The Hamilton Broncs were ranked No. 3 in the state when they went to Dillon on Friday night to take on the undefeated Dillon Beavers for the conference championship and a first-round bye in the playoffs. Dillon had not been defeated in conference play in three years. But there was more on the line than topping Dillon. First-year coach Bryce Carver is an alumni of the prestigious football program in Dillon. His father, Brett, is the offensive coordinator for the Beavers. The Broncs knew what they were up against.
Hamilton started tough and scored first in the first half on a Bridger Bauder eight yard reception from Carson Rostad. The PAT kick was blocked but that didn’t deter the Broncs. Rostad went to the air again with Tyler Chouinard on the receiving end of a 19 yard pass for the score. This time, Bauder’s PAT was good. Dillon also scored twice in the first half. Graden Greenslade had an 18 yard run but the PAT no good. Then Coby King had a three yard run for another Dillon score and the PAT was good. The game was tied at the break.
Hamilton’s Declan O’Brien opened their scoring in the third quarter with a 50 yard run to the end zone, however the two point conversion was not good. Next up on Rostad’s target list was Tyler Barnes who caught an 11 yard pass to score. Again, the two point conversion was not good.
Hamilton had the lead again. But not for long. Dillon’s Jake Ferris made a 25 yard interception and made it to the end zone and the Beavers were breathing down Hamilton’s neck. They went back to King for another score and andthe three point lead. Time was running out for the Broncs when Chouinard caught a nine yard pass from Rostad to take the lead back. The Bauder PAT was good and the score was 32-28.
“It feels good to beat a program with as much prestige as they have,” said Carver. “Carson Rostad and Tyler Chouinard both had a big game for us. But the defensive line played well too.”
Now, the Broncs will have a week to rest and recuperate. Carver is hoping for a good week of practice. Their next game will be against the winner of the Laurel/Glendive game. Laurel is the No. 3 seed from the East and Glendive is the No. 6 seed from the East.
“It’s been a fun year,” said Carver. “We want to keep it going for three more games.”
Corvallis finished up their season against Butte Central. The Maroons topped Corvallis, 30-12. Corvallis scored twice in the first half. Hunter Pinheiro had a five yard scoring run. The PAT was not good. In the second quarter, Ridge Albright broke loose for a 30 yard run. The Blue Devils finished the season with a 3-5 record.
Stevensville went up against Frenchtown for their final game of the season and the Broncs were not kind to the Yellowjackets. Stevensville fell, 49-6. Their only score was a 21 yard pass from Garrison Bratt to Alex Gavlak. The Yellowjackets finished the season with a 1-4 conference record and 2-5 overall record.
The last game of the regular season for Florence is always against arch rival Missoula Loyola. The fact that this game also can have an affect on the playoffs subsides in the rivalry. This year, Florence came out strongly and scored quickly when super sophomore Colby Kohlman hit Zach Cather from 15 yards out for the touchdown. The Kyler Alm reception on the two point conversion was good. But that was the end of the Falcon scoring. Loyola went on to win, 28-8. Florence finished the regular season with a 3-3 conference record and a 4-4 overall record. They finished in fourth place in the Western B conference and will travel to Fairfield to take on the undefeated Eagles on Saturday afternoon.
Darby finished their season with a win over Seeley-Swan last Wednesday. They finished the season with a record of 4-5. Victor lost to Twin Bridges once again in their last game. They also finished with a 4-5 record.