat away the pass and kill the drive.

The Maroons returned the favor on the next drive, a long march the started at the Central 28 before the Central defense forced three straight incompletions from their own 9-yard line.

With 2:18 left on the clock Central initially looked content to run out the half but after converting a couple plays and getting a roughing the passer penalty they went into hurry up mode.  The Maroons got to the Pirate 19 with 11 seconds to go but an offside penalty on the o-line and 2 incompletions sent the to the locker room down 14-6.

After trading punts to open the second half the Pirates found the rhythm that led to touchdowns on the inital two possessions.  The drive appeared doomed as a holding call and a delay of game had the Pirates facing 3rd and 26 from their own 6.  Rensvold again made a play, this time over the middle when he secured a fingertip catch just outside the reach of two Maroon defensive backs.  The Pirates used 9 rushes on the next 10 plays before Rensvold finally scored from a yard out to retake a two-score advantage at 20-6.  The drive lasted 13 plays and was 18 seconds short of taking up half the third quarter.

Cal Hollow nearly broke the kickoff for a touchdown but was tracked down after 47 yards and taking it across midfield. The excitement was short lived, however, as Jonah Burke stepped in front of Kump’s pass on the next play to set the Pirates up with good field position.

Central tried to get the ball back immediately and almost succeeded but Wilson fell on his own fumble. Hollow and Colin McArthur combined for a sack to force a punt and the defense held despite being on the field nearly the whole third quarter.

The Maroons finally got a splash play shortly after.  Polson did force a punt but Burton raced down and laid a jarring hit on the Pirate return man, knocking the ball free.  Archie Petriz came out of the scrum with the ball and Central looked to cut into the lead, but on 4th down Kump looked to convert and instead Harrod came up with the interception.

Polson once again found Rensvold making a big play, this time a 34 yard gain to set up first and goal the 6.  The Pirates were set up to put the game away but Wilson was stripped as he crossed the line of scrimmage and the ball slid into the end zone where at least a dozen bodies piled up to grab it.  When the refs finally got to the bottom of the pile Central junior lineman Ryan Richards had the ball, giving the Maroons life one more time.

Central finally got a huge play out of the offense to match the defense’s efforts.  Facing fourth and 2 from their own 28 the Maroons called a screen pass to Hollow that got him in space with a convoy of blockers, much like his electric kick returns.  He dashed 63 yards through the middle of the Pirate defense and was finally tackled at the Pirate 9, setting up Burton’s touchdown, followed by Wilson’s exclamation point on the 28-14 final score.

“It was a disappointing night for us,” Maroon Head Coach Don Peoples Jr. said.  “I thought the kids played hard.  We gave up some big plays when we had crucial momentum situations in the game and just didn’t get it done.  I thought we fought hard but just didn’t get it done tonight, but we’ll regroup and be ready to play next week.”

While Rensvold got most of the headlines, Wilson actually accounted for most of the Pirate offense, passing for 227 yards and rushing for 165 more.  The Maroons struggled to stop the wildcat runs from the Polson QB and he managed 9 runs that gained 10 or more yards.

Central had the running game going in the first half when Burton gained 82 yards on 13 carries, but he only managed 1 more positive yard in the second half on five attempts.  Kump threw for 206 but was picked off three times.  Nate McGree came up with a remarkable interception late in the 4th when he appeared to pin the ball between his forearm and helmet with one hand while fighting off a Pirate receiver in the end zone.

The loss drops the Maroons to 5-2 on the season but they still control their own destiny with the other top teams in the Southwestern A still on their schedule.  Central will host Hamilton, whose only conference blemish is to Dillon, next Friday on Bob Green Field at Montana Tech.  The Maroons then close the regular season schedule at Dillon in two weeks.

Polson will possibly be a team the Maroons might face again as they will battle Columbia Falls for the No. 2 seed in the Northwest, where Whitefish has claimed superiority with lopsided wins, including a 49-0 beating of Polson last week and a 47-7 win tonight over Columbia Falls.  The Pirates lost at Hamilton 27-12 to open the season.  Whitefish has only been challenged once, a Week 2 loss to Dillon by one point.

Butte Central 0          6          0          8 — 14
Polson             14        0          6          8 — 28
First Quarter
POL — Rensvold 32 pass from Wilson (kick failed) 6-0.  Drive 5 plays, 83 yards, 2:05
POL— Rensvold 1 run (Rensvold pass from Wilson) 14-0. Drive 5 plays, 67 yards, 1:36
Second Quarter
BC — Burton 4 run (kick failed) 14-6. Drive 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:25
Third Quarter
POL — Rensvold 1 run (Schulte blocked kick) 20-6.  Drive 13 plays, 79 yards, 5:42
Fourth Quarter
BC — Burton 2 run (Kump run) 20-14. Drive 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:17
POL — Wilson 62 run (Smith pass from Wilson) 28-14. Drive 2 plays 69 yards, :45
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
PASSING —  BC: Kump 17-36-3-206. Polson: Wilson 10-24-1-227.
RUSHING — BC: Burton 18-83, Kump 8-26, Moodry 1-5, Polson: Wilson 26-165, Cote 9-23, Rensvold 3-0.
RECEIVING — BC: Hollow 4-72, McGree 5-53, Harper 4-46, Burton 2-19, Johnston 2-16. Polson: Rensvold 4-127, Harrod 2-62, Smith 3-24, Ducharme 1-14.

B. Central;0;6;0;8;-;14

Polson;14;0;6;8;-;28

P - Matthew Rensvold 32 pass from Tanner Wilson (kick failed)

P - Colton Cote 1 run (Rensvold pass from Wilson)

BC - Blake Burton 4 run (kick failed)

P - Rensvold 2 run (kick blocked)

BC - Burton 3 run (Tanner Kump run)

P - Wilson 62 run (Hudson Smith pass from Wilson)

Dillon gets past Corvallis, 33-6

At Corvallis, Troy Anderson ran for two scores and passed for another to lead the Beavers past the Blue Devils in a Southwestern A game.

Anderson scored on runs of 25 and 6 yards for Dillon, which moved to 6-0. Peyton LaFrentz caught a 5-yard pass from Anderson for another score.

Wyatt Haldorson scored on a 13-yard run for Corvallis (0-6).

Dillon;13;14;0;6;-;33

Corvallis;0;6;0;0;-;6

D - Troy Anderson 25 run (kick good)

D - Kyle Finch 2 run (kick failed)

D - RJ Fitzgerald 3 run (kick failed)

C - Wyatt Haldorson 13 run (kick failed)

D - Peyton LaFrentz 5 pass from Anderson (Anderson run)

D - Anderson 2 run (kick failed)

Stevensville drops close one at Lewistown, 20-16

At Lewistown, Hunter Errecart scored on a 10-yard pass in the fourth quarter to lift the Eagles past the Yellowjackets in a nonconference game.

The teams traded touchdowns by players named Fry to begin the game. Lewistown's Isaac Fry scored on runs of 55 and 50 yards sandwiched around a 70-yard TD by James Fry for Stevensville.

Stevi (1-7) took a 16-13 lead into halftime when John Bietstraten caught a 10-yard scoring pass from Bryce Torrey.   

Stevensville;8;8;0;0;-;16

Lewistown;7;6;0;7;-;20

L - Isaac Fry 55 run (kick good)

S - James Fry 70 run (Jordan Thomas run)

L - I. Fry 50 run (kick failed)

S - John Bietstraten 10 pass from Bryce Torrey (J. Fry run)

L - Hunter Errecart 10 pass from Knox (kick good)

Hamilton wins battle of the Broncs over Frenchtown

At Hamilton, quarterback Brett Huxtable completed 16 of 27 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns in leading the hosts to the Class A non-conference victory.

Bridger Bauder had a big night at receiver for Hamilton (6-1), snaring eight catches for 100 yards. For Frenchtown (3-4), Jacob Price had three catches for 113 yards and a touchdown.

Frenchtown;7;6;0;0;-;13

Hamilton;13;12;7;14;-;46

F - Kyle Smith 57 run (Adam Botkin kick)

H - Cameron Rothie 70 pass from Tyson Cullen (Bridger Bauder kick)

H - Alex Draper 1 run (kick failed)

H - Bauder 18 pass from Brett Huxtable (kick failed)

F - Jacob Price 86 pass from Zach Palmer (kick failed)

H - Manny Rivera 2 run (kick failed)

H - Draper 16 run (Bauder kick)

H - Jonathan Ringer 19 pass from Huxtable (Bauder kick)

H - Christian Ellis 11 run (Bauder kick)

Havre 40, Belgrade 27

BELGRADE – Dane Warp threw three scoring passes, and Parker Filius scored three times as the Havre Blue Ponies outlasted Belgrade in a Central A contest.

Havre 14 6 13 7 – 40

Belgrade 14 6 0 7 - 27

Hav - Parker Filius 1 run (Jase Stokes kick)

Bel - Evan Luhrsen 69 run (Spencer Gordon kick)

Bel - Hayden Van Winkle 45 run (Gordon kick)

Hav - Nate Rismon 92 pass from Dane Warp (Stokes kick)

Hav - Rismon 21 pass from Warp (kick failed)

Bel - Tanner Campbell 24 interception return (run failed)

Hav - Filius 23 pass from Warp (Stokes kick)

Hav - Filius 1 run (kick blocked)

Hav - Rismon 15 run (Stokes kick)

Bel - Derek Marks 38 pass from Luhrsen (Gordon kick)

Havre 40. Belgrade 27

Havre 14 6 13 7 – 40

Belgrade 14 6 0 7 – 27

Hav - Parker Filius 1 run (Jase Stokes kick)

Bel - Evan Luhrsen 69 run (Spencer Gordon kick)

Bel - Hayden Van Winkle 45 run (Gordon kick)

Hav - Nate Rismon 92 pass from Dane Warp (Stokes kick)

Hav - Rismon 21 pass from Warp (kick failed)

Bel - Tanner Campbell 24 interception return (run failed)

Hav - Filius 23 pass from Warp (Stokes kick)

Hav - Filius 1 run (kick blocked)

Hav - Rismon 15 run (Stokes kick)

Belgrade News

Havre High quarterback Dane Warp runs with the ball during Friday night's win over the Belgrade Panthers in Belgrade.

Bel - Derek Marks 38 pass from Luhrsen (Gordon kick)

Havre Individual Stats

Passing – Dane Warp 14-24 292.

Rushing – Warp 15-40, Jase Stokes 4-24. Parker Filius 14-24, Jazz Schroeder 16-32, Nate Rismon 1-14.

Receiving – Rismon 5-157, Filius 4-69, Isaac Warp 2-31, Nate Korb 2-28, Stokes 1-6.

Livingston 28, Browning 24

Livingston: David Knerr 10 run (conversion failed)

Browning: Morgan Boggs 1 run (conversion failed)

Livingston: Austin Peterson 95 pass from Rydel Floyd (Wombolt run)

Browning: Safety

Browning: Dylan Loring 6 run (Josh Monro from Ryan Loring)

Livingston: Daulton Walker 45 pass from Floyd (Floyd run)

Browning: Dylan Loring 5 run (Ryan Loring run)

Livingston: Brock Peterson 5 pass from Floyd (conversion failed)

Miles City trounces Laurel

By Jeff Bersch

(0) Comments

LAUREL — Even with six wins and not a loss to show, questions still surrounded Miles City’s football team.

