by Scott Sacry
#9 Darby dominates #4 St. Regis
#9 Darby (406 MT Sports ranking) trekked 133 miles north to face then-undefeated and #4 St. Regis in a top ten battle of the Tigers on Friday, Sept. 25.
Darby proved they are one of the state’s top teams as they defeated a tough St. Regis team 30-14 with a solid mix of efficient offense and stout defense.
Darby RB Reagan Christopherson had 30 carries for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Jordan Browning returned a kickoff for a touchdown and added a receiving touchdown. Darby’s Gavin Anderson had a 60-yard rushing touchdown as well as a receiving touchdown. Darby QB Abe Atkin had two passing touchdowns.
“We had key blocks by Oliver Long,” said Darby head coach John Steiner. “The offensive line of Colter Bennett, Eli Spross, Tanner Shavers, and Levi Whiting was impressive.”
“Our defense was stout,” continued Steiner. “We got key tackles and pressures on their quarterback by Marco Beisot, Eli Spross, and Eli Jones. We also had great coverage by Jaden Baily, Oliver Long, Gavin Anderson, and Jordan Browning.”
Darby, now 5-0 on the season, has no time to rest, as they host undefeated and #5 ranked Superior on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m.
Hamilton stymies Stevensville
Hamilton hosted their northern Bitterroot Valley neighbor, Stevensville, on Friday, Sept. 25, for its homecoming game. The Broncs controlled the game from start to finish, as Hamilton led 16-0 after the first quarter and 40-0 at halftime. The Broncs took their foot off the pedal in the second half, scoring six points and coasting to a 46-0 victory.
For Hamilton, RB Jude Widmer had 14 carries for 75 yards and three touchdowns. QB Cooper Weston had seven carries for 46 yards and a touchdown, and Weston also completed 12 of 17 passes for 160 yards with two touchdowns. Kaeden Gum and Easton Hollis each had touchdown receptions for Hamilton.
For Stevensville, WR Kaden Wyant had 10 receptions for 74 yards, and QB Luca Schmidt completed 14 of 31 passes for 99 yards.
In their next game, Stevensville (2-2) hosts Butte Central (1-4) on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m.
Hamilton (3-1) has a tough test this week, as they travel north to play #3 Frenchtown, the defending state champion, on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m.
Corvallis conquers Central
Corvallis hosted Butte Central for their homecoming game on Friday, Sept. 25. The two teams were evenly matched, but Corvallis was stronger in the end and won 25-20.
Corvallis rushed for four touchdowns on the night. Corvallis’ explosive RB Ayden Spencer had 14 carries for 132 yards and touchdown runs of 34 and 47 yards. Corvallis also got touchdown runs from Branson Bucholz and Marshall Jessop.
On defense, Kahle Hill led the team with 11 total tackles, and Spencer had two interceptions.
Corvallis (2-2) next plays at Dillon (1-3) on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m.
Florence trounces Thompson Falls
#2 Florence (406 MT Sports rankings) hosted then undefeated Thompson Falls on Friday, Sept. 25, in Florence’s first conference game of the season.
Florence dominated from the start, leading 19-0 after the first quarter and 26-7 at halftime. It was more of the same in the second half, as Florence outscored Thompson Falls 21-0 and won handily, 47-7.
In the first quarter, Florence’s QB Jake Schneiter scored on a 36-yard run, then Florence’s RB Luca Calderone scored on an 8-yard run and a 71-yard run. In the second quarter, Schneiter connected with WR Brennan Meinhold for a 54-yard touchdown pass and catch. In the third quarter, Calderone scored again on a 6-yard run, and Schneiter threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to WR Tash Murray. Finally, Meinhold scored in the fourth quarter on a 6-yard run.
The Florence defense was dominant, only allowing 89 yards passing and 16 yards rushing.
This week, #2 Florence hosts Deer Lodge (1-4) on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m.
Leave a Reply