Hi-Line Football: Pioneers knock off Rivals, earn playoff berth

Prior to this season, it had been five years since the Big Sandy Pioneers had made the Six-Man football playoffs. But after the Pioneers upset Geraldine/Highwood Saturday on the road, they need just one more to win to end the drought.

Big Sandy found itself trailing 22-18 to the Rivals entering the fourth quarter Saturday in Geraldine, but thanks to a 40-yard touchdown pass from Parker Proulx to Weston Allderdice, Big Sandy grabbed the lead 24-22. And another touchdown from Allderdice, this time on a five-yard run, put the win on ice as the Pioneers won 30-22. The win improved their record to 6-2 overall and more importantly 5-2 in the Six-Man North Division.

By way of their win against Geraldine/Highwood, the Pioneers can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Augusta Wednesday at home. Big Sandy could also finish as the No. 2 and host a playoff game with a win, coupled with a Power-Dutton-Brady loss against undefeated Valier the same night.

Back to Saturday, Allderdice had the two touchdowns late, but Kade Strutz got the Pioneers started with a five-yard touchdown run. Down 8-6 at the half, the Pioneers got two third-quarter touchdowns to keep pace with Geraldine/Highwood, as Proulx hit Duke Darlington on a 40-yard touchdown pass, while Allderdice also scored on a 35-yard run.

Big Sandy 6 0 12 12 – 30

Geraldine-Highwood 8 0 8 6 – 22

GH-Erik Nielsen 1 pass from Brady Duvall (Joey Hale kick)

BS-Kade Strutz 5 run (kick failed)

BS-Duke Darlington 40 pass from Parker Proulx (kick failed)

GH-Bryce Birgenheier 13 pass from Duvall (Hale kick)

BS-Weston Allderdice 35 run (kick failed)

GH-JR Spencer 6 run (kick failed)

BS-Tanner Allderdice 40 pass from Proulx (kick failed)

BS-W. Allderdice 5 run (pass failed)

Valier 41, North Star 0

In another Six-Man North football game Saturday, the North Star Knights were trying to get their playoff hopes alive at home against Valier. However, the unbeaten Panthers were too much for the Knights and cruised to a 41-0 victory. North Star (3-4) will finish the season Wednesday against Geraldine/Highwood.

Valier 9 13 13 6 – 41

North Star 0 0 0 0 – 0

VAL-Colten Curry 11 pass from Koltin Christiaens (Trever VandenBos run)

VAL-Safety, North Star recovered bad snap in end zone

VAL–Curry 21 pass from Christiaens (Curry pass from Christiaens)

VAL-Tanner VandenBos 24 pass from Christiaens (kic k failed)

VAL-Dustin Steele 45 pass from Christiaens (kick failed)

VAL-Christiaens 9 run (Tr. VandenBos run)

VAL-Steele 10 pass from Christiaens (run failed)

Choteau 64, Fort Benton 20

The Fort Benton Longhorns were looking to punch their ticket in the 8-Man football playoffs Friday night in Fort Benton, as they took on Choteau in a Northern C play-in game.

However, Choteau had other ideas and the Longhorns were no match for the Bulldogs, who grabbed a 16-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and went on to rout Fort Benton 64-20. Landon Taylor tossed one touchdown pass to Garrett Diekhans and also rushed for two more scores in the loss. Fort Benton finished its season 5-3.

Choteau 16 22 6 20 – 64

Fort Benton 0 14 6 6 – 20

CHO-Kyler Crabtree 20 pass from Jonathan Moore (Crabtree pass from Moore)

CHO-Pete Henderson 14 run (Henderson run)

FB-Garrett Diekhans 12 pass from Landon Taylor (pass failed)

CHO-Crabtree 55 pass from Moore (run failed)

CHO-Crabtree 6 run (NA pass from Moore)

FB-Taylor 50 run (Hayden Axtman run)

CHO-Moore 18 run (NA pass from Moore)

CHO-Moore 48 run (pass failed)

FB-Taylor 2 run (run failed)

CHO-Moore 1 run (Bryce Gramm pass from Moore)

CHO-Moore 2 run (run failed)

CHO-Gramm 6 run (run failed)

Chinook 14, CJI 12

While neither Chinook or Chester-Joplin-Inverness made it into the Northern C seeded playoff, each team was still looking to close out the season strong in a Northern C matchup Friday night in Chinook.

The Sugarbeeters got a pair of touchdown passes from Trajan Hannum, as he found Karson Powell and Brenden Edwards on the two scores as Chinook held on for a 14-12 win. CJI got a touchdown in the first quarter from Jackson Diemert to take an early 6-0 lead, but Chinook scored the next 14 points. The Hawks trailed 14-6 when Diemert scored on a three-yard run in the fourth quarter, but CJI’s two-point attempt to tie the game failed and the Beeters got the win.

Chinook finished the season with a 4-4 record; CJI was 2-6.

CJI 0 6 0 6 - 12

Chinook 0 8 6 0 - 14

CJI: Jackson Diemert 4 run (pass failed)

Chinook: Brenden Edwards 10 pass from Trajan Hannum (Hannum run)

Chinook: Karson Powell 30 pass from Hannum (pass failed)

CJI: Diemert 3 run (pass failed)

Malta 50, Harlem 8

The Harlem Wildcats were hoping to get their first win of the season in Malta Friday night, but after the Mustangs scored 22 points in the first quarter and 20 in the second, the outcome was no longer in doubt.

Malta wound up scoring 50 on the Wildcats in a 50-8 win. Harlem, which is 0-6 on the season, got a touchdown late from Curtis Humphreys to avoid the shutout. Harlem will close out the season in Conrad Friday night.

Harlem 0 0 0 8 – 8

Malta 22 20 0 8 – 50

Malta-Kevin Henry 57 pass from Trace Simonson (Trey Simanton kick)

Malta-Trace Simonson 26 run (Kevin Henry pass from Trey Simanton)

Malta-Tanner Smith 37 pass from Trace Simonson (Trey Simanton kick)

Malta-Trace Simonson 10 run (Trey Simanton kick)

Malta-Trey Simanton 4 run (Trey Simanton kick)

Malta-Cormac Benn 3 run (kick failed)

Malta-Benn 25 run (Cordel Salsbery run)

HAR-Curtis Humphreys 7 run (Brad Cichosz run)

In other action within the Northern C conference, the Rocky Boy stars earned their third win of the season, knocking off Hays-Lodge Pole in Hays Saturday, 74-32. Rocky Boy finished the season 3-5 with the win.