Perhaps no longer.

The Cowboys began to answer those questions Friday night, remaining perfect with impressive 34-14 road victory over Laurel in an Eastern A showdown.

“It was a good statement for our team,” Cowboys quarterback Mathew Blunt said. “We came in kind of untested. We knew we had to pick up a big win against a good team like Laurel. It’s a good feeling to get this win.”

Miles City’s toughest game and opponent to this point had been a 22-21 win over Sidney two weeks ago. Laurel was to provide some idea just how good the unbeaten Cowboys are.

They broke a 14-14 tie late in the first half, turning a turnover into six points with 23 seconds to play before halftime. Miles City (7-0, 3-0) then dominated the second half.

Next up certainly is the biggest of the season for the Cowboys. They will host Eastern A and state power Billings Central.

“We came in not tested and now knowing really how we compared to a good team like Laurel,” Cowboys running back Jacob Morris said. “We showed Montana and Class A what we’re about. I think we made a statement tonight.

“We have the biggest game of the season up next week, but we’re at home and feel confident with our home crowd. We have a lot to improve on and we’ll try to get better this week.”

It was Morris, who moved from Florida, who caught a 7-yard pass from Blunt fort the go-ahead score just before halftime. It came six plays after the teams exchanged turnovers on back-to-back plays.

Morris also picked up a fourth-and-2 on the Cowboys’ first drive of the second half and capped that drive with a 3-yard touchdown run for a 28-14 lead.

“Jake made a great play and I put it in the right spot and it was a great statement for our team. We got a lot of momentum going into the half,” said Blunt, who threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another 85 yards and another score. “We needed that score … because we knew we were outplaying them at that time. We just needed to get in the end zone.”

For Laurel, it was the second loss in a row after starting the season with four consecutive wins. The Locomotives were coming off a 26-20 loss to Sidney.

Casey Cole rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown and threw for another 100 yards, including a TD to Jared Craig.

“It’s always tough when you lose and we’re now on what people call a losing streak,” Laurel coach Mike Ludwig said. “We just have to come to practice on Monday and get better, fix some things and work hard to get back in the win column.”

Glendive 20, Hardin 13

Hardin: Connor Murdock 20 run (kick failed)

Glendive: Bret Vester 35 pass from Carson Oakland (John Eagen kick)

Glendive: Vester 7 pass from Oakland (Eagen kick)

Glendive: Wyatt Buxbaum 3 run (run failed)

Hardin: Codi Small 12 run (Stephan Walks Over Ice kick)

Going green for Butte Central meant going the distance Friday night as Corvallis took the Maroons there.

The BC team fought off as good as an 0-5 football team as one could likely imagine with the 35-21 victory over the Blue Devils on Shamrock Night at the Bob Green Field on the Montana Tech campus.

Butte Central honored St Patrick Grade School, the first Catholic grade school in Butte, by inviting alumni of the old school to carry the ‘We Are BC” flag to midfield before the game, and by wearing green jerseys with white pants for the special occasion.

The Maroons take the field with their St. Patrick’s uniforms.

It is probably safe to say the alumni were more pleased with the Southwestern A Conference high school football victory than any other part of the celebration.

The win was a might harder to collect than many might have thought it would be.

“We knew it was going to be tough,” Don Peoples Jr., head coach of the Maroons, said and added that it might have been hard at first to convince the BC players.

“It’s human nature to read a team is 0-4 (and think it might be easier),” he noted.

“But I’m proud of our guys,” the coach continued. “They played really hard and they made plays. I think our offense executed, but hurt itself with turnovers and penalties. Otherwise, the offense had a nice day.

“With our running game defense, we have to go back to the drawing board on that.”
The win guarantees the 5-1 BC club a winning record and improves its chances for a postseason berth to be determined by power ratings. The offense churned out 529 yards in total offense, 335 of it from the passing game, and tallied five touchdowns. It lost two fumbles.

The defense had good and bad moments, too. Corvallis sophomore running back Wyatt Haldorson, a natural at the position, gouged the Butte Cental defense for 293 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries, but the Maroons gave up little else to anybody. A pass rush led by senior ends Colin McArthur and Kyle Schulte harassed Blue Devil quarterback Spencer Jessop every time he tried to set up in the pocket. Schulte sacked him three times and teamed with McArthur for two more.

“Coach (Mike) Paffhausen is good at teaching the speed rush,” Schulte credited his position coach. “It’s two steps and a bull rush to the quarterback and it was working well tonight.

“That running back (Haldorson) is going to be a player. Coaches told us every player needs to be on him. All 11 players needed to be on him.”

This is Schulte’s first season at defensive end after starting two years as an outside linebacker.

“I’m still getting used to it,” he said. “I’ll play wherever they want me.”

He did the same on offense, moving from use at tight end and fullback to inside as a tackle.

Offensively for BC, junior quarterback Tanner Kump threw a pair of touchdown passes to Cal Hollow, and running back Blake Burton carried for two touchdowns while piling 175 rushing yards. Receiver Cole Harper scored the other TD on an end-around play.

Burton’s first TD was a 75-yard dash down the middle of the field right after the Blue Devils had taken a 7-0 lead on a 69-yard scoring sprint by Haldorson up the west sideline.

Kump connected with Hollow on a 55-yard play to take the lead in the second quarter. Hollow outjumped two defenders for the ball and then broke their tackles on his burst to the end zone. Kump was then the receiver for a toss from Harper on a reverse play that worked for a two-point conversion.

Butte Central enjoyed a 20-7 halftime lead after Kump found Hollow open at the goal line from 30 yards away. The pass was a tad short and Hollow wound up stooping for it, catching it between his knees and falling backwards with it across the goal line.

A Ryan Ashby interception set the Maroons up at their own 44-yard line. They capped their march with a play similar to the conversion, except that Harper kept the ball off the flip from the back and ran it in for a touchdown. Kump threw to Hollow for the two-point conversion and the BC lead was 28-7.

Harper and Hollow each had more than 120 receiving yards in the contest. Harper led all in catches with seven.

A long, 14-play drive gave Corvallis control of the tempo and the Blue Devils finished it off with a 5-yard blast by Haldorson. The quarter ended with Corvallis lurking, but behind on the scoreboard by 28-14.

Defenses were stingy in the final quarter and neither offense scored until the game had less than a minute left in it. BC sophomore linebacker Ryan Moodry picked off a Jessop pass in the middle of the field and took it 40 yards back before being caught at the Corvallis 19. Burton took it in from 16 yards out two plays later. Moodry booted the extra point while filling in for Tyler Kump, who was playing for BC in the state Class A golf tournament this week in Sidney and unable to kick for the football team.

With only 50 seconds left, the win was pretty much cinched.

However, having Haldorson in the huddle kept it interesting. He sped 52 yards on first down after the kickoff to the Butte Central 2-yard line and a penalty moved it to the 1. Haldorson then crashed into the end zone with 6 seconds on the clock. Trailing 35-21, the Blue Devils tried an onside kick, but Butte Central covered it. Time ran out on the next play, knelt out by Kump.

“A win is a win and we have a smile on our face,” Peoples said. “We’re guaranteed a winning season, but we have three monster games left to play on our schedule. One more win should put us in position for a wild card (playoffs spot), but there’s a lot of football left to be played.”

The Maroons (5-1, 2-0) will play at Polson next Friday, then face league rivals Hamilton at home and Dillon on the road to complete the regular season.

Corvallis        7          0          7          7 — 21
Butte Central 6          14        8         7 — 35
First Quarter
COR — Wyatt Haldorson 69 run (Cayden Ayers kick), 9:21. Drive — 80 yards in 4 plays. Key play — Scoring play.
BC — Blake Burton 75 run (kick failed), 9:03. Drive — 75 yards in 1 play. Key play — Scoring play.
Second Quarter
BC — Cal Hollow 55 pass from Tanner Kump (Kump pass from Cole Harper), 8:54. Drive — 83 yards in 4 plays. Key play — Scoring play.
BC — Hollow 30 pass from Kump (pass failed), 3:28. Drive — 78 yards in 8 plays. Key play — Hollow 15-yard pass from Kump to Corvallis on 3rd-and-16, setting up 1-yard first-down play.
Third Quarter
BC — Cole Harper 6 run (Hollow pass from Kump), 8:07. Drive — 56 yards in 6 plays. Key play — Ryan Ashby pass interception at Butte Central 44-yard line.
COR — Haldorson 5 run (Ayers kick), 2:23. Drive — 68 yards in 14 plays. Key play —Haldorson 9-yard run to Butte Central 16-yard line on 4th-and-4.
Fourth Quarter
BC — Burton 16 run (Ryan Moodry kick), :50. Drive — 19 yards in 2 plays. Key play — Moodry intercepted pass and ran it back 40 yards to Corvallis 19-yard line.
COR — Haldorson 1 run (Ayers kick), :06. Drive — 56 yards in 2 plays. Key play — Haldorson 52-yard run to Butte Central 2-yard line.

Cor                   BC
First downs                      24                     21
Rushes-yards                   48-302              34-194
Passes                              19-35-2             19-25-0
Passing yards                  161                   335
Total offense                   463                   529
Return yards                    20                     40
Punts-avg.                       1-39.0               2-42.5
Fumbles-lost                   0-0                    4-2
Penalties-yards                7-65                  7-41

Individual Statistics
RUSHING — Corvallis, Wyatt Haldorson 34-293, Hunter Humphrey 4-19, Ridge Albright 1-10, Zach Jessop 1-9, Spencer Jessop 8-(-29). Butte Central, Blake Burton 20-175, Nate McGree 3-11, Tanner Kump 7-11, Cole Harper 1-6, Team 1-(-2), Cal Hollow 2-(-7).
PASSING — Corvallis, S. Jessop 19-35-2-161. Butte Central, Kump 19-25-0-335.
RECEIVING — Corvallis, Danner Miller 6-65, Humphrey 4-40, Garrick Richardson 5-23, Albright 2-22, Haldorson 1-10, Cole Wohltman 1-1. Butte Central, Hollow 5-124, Harper 7-122, McGree 5-69, Sam Johnston 2-20.
TURNOVERS — Fumble recoveries: Corvallis 2 (Blaine Winsett 1, Cole Schmitt 1), Butte Central 0; Pass interceptions: Corvallis 0, Butte Central 2 (Ryan Ashby 1, Ryan Moodry 1).

STEVENSVILLE — The Butte Central Maroon football team finally put together all three phases Friday night, getting excellent performances from the offense, defense and special teams in route to a decisive 53-16 win over the Stevensville Yellowjackets to spoil their homecoming festivities.

For the first time all season the Maroons got off to a hot start offensively to match their stingy defense, scoring touchdowns on their first four possessions.  As usual the defense arrived from the opening kick as senior end Colin McArthur made a huge play on the third snap, reaching Yellowjacket quarterback Bryce Torrey in the backfield, stripping the ball and recovering the fumble to set Central up at the Stevi 25.

