Title Hopes: Ponies clash with Panthers

If there is one game that has been marked on the calendar of the Havre High football team all season long, it's Belgrade. And finally, tonight, the Blue Ponies and Panthers will battle it out for Central A conference supremacy.

If there is one team that's had the number of the Ponies in recent years it's been Belgrade (1-4. 1-0). Last season, the Panthers knocked off Havre (4-2, 2-0) 42-27 at Blue Pony Stadium, marking their third straight win in the series. The victory also propelled the Panthers to their third straight Central A crown. That is why the Ponies and head coach Mark Samson are so determined to win tonight’s game, not only because they desperately want to win a conference championship, but also because they want to prove a point.

"Yes it is," Samson said when asked if Belgrade was a statement game. "I am excited to go play them and I know our kids are fired up, too. We want to win championships here. People haven't said great things about the Central A this season, but if we can go down there and win, hopefully that will show some people that we do have a good football team, because I still think that we are pretty good."

Tonight's game, which will kick off at 7 in Belgrade could be the toughest test remaining on Havre's schedule, and a win would not only end the recent trend of defeats to the Panthers, it would also put HHS on a path toward winning the Central A title for the first time since 2011, as well as giving them a first-round bye and a home game in the Class A state playoffs.

"We want people to have to come up here and play us in the playoffs," Samson said. "I don't want to have to be traveling all over the state to play. Now, we are probably going to have to go somewhere at some point, but we want teams to have to come here when we get to November."

If that is going to happen, the Ponies will need to continue their recent string of strong play that has resulted in a three-game winning streak. During that span, Havre has defeated Sidney, Browning and Livingston. Two of the three wins came via convincing shutouts and during that stretch the Havre defense has allowed just seven points per game.

Yet, even though the Havre defense hasn't allowed a single point in two weeks, Belgrade isn't Livingston or Browning and the Panthers are more than capable of testing the Pony defense tonight, especially on the ground.

Through five games, Belgrade is averaging 162.8 yards per game on the ground and their most dangerous runner is senior quarterback Tanner Campbell. As a thrower, Campbell is pedestrian, completing 54 percent of his passes and averaging just 109 yards per game to go along with one touchdown and two interceptions. But as a runner, he is much more explosive, gaining 308 yards on the ground and reaching pay dirt four times. However, Campbell is not the only Panther weapon. Evan Luhrsen is Belgrade's second-leading rusher and Hayden Van Vinkle is the third. The two running backs have combined to average more than 70 yards per game on the ground and combined for three rushing touchdowns.

"They are really going to try and be physical and run the ball right at us," Samson said. "Sometimes they are lining up in formations where they are bringing multiple people to block you at the point of attack. They really like to run with their quarterback, who is really just a converted running back. They really just want to outnumber you and out-man you. I told our guys if we can just be physical like we were against Sidney we should be fine. We just have to be ready to show up from the very beginning."

Samson said stopping the run is going to be key to slowing down the Panthers, who played a brutal non-conference schedule, but defeated Central A foe Lewistown 35-6 last weekend. And if the run defense is going to be stout enough to win, the onus will be on the front seven to match Belgrade's toughness.

That means defensive linemen like Travis Adams and Chris Gabrielsen will need to be stout at the line of scrimmage and linebackers such as Parker Filius and Jase Stokes will need to be sure tacklers. Yet, as physical as Havre needs to be on defense to win the game, the Ponies will need to bring that same intensity to the offensive side of the ball.

HHS will, of course, rely heavily on All-State quarterback Dane Warp and a brilliant passing attack that features senior wide out Nate Rismon and Filius, who are each dynamic players in the passing game.

In the last three games, Warp and Rismon have hooked up for five touchdown passes, while Filius has also scored in each of the last three games. As expected, Warp is having a stellar senior season, completing 70 percent of his passes, while throwing 12 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Warp has also scored a rushing touchdown.

Rismon has been equally impressive with 30 receptions for 463 yards and eight total touchdowns. Meanwhile, Filius has 425 total yards from scrimmage and five scores.

"We have some guys at receiver that are making some plays for us," Samson said. "I know that Whitefish, Miles City and Billings Central all have great receivers, but I don't know of many in Class A better than Rismon. Parker (Filius) has also played really well for us and he also does a lot of things for us that the fans in the stands don't always recognize."

To his credit, Warp has also been extremely efficient with the football and in his last three games, he only has two turnovers, despite getting little help from a running game that is averaging less than 100 yards per game.

"The thing about Dane and all great quarterbacks is that even when something breaks down, they are competitive and they want to try to find a way to make it happen," Samson said. "I don't want Dane to lose that, but he also is really starting to get comfortable in our offense and see the game the way that we want him to as a coaching staff."

With an offense loaded with playmakers and a defense that has seemingly gotten better each and every week, Samson is confident his team will find a way to get it done tonight in Belgrade, which will get the Ponies one step closer to their first Central A title in four years.

"The past few weeks things have really started to click," Samson said. "I think the kids now finally get what we want them to do. We have had a couple really good days of practice and I really feel that we are going to do down there and play well, I really do."

The Ponies and the Panthers will get things started tonight at 7. Havre is back at home next Friday to play Lewistown.

Tonight at 7 p.m.

in Belgrade

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