Ponies ready to battle Rangers

The Havre High football team won't be making the playoffs this season, but the Blue Ponies still have two chances left to play spoiler starting tonight in Livingston.

The Ponies (1-6) and the Rangers (2-5) will renew their long-time rivalry tonight in a game that could impact the Eastern A playoff picture. If Livingston beats Havre (kickoff at 6 p.m.) and follows it up with a win over Sidney next week, the Rangers could sneak into the postseason, something HHS could prevent with a win on the road.

"We have to go out and play well on the road," HHS head coach Ryan Gatch said. "We haven't played very well two out of three times on the road. We didn't play well last year or this year on the road. We did two years ago, but we have to find that our M.O. is winning on the road."

Like Havre, Livingston won its first game of the season and followed it up with five consecutive defeats. However, the Rangers got back into the win column last week with a 38-0 win over Hardin, a victory that also kept their slim playoff hopes alive. It was an explosion for an offense that had struggled mightily during its five-game losing skid, as the Rangers scored just five points a game against Belgrade, Lewistown, Laurel, Billings Central and Miles City.

Despite averaging just 14 points a game for the season Livingston does have some dangerous weapons offensively, namely quarterback John Waddell who is among the leaders in Class A with 1,523 yards passing and an average of 217 yards per game. Last week against Hardin, Waddell threw for 315 yards and a touchdown.

"He's a very good athlete. I think he is one of the top athletes in the Eastern A," Gatch said of Waddell. "They have some really good skill guys and they are good on the offensive and defensive lines, too."

One of the skill guys Gatch alluded to is Jack Waddell, the Ranger's leading receiver, who also gets plenty of opportunities to run the football. Last week versus Hardin he had a breakout game, racking up 367 total yards and three touchdowns. He managed 243 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while also hauling in seven passes for 124 yards and a score. In all, he averaged 12.1 yards every time he touched the football against the Bulldogs.

"When he's back there, they can run the football," Gatch said. "No. 3 (Jack Waddell) and No. 5 (John Waddell) are two dudes. They are good football players. Warren Hanson is another guy that played well against us last year."

The tandem of Jack Waddell, who averages 91 receiving yards per game, and Warren Hanson should challenge a Havre secondary that could be without Ethan Roberts once again.

"I hope that he will be able to go," Gatch said of Roberts, who missed the last two games due to an injury. "He has been practicing with us this week, so hopefully, he can play. He will make us a lot more dynamic."

Without Roberts the last two weeks, the Havre offense has been stymied. The Ponies managed just 166 total yards combined against Billings Central and Sidney and scored a total of just three points. In the previous four games, Havre averaged just four points and in three of those outings, it was held without a touchdown.

"We have to be able to establish the run game," Gatch said. "But they are going to put maybe eight or nine guys in the box if we can't throw the ball. So that's the key. We have to be able to get the pass game going and make positive yards."

The Ponies have struggled to score points in recent weeks but at times, with Roberts in the lineup, the offense has flashed potential like when it scored 24 points against Hardin and 35 in a loss to Laurel. When he's been on the field, Roberts has averaged 95 yards per game as a receiver and starting quarterback Reese Bulkley will come in with seven touchdown passes, with five going to Roberts.

Junior running back Mason Dionne is another steady presence in the offense for the Ponies and he has done a little bit of everything this season. He has 401 rushing yards on the season (57 per game) and four total touchdowns. In addition to that, he has more than 200 yards throwing the football.

Defensively, Dionne is among the top tacklers on the team and is joined by Caleb Allestad, Bulkley, Roberts and Kellen Detrick, who leads the Ponies in sacks. As a team, the Ponies are giving up 30 points a game, yet there has been a drastic difference between when they are at home and on the road. On its home field, the defense is surrendering just 18 points a game; however, on the road, the number climbs to 45 points a game.

Another area where Gatch said the Ponies must improve is turnovers. Havre has given the ball away 16 times and notched just five takeaways, giving it a minus 11 for the season in terms of turnover ratio. HHS has won the turnover battle just once all season and that came against Hardin in its lone victory.

"The only time we were plus two in the turnover margin was against Hardin," Gatch said. "That is one of our goals each week. We are always negative and we are losing each week. So we really need to focus on ball security and try to find a ways to make them turn the ball over."

Kickoff tonight between the Ponies and Rangers is set for 6. Havre will then close out the 2018 season at home next week against Miles City.

Havre Blue Ponies

(1-6) lost to

Central last week

at

Livingston Rangers

(2-5) beat Hardin last week

Tonight at 6 p.m.

in Livingston

Radio: 610 KOJM AM