The first drive wasn’t exactly simple, however.  Central faced a fourth and 7 that was overcome with a 12 yard pitch and catch from Tanner Kump to Cal Hollow.  After a false start that backed the Maroons into a third 17 they caught a fortuitous bounce when a pass was knocked into the air and junior Nate McGree was there to haul in a 16 yard gain.  On fourth and 1 the Maroons let the big uglies pave the way for a 2 yard Blake Burton touchdown less than 4 minutes in.

As the first quarter continued the Maroons found tough sledding with their usually dependable run game.  This was a common theme throughout but gave the Central play-makers on the outside a chance to go up against man to man coverage.

Central head coach Don Peoples spoke about this after the win, saying “our passing game went very well, they were eight in the box, which made it difficult to run a bit so we threw the ball and our kids did a great job.  We had one lull in the second quarter where we didn’t protect, other than that, our line did a nice job pass protecting, Tanner threw it, we ran good routes and put up some good yardage, if people are gonna put 8 in the box, that’s great, we can out-throw people.”

The yardage numbers coach Peoples referenced were more in just the first half than most teams get in a couple games.  Kump was finding open receivers and they were making huge plays after the catch.  Kump connected on 11 of 17 for 330 yards and 4 scores in the first half alone.

In typical fashion the Maroon players were humble and quick to point out the contributions of those around them.

“They were in a man coverage,” Kump said, “Our main goal this week was to make sure our passing game was on, I just had to deliver the ball, my receivers did all the work, my line did all the work, they blocked great.  I couldn’t take all the credit at all, it was honestly my whole team that did the work for me.”

The videogame-like stats were only halted by the mercy rule, which got rolling with about 2 minutes left in the second quarter, and the Maroons pulling their varsity players after the first drive of the third quarter.

Four Maroon receivers hauled in at least one catch in the first half, with McGree leading the way, grabbing four balls for 112 yards, two of which went for scores.  Cole Harper wasn’t far behind, also pulling in 4 catches for 98 and a TD.  Hollow had three for 71, including 51 on a screen pass where he outran the entire Yellowjacket secondary to the pylon.  Blake Burton didn’t find much running room but did catch one pass for 49 yards.

“He has really good accuracy, that’s one thing he has is really good accuracy,” Harper said of Kump.  “He read them really good too.”

The Maroon defense has been stout all season and this game was no exception. Stevensville didn’t register a first down until their third possession late in the first quarter.  After Torrey completed back to back passes sophomore linebacker Ryan Moodry stepped in front of the third straight attempt.  It was the second drive in a row that ended with the ball in his hands as he punched in a 3 yard score on the previous Central possession.

The stifling Central D forced three turnovers in the first half to go along with 4 punts.  McGree was responsible for the third pick which came on the first scrimmage play after he rushed in a 15 yard touchdown.  Dylan Shea had a solo sack with McArthur and Hollow combining for another.  Hollow came up with 2 batted passes on attempted Torrey rollouts.

“The defense played really well,” Peoples said in praise of his team’s effort, but he also saw some room for improvement.  “The only time they got some yardage was when we had some alignment problems.  We suffered from that a little bit against Laurel and it was a little better this game.  They did a good job, played hard and I think everybody stayed healthy.  We got all of our young kids in the game, so it was a good night for us.”

“It’s pretty different from what we have been going against,” Harper said about the run-heavy attack Stevensville attempted to employ.  “We practiced that all week, to keep contain and not let them get outside.”

The special teams also had some bright spots.  The Central kicking game started to connect with Tyler Kump hitting on 5 of 7 PAT attempts.  He also shared some of the kickoff duties with McGree.  One of McGree’s kicks took a lucky bounce for the Maroons late in the first half.  His attempted squib kick drilled a Yellowjacket lineman and freshman Clay Fisher was there to collect the recovery.  The next play was Hollow’s screen that put the Maroons up 46-0 at the break.

Central put the starters back in for one more series in the third. Kump hit Harper for the only completion which was down to the 2 where Burton scored from a play later. The Maroons scored eight touchdowns on the nine possessions their regulars were in for.

Freshman Cade Holter got his first playing time as a Maroon quarterback.  He completed 1 of 3 passes, finding Noah McGee on a third and long.  Stevensville kept their varsity in the whole game and was able to put up 16 points against the Maroon froshmores in the fourth quarter.

With the win, Central is now 4-1 on the season and 1-0 in conference play.  The Maroons will host Corvallis next Friday evening at Montana Tech on Bob Green Field.  It was reported that the Blue Devils’ head coach pulled his team from the field during the third quarter of a 55-7 drubbing against Whitefish Friday evening.  Central has put up very lopsided wins versus Corvallis in recent years.

Coach Peoples looked ahead to next week’s game, saying “every game is crucial now, not only is it a big conference game but with the power ranking stuff that we’re faced with in Class A now, every game really counts down the stretch here.  We are excited to be back home though.”

Butte Central            20        26        7          0 — 53
Stevensville                0          0          0          16 — 16
First Quarter
BC — Burton 2 yard run (Tyler Kump kick), 7-0.  Drive 8 plays, 25 yards 2:15
BC — Moodry 3 yard run (Kump kick) 14-0. Drive 7 plays, 78 yards, 2:32
BC — Harper 45 yard reception from Tanner Kump (kick blocked) 20-0. Drive 2 plays, 53 yards, :38
Second Quarter
BC — McGree 15 yard run (pass failed) 26-0. Drive 5 plays, 81 yards, 1:30
BC — McGree 22 yard reception from Kump (kick failed) 32-0.  Drive 3 plays, 51 yards, :53
BC — Harper 40 yard reception from Kump (Tyler Kump kick) 39-0. Drive 1 play, 40 yards, :08
BC — Hollow 51 yard reception from Kump (Tyler Kump kick) 46-0. Drive 1 play, 51 yards :35
Third Quarter
BC — Moodry 2 yard run (Tyler Kump kick) 53-0. Drive 7 plays, 57 yards, 8:17
Fourth Quarter
Stevi — Diepstraten 16 yard run (Diepstraten run) 53-8. Drive 3 plays, 66 yards, 2:17
Stevi — Diepstrten 10 yard run (Diepstraten run) 53-16.  Drive 7 plays, 57 yards, 4:09
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
PASSING — BC, Kump 12-19-0-361, Holter 1-3-1-14. Stevi,Torrey 3-9-2-45 yards.
RUSHING —  BC, Burton 11-36, Kump 2-15, Moodry 5-12, McGree 3-11, Fisher 5-6, Holter 2-(-4). Stevi, Diepstraten 14-88, Fry 6-70, Torrey 8-15, Barker 1-6, LeCoure 2-3.
RECEIVING — BC, Harper 5-129, McGree 4-112, Hollow 3-71, Burton 1-49, McGee 1-14. Stevi, Fry 2-34, Thrall 1-11.

At Stevensville, Ryan Moodry and Nate McGree scored three touchdowns apiece in the Maroons' Southwestern A win over Stevensville.

Moodry scored on runs of 2, 3 and 3 yards. McGree scored on a 17-yard run and on passes of 20 and 40 yards from Tanner Kump.

John Diepstraten scored both TDs for Stevensville on runs of 15 and 10 yards.

Butte Central improved to 1-0 in league, 4-1 overall. Stevensville fell to 0-1, 1-4.

Central;20;26;7;0;–;53

Stevensville;0;0;0;16;–;16

BC - Ryan Moodry 2 run (kick good)

BC - Moodry 3 run (Sam Johnston pass from Tanner Kump)

BC - Nate McGree 17 run (kick failed)

BC - McGree 20 pass from Kump (kick failed)

BC - McGree 40 pass from Kump (kick failed)

BC - Cal Hollow 50 pass from Kump (kick good)

BC - Moodry 3 run (kick good)

S - John Diepstarten 15 run (Diepstarten run)

S - Diepstarten 10 run (Jordan Thomas run)

Dillon hands Hamilton first loss, 37-7

DILLON -- In a battle of unbeaten Southwestern A teams on Friday, the Dillon Beavers established themselves as the class of the league by downing Hamilton, 37-7.

Quarterback Troy Anderson had a huge night for Dillon, and started it off by running in a 2-yard touchdown to kick off scoring for the Beavers in the first quarter. He ran in another, this time from 1-yard out, to give Dillon a 14-0 lead.

But Anderson wasn't done. In the second quarter he did it through the air, throwing two touchdown passes to Nate Simpkins. Anderson finished the night 24-for-38 passing, with 262 yards and three TDs. He accounted for all five of the Beavers' touchdowns.

Another score, this time a pass from Anderson to R.J. Fitzgerald, gave Dillon a 34-0 edge, before Hamilton finally got on the board. That score came via a 2-yard run by Christian Ellis.

But on a night that was all Beavers from the start, it made sense that Dillon would get the last word, a 29-yard field goal by Payton Lafrentz.

Fitzgerald finished the night with eight rushes and 33 yards for Dillon, while Alex Draper led the way for Hamilton on the ground, with 51 yards rushing in the loss. 

Hamilton;7;7;7;7;–;7

Dillon;14;14;0;9;–;37

D – Troy Andersen 2 run (Payton Lafrentz kick)

D – Andersen 1 run (Lafrentz kick)

D – Nate Simkins 6 pass from Andersen (Lafrentz kick)

D – Simkins 24 pass from Andersen (Lafrentz kick)

D- R.J. Fitzgerald 4 pass from Andersen (kick failed)        

H – Christian Ellis 2 run (Bridger Bauder kick)

D – Lafrentz 29 FG

Rushing – Ham: Alex Draper 18-51, Bauder 4-6; Dil – Andersen 9-68, Fitzgerald 8-33.

Passing – Ham: Bret Huxtable 9-21-1-140; Dil – Andersen 24-38-1-262.

Receiving – Ham: Bauder 5-73, Cameron Rothie 2-45; Dil – Simkins 7-85, Tory Walker 5-74

Lewistown 43, Livingston 6

Lewistown: Errcart 13 pass from Knox (kick blocked)

Lewistown: Fry 22 pass from Knox (Kucera run)

Lewistown: Kucera 2 run (Koenig kick)

Lewistown: Welsh 16 pass from Knox (kick failed)

Lewistown: Fry 22 run (Koenig kick)

Livingston: Brock Peterson 55 pass from Rydell Floyd (pass failed)

Lewistown: Safety, punt blocked out of end zone

Lewistown: Blythe 5 run (Koenig kick)

• Bill Vander Weele | Sidney Herald

Senior running back Bridger Coffman sprints past the defense during action against Miles City.

 

After a dominating first half, the game turned around against the Sidney Eagles in the second half as they fell short at Miles City, 22-21, in Eastern A action Friday night.

The Eagles earned a 21-8 lead in the opening half, but things started to go badly early in the third quarter. During a Miles City punt attempt, the Eagles were called for an illegal participation penalty. The call resulted in a first down for the Cowboys at the Sidney 19.

