Friday Night Lights: Redemption Night

Tonight’s Homecoming game between the Havre Blue Ponies and conference rival Livingston Rangers is appealing for several reasons.

The last time the Ponies and Rangers met was at the end of the 2012 season. It was the final conference game for the Ponies, and the result determined the road the Ponies took in the Class A state playoffs. The end result was a 64-32 loss for the Ponies in Livingston, a 2-2 conference record, and a No. 3 seed heading into the postseason.

But it was also a tough loss for the Ponies because of the final score and statistics.

The Rangers finished the conference portion of the schedule 4-0, and HHS knew it was going to be a tough game. But nobody knew just how tough the Rangers’ running game was until the Ponies witnessed it first-hand. Livingston posted a record setting 603 rushing yards on the Ponies, including Shanon Williams rushing for 276, and Brandon Toney rushing for 243 yards. The Rangers also went off for nine scoring drives, eight of those coming on the ground as the Rangers totaled nearly 700 yards of offense.

The Ponies finished with 369 passing yards from Dane Warp, but with just 30 total yards on the ground.

Now, playing at home, on homecoming, Havre has its sights set on turning the tables on the winless Rangers. In fact, the Ponies want redemption.

“This is a big game,” Havre High senior Thomas Gruber said. “And this will be good redemption if we can get a win. It will show that we aren’t the same team as last year, and we aren’t scared that they are going to run all over us. We are reevaluating what we are going to do, and we have our defense ready for their running game.”

This year the Ponies are 1-2-1 on the season while the Rangers have gotten off to a 0-4 start. Both teams have had their struggles, but meeting in the first conference game of the season, both teams should expect a tough battle.

But for Havre players who remember the game from last year, or for those who played in last year’s matchup, a win would be huge.

“If we are going to make a statement this year,” senior Tyler Adams said. “This week and even next week is when we need to do it. I think we will. And I can speak for myself and for those guys that played in this game last year, a loss like that leaves a sour taste in your mouth. The only way to get rid of that taste is by, not revenge, but redemption. You have to replace that sour taste with something sweet, and that would be a win. That is what we want and it all comes down to how we play as a team.”

There is no doubt that the Blue Ponies have to stop the Rangers running game. And like Adams said, a win would make a statement for the Ponies team that is looking for a conference championship.

A win on Friday would mean a 1-0 start to the conference schedule. And as much as the Ponies want to stop the run and earn the win, the HHS players are also still attempting to prove they are a well balanced team that has to be respected with the ground game and passing game.

Trevor Jensen is a senior defensive back who earned a starting position this season and is key in the defensive schemes. Jake Williams is also a starting linebacker and offensive lineman, and both Williams and Jensen know what has to happen to get this redemption win over the Rangers.

“We have made some defensive adjustments that better fits their running game,” Jensen said. “But we know what they are going to do so I think we are prepared. We really want this win against them. It would be good revenge since we did lose to them last year.

“We want to beat them bad,” Williams added. “We have a chance to win the conference this year and this win would be huge. And this is our (seniors) last homecoming, so we would love to remember this game as a win and not a loss. We have to catch passes and get big runs. Everybody has to execute on offense and we need to get our running game going too. Everybody knows Dane (Warp) can throw the ball, so we need to get 200 or 250 yard rushing too, and then people will recognize us for being a balanced offense.”

After a devastating loss to the Rangers at the end of the regular season a year ago, a win tonight would be a huge accomplishment for the Ponies. One of the biggest motivators in sports is redemption. Getting to turn the tables on a rival opponent makes a typical regular season game a must-win battle, and that is exactly how the Blue Ponies are treating this matchup.

The Ponies and Rangers meet tonight at 7 inside Blue Pony Stadium as Havre celebrates homecoming.