Championship round of the 2022 Montana high school football playoffs

Coverage of the high school state football championships in Montana Nov. 18-19, 2022.

'The Best feeling in the world': Capital beats Bozeman and wins first Class AA state title since 2011

All year long, the Helena Capital Bruins have had a recipe for success and on Friday night at Vigilante Stadium, the final product was a Class AA state championship.

There was an 87-yard touchdown run from Tom Carter, big plays made by both quarterbacks — Joey Michelotti and Hudsen Grovom — touchdown runs by three different players and a slew of sacks by Talon Marsh.

The end result, was a 35-14 win over Bozeman, a 12-0 season and the 12th Class AA state championship in Capital school history — the first since 2011.

Chris Peterson

"I can't even describe it," Capital's Hayden Opitz said. "It's hard to put into words. The student section, the crowd, my family...it's just so great right now."

"This is the best feeling in the world," Nick Michelotti said. "I told (Talon Marsh) all that hard work finally paid off. Looking at the scoreboard, when the clock hit zero — so excited."

However, there were some tense moments, especially in the second half. Early on though, it looked like the Bruins were going to run away with it, at least it seemed that way after the first two drives.

After forcing a three-and-out by Bozeman, Joey Michelotti completed three straight passes to open the game and put the Bruins in a goal-to-go situation. Opitz, who plays tight end and also linebacker, is also a short-yardage specialist for the Bruins and he hit pay dirt from three yards out to put the Bruins in front at the 9:27 mark of the first quarter.

Helena Capital's Hayden Opitz finds a hole in the Bozeman defense and rushes for a TD in Friday's State AA Championship game in Helena.
Gary Marshall BMGphotos.com

Bozeman went three and out on its second drive and after a 20-yard completion from Michelotti to Opitz, Dylan Graham finished off the drive from one yard out and just like that it was 14-0 Bruins less than 10 minutes in.

Helena Capital's Dylan Graham breaks through the Bozeman defense for a TD during Friday's State AA Championship game in Helena.
Gary Marshall BMGphotos.com

"One of our goals was to come out fast," Opitz said. "We wanted to come out strong and we did that, we were able to drive the field and punch it in."

That certainly set the tone for the Bruins but Bozeman would finally start to punch back on its third drive of the game.

Jake Casagranda pushed the ball down the field to Luke Smith to get the ball into the red zone. Then, on the last play of the opening stanza, Casagranda found Smith from 10 yards out to trim the Capital lead to 14-7 after one.

Needing a play to flip the momentum back in their favor, the Bruins turned to who else but Tom Carter.

Facing a third-and-13 at their own 13 yard-line, Capital handed it off to Class AA's leading rusher and not only did he convert the first down, the 200-meter state champion showed off his speed on a scintillating 87-yard touchdown run.

Helena Capital's Tom Carter breaks Bozeman tackles for a 87 yard TD run during Friday's State AA Championship game in Helena.
Gary Marshall BMGphotos.com

"I was able to hit that hole pretty fast," Carter said. "It was awesome and it was all about the guys opening up that up for me. I'm so proud of them."

It pushed the Bruins lead back to 14 and it stayed that way most of the stanza. The Hawks did threaten to trim it a few minutes later but fumbled the ball into the end zone for a touchback.

Yet, on Bozeman's next possession, its last of the half, Casagranda was able to make it count, connecting with Rocky Lencioni on fourth down for 19 yards to score Bozeman's second touchdown and cut the CHS lead to 21-14 at the half.

Bozeman's Jake Casagranda looks for an open reciever druing Friday's State AA Championship game against Helena Capital in Helena.
Gary Marshall BMGphotos.com

"I'm so proud of this team," Bozeman head coach Levi Wesche said. "I don't think a lot of people expected us to be here at the beginning of the year but we were able to put together a great run. It just didn't end the way we wanted it to."

Early in the fourth quarter though, all outcomes were on the table. Capital didn't manage a first down in the third, and the Hawks, who converted four third downs on one drive, were able to flip field position.

"It felt like we were on defense the entire third quarter," Capital head coach Kyle Mihelish said. "So you have to give credit to our defense. They found a way to make some plays and get some stops."