A sack by Trent Schilling pushed Miles City back to the 26 and into a third-and-17 situation. Quarterback Matthew Blunt scrambled to the 17 to create a fourth-and-eight. Blunt, a senior, then connected with Wyatt Lesh for a first down at the nine. Three plays later, Blunt scored from the one to pull the Cowboys to 21-14 with 6:36 left in the third quarter.

The Eagles, however, appeared ready to answer right back. Alec Lovegren took the ensuing kickoff 48 yards to the Cowboy 38. Two straight runs by fullback Chris Gartner produced a first down at the 27. Dashes by Bridger Coffman and Gartner picked up another first down at the 15, but the threat ended when Miles City’s Mason Dinardi intercepted a fourth-down pass attempt.

The Cowboys went on to drive from their own six to as deep as the Sidney 15, but the Eagles held the home team there.

Still ahead by seven, the Eagles were held to a three-and-out and punted the ball back. A nice return by Tyler Burk set the Cowboys up at the 48. After the quick feet of Blunt produced a first down at the 38, Blunt fired a strike to Lesh on a play that ended at the one. Two plays later, Blunt fought in for the touchdown.

Miles City was successful on the two-point play when Blunt found Jared Barlett in the end zone for a 22-21 lead with 5:04 left.

The running of Coffman and quarterback Tel Hermanson led to a first down at the 46, but Sidney was stopped on a fourth-and-four play with 3:20 remaining.

Behind the running of quarterback Blunt, the Cowboys did not allow the Eagles to touch the ball again in the Eastern A opening contest.

The Eagles finished with 205 yards on the ground. Coffman gained 139 yards including 108 in the first half. Sidney added 93 yards passing.

Miles City gained 139 yards rushing and 181 passing. Blunt ran for 120 yards on 31 carries.

Sidney opened the contest with a 60-yard, seven-play scoring drive. Hermanson scored from the one with 8:39 left in the first quarter. Jace Johnson kicked the PAT for a 7-0 advantage.

The Eagles kept the momentum when linebacker Hunter Severson intercepted Blunt’s first pass attempt and the Eagles took over at the Cowboy 34. Coffman earned one first down and Hermanson another, but Sidney came away empty handed.

Miles City responded with an 80-yard, 13-play scoring drive. Tyler Buck made a leaping catch on an 11-yard pass from Blunt for the touchdown. Blunt passed to Barlett for the two-point conversion to put Miles City up 8-7 with 10:37 left in the half.

Sidney responded by using the strong rushing attack featuring Coffman and Gartner for a 66-yard scoring drive. The Eagles reached the end zone on a six-yard run by Gartner with 5:30 left in the half.

Ahead 15-8, the Eagles struck again when halfback Lovegren connected with a wide-open Michael McGinnis for a 50-yard touchdown pass and a 21-8 lead with 2:46 left in the half.

The Eagles will host Laurel for their homecoming game Friday.

COLE BREAKS RECORDS

Thu, 10/01/2015 - 10:14am admin

Story by SHONN LEHMANN

Outlook staff writer

Photos by Nicole LEHMANN

The Laurel homecoming crowd was amped and ready to go Friday night to see if the Locomotives could steamroll Glendive and keep its undefeated record intact.

It might have been a case of too much excitement but it took the Locomotives one quarter to take control of the game and to catch their collective breaths. In fact, Red Devil Kacen French’s touchdown in the first quarter threatened to close the party down.

At the end of the quarter, Glendive led 6-0.

The second quarter started out with some missed opportunities by both teams until  LHS quarterback Casey Cole passed to Carson Hoke for a 33-yard touchdown. Connor Ludwig kicked the PAT to put the Locomotives in the lead 7-6. 

The Locos soon struck again with 1:01 left in the quarter. Cole passed to Zane Jarecke for a 15-yard touchdown and Ludwig again was good for the PAT. Laurel went into halftime in the lead 14-6.

“We started out slowly, but I thought the players did a great job of not panicking and keeping their composure,” commented Head Coach Mike Ludwig. “At halftime we made some adjustments and came out and played better in the second half.”

Boy did they ever.

With 8:20 left on the clock, Cole completed another pass to Hoke for a six-yard touchdown. Kyle Shick missed the PAT. The Red Devils tried to rally back but the Locomotive defense wouldn’t allow it.

 With 2:12 left in the third quarter, Cole passed to Jared Craig for a 14-yard touchdown and a PAT  by Ludwig to take a  29-6 lead into the final stanza.

In the fourth quarter with 8:30 to go, Cole completed another TD pass to Craig for an amazing 83-yard romp. Ludwig was good with the PAT. 

The Locomotives put the clamps on the Red Devils’ offense for the remainder of the game.  ​

Casey Cole had 277 yards and five touchdowns both of which are school records.

Butte Central came up just short Friday night on the Bob Green Field.

The Maroons lost for the first time of 2015, falling 25-18 to the Laurel Locomotives. BC fell to 3-1 with the loss. Laurel improved to 3-0.

The Maroons will open Southwestern A play next week at Stevensville.

Laurel High’s football team lost starting quarterback Caje Golden to a knee injury in the first quarter of Friday night’s game against Butte Central but the Locomotives did just fine with their backup.

Casey Cole ran for 137 yards and threw for 145, leading the Locomotives to a 25-18 win over the Maroons, in a Class A nonconference game at Montana Tech’s Alumni Stadium.

“Our opponent was at a level higher,” Butte Central coach Don Peoples Jr. said after watching his team slip to 3-1 on the season. “They were big. They passed the ball well and ran the ball well.”

Golden was in the game for just three offensive plays but hurt his left knee while intercepting a Tanner Kump pass on the Maroons’ first drive.

The Locomotives didn’t miss a beat. Golden’s interception gave the Locomotives the ball at their own 14 yard line, and Cole led Laurel to its first touchdown. He needed just three plays, with the finale being a 48-yard touchdown pass to Chanc Lawerence.

The Maroons bounced back quickly enough with a three-play scoring drive of their own. Kump tied the score with a 52-yard run.

The Locomotives (3-0) took a 12-6 lead late in the first quarter with Cole running the ball five times during a seven-play drive. His 16-yard scamper around the right side put Laurel ahead, albeit momentarily.

“I’m a running back but during my freshman and sophomore years I was a quarterback at Forsyth,” Cole said of the experience he showed in Friday’s win.

Butte Central tied the score early in the second quarter, using an offside penalty against Laurel on fourth-and-four to keep the drive alive. Ryan Moodry muscled his way into the end zone with 10:48 left in the first half.

The Locomotives took the lead for good on their next possession, with Lawerence catching a 20-yard touchdown pass while being interfered with. Lawerence’s touchdown gave Laurel an 18-12 lead, and the Locomotive opened it up to 25-12 when Jared Craig scored on a 2-yard run with 21.7 seconds left in the first half.

The Maroons had several opportunities to make things close, thanks in part to their defense recovering four fumbles.

The Laurel defense did a good job in slowing down the Central offense but the Maroons seemed to be out of sync for most of the game. Penalties forced the Maroons to work harder to regain yardage or stopped drives altogether.

The Maroon defense did an admirable job in slowing down the Locomotives, thanks in part to four fumble recoveries.

Laurel’s first drive of the game ended when Sam Johnston pounced on a loose ball. Two plays later, the Locomotives got the interception from Gordon.

Cal Hollow knocked the ball out of Cole’s hand in the third quarter, with Johnston making another recovery. The Maroons took the ball at the Laurel 42 and punted four plays later.

Central recovered another fumble on the Locomotives’ next possession but their ensuing drive stalled at the Laurel 21.

“We just shot ourselves in the foot every time we had a chance to make a play,” Peoples added.

Laurel was 12 yards away from putting the game away late in the fourth quarter but Cole fumbled the ball away after picking up eight yards. Johnston made his third recovery of the game, giving the Maroons the ball at the 8 with 41.1 seconds to go.

Kump got the offense as far as the Laurel 42 but the game ended on an illegal procedure call against Central.

“We did a lot of positive things,” Peoples said. “We’ll be fine. There were a lot of positives to build on. We start conference next week and that’s when games really matter.”

Butte Central vs. Laurel

Laurel;12;13;0;0;-;25

Butte Central;6;6;0;6;-;18

Lau – Chance Lawerence 48 pass from Casey Cole (kick blocked)

BC – Tanner Kump 52 run (kick failed)

Lau – Cole 16 run (pass failed)

BC – Ryan Moodry 2 run (pass failed)

Lau – Lawerence 20 pass from Cole (pass failed)

Lau – Jared Craig 2 run (Connor Ludwig kick)

BC – Sam Johnston 22 pass from Kump (kick failed)

Rushing – Lau: Cole 22-137, Craig 18-56; BC: Kump 13-82, Blake Burton 16-47.

Passing – Lau: Cole 12-18-0-145; BC: Kump 11-25-2-142.

Receving – Lau: Lawerence 9-126, Craig 1-7; BC: Johnston 4-46, Cole Harper 4-38.

Sam Johnson looks to deliver a block while Tanner Kump breaks for a 48-yard touchdown.

Havre knocks off Sidney

Roger Miller

Havre's Nate Rismon, right, breaks up a pass during Friday night's Class A game between the Blue Ponies and Sidney Eagles at Blue Pony Stadium.

Miles City football team is 'Stanton Strong' in win at Belgrade

27 minutes ago  •  By Slim Kimmel

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BELGRADE — For the Miles City Cowboys, it was due time to get back to football.

After a challenging week where they had to say goodbye to Dan Stanton, their longtime coach, the emotionally charged Cowboys took the field in his honor. Senior Jason Branum waved a flag emblazoned with “Stanton Strong” as the players roared for their pregame warmups.

With the flag staked beside the team’s bench and similar ones in the stands behind the team, the Cowboys were strong from the opening kickoff.

“We were doing this for our coach,” said Matthew Blunt, Miles City’s senior quarterback. “We know he’s still with us. We were just really excited, came out strong, went through some ups and downs, but in the end we came out victorious. It was a great feeling.”

Blunt and the Cowboys put together a methodical opening drive that set the tone for their 52-26 win Friday night over Belgrade. The drive was sparked by Tyler Burk, who had three catches on the opening series, including a diving catch at the 1-yard line. Burk — fittingly — wears Miles City’s No. 32, the same number Stanton wore in high school.

Belgrade officials painted “#32” on the field just in front of the Miles City sideline to pay tribute to the fallen coach, who lost his battle with cancer Sunday morning. Stanton was 47.

“When those things happen, you rally, you show support and understand that times are tough. It’s not always about the game. It’s about caring for your fellow human beings,” Belgrade athletic director Rick Phillips said of the community’s thoughtful gestures.

Belgrade captains privately presented the Miles City team with a “32” jersey, and game organizers also held a moment of silence in Stanton’s honor before the national anthem.

Once the coin was tossed, though, it was simply Friday night football.

Miles City jumped out to a 32-0 lead, with Blunt accounting for three touchdowns — one rushing and two passing — before Belgrade got on the scoreboard. Jared Bartlett scored the Cowboys’ first touchdown, just more than three minutes into the game.

“I didn’t know how we would attack the game emotionally with everything that went on this week,” Miles City coach Kevin McAuliffe said. “We came out and we were ready. I was impressed with the guys, and our coaching staff did a great job throughout the week just keeping everybody together and letting them know this is just a game. We’re here to have fun and to celebrate coach Stanton’s life. This was a great way to do it.”

