MT High School Football Rankings - Week 2

[VimSince03]

Class AA

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

Billings Senior shot out of the gates with a 37-13 win over Missoula Sentinel. Nathan Dick and Gabe Sulser picked up where they left off. Dick had 332 total yards of offense and Sulser had 156 yards receiving and 14 yards rushing with 3 tds. Senior's defense was tremendous against a large Sentinel offensive line. Sentinel QB Mitch Roberts was swallowed up all day. Senior welcomes Big Sky to their place next week. Sentinel stays home to take on Butte. My game of the week (Glacier at Helena) turned out to be one of the biggest blowouts in AA. Tadan Gilman took over as the starting QB of Grady Bennett's quick passing offense and he executed it perfectly to the tune of 334 passing yards, 64 rushing yards, and 3 tds. His mate in the backfield, junior Drew Turner, burst onto the scene with 123 yards rushing and 3 tds. Helena's offense was just stifled by Glacier's defense all day, led by Jaxon Hashley. Helena's junior QB, Kaleb Winterburn, had a tough task for his first start but look for them to bounce back because they are a good team. Glacier just may be THAT good overall. Glacier travels to Bozeman next week and Helena travels to Flathead. Billings West and Helena Capital provided one of the better games of the opening weekend. QB Bryson Deming threw a 27 yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds left to beat Capital 14-7. Expected more out of Capital's offense but Billings West defense is a little underrated. These two teams may not be the best in the state but they are going to give the best teams a tough out each time. West travels to CMR next week while Capital gets an automatic win due to Hellgate's forfeit. Butte opened its season the right way with a surprising 27-7 win over Billings Skyview. Butte got contributions on both sides of the ball and the biggest may have been from senior defensive end Brian LaFond with four sacks. I was pretty disappointed in Skyview because they have a few top college prospects on their team and I expected their run game to be better. Skyview welcomes Great Falls High next week. CMR's Lane Jensen had himself a day against Flathead with 351 yards passing, 58 rushing, and five tds (four rushing, one passing). Jake Wilkins was Jensen's favorite target as he hauled in 134 yards receiving. Flathead's downfall was giving up 21 points in the 2nd quarter. I was high on Lane Jensen heading into this season but I didn't think he would be able to put up those type of numbers so good on him. Seth Adolph had 91 yards receiving for Flathead. Great Falls High had control of the game throughout against Big Sky but gave up two big plays in the second half (89 yard return and 68 yard pass) to lose 27-26. This was Mark Samson's debut for Great Falls High and his team's offense looked good with junior QB Kevin Boes leading the way with 348 total yards. But big plays by Big Sky's option QB Levi Janacaro kept the Eagles in the game.

AA Player of the Week in Week 1: Glacier QB Tadan Gilman (334 passing yards, 64 rushing yards, and 3 tds)

Game of the Week: Kalispell Glacier at Bozeman (AA teams know that Bozeman might be a little down this year and Glacier wants redemption for last years semifinal loss, one in which Glacier almost pulled off. Senior QB Callahan O'Reilly will make his debut against likely the best defense in AA. If anything, buy tickets to watch Tadan Gilman.)

Class A

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

My top four teams all start their seasons this weekend. Dillon welcomes Whitefish to their place for a 2015 State Championship rematch. Billings Central welcomes Belgrade. Laurel welcomes Livingston. Polson welcomes Hamilton. So we will start with Columbia Falls...who was as advertised. They trounced Corvallis (who won't really be in the mix this year) but still Columbia Falls showed what they are going to be all season: a dynamic offense with a ton of weapons. CF scored 41 points in the second quarter alone with Dakota Bridwell throwing six touchdown passes. Receivers Braxton Reiten, Trevor Hoerner, and Sean Miller all scored touchdowns. Behind a big offensive line, Columbia Falls's passing game won't slow down any time soon. Columbia Falls welcomes Stevensville this weekend. Belgrade defeated Butte Central (my game of the week) 35-18 behind four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) from Zach Spady. Hayden Van Winkle, Trey Mounts, and sophomore Easton Page had long touchdown catches for the Panthers. BC QB Tanner Kump threw the ball 47 times, completing 22 for 266 yards and a score. The Maroons just gave up too many big plays. Still, both of these teams will be tough outs for the top teams in Class A. Butte Central welcomes Browning this weekend. Sidney laid a beat down on Watford City of North Dakota as they moved up a bit in the rankings. Sidney travels to Williston, ND this weekend. Miles City lost to Powell, Wyoming 27-20(who is in the mix as a top 3A team in that state). Miles City travels to Lewistown next weekend. Hamilton took down Salmon, ID 49-0 as they moved into the top 10. They have a tough matchup with Polson this weekend. Finally, the last game I want to talk about involved the defending Class A champs (Whitefish) and Havre. Throughout the entire process of evaluating who are the top seniors in the 2017 Montana recruiting class, Jase Stokes kept popping up as a name to watch his senior season. The knock on Jase is his speed but he is a three time state champ wrestler and a strong, physical athlete. Well, he rumbled for 281 yards on 31 carries against Whitefish for an 18-6 Havre win and he literally carried the team on his back because Havre couldn't really do anything else. 6'1", 210 pounder rumbled up and down the field all day and still helped stifle Whitefish's offense from his MLB position. Whitefish is definitely not as talented this year and everyone knew that but they still have some decent players on their team, especially on defense, so it was a surprise they gave up that much rushing. Whitefish's road doesn't get easier as they travel to Dillon in Week 2 and Havre travels to Hardin.

