The Bobcat Nation

Top-side of Bracket

Florence (#4 West B) at Big Timber (#1 South B)

Prediction: Big Timber wins 24-16

Glasgow (#3 North B) at Colstrip (#2 East B)

Prediction: Colstrip wins 41-7

Three Forks (#4 South B) at Missoula Loyola (#1 West B)

Prediction: Missoula Loyola wins 48-12

Huntley Project (#3 East B) at Malta (#2 North B)

Prediction: Malta wins 30-28

Bottom-side of Bracket

Cut Bank (#4 North B) at Roundup (#1 East B)

Prediction: Roundup wins 50-6

Townsend (#3 South B) at Bigfork (#2 West B)

Prediction: Bigfork wins 27-14

Red Lodge (#4 East B) at Fairfield (#1 North B)

Prediction: Fairfield wins 44-0

Eureka (#3 West B) at Manhattan (#2 South B)

Prediction: Eureka wins 20-14

This next week of Class B games should be awesome. On the top side, Big Timber and Colstrip get a rematch of their 21-20 game that Colstrip won at home. That game should be at Big Timber, which probably gives them an edge. I haven't seen either team, but home field on a Saturday in November is very helpful.

I don't know what the heck to think of the Huntley/Loyola game. Huntley always either looks like world beaters or they look pretty average. I've seen some of those "average" Huntley teams come in and look like the best team in America one week, then lose to somebody that doesn't look that good the next week. Loyola has some studs (and I haven't seen Huntley play this season, full disclosure), so I'm guessing the home field is good enough for a close win for Loyola. I don't know that Huntley has an answer for Ryan Tirrell.

Roundup and Bigfork will be good. Bigfork went to Roundup 3 years ago for a first round game and won a close one. I'm guessing Roundup doesn't run the same offense they did back then, which was a weird (but effective) little inside triple option with their 260 pound rugby player of a QB. Bigfork had some injuries down the stretch and struggled. They almost beat Loyola without Logan Gilliard though, who I think is their best player, no disrespect to Randy Stultz. I'm biased, but I think they're the second-best team in the state behind Fairfield. Too bad they're on the same side of the bracket. I think Bigfork gets the only road win in the quarterfinals.

Fairfield will beat Manhattan by 30 or more. They're just so good and so consistent, and they just get better in November at home. Nehring is playing great lately for Manhattan, but I don't think he's enough.