Belgrade, led by Evan Luhrsen who scored four rushing touchdowns, closed to within 38-26 late in the third quarter.

But, following in the same never-give-up character of Stanton, the Cowboys’ defense tightened and the offense got back on track. Blunt added two more rushing touchdowns — he finished the game with three scores each through the air and on the ground — to help Miles City (4-0) secure the win.

Wyatt Lesh caught two touchdowns for the Cowboys and Caleb Petross the other.

It wasn’t always pretty, but it was hard-fought. Just like Stanton would have wanted.

“I was talking with the kids about this just yesterday, about whether or not we dedicate this season to coach Stanton. I told them that I thought if we did that it would mean that we’re changing something, that we’re changing our approach or that we’re working harder,” said an emotional McAuliffe. “But we’re not. We’re not working harder, we’re not changing anything. We’re doing exactly what coach Stanton taught us to do and that’s to work hard and have fun. And I think that was evident tonight.”

That’s Stanton Strong.

Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/sports/high-school/football/miles-city-football-team-is-stanton-strong-in-win-at/article_216cedcb-226a-5b1d-9040-0f3401e77343.html#ixzz3m9tbScz6

Miles City 52, Belgrade 26

BELGRADE Matthew Blunt rushed for three touchdowns and threw three TD passes Friday as visiting Miles City thumped Belgrade in the Cowboys’ first game after last weekend’s passing of beloved head coach Dan Stanton.

Miles City …8 24 12 6 - 50

Belgrade …0 6 20 0 - 26

MC - Jared Bartlett 6 run (Mathew Blunt run)

MC - Blunt 1 run (Blunt run)

MC - Wyatt Lesh 33 pass from Blunt (Lesh pass from Blunt)

MC - Lesh 7 pass from Blunt (Jacob Morris pass from Blunt)

Bel - Evan Luhrsen 31 run (kick blocked)

MC - Caleb Petross 15 pass from Blunt (pass failed)

Bel - Luhrsen 5 run (pass failed)

Bel - Luhrsen 6 run (Luhrsen run)

Bel - Luhrsen 5 run (kick failed)

MC - Blunt 29 run (run failed)

MC - Blunt 10 run (pass failed)

Lewistown 21, Glendive 6

LEWISTOWN – Thad Kucera rushed for 139 yards and all three touchdowns Friday as the Lewistown Golden Eagles downed Glendive in a nonleague game.

Glendive 0 6 0 0 – 6

Lewistown 0 14 0 7 – 21

LEW—Thad Kucera 5 run (Aurel Koemig kick)

GLE—Carson Oakland 40 run (kick failed)

LEW—Kucera 3 run (Koemig kick)

LEW—Kucera 5 run (Koemig kick)

Hardin 49, Livingston 0

Hardin: Connor Murdock 8 run (kick failed)

Hardin: Murdock 53 run (kick failed)

Hardin: Murdock 4 run (pass failed)

Hardin: Murdock 45 run (run failed)

Hardin: Trevin Baumann 2 run (kick failed)

Hardin: Codi Small 2 run (Ezekiel Coyote Run kick)

Hardin: Minrod Rides Hose 12 run (kick failed)

Hardin: Coyote Run 12 run (pass failed)

Columbia Falls 54, Browning 8

Columbia Falls: Braxton Reiten 1 pass from Dakota Bridwell (Brandon Karberg kick)

Columbia Falls: Tyler Murphy 55 pass from Bridwell (Nic Ream kick)

Columbia Falls: Reiten 58 from Bridwell (Karberg kick)

Columbia Falls: Bridwell 1 run (Karberg kick)

Browning: J. Monroe 19 pass from R. Lorinz (Lorinz run)

Columbia Falls: Wyatt Green 2 pass from Bridwell (Ream kick)

Columbia Falls: Murphy 2 pass from Bridwell (kick failed)

Columbia Falls: Green 9 pass from Bridwell (Karberg kick)

Columbia Falls: Murphy 7 pass from Bridwell (kick failed)

HARDIN — The Butte Central Maroons faced a gut check moment in the waning moments of the 3rd quarter.

The home standing Hardin Bulldogs had just scored to retake a narrow 13-12 lead and recovered a fumble in Central territory. They had the ball, the momentum and a crowd hungry for a win after an 0-8 2014 to go with a one point defeat at Havre last weekend.

After ripping off two big runs the key play was a third and 6 at the Maroon 15. Bulldog quarterback Codi Small dropped back to pass and had an open receiver cutting across the middle when sophomore linebacker Hunter Hartwick leapt and just got a fingertip on the ball. That ended up being exactly the push the Maroons needed as the tipped pass found its way into the waiting arms of defensive tackle Ethan St. John.

Junior quarterback Tanner Kump atoned for his fumble by leading a determined 14-play, 90- yard drive that not only gave the Maroons the lead it also energized the team to have a huge fourth quarter that propelled them to 39-13 non-conference win to run their record to 3-0 on the season.

The Maroons used a big fourth quarter for the second straight week to turn a close game into one that appeared much easier than it was in reality.

Last week, the Maroons finally broke through with two late touchdowns at Browning to salt away the win. Tonight they doubled down and found the end zone four times to put up a decisive 27-0 final frame.

The Maroons methodical drive saw them overcome a holding call that put them in a hole and a sack that had them behind the chains.

The drive was capped in fitting fashion when Kump faked an inside handoff and then fought off two Bulldog defenders as be dove for the goal line. Kump then converted the 2-point conversion on a designed pass but scrambled to the opposite sideline to sneak in for a 20-13 lead.

The huge momentum shift fired up the Maroons and deflated Hardin.

Central forced a quick three and out and then found the lightning quick scoring punch they were searching for when superstar running back Kyle Harrington was lost for the season with a torn ACL.

On the first play after the Bulldog punt Nate McGree flashed both the power and speed Maroon fans have been spoiled with in recent years. McGree broke through a handful of would be tacklers in the first few yards of the run and then blazed away from the Bulldog secondary for a 65-yard scoring tote putting Central up 26-13.

Hardin’s hopes to stay in the game got a boost when they got a decent return and a late hit penalty that pushed the ball to midfield on the ensuing kickoff.

Looking to catch the Maroons on a play fake Small turned to find nothing but Central defenders in his face. He panicked and lobbed a pass to the sideline. Senior cornerback Cole Harper stepped in front and ran untouched down the sideline for a 58-yard score that was the Maroons third in about 2 minutes on the scoreboard clock.

Hardin was clearly shake by the quick turn of events and this showed up again on the next play. McGree squibbed the kickoff down the right sideline. A Hardin player was unsure about fielding it and kicked it about 3 yards in front of him. Ryan Ashby beat three Bulldogs to the ball and set Central up at the Hardin 30.

Kump and McGree would team up for the final points of the game on a 7 yard screen pass 6 plays later.

Central Head Coach Don Peoples Jr. talked about his team finally breaking through moments after his team celebrated a successful road trip, saying “I think that’s the key, we finally found a way to get points on the board.”

The Maroons had eked out wins with 16 and 20 points the first two weeks. They could have almost matched that total in the 4th quarter alone tonight but the coaching staff got the froshmore team some late reps.

“First half it seemed like we were up and down the field but we didn’t score enough,” Peoples said, in reference to his team’s 200 passing yards that only resulted insix points.

Some of that was bad luck as penalties reared their ugly head as the Maroons entered the red zone. Some of it was great defense by a very game Bulldog team. Some of it was bad timing as the Maroons had a promising drive end as the first half expired.

Peoples praised the effort of his team, saying “our kids hung in there and we were determined we were going to find a way to win.  I think we came of age in the second half against a good football team. They were big and physical.”

The Maroons totaled over 400 yards of offense, which was more impressive due to giving away 39 late in the game when two snaps went over backup quarterback Hartwick’s head.

Kump completed 18 of 29 passes for 309 yards. Senior wideout Cal Hollow led the Maroons in receiving as he had five grabs for 145 yards. He had some tough luck as his 21 yard catch on the last play of the half saw him get tackled at the 3. Hollow’s 60-yard catch and run set up the Maroons’ first score as the 2 play drive was capped by Burton’s 7 -yard dive.

McGree had a great all-around performance. He made the most of his 3 carries, taking them 77 yards and a score. He also was one of three Maroons to catch at least 5 passes, grabbing 6 for 59 more yards and 2 touchdowns.

Harper was mister reliable as a receiver, catching eight balls for 105 yards, several which keep drives alive on 3rd down.

Burton took his nine carries for 69 yards and the first Maroon touchdown of the night that cut the Bulldog lead to a point at 7-6 heading to halftime.

Central also got big plays from Kyle Schulte who tipped away a fourth down screen pass in the first half and was in on numerous tackles around the line of scrimmage.

Hardin was paced by their hard-nosed rusher Connor Murdock. Murdock carried the rock 22 times for a bruising 113 yards and both Bulldog touchdowns. The second one coming on 4th and goal from the 2 when he carried several Maroon tacklers into the end zone with him.

Hardin had visions of avenging a 51-15 blowout on the same field last year and was in the game until midway through the fourth

The Maroons will host another team looking for some payback when the Laurel Locomotives arrive next Friday night. The Maroons eliminated Laurel from the Class A playoffs last year with a 27-12 win on Bob Green field. Central will celebrate their homecoming against the Locomotives, a perennial Eastern A contender and one of the biggest schools in all of Class A.