The biggest came on a fourth-and-four at the Capital 32-yard line early in the fourth. Needing a touchdown to tie, the Hawks were stopped short. Capital had to punt on its next drive, but the field position flipped again.

Then, after Bozeman had a punt blocked, giving the Bruins the ball at the 22-yard line, Capital went for the kill.

With an offense in need of a spark, Grovom went in the game at quarterback and hit Carter on a 19-yard wheel route. Two plays later, Opitz powered his way into the end zone for the second time, making it 28-14.

"That felt great," Opitz said. "Laying on the ground, knowing that we sealed the deal and celebrating with my buddies."

Helena Capital wins 2022 AA football championship — Joey Michelotti celebrates with the state championship trophy after the Helena Capital Bruins defeated the Bozeman Hawks 35-14 Nov. 18, 2022 in Helena.
CHRIS PETERSON 406mtsports.

Bozeman was down 28-14 but there was still 4:16 on the clock. That's when Marsh, Capital's all-time leader in sacks, decided to shut the door. His fourth-down sack effectively ended the game and turned the ball back over to Capital.

The final state championship dagger came via a one-play, 26-yard drive that featured a Grovom touchdown pass to Tyler Kovick with 3:15 left. At that point, it was 35-14 and the celebration was on.

"I can't even describe it, to be honest," Marsh said. "Our class. This Bruin team has worked so hard. Right when last year ended we came together and we had a mission and we got to it tonight."

Marsh has had more sacks than any Bruin ever, but the last one, with just over three minutes to go, is one he'll never forget.

"I feel like I've had a good amount of sacks," he said. "But that one is definitely going to stay with me for a long time."

Marsh was his usual dominant self with eight tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks in the win. Carter ran the ball 13 times for 123 yards in addition to catching three passes for 50. CHS ran for 173 yards as a team. Joey Michelotti completed 7-of-10 passes for 89 yards, while Grovom was 3-for-4 for 40 yards and a touchdown pass.

"It feels great that our program has won another state championship," Mihelish said. "That's 12 now in our history. It's just great to lead these young men. They are a great group. Three years ago they set their goal and said this is where they wanted to be. We took our lumps when these guys were sophomores and juniors and it's just great to see them succeed."

"It's been a long time coming," Carter said. "It just feels great to get it done. It's kind of bittersweet because I don't want to be done (playing football at Capital) but this is a heck of a way to go out."

Bozeman, which finished the season 9-3 was led by Casagranda who completed 21-of-42 passes in defeat and managed 228 yards, as well as two touchdown passes. Brady Casagranda was the leading receiver with six receptions for 74 yards.

For Capital, it was the perfect ending to a perfect season and even though the temperature was near freezing at Vigilante Stadium on Friday night, when you're a state champion, you feel no pain.

"It's hard to put into words," Nick Michelotti said. "It feels awesome and I'm not cold at all."

Photos: Helena Capital wins the Class AA state football championship

Helena Capital state title

Capital's Dylan Graham

State title game

Joey Michelotti

Capital's Hayden Opitz

Capital's Hudsen Grovom

Capital's Talon Marsh

Capital's David Marshall

Helena Capital's Hayden Opitz

Helena Capital

Helena Capital's Joey Michelotti

Helena Capital's Dylan Graham

Helena Capital's Tom Carter

Helena Capital Bruins win 2022 AA football championship

Helena Capital wins 2022 AA football championship

Photos: Helena Capital wins the Class AA state football championship

Recapping the Capital Bruins 2022 Class AA state championship game through photos.

Class A championship: Lewistown Golden Eagles flying high with 1st title win since 2001

LEWISTOWN — Jett Boyce proved to be as elusive in the celebratory mass of well-wishers as he was on the football field.

The Lewistown Golden Eagle senior running back was congratulating whomever he could, pushing and glad-slapping teammates, grabbing the Class A football championship trophy for photos, rarely staying in one place.

When he was finally corralled, Boyce tried to put into proper words what the Eagles had accomplished on a sunny Saturday afternoon on their home Golden Eagle Stadium field.

