Chris Peterson Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com
Its do or die time for the Havre High football team. With just one game remaining in the regular season, the Ponies must win to get into the Class A playoffs, and if they don’t then their season is over. It’s always a big game when arch rivals Havre and Lewistown meet on the football field, but this year’s game, tonight at 7 at Blue Pony Stadium is more meaningful than usual. HHS (4-4 overall, 2-2 conference) and Lewistown (4-3 overall, 2-2 conference) are currently tied for third place in the Central A conference and fighting it out for the last berth in the Class A state playoffs. The scenario is simple for both teams. The winner of the game advances to play at Hardin next Saturday in the opening round of the playoffs, while the loser goes home. “I think that we all know what is at stake,” HHS head coach Kevin Sukut said. “Right now our backs are against the wall. But I think that the kids have responded well. We have had a great week of practice and I think that they are ready to go. They know what this means, they know that our season is on the line.” Havre missed out on a golden opportunity last weekend in Belgrade to take a big step towards clinching a playoff berth. But unfortunately dropped the game to Belgrade 10-0, leaving the Ponies with just one last chance to sneak into the playoffs. Lewistown on the other hand, got off to a 2-0 start in conference play, following wins over Browning and Livingston. However, the Eagles missed chances to improve their playoff position each of the last two weeks with a 41-14 loss to Belgrade, followed by a 47-28 defeat at the hands of conference champion Butte Central. “I think that both teams know just how big this game is,” Sukut said. “We have been waiting to click all season long. But we better do it soon so that we can get into the postseason, which is always one of our goals and have a chance to do some damage.” Adding to the emotion and the importance of the game for the Ponies is the fact that tonight is senior night. “We want to win this game for the seniors,” Sukut said. “The seniors want to win the game so that they can extend their careers and the younger guys want to win this game for the seniors. That is just how it works.” If the Ponies are going to be victorious tonight they will need much more production on the offensive side of the ball. Havre had just 200 yards of total offense against Belgrade, including just 29 passing yards. Senior quarterback Kyle Finneman will look to bounce back in a big way from his toughest outing of the season against the Eagles. Finneman is a multi-talented quarterback that will cause the Lewistown defense as many headaches running the football as he will when he throws it. While Finneman has been inconsistent at times, he has also shown flashes of big-play ability and with the help of senior receivers Jay Darrah and Todd Roe, as well as junior receiver Michael Hickman and senior tailback Loren Mack. Finneman and the Ponies are looking for breakout performance from the offense. “The big key for us is going to be our ability to run the football,” Sukut said. “They are going to be bringing a lot of pressure, so it is imperative that we are able to establish the running game to counteract that. “The other big key for us offensively is going to be pass protection,” he added. “We have to be able to protect the quarterback and give him time back there to make plays. However, the most important thing is that we just need some guys to step up and start making some big plays on the offensive side of the ball.” Defensively, the key for the Havre defense will be containing the potent passing attack of the Eagles, which is led by junior quarterback Dylan Buehler, who is second in the Central A in passing yards with 1,360 yards to go along with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. Buehler likes to spread the ball around to a number of different targets, but his favorites include, Logan Mossey, who has 582 receiving yards and four touchdowns on the year, as well as Dillon Fugate who has five touchdown receptions and Sam Anderson, who also has four touchdown receptions this season. On the ground, the Eagles depend on Tyler Weeden, who has rushed for 321 yards and three scores. Sam Anderson is the second option in the Eagles rushing attack and has picked up 287 yards rushing on the year to go along with two touchdowns. “Defensively we are going to give them a lot of different looks,” Sukut said. “Obviously they are going to come out and try to throw the football and we are going to have to be able to stop it.” Havre and Lewistown will kick off inside Blue Pony with kickoff at 7 p.m. The winner will move on to the playoffs next weekend. “I think that all the kids know what the scenario is for us,” Sukut said. “Our season is on the line and now is the time that we need people to step up the most. Our backs are against the wall right now, but we have a strong group of seniors and I anticipate that they are going to respond well to the pressure.”
