Friday's Prep Football: Ponies squeak by Bulldogs

The Havre High football team's win over the Hardin Bulldogs may not have been pretty, but as the saying goes, a win is a win.

Yet, after losing to Whitefish in their home-opener by the score of 44-12 a week ago, the Ponies will definitely take the 14-13 win they scored over Hardin Friday night at Blue Pony Stadium.

"It wasn't pretty but we will take it," HHS head coach Mark Samson said. "But, half the teams in the state lost tonight and we were one of the teams that got a win, so we will be happy with it and get back to work this week. We have a lot of work to do."

Coming into the game, Havre quarterback Dane Warp was on the verge of setting some MHSA records, both in passing touchdowns and passing yards, yet, thanks to a stout effort by the Hardin defense, he fell short of breaking the record for passing yards. But, with his second-quarter touchdown pass to Parker Filius, which put Havre up 14-13, he tied the all-time MHSA career record with his 80th touchdown pass.

Nursing a 14-13 lead at the intermission, the Ponies looked poised to take control of the game a few different times, but a turnover on downs, as well as an interception killed a pair of promising second-half drives for HHS.

Then, with just over two minutes remaining, Havre was set to punt on a fourth down, when a bad snap and a run short of the first down, gave Hardin the ball just at the Pony 22-yard line with a chance to steal the game.

But, three plays later, on a fourth-and-five, Havre's Jase Stokes intercepted a Hardin pass, which sealed the win for the Ponies, their first under Samson, who is in his first season as the program's head coach.

"It's our first win of the season, so we are excited about it," Stokes said. "We found a way at the end of the game to stop them when we needed to."

The Ponies (1-1) will be back in action next Friday when they will travel to Miles City for another non-conference matchup.

Friday's Scores:

Chester/J-I 70, Belt 24

Simms 54, Fort Benton 26

Sunburst 27, North Star 7

Butte Central 20, Browning 0

Dillon 22, Whitefish 21

Billings Senior 27, Missoula Big Sky 0

Conrad 31, Troy 14

Choteau 33, Deer Lodge 26

Mon-Dak 49, Froid/Medicine Lake 0

Fairfield 43, Libby 0

Shelby 58, Harlem 0

Great Falls High 41, Billings Skyview 21

Missoula Sentinel 28, Butte 9

Forsyth 47, Poplar 0

Shepherd 14, Red Lodge 0

Billings Central 35, Belgrade 19