George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com
And then there were was one. After last Wednesday’s final day of the regular season in Class B and C football, only one Hi-Line team remains as the Montana high school football playoffs begin this weekend. Chester/J-I is the only local Northern C team to qualify for the postseason, and the Hawks will host Power-Dutton- Brady on Saturday in Chester. Big Sandy, despite a 5-3 record, was edged out by Belt for the final Northern C slot. Centerville captured the league championship with a perfect 8-0 record. The last day of the regular season saw a difficult year for the Chinook Sugarbeeters come to an end with a 66- 16 loss to Belt in Chinook. Chinook suffered an 0-8 season just one year after reaching the Class C quarterfinals. Chinook scored all 16 of its points in the first quarter, but the Huskies scored 28 points in the first stanza and 16 more in the second quarter to lead 44-16 at halftime. Chinook quarterback Marty Birky finished his season strong by throwing for a score and rushing for 113 yards and a 69-yard touchdown.
Wednesday also marked the end to a winless season in Rocky Boy. Despite showing signs of an explosive offense, the young stars finished the season 0-8 after a 78-18 loss in Harlowtown. The Stars scored in each of the first three quarters, but their defense was no match for the Engineers, who outscored Rocky Boy 64-12 in the first half. The Stars scored on a 65-yard kickoff return in the first quarter. Then, just before halftime, Cody Four Colors threw a 50-yard touchdown strike to Rodney Turntoes. Lindsey Eagleman also had a two-yard TD run in the third period.
A much-improved Hays-Lodge Pole team ended its Northern C campaign on a difficult note last Wednesday, falling in Sunburst 42-0 in the season finale for both teams. Despite the loss to the Refiners, HLP finished in the middle of the Northern pack at 3-5.
In Class B action Wednesday night, the Harlem Wildcats ended a threegame losing skid by thumping the Shepherd Mustangs in a nonconference affair. The Wildcats blanked the Mustangs for the first 24 minutes of the game en route to a 33-16 win and a 4-4 season. Miles Werk had his fifth 200-yard game of the season as he rushed for 217 yards and three touchdowns. Monty Snow Jr. And Rick Haluszka also scored for Harlem. On defense, Harlem got 15 tackles a piece from Tyler Faulkenberry and Todd Allen. The Wildcats, who started strong by going 3-0 early, lost all of the District 1B games this season and despite the win on Wednesday, they will miss out on the 2006 Class B playoffs.
In Six-Man action on Wednesday, the long season for the Box Elder Bears got even longer as they became Highwood’s 29th straight victim. The perennial sixman powerhouse Mountaineers pummeled the Bears 80-6 in Box Elder. The Bears (0-7) only score came on a 5-yard TD pass from Travis Russette to Zach Rosette in the second quarter.
