Friday Night Lights: The Rubber Game

There are plenty of rivalry games kicking off the start of a new prep football season this weekend, but local fans won’t have to go far to find one of the more appealing matchups.

Two-a-days are over and preseason scrimmages are in the books. All that is left to kick off the 2013 season is, well, the kickoff. And both the Chester/J-I Hawks and Chinook Sugarbeeters will do just that against one another on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Chinook. Both Northern C 8-Man powerhouses will face off at Hoon field in Chinook, in a game that could have major playoff implications later on down the road.

Chinook enters the season as the predicted No. 3 team in the Northern C, and C/J-I enters the season as the No. 6 pick. And if this weekend’s game is anything like the last two meetings between these two local rivals, fans could be in store for an instant classic.

“Over the last two seasons it has been back and forth battle between us and Chinook,” Chester/J-I head coach Jim Vinson said. “Both teams have only lost to each other in conference play the last two years and this game has made itself to be a pivotal first game one.”

Two years ago the No. 1 Beeters defeated the No. 7 Hawks by a score of 42-34, but the game wasn’t settled in regulation. Instead, it took the Beeters three overtime periods to beat the Hawks at home. The Hawks held a 20-14 lead with five seconds left in overtime, but former Chinook great Ben Stroh returned a squib kick 45-yards for a score at the end of regulation to tie the game at 20-20, giving the Beater the opportunity to win in extra time.

And while last year’s meeting didn’t go as far, the 26-24 week two win was considered an upset by the Hawks. C/J-I trailed 24-20 heading in to the final frame, but Jordan Oraw reeled in an 18-yard scoring pass from Erik Kelly to give the Hawks the lead and the win. It was the first conference loss by the Beeters in two years.

“This is a big game for both teams,” Chinook head coach Matt Molyneaux said. “I don’t understand the rankings sometimes, but I think both Chester and us are going into this weekend at an even level. They have places to fill on their team, and we have places to fill on ours, we aren’t looking at the rankings. This is just one of those games that both schools look at and they don’t have to talk to the kids to get them pumped up. Over the last few years, the game has come down to wire, so it just exciting to play them every year.”

Coming in evenly matched, both with relatively young teams, mistakes will prove to be costly. Both coaches couldn’t stress the importance of taking care of the ball enough, and controlling the clock will be just as important. Both teams thrive from their running game, and both set the tone of a game with their smash mouth style of play. Zach Molyneaux will look to lead the Beeters with his running skills, while Kody Ramberg and Justin May will look to get the ground and pound game rolling for the Hawks. Gavin Gunderson is also a speedy young running back that will be a factor in Chinook’s backfield.

But Del Harmon will also look to find some success through the air as Chester/J-I’s returning quarterback, while Molyneaux doubles as the Beeters’ quarterback.

Both defenses will also have their hands full trying to stop the opposition. Both teams are very physical, and love to get after the quarterback. Both the Beeters and Hawks will bring plenty of pressure. Defensive ends Lane Seymour and Gage Hougen will play big roles for the Beeters, while Ramberg, Stokes, and May will be key for C/J-I from the linebacker position.

“A win and momentum at the beginning of season would be huge.” Vinson said. “I tell these kids all the time that football is not like basketball or other sports. We all don’t get invited to the big dance, every single week is a playoff week for us. You have to have a great game every week to make it to post season, and that is what we are trying to do.

“You always want to win the first game,” Coach Molyneaux added. “But I think win or lose, I see both teams in this matchup competing for one of those top four spots in the conference. I believe C/J-I has the capability, and I think all top six teams are going to be interchangeable when it comes to who is going to be in top four at the end of the season. It will be huge to win this game, but I don’t think the loser is out of it by any means.”

Chester/J-I and Chinook are big-time names and rivals in the Northern C, but Centerville holds the early No. 1 ranking. Power-Dutton-Brady comes in at No. 2, while Belt is No. 4 and Great Falls Central is No. 5. Fort Benton is No. 7, Simms is No. 8, Sunburst is No. 9, and Cascade comes in at No. 10.

Centerville garners the early attention with six returning starters to the defense. The Miners finished 6-3 last season, but made a run into the postseason, losing to state champion Superior. Returning senior quarterback Kole Chartier also gives the Miners an offensive advantage this season. Power-Dutton-Brady is ranked second, but the Titans are hoping to sneak into the conference overlooked, as they missed the playoffs last season for the first time in a very, very long time. Kyle Schmidt returns as the Titan’s quarterback, but plays behind one of the more impressive lines in the conference, housing linemen like 6-2, 275 pound Braxton Hasner and Sustin Storle.

All of the teams in the Northern C seem to have quality programs with very talented returners. It really is anybody’s guess to who will finish at the top once the end of the regular season rolls around, but it should be safe to say that both the Beeters and Hawks will be two of teams making a push for a post season berth.

Last season Chinook finished 9-2, losing in the state quarterfinals. The Hawks finished 9-1 after an undefeated regular season, but were bounced from the first round of the playoffs.

Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Chinook will host Chester/J-I at Hoon field in Chinook. It is the season opener for both teams.