The Eagles defeated Billings Central 34-14, earning the school’s first football state title since 2001 and just its second in school history. And, not for nothing, the Eagles finished the season a perfect 12-0.

“This is pretty surreal,” Boyce said. “We’ve been dreaming of this since we were kids. In the back of our heads I feel like we knew we’d be here. But it’s just a crazy feeling, putting in the hard work and finally getting what you need.”

Boyce accounted for 79 rushing yards on 16 carries, but it was senior quarterback Gage Norslien who seemed to be everywhere whenever the Eagles needed a big play.

Norslien had a hand in all five Eagles’ touchdowns, rushing for three and throwing scoring strikes to Maxx Ray and Matt Golik.

When the Rams, who spotted the Eagles 21 points, pulled within 21-14 on the first drive of the second half, Norslien helped get the Eagles back on track with a 40-yard touchdown run. Norslien provided the dagger on the next series with a five-yard run for a 20-point lead with 7:12 to play.

All that was left at that point was the counting down of the clock.

“I just hope we start a really good thing here, to be honest,” said Norslien, who rushed for 90 yards and threw for 143. “We got it going last year and finally got the job done this year. I just hope the freshmen, all the underclassmen and everyone watching — all the elementary kids — look up to us and want to do this so we get a really good tradition here.”

The Rams turned the ball over four times, including three lost fumbles and an interception by Lewistown’s Kieran Netburn.

Even without the turnovers, the Rams’ usually potent ground attack was spotty. The Rams finished with 90 rushing yards total, which some of that attributed to a couple deep quarterback sacks.

In the end, the turnovers and stout interior defense by the Eagles proved too much.

“They did a great job of stopping the run, and we knew that coming in,” said Billings Central coach Jim Stanton, who was coaching his 11th title game with the Rams. “Our kids battled well. I’m real proud of them, there’s no question about it. Just not a lot of breaks went our way today.”

Norslien’s 24-yard pass to Ray gave Lewistown a 7-0 lead on the first series of the game. Early in the second quarter Norslien lofted a long pass in stride to Golik from 53 yards to make it 14-0.

Billings Central then lost its second fumble deep in Lewistown territory, and the Eagles engineered a 94-yard drive that culminated in a Norslien two-yard run and a 21-0 lead.

Things appeared bleak at that point for the Rams, who lost earlier this season to Lewistown 17-7. But they got on the board on an Adam Balkenbush pass to Brayden Flores covering 20 yards and went into halftime trailing 21-7.

Billings Central opened the second half with its best possession of the game. The Rams went 65 yards and got within seven points on another Balkenbush touchdown pass, this one to Hunter Doyle from 19 yards.

But that was the high point for the Rams, who finished their season 10-2.

“It’s a very, very good group of kids,” Stanton said. “It just wasn’t happening today.”

“Community” was a word thrown around a lot by Eagles players and coach Derek Lear. They’d point to all the family, friends and fans mingling on the field long after the game, and pointed out as well to the stands, which were once filled during the game but had spilled over to help the team celebrate after the game was over.

Lewistown has waited 21 years for this chance. The players weren’t going to let it go to waste.

“It means a lot to our community and everybody who supported us for the entire season,” said lineman Travis McAlpin. “I don’t know … we can’t thank our community enough for the support they give us.”

Lear moved to Lewistown eight years ago and spent his first six as an assistant coach. Upon taking the head job last season, Lear said he wanted to instill a sense of family in the program. Judging by the results Saturday, if he hasn’t done that already, his Eagles are well on their way.

“What these guys have been through, their hard work, their sacrifice is finally paying off,” Lear said. “I’m so happy for them. Not only them, but this community. This community deserves it. I’m kind of speechless. Just proud of the boys and all the work they did the whole season.”

Photos: Lewistown vs. Billings Central Class A football state championship

Lewistown vs. Billings Central

Photos: Lewistown vs. Billings Central Class A football state championship

Class B championship: Florence-Carlton Falcons soar past Missoula Loyola to repeat as champions

FLORENCE — Pat Duchien Sr. and Pat Duchien Jr. shared a special embrace on the football field in the minutes after the final buzzer sounded in the State B championship game Saturday.

