Hi-Line Football Roundup: Rocky Boy beats HLP in a wild game

Before the start of the 2017 season, it had been years since the Rocky Boy football team had won a varsity game. But after two weeks and two dramatic victories, the Stars suddenly find themselves at 2-0.

After knocking off Box Elder by a single point to open the season, the Stars went on the road to Hays last Saturday and defeated Hays-Lodge Pole in a crazy 98-96 overtime thriller in a non-division battle of Northern C 8-Man teams.

Kordell Small, who accounted for five touchdowns against Box Elder, was even better against the Thunderbirds, as he threw eight touchdown passes and ran for two more touchdowns to help lead the Stars to victory.

Yet, Small was far from the only player who had a big day. Chance Main of HLP ran for seven touchdowns, while Moke Cliff added four rushing touchdowns of his own and threw two touchdown passes as the T-Birds rallied from an early deficit to tie the score at 90-90 and force overtime.

But in the extra session, Rocky Boy found a way to make the extra play necessary to win. Small threw a 10-yard touchdown pass, then also ran in the two-point conversion, which ended up being the deciding points in the 98-96 win. Small may have been the big star on the day for Rocky Boy, but Kade Galbavy also had a stellar outing with four touchdown receptions and two touchdown passes.

Rocky Boy (2-0) will host Centerville on Saturday; the T-Birds will welcome Great Falls Central for a home game Saturday as well.

Hays Lodgepole 14- 20-24-32-6 - 96

Rocky Boy 26- 20- 20-24- 8- 98

First Quarter

HAYS-LODGE POLE: Chance Main 4 run (run failed)

ROCKY BOY: 65 pass Kordell Small to K. Galbavy (run failed)

HAYS-LODGE POLE: Main 36 run (run good)

ROCKY BOY: 65 pass Small to K. Galbavy (run good)

ROCKY BOY: Small 22 run (run failed)

ROCKY BOY: 9 pass Small to Frankie Bacon (run failed)

2nd Quarter

ROCKY BOY: 21 pass Small to Bacon (run failed)

HAYS-LODGE POLE: Main 17 run (pass good)

ROCKY BOY: Small 36 run (run failed)

HAYS-LODGE POLE: 11 pass M. Cliff to J. Brockie (run failed)

ROCKY BOY: 12 pass Small to Nagel (pass good)

HAYS-LODGE POLE: Cliff 1 run (run failed)

Third Quarter

ROCKY BOY: 37 pass Small to Galbavy (pass good)

HAYS-LODGE POLE: Main 18 run (run good)

ROCKY BOY: Russette 68 kickoff return (pass failed)

HAYS-LODGE POLE: Cliff 33 run (run good)

ROCKY BOY: Galbavy 63 run (run failed)

HAYS-LODGE POLE: Cliff 57 run (run good)

Fourth Quarter

HAYS-LODGE POLE: Main 10 run (pass good)

ROCKY BOY: 2 run (run failed)

HAYS-LODGE POLE: Main 32 run (run good)

ROCKY BOY: 75 pass Arkinson to Windyboy (run failed)

Rocky Boy: 10 pass Small (conversion good)

GFCC 22, Fort Benton 12

Elsewhere in Northern C action Saturday, the Fort Benton Longhorns were on the road against Great Falls Central, as Fort Benton tried to open its season with back-to-back road wins.

Yet, the Mustangs, who are among the favorites in the league, wound up getting the win by the score of 22-12. Central struck first with a touchdown to go ahead 6-0, then pushed the lead to 14-0 with another score in the second. However, a 77-yard interception return for a touchdown by Landon Taylor trimmed the lead to 14-6 at the half.

In the third quarter, Great Falls Central added another score, this time on a 16-yard run by Matt Mendenhall. The two-point conversion was also good, which made it 22-6. Fort Benton added a touchdown in the fourth, as Connor Schnabel caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Taylor, which made the score 22-12, but that was as close as Fort Benton would get. Fort Benton (1-1) will host Simms Friday night.

