MT High School Football Rankings - Week 4

[VimSince03]

Class AA

1. Billings Senior (3-0)
2. Kalispell Glacier (3-0)
3. Bozeman (2-1)
4. Helena High (2-1)
5. Billings West (2-1)
6. Helena Capital (1-2)
7. Missoula Big Sky (2-1)
8. Kalispell Flathead (1-2)
9. Great Falls High (1-2)
10. Missoula Sentinel (1-2)

Teams in the conversation: Butte (1-2), CMR (1-2)

Billings Senior and Billings West was being built up to be a matchup between two undefeated teams who were evenly matched but I never saw it that way….and the Broncs proved me correct. Senior destroyed West, 47-10, in front of a packed Billings crowd. QB Nate Dick scored five touchdowns, two through the air where he went 21-29 for 260 yards and three on the ground where he carried the ball 16 times for 130 yards. Keaton Anderson had 7 receptions for 132 yards and Gabe Sulser caught yet another touchdown pass. West QB Bryson Deming struggled against the Bronc’s defense and only threw for 104 yards. Senior travels to Butte this Friday while West gets a forfeit win over Missoula Hellgate…so they basically get a bye week. Kalispell Glacier stayed undefeated with a 28-14 win over Helena Capital but it was a dog fight. After three quarters, the game was tied 14-14 and this game was starting to feel like Capital’s upset win over Bozeman last year. Capital held Gilman to 111 yards passing and 31 yards rushing but it was junior RB Drew Turner who made the big plays for the Wolfpack. Turner scored twice in the 4th quarter to seal the deal for Glacier and his last score was a 76 yard run with 2:03 remaining. Turner finished with 142 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Capital ran the ball 37 times for 151 yards and tried to control the clock against the fast-paced Glacier attack and it worked for three quarters. I’ll say it before and I’ll say it again, Helena Capital has the best offensive line in Class AA and if they can control the clock and hang around, they will make life tough for the top teams in the league. Glacier welcomes Great Falls High to town this Friday while Capital gets its shot at Bozeman. Bozeman had a bad 1st quarter against Butte at Naranche Stadium as Butte was up 8-7 after one. But after that it was all Bozeman and QB Callahan O’Reilly. O’Reilly threw for 273 yards and rushed for 33 more and totaled five touchdowns. WR/DB Lance McCutcheon led the Hawks on defense with two picks. Bozeman welcomes Capital this Friday and Butte gets a shot at Senior. After a tough opening night loss to Glacier, Helena High has rebounded with authority. RB Ryan Arnston went off again and the defense forced eight first half CMR turnovers to win 49-0. Arnston had 191 yards rushing and three scores on 14 carries in the first half alone. If CMR doesn’t stop turning the ball over, they may see themselves out of the playoff hunt sooner than later. CMR gets Skyview this Friday while Helena welcomes Sentinel to town. The battle of the Samsons (father vs. son) took four overtimes to decide a winner as Flathead beat GFH 42-41 on Friday Night in the longest game in AA history. Flathead QB Bridger Johnson rushed for two touchdowns in overtime including the game winner in the 4th overtime. GFH QB Kevin Boes totaled five touchdowns on the night. Flathead welcomes Big Sky this Friday and Great Falls High travels to Glacier. Missoula Big Sky beat crosstown rival Missoula Sentinel 26-20 to round out AA action. Sentinel struggled to stop Big Sky’s power run attack all night as the Eagles racked up 374 yards rushing. Big Sky QB Levi Janacaro had 180 of those yards for three scores. Sentinel RB Connor Crawford had 80 yards rushing with two scores but Sentinel couldn’t get enough out of their offense to overcome their defensive woes. In my opinion, this was a bad loss for Sentinel as they were trying to prove to everyone that they could overcome that opening night loss to Senior and show how good of a team they had. Good on Big Sky for making things interesting and moving to 2-1. Big Sky will travel to Flathead and Sentinel will travel to a tough Helena High squad.