It was the final time the father-son, coach-quarterback duo would be taking the field together for Florence, and they went out on the highest of notes. Pat The Younger totaled six touchdowns and the Falcons repeated as State B champions by soaring to a 48-7 win over rival Missoula Loyola on a sunny day with temperatures in the low 20s.

“What it means to me is there’s a bunch of kids that have believed in hard work in the offseason. Dedication. Kids that lead well. Just a good generational bunch of kids,” Duchien Sr. said about repeating as champs. “It’s a little bit different this time when you have a senior son going out. But what I could see with these guys this year is just the sheer determination, wanting to get better every single week. Just putting the time and effort in. It’s so fun to see them be rewarded with this.”

The Falcons (11-2) became the first Class B team to repeat as state champions since Eureka in 2016 and 2017. The title they won last year was their first since 1977 and it came in their first trip to the chipper since 1980.

Their run to this title wasn’t as straightforward as last season’s 12-0 campaign. The Falcons lost two regular-season games by a total of eight points and avenged their loss to Jefferson with a semifinal victory last week.

They came into the year needing to replace five starters who went on to play college football. They showed they could rebuild the offense with sixth-year head coach Duchien Sr. serving as the brains and third-year starting QB Duchien Jr. puling the levers on the field. The latter did that to the tune of five touchdown passes to three different players in the title contest.

“Going out as a senior winning two state championships, it’s just something super special,” Duchien Jr. said. “To do it with my dad as our head coach is just so awesome. This one, I feel like we had a lot more adversity throughout the year having a couple losses and having to battle back. I felt like it was something super special to be able to come out here, still compete and win a state championship.”

The Falcons left no doubt about how they good are as they outscored their opponents in the title game 90-7 over the past two years. They beat Bigfork 42-0 on their home field last season, one year after they felt they let a semifinal victory slip away in an 8-6 overtime loss at Fairfield.

The Falcons passed the ball with regularity as Duchien Jr. finished the year with 36 touchdown passes against five interceptions. He connected with Brodie Hinsdale for three TDs and he found Ethan Alexander and Tyler Abbott for one touchdown apiece in the chipper. His TD run after William Wagner intercepted a pass gave him 20 for the year.

“To me, that shows that the coaches are something special,” Duchien Jr. said of the title game performances. “I’m just so proud to be a part of this team with those coaches. Without them, I don’t think we could have done any of this.”

This marked the second straight season that both teams in the championship game came out of the Western B. It was also the second consecutive year that three of the four teams in the semifinals came out of that conference.

Loyola knocked off undefeated Bigfork last week in a semifinal. Bigfork took down conference foe Eureka in a semifinal last year.

“Somebody put out there in the media or on social media this year that the South was the SEC of Class B football,” Duchien Sr. said. “I think all of us Western coaches took that a little bit personally. I think we’ve shown it. These teams are great.”

Loyola (7-6) made it to the state championship game with a Cinderella run for the ages. The Rams rallied in the second half of their second-to-last regular-season game to clinch a playoff berth. They then pulled off three road upsets after entering the postseason with a 4-5 record.

The clock struck midnight on the Rams around halftime of the championship game as they fell to 0-3 in title contests in Todd Hughes’ nine seasons as head coach. They had tied the game 7-7 on Talen Reynolds’ touchdown run early in the second quarter, but Duchien tossed touchdown passes in the final minute of the first half and on Florence’s first drive of the second half to begin to put the game out of reach at 28-7.

“Just where they started and where they ended, I’m extraordinarily proud of them,” Hughes said of his team. “Of course the next 24 hours are going to hurt. It’s supposed to. When you get here, you want to finish and you want to win it. We didn’t perform as well as we thought we were going to. And it’s going to hurt. But it doesn’t take anything away from the pride and the love and the admiration I have for each one of these individuals.”

Photos: Florence-Carlton defeats Missoula Loyola for Class B football title

Florence defeats Missoula Loyola 48-7 on Saturday to win the State B football championship.

8-Man championship: Belt rolls in second half to top St. Ignatius for first crown in 28 years

ST. IGNATIUS — The Belt Huskies defeated the St. Ignatius Bulldogs 52-24 on Saturday afternoon to win their first 8-Man state football championship since 1994.