Fort Benton 0 6 0 6 – 12

Central 6 8 8 0 – 22

First quarter

Central – Isaac Armstrong 20 pass from Ambuehl (pass failed), 2:19

Second quarter

Central – Armstrong 48 pass from Ambuehl (William McDaniel run), 10:26

Fort Benton – Landon Taylor 77 interception return (pass failed), :28

Third quarter

Central – Matt Mendenhall 16 run (Mendenhall run), 5:24 left

Fourth quarter

Fort Benton – Connor Schnabel 4 pass from Taylor (run failed), 7:48

North Star 60, Custer-Hysham 26

In Six-Man football action Saturday, the North Star Knights made their 2017 season debut at home against Custer-Hysham and thanks to the stellar performance of quarterback Caden Retting, the Knights won going away 60-26.

Rettig, a sophomore, ran all over Custer-Hysham, racking up 246 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He also threw a pair of touchdown passes and also notched a pair of interceptions on defense.

The two teams were tied 0-0 after the first quarter, but the Knights scored 14 in the second quarter and 28 points in the third to blow it wide open. The Knights (1-0) will travel to Sunburst for a Six-Man North division game Saturday night.

Custer-Hysham 0 6 6 14 – 26

North Star 0 14 28 18 – 60

NSR – Caden Rettig 17 run (kick failed)

CHY –Shay Adler 5 pass from Preston Long (kick failed)

NSR – Rettig 19 run (Jon Sonju kick)

NSR – Rettig 29 run (Sonju kick)

NSR – Devon Miller 40 pass from Rettig (Sonju kick)

CHY – Adler 62 run (kick failed)

NSR – Dylan Miller 39 run (kick failed)

NSR – Austin Hansen 12 pass from Rettig (kick failed)

NSR – Dy. Miller 1 run (kick failed)

CHY – Adler 9 run (kick failed)

NSR – Dy. Miller 22 yd. run (kick failed)

CHY –Matlock Morrision 42 pass from Adler (Adler kick)

NSR – Rettig 48 run (pass failed)

Chinook 18, CJI 16

Friday night in Northern C 8-Man football action, the Chinook Sugarbeeters and Chester-Joplin-Inverness Hawks met in a non-division game in Chinook.

Both teams opened the season with a loss, but Friday, it was the Beeters that evened up their record as they pulled off an 18-16 win over CJI. With Chinook trailing in the fourth quarter 16-12, quarterback Trajan Hannum found Brendan Edwards for a 12-yard touchdown, which gave the Beeters the lead and ultimately the win.

Chase Moxley and J.J. Colby also added touchdown runs in the win for Chinook, while Kobe Tran scored a rushing touchdown for CJI. Tran also threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Evan Dahinden in the third quarter, which gave the Hawks the lead 16-12.

Chinook (1-1) will host Cascade Friday night. CJI (0-2) will also be in action Friday night on the road against Choteau.

CJI 0 8 8 0 – 16

Chinook 0 6 6 6 – 18

CHIN-Chase Moxley 1 run (run failed)

CJI-Kobe Tran 2 run (Jackson Diemert pass from Tran)

CJI-Evan Dahinden 60 pass from Tran (Diemert pass from Tran)

CHIN-JJ Colby 1 run (pass failed)

CHIN-Brendan Edwards 12 pass from Trajan Hannum (run failed)

In other action within the Northern C Friday night, the Box Elder Bears paid a visit to Cascade in a non-conference matchup. The Bears, who lost to Rocky Boy 35-34 in Week 1, fell to 0-2 after losing to the Badgers 48-8. Box Elder (0-2) will start conference play Friday night on the road against Belt. Also in 11-Man football, the Harlem Wildcats played their first game of the 2017 season, but the result wasn't pretty as Wolf Point defeated them easily 50-8. Harlem (0-1) will host Glasgow Friday night. No box scores were reported from either contest.