Hi-Line Football: Big Sandy earns a big Six-Man win

With the weather turning colder, the football games get more important and, last Friday night in Fort Benton, the Longhorns played one of their most important football games in years.

Unfortunately, Fort Benton was unable to get the best of Centerville, as the Miners scored 36 unanswered points in the second half to win the critical Northern C B Division matchup 62-40.

The Miners grabbed the early lead on the Longhorns, going up 14-6 after the first quarter, but by halftime, Fort Benton had tied the game up at 26-26. Then, after two third-quarter touchdown passes from Garrett Diekhans, the Longhorns led 40-26, before the Centerville onslaught overwhelmed them.

The Longhorns (4-2, 3-1) could have clinched a berth in the 8-Man playoffs, but with a loss, Fort Benton will now have to play its way in by knocking off the second or third-place team from the Northern C A Division. The Longhorns will wrap up their regular season on the road in Rocky Boy Friday night.

Centerville 14 12 14 22 – 62

Fort Benton 6 20 14 0 – 40

FB-Landon Taylor 42 run (run failed)

CV-Philip Okonkwo 24 pass from Carson McGinness (Austin Canoy run)

CV-Okonkwo 24 pass from McGinness (run failed)

FB-Connor Schnabel 35 pass from Garett Diekhans (run failed)

CV-Canoy 4 run (pass failed)

FB-Jace Thompson 5 pass from Taylor (Taylor run)

CV-Okonkwo 22 pass from McGinness (pass failed)

FB-Thompson pass interception (run failed)

FB-Schnabel 29 pass from Diekhans (Taylor run)

FB-Diekhans 5 pass from Taylor (pass failed)

CV-Canoy 8 run (run failed)

CV-Brandon Travis 50 pass from McGinness (Canoy run)

CV-Okonkwo 22 pass from McGinness (Canoy run)

CV-Jacob Kelley 43 fumble recovery (run failed)

CV-Canoy 37 run (Canoy run)

Big Sandy 56, North Star 26

In another game with playoff implications this past weekend, the Big Sandy Pioneers hosted the North Star Knights Friday night in a big Six-Man North Division showdown.

Yet, the Pioneers, who are looking for the first playoff berth in five years, crushed the Knights by a score of 56-26 Friday night in Big Sandy. The Pioneers were paced by Weston Allderdice, who ran all over North Star to the tune of 386 rushing yards. He also scored six rushing touchdowns. Bailey Spicher threw four touchdown passes in the loss for the Knights, who also got a pair of touchdown receptions from Dylan Miller, as well as a touchdown reception each from Devon Miller and Thomas Nerat.

The Pioneers (5-1, 3-1) will play at Valier Friday night, while the Knights will look to bounce back Friday night at Heart Butte.

North Star 0 20 6 0 – 26

Big Sandy 14 6 22 14 – 56

BS-Weston Allderdice 21 run (kick blocked)

BS-W. Allderdice 1 run (Duke Darlington kick)

BS-W. Allderdice 29 run (kick failed)

NS-Dylan Miller 61 pass from Bailey Spicher (pass failed)

NS-Dy. Miller 45 pass from Spicher (kick blocked)

NS-Devon Miller 14 pass from Spicher (Spicher kick)

BS-W. Allderdice 6 run (kick failed)

NS-Thomas Nerat 9 pass from Spicher (kick blocked)

BS-W. Allderdice 16 run (D. Darlington kick)

BS-Clint Darlington interception return (D. Darlington kick)

BS-Kade Strutz 1 run (kick failed)

BS-W. Allderdice 2 run (D. Darlington kick)

Chinook 34, Simms 14

While Fort Benton was trying to clinch the top spot in the Northern C B Division Friday night, the Chinook Sugarbeeters were just trying to keep their hopes alive for reaching the playoffs.

And thanks to a 34-14 home win over Simms Friday night in Chinook, the Beeters were able to do just that. Chinook, which has now won two straight games following a 1-3 start, trailed the Tigers 8-6 after the first quarter, but were able to eventually overtake the Tigers, thanks to four rushing touchdowns, two from Sam Dumas, one from James Christensen and another from Chase Moxley. The Beeters also got a touchdown pass in the third quarter from Trajan Hannum to J.T. Hauer.

The Beeters (3-3, 2-2) can advance to a play-in game for the 8-Man football playoffs with a win this week on the road at Centerville, along with a loss by Cascade against Simms. Both games will be played Friday night.

Simms 8 0 6 0 - 14

Chinook 6 22 6 0 - 34

C - Sam Dumas 5 run (run no good)

S - 8 yard run (run good)

C - Dumas 8 run (conversion good)

C - James Christensen 27 yard run (conversion good)

C - Chase Moxley 5 run (pass failed)

S - Cody Helms 4 run (pass failed)

C - JT Hauer 39 yass from Trajan Hannum (run failed)

Choteau 62, Box Elder 0

In the Northern C A Division, the Box Elder Bears paid a visit to Choteau Friday night and were handed their fifth loss of the season, following a 62-0 loss at the hands of the Bulldogs. Box Elder, which is 1-5 overall and 1-3 in Division play, will close out divisional play Saturday at home against Chester-Joplin-Inverness.

Box Elder 0 0 0 0 – 0

Choteau 8 32 22 0 – 62

Choteau - Jonathan Moore 21 run (Moore run)

Choteau - Moore 16 pass to Kyler Crabtree (Crabtree run)

Choteau - Moore 60 pass to Bryce Gramm (Moore run)

Choteau - Moore 72 punt return (Gramm run)

Choteau - Dakota Daley 1 run (Daley run)

Choteau - Gramm 9 run (pass failed)

Choteau - Moore 17 run (Crabtree run)

Choteau - Gramm 1 run (Gage Cummings run)

Great Falls Central 53, CJI 6

The Chester-Joplin-Inverness Hawks have had a tough season in the inaugural 12-team Northern C and this past Saturday in Great Falls, against Great Falls Central, it didn't get any easier as the Hawks were trounced 53-6.

The Mustangs, who 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the Northern C A Division, scored the first 46 points of the game, before CJI was able to score late when Spencer Richter threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Jackson Diemert. CJI, which is 1-5 overall and 1-3 in the division, will look for its second win of the season Saturday at Box Elder.

CJI 0 0 0 6 – 6

Central 24 22 0 7 – 53

First quarter

Central – Isaac Armstrong 14 run (pass failed), 7:35

Central – Ethan Vincent 10 pass from Noah Ambuehl (run failed), 5:49

Central – Vincent 33 pass from Ambuehl (run failed), 4:27

Central – Armstrong 49 run (run failed), :2

Second quarter

Central – Jon Ruud 14 pass from Ambuehl (run good), 8:38

Central – Luke Marmon 14 pass from Ambuehl (pass good), 5:00

Central – Billy McDaniel 3 run (run failed), :00

Fourth quarter

CJI – Jackson Diemert 6 pass from Spencer Richter (run failed), 7:32

Central – Shane Girres 10 run (Logan Warren kick), 2:20

Elsewhere in the Northern C, the Hays-Lodge Pole Thunderbirds played host to Belt Friday night and were rolled by the Huskies 68-0. The T-Birds, who are 0-6 on the season, will host Choteau Friday night. Rocky Boy also paid Cascade a visit Friday night and wound up losing to the Badgers by a score of 60-22. The Stars (2-4, 0-4) will close out their regular season Friday night at home against Fort Benton.