The game started on a hard, cold field as each team had issues with traction and getting their feet under long tosses. The first quarter ended with Mission up 6-0 after a blocked punt by Kenny Ness and recovered for the score by Canyon Sargent. They were the first points allowed by Belt in the playoffs.

But the Huskies cruised in the second half.

“We struggled a little bit in the first half holding them," Belt junior Reese Paulson said. "We just stuck to our fundamentals. It was tough out here on the slick field, but we stuck to our fundamentals. That’s what we practiced all year, and it paid off in the end.”

Photos: 8-Man championship between Belt and St. Ignatius

St. Ignatius v Belt_state football final-01.jpg — Belt's Keaghn McDaniel (32) celebrates with teammate Zach Feldman (87) on the field at the end of the fourth quarter after defeating St. Ignatius in the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19. The Huskies came away with a 52-24 victory over the Bulldogs.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

St. Ignatius v Belt_state football final-02.jpg — St. Ignatius's Kellen McClure (10) grips and tackles Belt's Ethan Triplett (9) at the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

St. Ignatius v Belt_state football final-03.jpg — The Belt Huskies 8-player football team celebrates holding the state trophy after defeating the St. Ignatius Bulldogs 52-24 at the State 8-player football final in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

St. Ignatius v Belt_state football final-04.jpg — The Belt Huskies football team take photos with the state trophy after beating St. Ignatius at the State 8-player football final in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

St. Ignatius v Belt_state football final-05.jpg — St. Ignatius' Iyezk Umphrey (7) rushes for yardage as he gets tackled near the sidelines by the Belt defense at the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

St. Ignatius v Belt_state football final-06.jpg — St. Ignatius quarterback Kellen McClure hands off the ball to running back Canyon Sargent during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

St. Ignatius v Belt_state football final-7.jpg — Belt's Jeremy Nebel (21) breaks through the St. Ignatius defense as he rushes toward the endzone during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

St. Ignatius v Belt_state football final-08.jpg — Belt's Reese Paulson (11) gets tacklled and thrown down to the grass by St. Ignatius' Iyzek Umphrey (7) during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

St. Ignatius v Belt_state football final-8.jpg — The Mission Mountains lurk in the background as the St. Ignatius Bulldogs play against the Belt Huskies at the State 8-player football final in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

St. Ignatius v Belt_state football final-09.jpg — St. Ignatius running back Canyon Sargent (2) rushes for yards as Belt's Ethan Triplett (9) pressures with defense during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

St. Ignatius v Belt_state football final-10.jpg — Belt fans cheer on the Huskies at the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

St. Ignatius v Belt_state football final-11.jpg — St. Ignatius' Kellen McClure (10) completes a catch and rushes for yards on midfield as Belt's Garett Metrione (24) attempts to tackle duringh the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

St. Ignatius v Belt_state football final-12.jpg — St. Ignatius Titan Mansell (15) reacts after a team loss against Belt at the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Bulldogs vs. Huskies-7.jpg — St. Ignatius’ Titan Mansell (15) gets dog-piled by the Belt defense and the rest of the Bulldog offense during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and the Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Bulldogs vs. Huskies-9.jpg — St. Ignatius’ Kellen McClure (10) gets tackled by Belt’s Rylan Davison during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and the Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Bulldogs vs. Huskies-10.jpg — St. Ignatius’ Chance Bockman (42) celebrates with teammate Canyon Sargent (2) after gaining yardage against the Huskies during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and the Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Bulldogs vs. Huskies-11.jpg — St. Ignatius quarterback Kellen McClure (10) runs through warm up drills during halftime at the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Bulldogs vs. Huskies-12.jpg — Belt’s Johnny Tingey reacts after rushing into the endzone during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and the Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Bulldogs vs. Huskies-13.jpg — Belt’s Johnny Tingey reacts after scoring against St. Ignatius during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and the Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Bulldogs vs. Huskies-14.jpg — St. Ignatius’ Lex Lafrombois (11) and Iyezk Umphrey (7) tackle a Belt runningback during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and the Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Bulldogs vs. Huskies-15.jpg — St. Ignatius’ Kenny Ness (25) reacts after the Bulldogs suffered a loss against Belt in the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and the Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Bulldogs vs. Huskies-1.jpg — St. Ignatius fans with letters spelling ”Dogs” are painted on their chests as they support their home team, the Bulldogs, at the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and the Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Bulldogs vs. Huskies-2.jpg — Belt’s Reese Paulson (11) attempts to intercept a pass to St. Ignatius’ Kenny Ness (25) during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and the Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Bulldogs vs. Huskies-3.jpg — St. Ignatius’ Titan Mansell, right, confronts Belt’s Jeremy Nebel (21) after a play during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and the Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Bulldogs vs. Huskies-4.jpg — Belt’s Isaac Maki (41) wraps around St. Ignatius’ Kellen McClure (10) as he rushes the ball down the field during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and the Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Bulldogs vs. Huskies-5.jpg — Belt players huddle during a time out as fans in the stands cheer on the home team during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and the Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Bulldogs vs. Huskies-6.jpg — Belt’s Reese Paulson (11) tries to tackle St. Ignatius’ Canyon Sargent (2) as he rushes for yards during the State 8-player football final between the St. Ignatius Bulldogs and the Belt Huskies in St. Ignatius on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Antonio Ibarra Olivares