Butte Central            0          6          6          27 — 29
Hardin                       0          7          6          0 — 13
Second Quarter
Hardin — Murdock 5 yard run (Coyote Runs kick) 7-0. Drive 8 plays, 67 yards. 2:47
BC — Burton 7 yard run (kick blocked) 7-6. Drive 2 plays, 67 yards. :34
Third Quarter
BC — McGree 24 yard pass from Kump (2 point pass failed) 12-7. Drive 4 plays, 61 yards. 1:15
Hardin — Murdock 2 yard run (2 point run failed) 13-12. Drive 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:2
Fourth Quarter
BC —  Kump 2 yard run (Kump run) 20-13. Drive 14 plays, 90 yards, 5:43
BC — McGree 65 yard run (kick blocked) 26-13. Drive 1 play, 65 yards, :15.
BC — Harper 58 yard interception return (pass failed) 32-13. Drive 1 play, 58 yards, :10
BC — McGree 7 yard pass from Kump (Tyler Kump kick) 39-13. Drive 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:56

Sidney 32, Lewistown 8

Sid: Chris Gartner 7 pass from Tel Hermanson (Jace Johnson kick)

Sid: Gartner 1 run (Johnson kick)

Sid: Hermanson 4 run (kick failed)

Lew: Eric Knox 8 run (Thad Kucera run)

Sid: Bridger Coffman 85 run (pass failed)

Sid: Coffman 5 run (pass failed)

Dillon 32, Billings Central 28

Billings Central: Jacob Hadley 33 pass from Michael Stanton (Josh Kraft kick)

Dillon: Gabe Hupp 4 pass from Troy Andersen (Payton Lafrentz kick)

Billings Central: Hadley 34 pass from Stanton (Kraft kick)

Dillon: Lafrentz 50 pass from Andersen (Lafrentz kick)

Billings Central: Hadley 5 pass from Stanton (Kraft kick)

Dillon: Hupp 5 pass from Andersen (kick blocked)

Dillon: RJ Fizgerald 20 pass from Andersen (pass failed)

Billings Central: Hadley 12 pass from Stanton (Kraft kick)

Dillon: Tory Walker 2 run (pass failed)

Glendive 40, Livingston 0

Glendive: Gunner Garpstaed 72 run (kick blocked)

Glendive: Taylor Conrad 71 pass from Carson Oakland (Dalton Larsen run)

Glendive: Cody Rossi 47 yard punt return (John Eagen kick)

Glendive: Oakland 7 run (kick blocked)

Glendive: Brett Vester 25 pass from Oakland (kick blocked)

Glendive: Jameson Crisafulli 2 run (Eagen kick)

Hamilton 35, Columbia Falls 21

Hamilton: Bridger Bauder 8 run (Devonte Clark-Gardner kick)

Hamilton: Christian Ellis 50 interception return (Clark-Gardner kick)

Hamilton: Alex Draper 3 run (Clark-Gardner kick)

Columbia Falls: Dakota Bridwell 2 run (Trevor Hoerner kick)

Hamilton: Draper 30 interception return (Clark Gardner kick)

Columbia Falls: Stephen Lindsey 50 pass from Bridwell (Hoerner kick)

Columbia Falls: Not reported (Hoerner kick)

Hamilton: Draper 12 run (Gardner kick)

Whitefish 47, Browning 6

Whitefish: Chris Park 15 run (kick failed)

Whitefish: Tyler Cote 1 run (Carver Gilman kick)

Whitefish: Jed Nagler 35 pass from Luke May (Gilman kick)

Whitefish: May 3 run (Gilman kick)

Whitefish: Park 10 pass from May (Gilman kick)

Whitefish: Park 0 interception return (Gilman kick)

Whitefish: Brian FauntLeRoy 1 run (kick blocked)

Browning: Morgan Boggs 7 run (Ryan Loring run)

MILES CITY 54 HAVRE 28

CCHS

HOME

CUSTER COUNTY HIGH

3-0

#7 m. blunt

193 Pass Yds

#3 J. Bartlett

113 Rush Yds

#15 w. lesh

68 Rec Yds

54

28

Sep 11 at 6:00PM

HHS

AWAY

HAVRE HIGH SCHOOL

1-0

#6 D. Warp

182 Pass Yds

#5

46 Rush Yds

#12

49 Rec Yds

Scoring Summary

First Quarter      CCHS     HHS

CCHS

TD           matt blunt 2 Yd Run (matt blunt Run For Two-Point Conversion)                8              0

HHS

TD           5 Yd Run (Kick)  8              7

CCHS

TD           matt blunt 1 Yd Run (matt blunt Run For Two-Point Conversion)                16           7

Second Quarter                CCHS     HHS

CCHS

TD           matt blunt 3 Yd Run (matt blunt Run For Two-Point Conversion)                24           7

CCHS

TD           matt blunt 1 Yd Run (Tyler Burk Run For Two-Point Conversion)32           7

Third Quarter     CCHS     HHS

CCHS

TD           Tyler Burk 62 Yd Interception Return (Jacob Swope Run For Two-Point Conversion)         40           7

CCHS

TD           Jared Bartlett 1 Yd Run (Failed Two-Point Conversion)    46           7

HHS

TD           27 Yd Pass From Dane Warp (Kick)            46           14

CCHS

TD           Tyler Burk 29 Yd Pass From matt blunt (Two-Point Conversion)   54           14

Fourth QuarterCCHS     HHS

HHS

TD           43 Yd Pass From Dane Warp (Kick)            54           21

HHS

TD           4 Yd Run (Kick)  54           28

Player Stats

CCHSPassing      Cp/Att  Yds         TD           Int          Lg

#7 m. blunt         8/9         193         1              0              43

Rest of team      0/0         0              0              0              0

HHSPassing         Cp/Att  Yds         TD           Int          Lg

#6 D. Warp          15/22     182         2              1              43

CCHSRushing     Att          Yds         TD           Long      Fum

#3 J. Bartlett       15           113         1              20           0

#7 m. blunt         7              29           4              19           0

#32 T. Burk          4              19           0              11           0

#23 J. Morris      1              0              0              0              1

Rest of team      5              -3            0              1              1

HHSRushing        Att          Yds         TD           Long      Fum

#5           15           46           1              9              0

#32         1              4              0              4              0

#1           1              1              0              1              0

#6 D. Warp          4              -3            0              9              0

#52         1              -3            0              0              0

Rest of team      2              4              1              4              1

CCHSReceiving  Rec         Yds         TD           Long      Fum

#15 w. lesh         2              68           0              37           0

#23 J. Morris      2              52           0              43           0

#32 T. Burk          2              52           1              29           0

#13 c. petross    1              15           0              15           0

#42 L. Giovanetti              1              6              0              6              0

Rest of team      0              0              0              0              0

HHSReceiving    Rec         Yds         TD           Long      Fum

#12         2              49           1              43           0

#1           5              35           0              10           0

#7           1              27           1              27           0

#8           1              23           0              23           0

#21         1              12           0              12           0

#38         1              5              0              5              0

#86         1              5              0              5              0

#88         1              3              0              3              0

Rest of team      2              23           0              17           0

CCHSTackles       Tk           Ast         Sck         TFL

#14 j. branum    6              2              0              1

#32 T. Burk          5              0              0              0

#3 J. Bartlett       3              0              0              1

#21 J. Swope      2              0              0              0

#56 J. Senger     2              1              0              0

#57 I. Maisel       2              0              0              0

#42 L. Giovanetti              2              0              0              0

#13 c. petross    1              0              0              0

#74 k. Haughian                1              0              0              0

#31 k. kolka        1              0              0              0

#23 J. Morris      1              0              0              0

#26 M. Dinardi   1              0              0              0

Rest of team      10           1              0              2

HHSTackles         Tk           Ast         Sck         TFL

#32         7              0              0              2

#86         3              0              0              0

#5           3              0              0              0

#8           1              0              0              0

#21         1              0              0              0

#52         1              0              0              0

#50         1              0              0              1

#73         1              0              0              0

#14         1              0              0              0

#35         1              0              0              0

#4           1              0              0              0

#24         1              0              0              1

#74         1              0              0              1

CCHSDefensiveSfty        Int          Fum       Blks        TD

#32 T. Burk          0              1              0              0              1

Rest of team      0              0              1              0              0

HHSDefensive   Sfty        Int          Fum       Blks        TD

#21         0              0              2              0              0

Rest of team      0              0              1              0              0

CCHSKickoff Returns      Ret         Avg        TD           Long

#32 T. Burk          3              20           0              31

#23 J. Morris      1              10           0              10

Rest of team      1              0              0              0

HHSKickoff Returns         Ret         Avg        TD           Long

#1           1              34           0              34

#86         1              27           0              27

#87         1              17           0              17

Rest of team      4              29           0              44

CCHSPunt Returns           Ret         Avg        TD           Long

#23 J. Morris      1              37           0              37

#32 T. Burk          1              7              0              7

Rest of team      1              18           0              18

HHSPunt Returns             Ret         Avg        TD           Long

Rest of team      1              2              0              2

CCHSKicking       FG          %            PAT        Pts

No Kicks

HHSKicking          FG          %            PAT        Pts

#5           0              -              1              1

Rest of team      0              -              3              3

CCHSKickoff       Num      Yds         Long      TB

#7 m. blunt         3              156         56           0

Rest of team      5              248         58           0

HHSKickoff          Num      Yds         Long      TB

#8           1              45           45           0

Rest of team      4              214         58           0

CCHSPunting      Num      Avg        In 20      Long

Rest of team      1              40           0              40

HHSPunting        Num      Avg        In 20      Long

#5           2              43           2              46

Rest of team      1              40           0              40

Cowboys break Ponies in Miles City

BROWNING — It might not have been a thing of beauty Friday night, but Butte Central improved to 2-0 on the football season with a 20-0 non-conference win over Browning at rainy Arrowhead Stadium.

Tanner Kump and Blake Burton scored on touchdown runs, while Jake Michelotti recovered a fumble for a TD to lead the Maroons on a rainy night that saw BC go without a single completion in the second half.

After a scoreless first quarter, Kump, BC’s quarterback, scored on a 4-yard run to put BC up for good at 6-0. The Maroons failed on 2-point conversions on their first two scores.

Blake Burton, whose return from a broken foot couldn’t have come at a better time, made it 12-0 with a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Burton carried 20 times for 99 yards one week after running back Kyle Harrington was lost for the season with a torn ACL.

BC capped the scoring when lineman Jake Michelotti recovered a fumble in the end zone for a TD. After a penalty that moved the ball half the distance to the goal, Ryan Moodry punched in the 2-point conversion.

Kump ran 12 times for 51 yards. He also completed 9 of 19 passes for 90 yards. He hit Cole Harper seven times for 56 yards. Cal Hollow caught one pass for 24 yards. He also ran four times for 27 yardds.

Butte Central will be back on the road next week when the Maroons look to go 3-0 at Hardin.

Ponies squeak by Bulldogs

Roger Miller

Dane Warp throws a pass against the Hardin Bulldogs Friday night at Blue Pony Stadium. Warp tied the MHSA record for most career touchdowns, following a pair of TD passes against Hardin.

Eagles mash Coyotes in Spud Bowl

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Ashleigh Fox | Sidney Herald

Quarterback throw

Sidney quarterback Tel Hermanson looks to pass during Friday’s game against Williston.

Posted: Sunday, September 6, 2015 12:00 am

Ashleigh Fox | Sidney Herald

The Eagles shined at home on Swanson Field Friday when they overpowered the Williston Coyotes 41-7 in the 19th annual Spud Bowl.

Standouts for the team once again included seniors Bridger Coffman at running back and defensive back and Tel Hermanson at quarterback. Coffman had 19 carries for 121 yards and three touchdowns offensively. Sidney held Williston to 95 yards. Hermanson was 8 of 11 for 114 yards passing, one of them serving as a touchdown pass.

“The kids played hard from start to finish,” Sidney head coach Roger Merritt said. “They did really well, they kept the mistakes down. We had a few penalties that took us out of drives that were unnecessary.”

Seven penalties throughout the game cost 50 yards for the Eagles.

Hermanson passed to junior wide receiver Trace Jones from the Eagles’ 33-yard line for their first touchdown of the night. Sophomore Jace Johnson served as the lead kicker, scoring three points on four points-after-touchdown attempts.

Late in the first quarter, things got heated as the Coyotes were penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct on the field as Sidney was swiftly moving down the field.

Second quarter brought the Hermanson, Coffman duo back in action until they made it into the end zone. Hermanson completed a pass to senior running back Chris Gartner, bringing the Eagles within five yards of the end zone. Coffman finished for the Eagles’ second touchdown, followed by Johnson’s second PAT.