A Player of the Week in Week 1: Havre RB Jase Stokes (31 carries for 281 yards and 3 tds)

Game(s) of the Week: Belgrade at Billings Central (Belgrade is a dangerous offense this year so Central will have to bring its A game); Hamilton at Polson (Polson got a high ranking from me in the preseason and they get a chance to prove it against a solid Hamilton team)

Class B

1. Fairfield (0-0)
2. Missoula Loyola (1-0)
3. Big Fork (1-0)
4. Huntley Project (1-0)
5. Baker (0-0)
6. Manhattan (1-0)
7. Jefferson (1-0)
8. Eureka (1-0)
9. Whitehall (1-0)
10. Anaconda (0-0)

Teams in the conversation: Malta, Cut Bank, Conrad, Red Lodge, Shepherd, Colstrip, Townsend

Fairfield was off Week 1 and will open their season against Libby (who got blown out in Week 1). Missoula Loyola shot out of the gates with a 58-6 win over Libby, being up 42-0 at halftime. QB Kellen Round threw for three touchdowns and returned an interception 60 yards for a score. Missoula Loyola welcomes Townsend in Week 2. Big Fork destroyed Troy 62-0 with Matthew Farrier scoring four touchdowns. Big Fork welcomes Ronan in Week 2. Huntley Project got off to a slow start against Roundup but got hot during the second quarter and ended up routing the Panthers 45-6. Huntley travels to Malta for a Week 2 matchup. Baker was off in Week 1 and will open their season welcoming Wolf Point to town. Manhattan erased the memory of last year's senior class with a 53-0 trouncing of Florence/Carlton. This was my game of the week and it endedup being a dud. Manhattan had way too many athletes for Florence/Carlton to handle. Manhattan travels to Choteau in Week 2. Jefferson did not make my preseason Top 10 and that was a mistake on my part. They defeated a tough Ronan team 34-14 led by five touchdowns from junior running back Nate Brunett. Jefferson welcomes Anaconda in Week 2. Eureka pounded St. Ignatius 61-0. Eureka held St. Ignatius to just five yards of offense. Eureka will be tested in Week 2 by a tough Cut Bank team. I should have trusted my eyes with Whitehall. I didn't put them in my preseason top 10 but I knew they had talent on offense with QB Braden Larsen and WR/TE Andrew Simon. Those two didn't disappoint in their opener, defeating Big Timber 40-0. Larsen was 23-40 for 386 yards passing with six touchdowns and Simon had 6 catches for 112 yards with 2 tds. Whitehall travels to Columbus in Week 2. Anaconda was off in Week 1 and they take on Jefferson in Week 2. As for the six other teams, I had to mention them because I think they deserve consideration for the top 10. There are just too many teams in Class B this year that are good.

B Player of the Week in Week 1: Whitehall QB Braden Larsen (23-40 for 386 yards for six tds)

Game(s) of the Week: Townsend at Loyola (will be a good barometer of how good both teams are); Anaconda at Jefferson (I'm high on Anaconda this year and Jefferson just proved they were a team to watch in Week 1)

Class C (8-man)

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

Teams in the conversation: Twin Bridges, Simms, Scobey, Chinook, Centerville, Park City, Shields Valley, Darby, Harlowton

