High school football rankings: All eyes turn to Helena

BOZEMAN — The center of the Montana high school football universe this week will be Helena.

Or is it Columbia Falls? Or Bigfork? Or Custer?

As it enters its final weekend of the regular season, 2022 figures to go out with a flair, starting with the crosstown rivalry between Helena Capital (8-0) and Helena (7-1) — the top two Class AA teams in the weekly 406mtsports.com rankings.

Showdowns to close the regular season come on the heels of a weekend that saw several statement games, notably Capital's 40-6 dismantling of previous No. 3 and two-time defending state champion Missoula Sentinel (6-2). In Class A, No. 2 Lewistown (8-0) demonstrated similar prowess in a 17-7 handcuffing of No. 3 Billings Central (7-1).

Meanwhile, volatility continued in Class B, where No. 1 Bigfork (7-0) built an early lead then rallied late for a 20-19 clipping of No. 3 and defending champ Florence-Carlton (6-2). Sandwiched in between, No. 2 Townsend (6-2) was staggered 35-13 by unranked Big Timber.

Perhaps the most intriguing class is 6-Man, where No. 1 Big Sandy (8-0) and No. 2 Broadview-Lavina (7-0) have held court all season but surging are No. 3 Custer-Hysham-Melstone (7-1), No. 4 Roy-Winifred (7-1) and — don't look now — two-time defending champion Froid-Lake (4-3), which has won three straight.

• Class AA: Though the Helena schools rightly are in the spotlight, both should keep an eye on the East, where No. 3 Billings West (6-2) and No. 4 Bozeman (6-2) are both on six-game win streaks heading into a clash of their own in Bozeman on Friday night.

Upcoming Class AA game of the week: Vigilante Stadium promises to be as electric as ever when Helena hosts Helena Capital in a game that could be a state-championship preview.

• Class A: Defending champion Hamilton continues to reign after a 54-13 rout of Libby, the Broncs' seventh triumph by at least 27 points. The Broncs have won 29 of their last 30 games, including an all-class best of 19 in a row dating to a playoff loss to Laurel in 2020. No less impressive is Lewistown, which has won all eight games by double digits.

Upcoming Class A game of the week: Hamilton will be on the hot seat when it travels to No. 5 Columbia Falls (6-1), which has quietly mustered a memorable autumn that includes last week's 24-20 win over arch-rival Whitefish. The Wildcats' only blemish is 32-31 to No. 4 Polson (7-0).

• Class B: While much of the conversation has been around Bigfork and Florence-Carlton in the West, along with the weekly slugfests in the South involving Townsend, Jefferson, Whitehall, Big Timber, Manhattan and Three Forks, slowly inching up is new No. 2 Huntley Project (8-0). The Red Devils, who own victories over No. 4 Malta (7-1) and No. 9 Glasgow (6-2), took advantage of former No. 2 Townsend stumbling.

Upcoming Class B game of the week: Bigfork faces yet another challenge to its perch when it hosts No. 6 Eureka (6-2).

• 8-Man: All signs continue to point to a title game between No. 1 Drummond-Philipsburg (8-0) and No. 2 Belt (8-0), which KO'd former No. 3 Chinook 46-12 last week.

Upcoming 8-Man game of the week: The division's other two unbeatens, No. 3 St. Ignatius (8-0) and No. 8 Superior (8-0), square off at Mission on Friday night.

• 6-Man: Though Big Sandy and Broadview-Lavina continue to do their thing — the Pioneers via a forfeit by Great Falls Central last weekend — the best storylines might just revolve around Roy-Winifred, which has won six straight since its 50-0 drubbing from Big Sandy, and Froid-Lake, which has rediscovered its rhythm with four straight triumphs by at least three TDs over credible opposition. As it happens, the Redhawks' last defeat was to the Outlaws, 45-19 on Sept. 17, their third straight loss at the time.

Upcoming 6-Man game of the week: No. 2 Broadview-Lavina travels to No. 3 Custer-Hysham-Melstone for regular-season bragging rights and postseason posturing in the East.

High school football

406mtsports.com rankings

Oct. 18