The Victor Pirates trailed by as many as 14 points but rallied back to tie the quarterfinal playoff game against Belt with a little over a minute remaining in the game. However a missed kick by the Pirates sent the game into overtime where Belt prevailed, 46-40. Victor finished the season with a 7-3 record. All three of the losses came at the hands of teams that made it to the playoffs. Superior was eliminated this weekend with a loss to Wibaux. Charlo defeated Culbertson to advance, and of course, Belt.
The Pirates were down, 20-6, at the end of the first half. However, they caught fire in the third quarter and scored 22 points. The only problem was that Belt scored twice more and still had a 14-point lead. Belt spread the gap even farther in the fourth quarter with another touchdown. But then Victor went to town and scored twice on passes from Matt Kittel to Nate Bishop. The first was a 72-yard bomb that opened up the field. However the PAT was not good. Then, with little more than a minute remaining in the game, Kittel again found Bishop, this time from 15 yards out, for the tying touchdown. But once again, the PAT was not good. The game went into overtime where Belt’s Paxton Maki caught a seven-yard pass from Holden Maki and Belt won.
Kittel had 306 yards on 16 of 28 passes including five touchdowns in the air. Bishop also scored on a 14-yard pass and a 65-yard pass. Brady Tuttle caught the fifth scoring pass from 13 yards out. Bishop finished with 218 yards receiving on eight passes. Terrell Sherrill had a seven-yard touchdown romp. He finished the day with 102 yards on 15 carries.
Hamilton made the journey to Billings to take on the 9-1 Billings Central Rams. The Rams only loss has come at the hands of Dillon this year. Billings Central won, 55-10.
Billings Central quickly got on the scoreboard with a 46-yard run by Holden Ryan. He scored again in the quarter on a 64-yard pass from Bryce Hawbaker and then Jesse Byorth broke loose for 28 yards and the end zone.
Hamilton’s Josh Bauder powered through for a one-yard touchdown and the Broncs were on the scoreboard. Karill Apedaile kicked the PAT. But then Billings Central went back to the ground and scored three times more before Apedaile kicked a 35-yard field goal. That would be the last score for the Broncs.
Bauder completed four of 11 passes with two interceptions for 50 yards. Bret Huxtable came in and nine of 24 passes for 99 yards with five interceptions. On the ground, Adam Smith led Hamilton with 98 yards on 20 carries and caught two passes for 28 yards. Mathew Turley finished with 45 yards on nine carries and Kris Cleveland carried the ball once for eight yards. Alex Draper caught five passes for 77 yards. Teague Blome caught three passes for 15 yards and Ty Burt and Turley each caught one pass for 10 yards. Cleveland caught one pass for nine yards. Hamilton finished their season with a 7-4 record.