AA Player of the Week in Week 3: Billings Senior QB Nate Dick (260 yards passing, 130 yards rushing, 5 touchdowns)

Game(s) of the Week: Helena Capital at Bozeman (easily the game to watch of Week 4)

Class A

1. Dillon (2-0)
2. Billings Central (1-1)
3. Columbia Falls (3-0)
4. Polson (2-0)
5. Havre (3-0)
6. Belgrade (2-1)
7. Laurel (1-1)
8. Butte Central (2-1)
9. Miles City (1-2)
10. Lewistown (1-1)

Teams in the conversation: Hamilton (1-2), Sidney (2-1)

There was one game to watch in Week 3 of Class A action and it didn’t disappoint. Dillon came in as the favorite but Billings Central gave Troy Andersen and the Beavers all they could handle. Andersen scored on runs of 4 and 53 along with an eight yard TD pass to Gabe Hupp. The Beavers also spoiled some of their chances as they had the ball on the Central 1 yard line before halftime but that possession finished with two bad snaps for a 22 yard loss and a failure to get the 4th down play off before the clock expired. Andersen also threw two 4th quarter interceptions in the end zone to spoil two more Beaver chances to extend the lead. Dillon’s defense hung tight as Central’s offense finished with 185 yards rushing while the Beavers had 284 yards on the ground. Central RB Ben Voss scored first with a 23 yard run and finished with 81 yards on the ground for the Rams. Dillon’s non-conference schedule doesn’t get any easier as they take on a good Polson team in Dillon this Friday and Billings Central travels to Frenchtown. Columbia Falls QB Dakota Bridwell threw four more touchdowns last Friday in a win over Hamilton, 35-21. Bridwell now has 18 on the year. Hamilton hung tough being down 21-13 at halftime. Columbia Falls will travel to Browning this Friday while Hamilton travels to Corvallis. Polson handled Corvallis a 47-14 loss as QB Tanner Wilson totaled five touchdowns (three through the air and two on the ground). Polson had 368 yards on the ground. Polson will get its shot against Dillon this Friday Night as they travel to Dillon in my Week 4 Game of the Week. Corvallis welcomes Hamilton. The Havre Blue Ponies stayed perfect with another gritty win, this time over Miles City 13-12. It was Havre QB Trey Murphy who threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns and the last one was a game winner to Isaac Warp in the 4th quarter. Havre travels to Sidney this Friday while Miles City welcomes Belgrade to town. Belgrade earned a big victory over Laurel, 29-20, last Friday Night. Belgrade RB Hayden Van Winkle had 271 yards rushing and scored three times on long runs. Laurel QB Casey Cole kept them in the game as he threw a touchdown and ran in two more as he got his team within six in the fourth quarter but Belgrade kicked an 18 yard field goal to seal the deal for the Panthers. Belgrade will travel to Miles City and Laurel will welcome Butte Central. Speaking of Butte Central, Maroons QB Tanner Kump totaled 280 yards of offense and five touchdowns in a 41-7 win over Hardin. Butte Central RB/WR also totaled 66 yards rushing and 86 yards receiving in the win. Butte Central will travel to Laurel this Friday for a big game for both teams. Sidney gave up 218 yards rushing to Lewistown RB Isaac Fry in a 14-7 loss to the Fergus Golden Eagles last Friday night. Sidney’s only score was a 95 yard kickoff return. Sidney welcomes Havre this Friday while Lewistown travels to Glendive.

A Co-Player of the Week in Week 3: Belgrade RB Hayden Van Winkle (271 yards rushing, 3 touchdowns); Polson QB Tanner Wilson (166 yards passing, 170 yards rushing, 5 touchdowns)

Game(s) of the Week: Polson at Dillon (Polson thinks they are good and Dillon has proven they are good so it is time for Polson to make a statement)

Class B

1. Fairfield (2-0)
2. Missoula Loyola (2-0)
3. Bigfork (3-0)
4. Huntley Project (3-0)
5. Baker (2-0)
6. Manhattan (3-0)
7. Whitehall (3-0)
8. Shepherd (3-0)
9. Jefferson (2-1)
10. Conrad (1-1)

Teams in the conversation: Cut Bank (1-1), Deer Lodge (1-1), Eureka (2-1), Forsyth (3-0), Glasgow (1-2), Malta (0-2), Colstrip (3-0), Townsend (1-1)