Kenny Ness of St. Ignatius intercepted a pass to end the half with St. Ignatius up 18-14 at halftime.

It was a defensive battle of unbeaten teams in the first half on a day with temperatures in the teens and fog covering the valley. By the time the fog lifted and the Mission Mountains came into view in the second half, the Huskies started to roll.

Belt responded to start the third quarter by marching down field. Garett Metrione punched it in from the 4-yard line, and Belt added the 2-point conversion to make it 22-18.

“We made some adjustments at the half that we could run on them and got it done,” Belt coach Matt Triplett said.

As the sun thawed the field a bit and the players started to get a little bit more traction, Belt started to take advantage. The third quarter ended with Belt leading 30-18.

“We really figured we could stop them on defense,” Triplett said. “We had to figure out the offensive side; they were dropping back with six guys in a zone, and they picked off a couple of our passes. They had some momentum. So, we thought, gosh, we got to run that. We have to run the ball and get them to tighten up a little bit so we can score and then get the clock to keep running.”

Belt started running the ball more with Garett Metrione, Ethan Triplett and Bridger Vogl.

“We’re getting five yards a pop. That’s hard to stop. That’s really the key for us to get the ball, get first downs, and just grind it out,” Triplett said.

Belt continued in the fourth to score and another interception by Vogl set up a reverse for an additional score making it 46-18. Not done fighting, Mission came back with a 30-yard pass to Kenny Ness to make it 46-24. An onside try by Mission failed and led to Belt’s Ethan Triplett running one in for the game’s final score 52-24.

“The first half, we didn't really execute,” Vogl said. “But the second half, we came back with fire and got our plays; everyone executed, and we won. We just kept working to get better. We just never let off. We knew we’d get to this moment. We just had to get here and win."

Belt finished the season undefeated. St. Ignatius suffered its first loss.

“These kids battled; they’re resilient. I love them to death — a lot,” St. Ignatius coach Carson Oakland said. “They battled in this game. This team (Belt) hasn’t been touched all year, and they deserve it. They’re well-coached, and they are a good football team but so are our kids. I would go to battle with our kids any day of the week. I love them.”

Photos: 8-Man championship between Belt and St. Ignatius

The Belt Huskies won the 2022 8-player football championship Nov. 19, 2022 in St. Ignatius.

6-Man championship: Big Sandy completes unbeaten season, wins first-ever state title

BIG SANDY — For years, Big Sandy football has had an identity crisis.

The past half-decade of Montana 6-Man football has seen the Pioneers considered elite, but never quite the best of the best. Look no further for evidence of that than by the fact that they lost to the eventual state champion in the playoffs in each of the past four seasons and in the semifinal round for each of the past three.

That was Big Sandy’s distinctiveness for four years — great, but always a step short of being the greatest. A program with the talent to win it all, yet never actually at the top of the totem pole.

Now, no one can deny the Pioneers their long-awaited title as kings of 6-Man.

