It appeared the Hamilton Broncs were just getting the Billings Central Rams’ defense figured out when time ran out at the State Class A championship football game. The hometown Broncs scored their last touchdown with a minute, 10 seconds remaining to pull within seven but couldn’t recover the onside kick afterwards to make another run. Billings Central won, 28-21, for the championship.
Last year, Hamilton eliminated Billings Central in the semi finals and it seems that Billings Central set their goal to reverse that loss this year. Billings Central coach Jim Stanton said his team, “worked their tails off to get to this point, it could have gone either way. We have contrasting styles, we just found a way to win.”
It couldn’t have been a more perfect day for a championship football game. With the sun shining and a crowd of over 1,600, the atmosphere was no less electric than the Cat/Griz game in Missoula. Hamilton took the opening kickoff and moved up the field behind the running of Michael Golden. With fourth down and two yards to go, Hamilton went for it and drew Billings Central off sides for another first down. But then the Rams’ defense clamped down and forced a punt. Hamilton punted five times in this game, about three more than the average game.
Hamilton was able to stop the Rams in the next possession and took over on their own 22-yard line. Quarterback Carson Rostad broke loose for a 30-yard gain to give the Broncs some momentum. With the ball on the 15, Rostad passed to Tucker Jones for the six points. The PAT was no good.
Billings Central marched the ball down the field in the second quarter and was knocking on the door at the four-yard line. Hamilton’s Golden got a hand on the ball and stripped it out of the Billings Central player’s hand. Hamilton took over on the one yard line.
However, the Rams’ defense was ramping up and stopped Hamilton from moving the ball. Billings Central took over and after a stop on the three-yard line by Tucker Jones, the Rams’ Jack Studer went the other way and raced in from two yards out. Central scored again just three minutes later when Duncan Kraft broke loose and raced for 80 yards for six points. The PAT by Camden Capser was good for both TDs.
“We work together as a unit,” said Central’s quarterback Joe Byorth. “We had to limit them, they are a good team but we had to limit their opportunities, no deep routes.”
Hamilton’s offense only ran 322 plays compared to the 520 of Billings Central. Hamilton had 186 yards passing and only 136 yards rushing on 22 carries while Billings Central had 430 yards on 66 carries.
“It’s hard to run the ball against that front three,” said Hamilton coach Bryce Carver of Central’s defense. “That front three is really good. And when you have a kid like (Chrishon) Dixon out there, a good athlete, it just shuts things down. It’s hard to whip the ball around like we’re used to.”
Kraft scored again in the third quarter for Billings Central on a two-yard push. This came after the Broncs had to punt the ball away after being pushed back by four penalties in a row.
On the kickoff by Billings Central, Golden returned the ball out to the Broncs’ 29-yard line. He got the call on the next play and crisscrossed his way down the field to the Rams’ 29-yard line. Then Rostad hit Tyler Barns for another first down, and then another first down. With the ball on the 2-yard line, Rostad pushed through for the score. Only 27 seconds had elapsed. The two-point conversion was good when Rostad hit Brock Jones in the end zone.
“The kids made some great moves,” said Carver. “They got a great crease. It’s what we’ve done all year and we were able to capitalize on that drive.”
The Broncs had another chance on their kickoff when Philip Knisely fumbled the ball inside the 20-yard line. However, another Ram picked it up at the 14. Billings Central then marched down the field and scored again when Byorth ran 17 yards for the score just after the fourth quarter began.
“At halftime of the second game of the year, we were down by maybe a touchdown or two and I know we’re a good second-half team,” said senior Tyler Barnes. “We were saying we’ve been here before and we know what we can do. We just ran out of time.”
With time running out and fourth down and 10 to go at the 45-yard line, Rostad ducked and dived for a first down. He passed to Barnes for another first down and then hit Golden for the final touchdown of the game. The PAT by Clay Keller was good.
This was Hamilton’s only loss of the season. Carver said that although he has a great group of younger kids, it is going to be tough to lose the leadership of those seniors.