In my Game of Week 3, Fairfield throttled Jefferson 41-0. Jefferson RB Nate Brunett was bottled up all night. Fairfield is on another level. The Eagles will play another 5B squad in Townsend this Friday at Townsend. Jefferson will travel to Choteau to get back on track. Missoula Loyola had a bye week last Friday. Bigfork took on a tough Conrad team in a game that I thought might be really good. It was a back and forth affair and the deciding factors ended up being missed extra points (1-4) and a missed field goal as time expired by the Cowboys. Both teams were about dead even in total offensive yards with Bigfork and Conrad having 352 and 355, respectively. QB Bert Paulson threw three touchdowns for Conrad and Bigfork RB Matt Farrier ran for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Bigfork will travel to St. Ignatius while Conrad welcomes Rocky Boy to town. Huntley Project welcomed back Lane Sumner to the backfield and he rushed for three touchdowns of 70, 3, and 46 yards as Huntley took down Columbus 41-0. Huntley will travel to Baker for my Game of Week 4 in a 3B showdown that could decide the conference title (even though Colstrip and Shepherd are also undefeated). Baker had its hands full with the Glasgow Scotties last Friday night but Spartan RB Angus Lund exploded for 210 yards and four touchdowns as Baker held on for a 36-22 win. WR/DB Cleet Wrzesinksi also had a pick six for Baker as those two transfers have already made waves for their new team. RB/LB Benji Phillips was a standout for Glasgow on both sides of the ball. Baker will take on Huntley while Glasgow will welcome Big Timber. Manhattan QB Kobe Grossman, RB Tracer Stone, and WR Cole McCloud helped lead the Tigers to a 37-14 drubbing of Big Timber last Friday night. The trio has been tough to stop so far this year as the Tigers have outscored their first three opponents 122-14. Manhattan will travel to Anaconda this Friday. Whitehall passed another test last Friday, beating Anaconda 28-27, to stay undefeated. Whitehall QB Braden Larsen passed for a pair of scores (both to Wyatt Alexander) and ran for another in the win while Anaconda QB Braxton Hill threw two touchdowns of his own. Larsen’s final touchdown came in the third quarter to put the Trojans up 28-27 and Whitehall held on from there. Whitehall welcomes Deer Lodge in a battle of undefeated teams and another test for the Trojans as they will have their hands full with dual threat Deer Lodge QB Cade Benjamin. The Shepherd Mustangs kept their undefeated record intact with a 20-14 win over the visiting Malta Mustangs. Shepherd QB Cade Torgerson passed for a score and ran for one with the run being the deciding score in the third quarter. Malta falls to 0-2 on the year and will welcome Roundup to town this Friday while Shepherd travels to undefeated Forsyth for another 3B showdown. Right now, the 3B conference has five undefeated teams and four of them play each other on Friday.

B Player of the Week in Week 3: Baker RB Angus Lund (210 yards rushing, 4 touchdowns)

Game(s) of the Week: Huntley Project at Baker (hands down the game of the week in Week 4 as these two teams do not like each other and there is a ton of talent on both sides)

Class C (8-man)

1. Ennis (3-0)
2. Wibaux (3-0)
3. Fairview (3-0)
4. DGS (3-0)
5. Victor (3-0)
6. Belt (3-0)
7. Charlo (2-1)
8. Arlee (2-1)
9. Harlowton (3-0)
10. Scobey (2-1)

Teams in the conversation: Broadus (2-1), Cascade (3-0), Darby (2-1), Flint Creek (1-2), Great Falls Central (3-0), Shields Valley (2-1), Twin Bridges (1-2)

Not a ton of change as the top five teams all won in Week 3. Ennis continued their undefeated campaign with a 62-12 trouncing of Tri-City. Jake Knack got the scoring going with a 40 yard run as he carried the ball three times for 145 yards, scoring on all three runs. Gavin McKitrick and Tanner Wood hooked up for a 66 yard score in the first half as well before the starters gave way to the backups. The Mustangs have outscored their last two opponents 144-24 and their starters barely have played four quarters of football this season. However, Ennis gets its first test of the season as undefeated DGS comes to town for a Friday Night showdown. Wibaux got a hard fought win over the visiting Scobey Spartans, winning 32-22. Scobey’s Riley Linder opened up the scoring with a 40 yard run (he finished with 253 all-purpose yards) but Shawn Schaefferkoetter (3 rushing touchdowns) and the Longhorns reeled off 32 unanswered points en route to a big win. Scobey gets a visit from Mandaree, N.D. this Friday while Wibaux travels to Plentywood. Fairview busted out 30 1st quarter points en route to a 58-16 win over Circle. QB Tanner Reynolds threw six touchdown passes for the Warriors, who have one of the best offenses in Class C 8-man. Fairview will welcome Broadus this Friday. In a battle of unbeaten, Victor defeated Arlee 40-6 last Friday to take an undefeated Western C conference record going into their conference game with Charlo this weekend. RB Colt Neville rolled up 162 yards rushing on 14 carries with three touchdowns for the Pirates. QB Jesse Pearson also totaled three touchdowns for the home team. Victor completely shut down Arlee stud athlete Tyler Tanner, who failed to score for the first time this season. Belt continued their undefeated season with a 48-0 trouncing of Chinook. Belt’s Harry Green and Keagan Stoop totaled three touchdowns each. Belt will welcome undefeated Cascade in a Northern C division showdown this weekend. Charlo continued to impress with a 54-6 thumping of Flint Creek. QB Landers Smith and RB Trent Dennison stole the show for the Vikings with both accounting for four touchdowns each. Charlo will welcome Victor in a Western C showdown and a game that could decide the Western C crown early. The Harlowton Engineers kept their record perfect with a 44-6 throttling of Absarokee. Harlowton RB Asa Woodard had four rushing touchdowns. Harlowton will take on a scrappy Shields Valley team at home this Friday.

