Hi-Line Football Roundup: Knights get past Bears in a shootout

In the North Division of Class C Six-Man football, every game is a conference game, and if a team wants to qualify for the six-man playoffs, then every game is a must win.

Last Saturday in Box Elder, two teams with playoff aspirations squared off when the upstart Box Elder Bears played host to perennial playoff contender North Star.

In a tight battle, it was the Knights who were able to secure the critical road win, hanging on to defeat the Bears by the score of 39-36. The win improved the Knights' record to 2-0, while the Bears fell to 1-2.

Early on it looked like the Knights were going to run away with things as they took a 20-0 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to touchdown runs by Gavin Spinler and Payton Peterson.

Yet, the Bears answered, and behind the stellar play of quarterback Brandon The Boy, Box Elder tied the score at 20-20 going into halftime. By the end of the third quarter, the Bears had taken a 28-25 lead.

However, the Knights are an experienced group and thanks to a touchdown reception by Jaxon Simonson with eight minutes left in the game, the Knights went ahead 39-36 and were able to keep the Bears off the scoreboard for the rest of the game to seal the victory.

"This win means that we are 2-0," North Star head coach Steve Simonson said. "I told the kids we needed to get five or six wins to get to the playoffs and obviously they want more. It was important that we did not underrate Box Elder, they have a good football team."

Box Elder will take the field again Friday when the Bears travel to Big Sandy for a must-win game. The Knights on the other hand, will take on the defending Six-Man state champion Geraldine/Highwood on Saturday in Rudyard.

Chinook 68, Centerville 0

Following a heart breaking loss to open the 2014 season against Great Falls Central, the Chinook Sugarbeeters took a bye week to get back on track and came out with a vengeance against Centerville, beating the Miners decisively by the score of 68-0.

The game was not in doubt for long as the Beeters scored five touchdowns in the first quarter, two of which were scored by Derek Bell, who reached pay dirt on a 30-yard rushing touchdown and later on an 18-yard touchdown as Chinook built a 40-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Lane Seymour also added a pair of touchdown receptions in the first half. He hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Ian McIntosh and then later he caught another touchdown from 12 yards, also from McIntosh to make it 32-0 near the end of the first quarter.

Bell finished the day with three rushing touchdowns, while Gavin Gunderson also contributed with two rushing touchdowns of his own.

Chinook improved to 1-1 in the Northern C division of 8-man football. Next up for the Beeters will be another key conference showdown Friday on the road against Cascade.

Chinook 40 12 16 0 - 68

Centerville 0 0 0 0 - 0

CHI-Derek Bell 30 run (Gavin Gunderson run)

CHI-Lane Seymour 40 pass from Ian McIntosh (Gunderson run)

CHI-Gunderson 8 run (Gunderson run)

CHI-Seymour 12 pass from McIntosh (Tate Neideregger run)

CHI-Bell 18 run (McCracken pass from McIntosh)

CHI-Neideregger 1 run (run failed)

CHI-Bell 17 run (run failed)

CHI-Kyler Johnson 24 pass from Kade Friede (JJ Colby run)

CHI-Wade Schneider 7 pass from Friede (Colby run)

Big Sandy 61, Augusta 32

Following a loss a week ago to Stanford-Geyser-Denton, the Big Sandy Pioneers needed to rebound in order to keep their hopes for the playoffs. And rebound they did on the road against Augusta last Saturday with a 61-32 victory.

The Pioneers' offense was clicking early as they scored 20 points in the first and second quarters to take a 40-25 halftime lead. Then after the two teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter, Big Sandy took a 48-32 lead into the final stanza.

Yet the Pioneers put the game away with a three-yard touchdown run by Josh Solf and a 60-yard touchdown run by Cody Bailey.

Bailey led the way for the explosive Pioneer offense, finishing the game with five rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Kyle Strutz added a pair of rushing touchdowns in the win for Big Sandy (2-1).

Next up for the Pioneers will be a critical showdown in the North Division against Box Elder Friday night in Big Sandy.

Big Sandy 20 20 8 13 - 61

Augusta 12 13 7 0 - 32

BS-Kyle Strutz 12 run (kick failed)

BS-Larame Long interception return (Cody Bailey kick)

AUG-Calvin Wearley 44 pass from Dru Genger (kick failed)

BS-Strutz 7 run (pass failed)

AUG-Wearley 57 pass from Genger (pass failed)

BS-Bailey 21 run (kick failed)

BS-Bailey 11 run (Bailey kick)

AUG-Wearley 50 pass from Genger (kick blocked)

BS-Bailey 6 run (kick blocked)

AUG-Wearley 4 pass from Genger (Jake Wallace pass from Gener)

AUG-Wearley 54 pass from Genger (Wearley pass from Genger)

BS-Bailey 5 run (Bailey kick)

BS-Josh Solf 3 run (kick failed)

BS-Bailey 50 run Laurence Alderdice pass from Bailey)

Belt 52, Chester/J-I 18

The Chester/J-I Hawks suffered their first loss of the season last Friday when they traveled to Belt and fell at the hands of the Huskies by a score of 52-18.

The Hawks got off to a positive start, scoring first and taking a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. But a 22-point second quarter and a 24-point third quarter by Belt put any doubt about the game to rest.

C/J-I quarterback Brandon Richter threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns but also had four interceptions in the losing effort. Justin May was one of the bright spots for the Hawks as the Class C All-State running back finished the game with 204 yards from scrimmage, 124 receiving and 80 rushing, as well as three touchdowns in the loss.

C/J-I fell to 2-1 overall and in Northern C conference play with the loss. The Hawks will try to redeem themselves Friday when they play host to conference foe Power-Dutton-Brady.

Shelby 58, Harlem 6

The Harlem Wildcats played their first home of the game of the season Friday night in Harlem and despite their best effort, the Wildcats were no match for the Shelby Coyotes.

Harlem hung around early as they found the end zone in the first quarter and trailed just 18-6 at the end of the first stanza. Yet, the Coyotes would break the game open in the second quarter and built a 30-6 halftime lead. By the end of the third, the lead was 46-6 and the rout was on as Shelby would go on to win 58-6.

Shelby quarterback Aaron White threw for 275 yards and had five touchdowns to lead the Coyotes to victory.

The Wildcats (0-2) will try to get their first win of the season Friday in Conrad.

Wibaux 64, Hays-Lodge Pole 6

It was another rough outing for Hays-Lodge Pole as the Thunderbirds remain winless on the season following a 64-6 defeat at the hands of Wibaux Saturday. The T-Birds are now 0-2 on the season and will attempt to get their first win of the 2014 campaign this Friday when they travel to Bainville to take on Culbertson/Bainville.