Sophomore Alec Lovegren saw the field in the first half, assisting in getting the team down the field before the third touchdown. Lovegren ran eight yards from the 28 and Gartner gained 12 yards for the Eagles, bringing the team to the 8-yard line. Gartner took it the last eight for touchdown number three with 2:39 left in the first half. The kick try was blocked by Williston’s defense.

Not a minute after, Jones intercepted a pass from Williston’s quarterback Boston Horob and went the distance for an apparent touchdown, but it was pushed back to the Eagles 23 for an illegal block.

A timeout by Williston did not stop Sidney from scoring its fourth touchdown, scored by Coffman on a dive play. Senior tight end Kyle Mueller caught a pass from Hermanson for the two-point conversion, making the score 28-0 Eagles late in the first half.

Sidney wasted no time at the start of the second half. Sidney used its power-running game featuring Coffman and Gartner to drive from its own 41 to deep inside Williston territory. Coffman earned his fourth and final touchdown for a 34-0 score against the Coyotes.

After two quick incomplete passes by Williston, the Eagles had the ball at the 42. Lovegren ran 31 yards for a first-and-10 from the 11. An incomplete pass to Jones on second-and-10 was followed by the final scoring play for the Eagles, a 10-yard run by Lovegren for his first season touchdown. Sidney led Williston 41-0 after a successful PAT by junior Ian Aldrich.

“We held our composure the second half, the first half they got tied up in stuff, extra-curricular stuff, and we don’t need that. We need to continue to play hard whistle to whistle and execute. The kids did well,” Merritt said.

The rest of the second string took to the field after Lovegren’s touchdown, and remained strong until the last two minutes of the game when Williston’s varsity quarterback Horob ran it in for their first and only touchdown. Senior running back Sergio Perez kicked it in to make the final score 41-7 Eagles.

“I’m very impressed [with the second string]. We are blessed with so much athleticism all the way through. The second team is not much different from the first team. They are willing to make plays, they’ve practiced hard all week, so they are ready to step in. It’s exciting,” Merritt said.

Defense remained strong for the Eagles in its first home game. Mueller led in tackles with four solo tackles and five assisted. Brenley Steinbeisser and Trace Jones both had three solo tackles. Hunter Severson assisted six and had two solo tackles.

Knock-down passes proved an asset in the game, with Coffman, Jared Steinbeisser, Jones and Mueller each earning one for the team.

Sidney hosts Lewistown on Friday at 7 p.m. for their second home game.

DEVILS SHOW RESOLVE, CLOSE OUT SCOTTIES IN OPENER

 

1 / 1

Senior Gunnar Garpestad led the rushing attack for the Red Devils in the team’s season opener in Glasgow Friday night. The Red Devils came out on top of the Scotties 20-15.

Jamie Ausk Crisafulli photo

DEVILS SHOW RESOLVE, CLOSE OUT SCOTTIES IN OPENER

Tue, 09/08/2015 - 10:51am admin

By Anthony Varriano

Ranger-Review Staff Writer

The Dawson County High School football team showed some resolve that has been absent in recent years, winning its first game of the year in Glasgow, Friday night, 20-15.

The Scotties struck first when Benji Phillips scampered 39 yards down the sideline for the first score of the game to make it 6-0 with 8:41 left in the first quarter. Senior Jarod Asche blocked the point after attempt.

It took a while for the Red Devils to answer, but answer they did with a five-yard touchdown run by senior Gunnar Garpestad, and the extra point by newcomer Johnny Egan gave them the lead 7-6 with 7:38 left in the half. 

With special teams, and especially kicking, up in the air coming into the season, Buckley was pleased to have found a kicker who can put it through the posts despite 40-mile-per-hour winds.

“John Egan stepped up big time and did some good things … We kind of thought we might end up going for two in those situations, because the wind was howling, but he put it through.” Buckley said after the game.

Garpestad led the rushing attack for the Devils, but five Devils carried the ball, including receiver Taylor Conrad, who found some success.

“Garpestad had a good day running the ball,” Buckley commented. “Taylor Conrad, out of the receiver position, ran the ball well, too.”

The Devils ran for 137 yards on 38 carries, and the number of rushes had to take its toll on the Scotties, because the momentum seemed to be shifting the Red Devils’ way, and just before halftime they rode that momentum to another big score.

With just 1:16 left before half, quarterback Carson Oakland rumbled in for another DCHS touchdown from five yards out. Although he completed just five of 16 passes for 39 yards and tossed one interception, Buckley used his natural talent as a runner very effectively.

The Scotties managed to make the missed extra point a moot point, though, recording a safety with 3:35 left in the third quarter to make it a one-possession game, 14-8.

“We’ve got a lot of things we have to work on,” Buckley said. “We got tired a little bit, and we made some mistakes … It’s stuff we’ll clean up in the week, but I’d call it a typical first game.”

There was nothing typical about the Scotties’ resolve, though. They came back to take the lead when Phillips scored again, catching a pass this time. The point after was good to make it 15-14 Scotties.

When Glasgow recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff that was simply floating in the wind, it sure looked like the Red Devils were being haunted by their recent past of playing a good half of football only to fall in the end. The Scotties were in position to kill some clock and make it a two-score affair on the Devils’ 27-yard line with nine minutes to play. 

“In the past, we didn’t handle it very well,” Buckley said of the situation.

But the Devils got a stop.

“It was huge. Those kids came up big. They were put in some tough situations, and they came up big all night,” the coach added.

Coming up big with the go-ahead score was Glendive’s leader, Oakland, with a quarterback keeper that left two minutes on the clock with DCHS up 20-15 And that’s how it ended.

With the win, these Devils may have put an end to that recent chapter of DCHS football featuring great halves of games, and they may be ushering in a new chapter of two-minute grit. With two scores around the two-minute mark in each half, the Red Devils have shown some resolve in game one. They’ll ride that high into game two when they play their home opener against the Park County Rangers at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Oakland Athletic Complex.

Reach Anthony Varriano at rrsports@rangerreview.com.

 

Cowboys tame Fergus Golden Eagles 38-14

Published: Tue, 09/08/2015 - 2:05pm | Section: 

• Don Cogger

 

• Local Sports

Custer County Cowboy Jared Bartlett fights for an extra yard Friday against the Fergus Golden Eagles at Denton Field. The Cowboys used a quick-strike offense and a stifling defense to rout the Golden Eagles 38-13 in their home opener. (Star photo by Sharon Moore)

By

 Don Cogger

 

A week removed from any first-game jitters, the CCDHS Cowboys football team played a near-flawless first half Friday in their home opener, routing the Fergus Golden Eagles 38-13 at Denton Field.

The Cowboys scored on the game’s opening possession and never looked back, finding the end zone on their next four drives. The Cowboys defense gave little ground as the offense racked up 38 points, forcing the implementation of the “Mercy Rule” with three minutes remaining in the first half. Cowboys Coach Jeff Regan said getting off to a quick start helped to set the tone for play on both sides of the ball.

“The team didn’t make the mistakes they made the week before,” Regan said. “They took advantage of their opportunities. The team got better all the way around, on both sides of the ball. The coaching staff, Coach McAuliffe, Coach Tooke, Coach Ike did a good job getting the defense going this week, they were playing really fast. They kept getting us the ball back, and we were able to go play offense pretty quick.”

After a nice return on the game’s opening kickoff by junior Tyler Burk, senior quarterback Matthew Blunt led the Cowboys to their first score of the game. Jared Bartlett had a pair of runs for 24 yards on the drive, culminating in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Blunt to Burk. 

“We knew if we got on them quick, that would give us a lot of confidence, especially going into our first home game,” Blunt said. “It worked out well, and we just kept rolling from there.”

A nice three-and-out for the Cowboys defense, highlighted by a Bartlett sack on Fergus quarterback Eric Knox, led to a botched snap on the punt by the Golden Eagles. Miles City took over on the Fergus 15-yard-line, and Florida transplant Jacob Morris scored on the first play from scrimmage for the first of his three scores on the night.

“Jacob and Jared both ran the ball really well,” Regan said. “The offensive line did a great job of blocking, as did the receivers, we were running a lot of things on the edge, they all did a real good job of getting those guys some space. You give Jared and Jacob some space, they’re going to make some things happen.”

The Cowboys defense stepped up again on the next Fergus drive, with a sack on Knox by senior defensive lineman Jaden Senger. Blunt hit Burk again to begin the next Cowboys drive, this time for 33 yards. The Cowboys faced a fourth-and-goal when Blunt found Morris in the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown. After a the two-point conversion, the Cowboys led 20-0.Another three-and-out by the Golden Eagles, and the Cowboys were back in business. As Bartlett and Morris continued to grind out yardage on the ground, senior Wyatt Lesh and Burk continued to haul in Blunt’s passes, taking Miles City down to the Fergus nine-yard-line. Morris would then score his third touchdown of the game on a pass from Blunt.

“We have a lot of guys who can make plays, my job is just to get the ball to them,” Blunt said. “We have guys that can fill spots at all positions, and they’re making it count each time they touch the ball.”

Once again, the Golden Eagles were unable to get anything going offensively, but a good punt and decent coverage would pin the Cowboys deep in their own territory.

But junior Mason Dinardi, all 5’6 and 145 pounds of him, had other plans. Fielding the punt on his own 20-yard-line, Dinardi scampered 80 yards to paydirt, giving the Cowboys a 32-0 lead.

“We had a great punt return by Mason,” Regan said. “He had a great return, but we had 10 other guys blocking for him on that. It was a great team effort.”

The Golden Eagles showed some life at the beginning of their next possession, picking up their first 1st down of the game. The Cowboys’ defense shut the drive down before it really began, however, and a Fergus punt buried Miles City at their own 10-yard-line. But the Cowboys weren’t done with big plays yet.

On the first play from scrimmage, Blunt found a wide-open Lesh, who went 90 yards for what would be the final score for the Cowboys on the night. Mercy rule in effect, the Cowboys went into the half with a commanding 38-0 lead.

Regan emptied the bench in the second half, giving the younger players an opportunity for some valuable varsity experience. The Golden Eagles were able to put up a couple of scores late, but it was too little, too late, as the young Cowboys defense was able to preserve the win.

“Our young guys played the whole second half and did a good job, especially on the defensive side of the ball, of hanging in there and battling,” Regan said. “We saw a lot of good things, things we can build on. He’s not a young guy, but Kent Kolka played a great game. He played a lot for us in the beginning of the first half on defense, and he’s really stepping up, giving us a lot of depth. He looked really good out there.”

When the dust settled, Blunt finished with 219 yards passing, with four touchdowns. He credited his offensive line for giving him the opportunity for a big night under center.

“We have a great offensive line,” he said. “The line is always going to get overlooked, but we have four seniors and a junior on that line and they did a really amazing job. Run blocking, QB protection, you name it. I don’t think I was touched all night throwing the ball. We’re really proud of what they did. Everything was clicking, and it all started up front.”

The Cowboys will look to go to 3-0 on the season this Friday as they host Havre, in what’s become quite a rivalry. Regan said the game should be a good test.

“Havre has a lot of guys back from last year, as well as a good coaching staff,” Regan said. “They present a lot of tests for us, but for us, we’re just going to go take care of what we can control. We’re excited to play.”