C 8-man Player of the Week in Week 3: Fairview QB Tanner Reynolds (6 touchdown passes)

Game(s) of the Week: DGS at Ennis (Southern C showdown between two heavyweights that will likely decide the Southern C title...it also might be the best game of the 2016 season in Class C 8-man); Victor at Charlo (Western C showdown); Cascade at Belt (Northern C showdown of unbeateans)

Class C (6-man)

1. Hot Springs (3-0)
2. Bridger (3-0)
3. Richey-Lambert (3-0)
4. Geraldine-Highwood (3-0)
5. White Sulphur Springs (3-0)
6. Bainville (2-1)
7. Jordan (1-1)
8. Westby-Grenora (2-1)
9. Savage (2-1)
10. Grass Range-Winnett (1-2)

Teams in the conversation: West Yellowstone (2-0), Terry (0-2), Roy-Winifred (2-1)

Hot Springs stayed perfect with yet another blowout win, this time coming against Lincoln 56-7. Savage Heat’s Kane Lawson and Trevor Paro ran for three touchdowns each. Hot Springs welcomes Sheridan this Saturday. Bridger scored a whopping 92 points against Fromberg and a lot that had to do with the Zentner family of Ryan, Colter, and Colby. Those three had a hand in five of the six touchdowns in the first quarter alone and the route was on. Bridger welcomes a competitive Roy-Winifred team this Friday. In an Eastern C 6-man showdown, Richey-Lambert took it to Bainville 74-26 which gave the Bulldogs its first loss of the season. Richey-Lambert will welcome Jordan to town on Friday Night for another big showdown that will help sort out conference standings and Bainville will look to get back on track against Ekalaka on the road. Geraldine-Highwood jumped out to a 37-6 halftime lead en route to a 63-6 win over Heart Butte last week. GH got contributions from multiple players throughout the game with seven different players scoring touchdowns. Geraldine-Highwood will welcome Augusta this Saturday. White Sulphur Springs took down St. Regis 76-27 as RB Dawson Clay accounted for seven touchdowns. WSS will travel to Noxon on Friday. Jordan had a bye week and they come back by travelling to Richey-Lambert for an Eastern C 6-man conference showdown. Westby-Grenora jumped out to a 36-6 halftime lead en route to a 48-12 victory over Ekalaka. Kade Guenther returned from injury for the Thunder and he had a big game, accounting for four touchdowns in multiple ways. Thunder QB Jeremiah Paine also threw five touchdowns on the day. Westby-Grenora travels to Terry in another good Eastern C matchup. Savage took down those Terry Terriers 57-6 last week, getting big contributions from QB Bailey Micheletto and RB/WR Bryar Lange. Savage gets the week off in Week 4. Grass Range-Winnett finally got a win after a tough first two games against ranked teams with a 45-22 win over Custer-Hysham. Dawson Delaney scored four touchdowns for Gr-W while Shay Adler scored three for the C-H. Grass Range-Winnett will welcome Fromberg to town this Saturday.

C 6-man Player of the Week in Week 3: White Sulphur Springs RB Dawson Clayton (7 total touchdowns)

Game of the Week: Jordan at Richey-Lambert (another good test for the undefeated R&L Fusion)

[Glen47]

The 1 B gana be a dog fight!

[VimSince03]

The 1 B gana be a dog fight!

I do think Fairfield is the clear favorite....but Conrad, Cut Bank, and Shelby are not slouches. All three will give Fairfield all they can handle. Conrad is physical, Cut Bank has big lines, and Shelby can put the ball in the air.

[bobcat99]

Geez...when's the last time Malta started 0-2?

[VimSince03]

Geez...when's the last time Malta started 0-2?

Two tough road tests right out of the gate. They do have a junior RB/LB named Trace Simonson who is a legit college prospect. Overall, all they have to do to win the 2B is get by Glasgow as I don't think Wolf Point, Poplar, or Harlem are going to put up much of a fight.

[grizpack]

I think Big Sky is 2-1, rather than 1-2.

[VimSince03]

I think Big Sky is 2-1, rather than 1-2.

You would be correct. Submitted wrong write-up. Fixed!

[catbooster]

Go Victor!

[VimSince03]

Go Victor!

Big game this week!

[catsack]

How many recruits did they have at the game?