Ennis got a forfeit win against Absarokee. They will travel to Broadview-Lavina in Week 2. Wibaux blanked Circle 46-0 and they will take on a tough Broadus team in Week 2. Fairview defeated Charlo (my game of the week...and I nailed it) 54-52. It was a wild game and it took a touchdown and two-point conversion from Fairview in the final seconds to win it. Fairview QB Tanner Reynolds was great all day and threw the last second TD pass to Pat Hardy and then ran in the 2-pointer. Running backLanders Smith had six rushing touchdowns for Charlo. The game was played at Cascade. Fairview will welcome Culbertson in Week 2 while Charlo welcomes Plains. DGS debuted with a 40-0 win over Gardiner in their first 8-man game as a co-op. They welcome Lone Peak in Week 2. Flint Creek blew out Twin Bridges 52-12 in Western C action led by stud junior QB Mark Estes. He had a hand in six of the team's seven touchdowns. Twin Bridges scored first but couldn't get anything going the rest of the way. The loss of Wesley Harshbarger definitely was noticeable in this game. Flint Creek travels to Arlee in Week 2 action. Victor up-ended Seeley-Swan 58-6 and looked really strong doing it. They travel to Twin Bridges in Week 2. Broadus took down Class B Lame Deer 47-6. They travel to Wibaux in Week 2. Arlee lost a lot to graduation but they did not lose Tyler Tanner, who accounted for six touchdowns against Plains last Saturday for a 60-42 win. They welcome Flint Creek in an important early season matchup for both teams. Belt got off to a good start by blanking CJI 49-0. They travel to Fort Benton in Week 2. The biggest upset of the week came with Centerville beating Chinook 20-14. Centerville was winless in 2015 and Chinook is the defending 8-man champ. Looks like Chinook was hurt by graduation more than people thought.

C 8-man Player of the Week in Week 1: Flint Creek QB Mark Estes (6 touchdowns: 4 passing, 1 rushing, 1 receiving)

Game(s) of the Week: Flint Creek at Arlee (FC QB Mark Estes is the real deal as is Arlee's Tyler Tanner. They will square off in this big matchup of Week 2.); Broadus at Wibaux (Another big early matchup)

Class C (6-man)

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

Teams in the conversation: White Sulphur Springs, Terry, Park City, Reed Point-Rapelje, Roy-Winifred

Hot Springs flew by 2015 State 6-man runner up Box Elder 75-0. Obviously, Box Elder lost a lot to graduation and is rebuilding but Hot Springs is really, really good. They travel to Valier in Week 2. Jordan defeated a tough Winnett-Grass Range team 16-0. Jordan welcomes Bainville in Week 2. Bridger took down Westby-Grenora 32-20 in my Week 1 game of the week. The game was close the whole way with Bridger pulling away in the end. Both teams will be a tough out this year. Bridger welcomes Billings Christian in Week 2 while Westby-Grenora travels to Sunburst. Richey-Lambert showed why they deserve to be in the conversation as the best team in 6-man with a 51-8 win over Roy-Winifred. Richey-Lambert travels to Ekalaka in Week 2. Bainville might have had the most impressive win of Week 1 by beating Terry 71-43. Bainville travels to Jordan in Week 2 for an important early season matchup. Geraldine-Highwood also had an impressive win over Savage 47-38. Both teams have been powers in 6-man for a few years now and this early matchup didn't disappoint. GH travels to Lincoln in Week 2 and Savage will travel to Alexander, ND. Ekalaka took down Fromberg 57-12 to put themselves in my Top 10 rankings.

C 6-man Player of the Week in Week 1: Hot Springs ATH Trevor Paro (5 total tds)

Game of the Week: Bainville at Jordan (We will see how good both teams are after this matchup.)

[VimSince03]

Hang tight guys. I will get to Class C later today.

[tdub]

Just a quick edit in your AA write-up. Glacier goes to Bozeman, not vice versa. Should be another great game between these two!

Thanks for all you do!

[blueandgoldblitz]

Excellent write up as always Vim! It's awesome that you inform us on the football goings on around the state when people like me would have no idea how to even find this information in the first place.

[VimSince03]

Excellent write up as always Vim! It's awesome that you inform us on the football goings on around the state when people like me would have no idea how to even find this information in the first place.

http://www.406mtsports.com/

http://www.montanasports.com/

They both are an improvement over the local newspapers.

[blueandgoldblitz]

Excellent websites! Thanks for the heads up!

[luckyirishguy25]

Really surprised by Boulder this year, they lost 3 REALLY good players last year and they haven't skipped a beat. They OWNED Anaconda last night 36-0, and from what I was told it could have been a lot worse.

[Glen47]

Don't think they beat Fairfield?