Blunt agreed.

“We have to prepare this week, get ready for another big game at home,” Blunt said. “We’re excited. It’s another opportunity to prove who we are. We always play each other with a chip on our shoulder, so it should be a good game.”

This week’s game against Havre is homecoming, so kickoff will be at 6 p.m. at Denton Field.

 

PHYSICAL BATTLE

BHS gridders fall to Rams in home opener

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Dan Chesnet

Belgrade quarterback Tanner Campbell races toward the end zone en route to scoring on a 64-yard run during the first quarter of Friday night’s game against Billings Central. The Panthers lost the non-conference contest 35-19.

Posted: Tuesday, September 8, 2015 6:00 am

Dan Chesnet, Sports Editor | 0 comments

There were flashes of great plays.

A handful of electrifying runs by quarterback Tanner Campbell, a sack by defensive end Derek Marks. But Belgrade’s football team couldn’t keep pace with a bigger and more physical Billings Central squad Friday night.

Led by quarterback Michael Stanton, who rushed for three touchdowns and threw for two more, the Rams spoiled Belgrade’s home opener, 35-19.

The Rams (1-0) tallied 291 yards of total offense, and dominated in the trenches with their huge linemen.

“Big and physical. That wasn’t a surprise to us coming in looking at their roster from last year,” Belgrade coach Eric Kinnaman said. “We knew they were going to be big and physical, and they proved that’s what they were.”

The Panthers kept pace through much of the first half, and got a great effort from quarterback Tanner Campbell. The senior rushed for a career-high 178 yards and two scores and also threw a late touchdown pass.

While Campbell had a couple of long runs, including a 64-yard scamper for a touchdown late in the first quarter, he spent portions of the night being swallowed up by Central’s defense.

“They’re some big dudes and they’re mean. I think that’s something that we need to kind of get meaner,” Campbell, who completed 8-of-14 passes for 93 yards without an interception, said. “You could see like they were just pushing us around kind of. We got to have that mentality of it. It’s kind of just a mental game. You got to play just as physical as them and be as mean as them.”

The Rams got a big return on the opening kick off, then marched 48 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead. Stanton capped the drive with a 4-yard run.

The teams traded punts over the next several minutes before Belgrade began its third possession of the game on its own 36. Campbell took a keeper around the left end, then scampered untouched into the end zone to tie the game with 2:35 remaining in the first quarter.

“First quarter was pretty good actually. They came out hot, but we responded. It helps to score right after they scored right away. I felt pretty good,” said Campbell. “But they’re definitely really physical and tough to play against.”

Prior to Campbell’s score, Stanton twice overthrew Maquire Payne on seam routes up the middle that would likely have gone for touchdowns. Thus, Kinnaman felt fortunate his team was tied heading into the second quarter.

“I felt actually pretty lucky,” he said. “They missed the fullback down the middle twice and that could have been two scores right there. So I felt pretty fortunate to be tied at 7-7. We had our opportunities, and we got to capitalize on the stuff that we’re given. Opportunities like that where they miss on something, we’ve got to be able to take advantage of that.”

Central pulled in front for good midway through the second quarter after taking over at the Panthers’ 35. The seven play drive was capped by Stanton’s 6-yard touchdown run at the 8:07 mark.

Belgrade’s defense actually forced a fourth-and-one from the six. But Stanton managed to score on a quarterback sneak behind a tremendous push up front from his offensive line.

“The quarterback ran seven yards on a quarterback sneak and he stood up in the end zone. They did it in the middle of the field and they gained seven yards as well,” noted Kinnaman. “We got to be ready for that stuff. We’re proving right now that we’re playing really young. We’ve got some experienced kids in new spots that they didn’t necessarily play last year, but these growing pains got to go away.”

Central pulled off a fake punt on its next possession, which set up Stanton’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Payne for a 21-7 lead with 23 seconds left in the first half. After missing on two previous tries, the duo finally hooked up for a score.

The Rams scored on their first possession of the second half — a 1-yard touchdown run by Stanton — to stretch the lead to 28-7. Then receiver Shay Dantic hauled in a 32-yard touchdown pass from Stanton to make it 35-7 with 11:11 remaining in the game.

The Panthers finished the contest strong, however, scoring twice in the final 10 minutes. Campbell broke loose for a 38-yard run following Dantic’s score, then capped a quick four-play drive with a 19-yard touchdown run.

Campbell later threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Evan Luhrsen to cap the scoring with 32 seconds remaining.

While the Panthers dropped to 0-2 on the season, Campbell noted the team continues to make good strides.

“We’re definitely getting better and you’ve got to play top teams to know what the playoffs is like,” he said. “We beat Butte (Central) last year in the first game and they made it to the state championship — one play away from a state championship. So it doesn’t mean we’re out of anything. We’re definitely still in it.”

Billings Central 35, Belgrade 19

Central        7  14  7   7   -  35

Belgrade        7   0   0  12  -  19

First quarter

BC - Michael Stanton 4 run (Josh Kraft kick), 9:20

Bel - Tanner Campbell 64 run (Spencer Gordon kick), 2:35

Second quarter

BC - Stanton 6 run (Kraft kick), 8:07

BC - Maquire Payne 25 pass from Stanton (Kraft kick), :23

Third quarter

BC - Stanton 1 run (Kraft kick), 6:17

Fourth quarter

BC - Shay Dantic 32 pass from Stanton (Kraft kick), 11:11

Bel - Campbell 19 run (run failed), 9:49

Bel - Evan Luhrsen 10 pass from Campbell (kick failed), :37

First One: Blue Ponies nip Bulldogs

Havre makes last defensive stand to stop Hardin at Blue Pony Stadium

September 8, 2015

Roger Miller

Havre High quarterback Dane Warp, left, escapes the Hardin defense during last Friday night's Class A football game between the Blue Ponies and Hardin Bulldogs in Havre. The Ponies prevailed for their first win of the season.

The Havre High football team had hoped to get new head coach Mark Samson his first win in the season-opening game against Whitefish. But, it wasn't meant to be and in the end, Samson's first win was delayed just a week.

That's because when the Blue Ponies took the field for the first time under the lights at Blue Pony Stadium this season against the Hardin Bulldogs Friday night, they salted away their first win by way of a 14-13 slugfest with Hardin.

In wet conditions, the game came down to the final drive. After the Ponies failed to run out the clock, a botched snap on a punt had given Hardin the ball at the Havre 29-yard line with just over two minutes remaining in the game.

On the previous Hardin possession, the Bulldogs had driven the ball into Havre territory before HHS rose the occasion and turned the ball over on downs, thanks to a tackle for loss by Jase Stokes on a fourth-and-two.

Faced with a similar situation of needing a stop to preserve the win, Stokes and the Havre defense again came up with a defensive stand. Just like on the previous drive, this one came down to a key fourth-down play and again it was Stokes who made the decisive play. On a fourth-and-eight, the Bulldogs tried to throw for the first down, but the pass was intercepted by Stokes and, with that, the game was over.

"I just read the play well and the defensive line got a good push at the end," Stokes said of his interception. "We were all pretty fired up there at the end, it was our first win, it wasn't pretty, but we'll take it."

The win marked the first for Samson as a Blue Pony and also improved the Ponies overall mark on the season to 1-1. With the loss, the Bulldogs, who were playing in their first game fell to 0-1.

"It was crazy," Samson said. "I guess that's what happens when you play a team that you don't know very much about. We knew they had a good quarterback, and I was impressed with their running back and they have a big offensive line.

"We drew it up that were going to have a bad snap at the end of the game and give the ball back to them at the 20 and put our defense on the field one more time, and then we were going to hold them so everyone could get excited about it," he added jokingly. "I think what these kids need to understand is that any win is a good win right now, as long as they come back the next week and figure out that we still have work to do."

At the beginning of the night, the thought was that Havre would not have to fight so hard to defeat the Bulldogs, who went 0-8 a season ago. Yet, early on, it was Hardin that came out swinging.

After having a pass intercepted by Havre's Nate Rismon on their opening possession, the Bulldogs turned to the ground game on their second, which paid dividends immediately, as Connor Murdock ripped off a 64-yard run. The play set up a five-yard touchdown run by Murdock three plays later to put Hardin in front 7-0.

However, the lead for the Bulldogs was short-lived. On the next possession, Dane Warp got things going for Havre with a 15-yard completion to Parker Filius and a 20-yard run on a key third down. Later, Warp finished the 13-play drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to Filius to tie the game at 7-7.

But, just as Whitefish did in week one, the Bulldogs continued to hammer away at the Havre defense with the run, and on the ensuing drive, Murdock hit pay dirt again to put the Bulldogs back in front 13-7.

Facing a six-point deficit, the Havre offense went back to work and again got a spark from Warp and Filius, as the two connected on a 29-yard pass play to advance to ball into Hardin territory. Three plays later, Warp found Logan Pleninger for a 10-yard touchdown, which gave HHS a 14-13 edge. The touchdown pass was also No. 82 for Warp, which tied him with former Glacier quarterback Brady McChesney for the most in the history of Montana High School football.

Warp had another solid outing in the win for HHS as he completed 15-of-25 passes for 180 yards. He also threw two touchdown passes as opposed to just one interception. He also ran for 25 yards and a few first downs.

Filius also had a big night for HHS with five receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown to lead the way for the Ponies. Rismon also stood out for Havre on offense with four catches for 60 yards. On the ground, Stokes led the way with 14 carries for 43 yards, while Jazz Schroeder also contributed with 21 yards on nine attempts.

Stokes was all over the field for Havre on defense, registering a sack, a tackle for loss and the game-sealing interception. And, in the end, it was the defense, which held Hardin scoreless throughout the second half. That put the win on ice for the Ponies.

"I am proud of the kids," Samson said. "We had some younger kids step up and some older kids that played well, too. We are still a ways from where I want us to be. It's going to be really physical the next two weeks with Miles City and Sidney. Hats off to Hardin, they came in here and found our weakness, which is our defensive front, and that's something that we need to work on."

The Ponies will travel to Miles City this Friday in a rematch of last season's playoff game, which saw the Cowboys eliminate Havre with a 48-47 win in overtime. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Blue Ponies 14, Hardin 13

Hardin 7 6 0 0 - 13

Havre 7 7 0 0 - 14

Hardin - Connor Murdock 5 run (PAT Good)

Havre - Parker Filius 1 pass from Dane Warp (PAT Good)

Hardin - Murdock 5 run (PAT No Good)

Roger Miller

Havre High linebacker Jase Stokes, left hits Hardin running back Connor Murdock during last Friday night's game at Blue Pony Stadium.

Havre - Pleninger 10 pass from Warp (PAT Good)

Havre Individual statistics

Passing - Dane Warp 15-25 180.

Rushing - Jase Stokes 14-43, Jazz Schroeder 9-21, Dane Warp 8-25, Parker Filius 1-9.

Receiving - Parker Filius 5-72, Nate Rismon 4-60, Logan Pleninger 3-23, Nate Korb 1-13, Jazz Schroder 1-10, Jase Stokes 1-8.