Jubilation for Big Sandy. #mtscores pic.twitter.com/kKvrHGenFj
— Briar Napier (@BriarNapier) November 19, 2022

Big Sandy finally rid itself of title game misfortune and many other near misses in its history by winning its first-ever football state championship Saturday, beating Broadview-Lavina 67-27 as the Pioneers romped to a dominant unbeaten season with few major challenges.

On top of the three straight seasons of final four defeats, Big Sandy (13-0) went into this weekend having lost all three of its prior title game appearances in 1931 (in Class B), 2003 (8-Man) and 2012 (6-Man). But the Pioneers left little doubt this time, and football-rich Chouteau County now has another town within its borders with a title plaque in a trophy case.

“This is what we’ve wanted, this is what we’ve expected for the past four years,” Big Sandy coach Larry Jappe said. “It finally materialized. We got it.

“They really did work hard. These kids did what they needed to do to win a state championship. They put in the offseason work (and) they put in work during the season.”

Listed as the state’s No. 1-ranked team in the 406mtsports.com rankings for much of the season, no team had even scored on the Pioneers’ starting defense until Custer-Hysham-Melstone did so in the quarterfinals, and even that was partly due to the fact that All-State linebacker Kody Strutz went down with an injury during the game.

But Big Sandy goes much, much deeper than one player. It showed in its state title win.

Junior wide receiver Cooper Taylor set the tone by scampering for a long rushing touchdown on the first play from scrimmage, giving the Pioneers a lead they never lost.

Big Sandy vs. Broadview-Lavina — Big Sandy's Cooper Taylor runs with the ball against Broadview-Lavina during the Montana 6-Man football state championship game Saturday in Big Sandy.
BRIAR NAPIER, 406mtsports.com

Still, Broadview-Lavina (11-1) did its best to make things interesting for much of the first half, only trailing 18-15 with 6:05 left in the second quarter after quarterback Kade Erickson found tight end William Sanguins for one of Erickson’s three passing scores.

Yet as almost every team that Big Sandy has played this year has found, a breakout Pioneers scoring spree is a matter of when, not if.

Big Sandy outscored the Pirates 49-12 from that point onward (punctuated by a 31-point third quarter), with senior quarterback Braydon Cline lighting up the statsheet by finishing with seven total touchdowns — six via the air, and another one for good measure on the ground.

Senior running back Rusty Gasvoda’s rushing score with 3:57 left in the third quarter made it 61-21 and triggered the running clock, as the Pioneers just waited for their trophy presentation from there.

“That’s Big Sandy football for you,” Cline said when asked about the team’s third quarter. “We’ve been watching film on (Broadview-Lavina) since the very first week of football. … As soon as the running clock came in, we knew we had to keep working, but we had the win in the back of our minds. So it was pretty awesome.”

The mutual respect between the two programs was clear as the Pirates, who were playing in their first state championship game in school history, showed plenty of fight, but like all others this year ran into the Big Sandy buzzsaw. It didn’t help matters that All-State senior running back Hank Tuszynski went down with an injury in the first half, either.

Still, Broadview-Lavina coach Brian Heiken looked on the bright side — this year’s team is the most successful in school history, after all.

“That was a big trophy they lifted up at the end of the day,” Heiken said of his team’s runner-up finish. “Wasn’t the one we wanted, but I’m really proud of them. They played hard.

“When Hank went down in that first half, it’s hard to overcome that. He leads us so much on defense and carries the workload on offense, too. It’s just hard to get back from that.”

As the Pirates hope to use the postseason run they had to springboard themselves into consistent conversation among the 6-Man elites, Big Sandy — after toiling for a long, long time just outside first place — finally got its day in the sun.

And no matter what the future holds for the program, the Pioneers’ 2022 team will forever have an identity.

Champs.

“I believed in them,” Jappe said. “I knew they were going to do it. … It’s been a long time coming, we’ve gotten close several times, but it’s great to finally have that trophy and banner in the gymnasium.”

Photos: Big Sandy vs. Broadview-Lavina 6-Man football state championship

Photos from the Montana 6-Man football state championship Saturday in Big Sandy. The Pioneers won 67-27 to clinch their first football state c…