Hi-Line Football Roundup: Northern C champs: Chinook thumps C/J-I

High school football games are 48 minutes long. Yet, it didn't take that long for the Chinook Sugarbeeters to prove they are the best team in the Northern C as they dominated Chester/J-I to the tune of 58-22 last Wednesday at Hoon Field in Chinook.

All season long, the Beeters and the Hawks, who both came into the game unbeaten, had been on a collision course for a game that ended up being the de facto Northern C title game. But just as they did a season ago, the Beeters out-classed the Hawks in all three phases of the game on their way to a convincing 36-point victory.

The win also ensured that Chinook will repeat as Northern C champions and get home-field advantage through at least the first two rounds of the Class C 8-Man football playoffs.

"Coming through this league was tough last year and I think this year was even tougher," Chinook head coach Scott Friede said. "These kids have played extremely hard every weekend. We have continued to get better and we still have some things that we need to improve on, but to play they like they did, in this environment, I couldn't be prouder of them. What a huge win for these kids."

Just like it has been all season, Chinook's formula for success was pretty simple: run the football and play great defense. The two teams both fumbled on their opening drives, but the Beeters got on the scoreboard first with a 10-yard touchdown run from Derek Bell to make the score 8-0.

Then, later in the opening stanza, quarterback Ian McIntosh hit Kenny Pruttis for a 12-yard score and suddenly, the Beeters were up 16-0 with 3:36 left in the quarter. In the second quarter, Chinook added two more scores, with the second coming on a 1-yard touchdown run by McIntosh, which put the Beeters in front 32-0 at the half.

"We knew that we had to try and stop their running game and make them go to the air," Friede said. "We thought it was really important to control the clock and run the ball offensively. We thought we could run the ball and we did and that kept their offense off the field. We got some momentum and our kids won the physical battle. And you know, the physicality of our team makes us pretty hard to beat."

C/J-I showed some life in the third quarter when Brandon Richter found the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown run, but the Beeters answered quickly and got touchdown runs from Tate Niederegger and Owen Powell to break the game wide open at 46-6.

When it was all said and done, McIntosh finished the game with three touchdowns, two rushing to go along with a pair of rushing touchdowns by Bell. Pruttis scored twice in the game, once on a reception and once on a fumble recovery in the end zone. Niederegger added a touchdown as did Owen Powell.

Richter threw for two touchdowns, both of them to Troy Harmon and ran for another. Justin May, the star running back for C/J-I was held out of the end zone as the Hawks, who averaged around 64 points a game coming into the showdown, scored just 22.

"When we held them scoreless for two quarters in the first half, that is what our defense is all about," Friede said. "Our defense has a lot of pride and determination and they don't want to get scored on. They have the will and they work together to keep other teams out of the end zone."

Chinook (7-0) will close out its season this Saturday when it travels to Great Falls Central. C/J-I (6-1) will be joining Chinook in the playoffs at the No. 2 seed from the North and will finish their season at home Friday night against Centerville.

C/J-I 0 0 6 16 - 22

Chinook 16 16 14 12 - 58

Chinook - Derek Bell 10 yard run (Conversion good)

Chinook - Kenny Pruttis 12 pass from Ian McIntosh (Conversion good)

Chinook - Pruttis fumble recovery in end zone (Conversion good)

Chinook - McIntosh 1 run (Conversion good)

C/J-I - Brandon Richter 1 run (Conversion no good)

Chinook - Tate Niederegger 35 run (Conversion good)

C/J-I - Troy Harmon 7 pass from Richter (Conversion good)

C/J-I - Harmon 3 pass from Richter (Conversion good)

Chinook - Bell 2 run (Conversion no good)

Chinook - McIntosh 4 run (Conversion no good)

Box Elder 62, Augusta 0

In Six-Man action, the Box Elder Bears kept their hopes for an undefeated season alive as they cruised to a 62-0 win over Augusta last Wednesday in North Division play.

Bodis Duran led the way for the Bears as he finished the contest with a total of four touchdown runs. Brandon The Boy also added a pair of touchdown passes, one to Jerrod Four Colors and another to Shane Ketchum in the victory. Jarod Four Souls and Ryan Lasley also pitched in with a touchdown run.

The Bears are now 8-0 on the season and will look to win quite possibly their first ever conference championship in football as they travel to Denton Saturday to take on fellow unbeaten Denton-Geyser-Stanford in a battle for the north title.

Augusta 0 0 0 0 - 0

Box Elder 23 24 8 7 - 62

BE-Bodis Duran 25 run (Duran kick)

BE-Jerrod Four Colors 10 pass from Brandon The Boy (Shane Ketchum pass from The Boy)

BE-B. Duran 36 run (Duran kick)

BE-B. Duran 8 run (Duran kick)

BE-B. Duran 28 run (Duran kick)

BE-Jarod Four Souls 20 run (Duran kick)

BE-Ketchum 55 pass from The Boy (Duran kick)

BE-Ryan Lasley 2 run (Lane Caplette pass from The Boy)

North Star 57, Heart Butte 8

Elsewhere in the Six-Man North last Wednesday, the North Star Knights traveled to Heart Butte in search of a win that could potentially keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Knights took care of their end of the deal as they steamrolled Heart Butte by a final score of 57-8 thanks to a 39-point first quarter. Shea Sizemore ran for two touchdowns and also caught a third in the win. Gavin Spinler and Payton Peterson each notched touchdown runs in the win.

Yet, despite their win, the Knights were officially eliminated from playoff contention Wednesday, when Sunburst defeated Geraldine/Highwood to clinch the fourth and final playoff spot from the North Division.

North Star will host division rival Valier Saturday to close out the 2015 season.

North Star 39 6 0 12 - 57

Heart Butte 0 0 0 8 - 8

NS–Gavin Spinler 30 run (kick failed)

NS–Jimmy Snow 19 run (Keevan Borlaug kick)

NS–Shea Sizemore 13 run (Borlaug kick)

NS–Payton Peterson 20 pass from Cade Chvilicek (Borlaug kick)

NS–Safety, Thomas Nerat tackled ball carrier in end zone

NS–Sizemore 37 run (Sizemore pass from Chvilicek)

NS–Chvilicek 4 run (pass failed)

NS–Sizemore 20 pass from Dylan Miller (run failed)

HB–Jamison Young Running Crane fumble recovery in end zone (Wendell Main kick)

NS–Nerat 15 run (pass failed)

PDB 40, Fort Benton 12

While Chinook and C/J-I stole the show in the Northern C last week, there were other teams that took to the field Wednesday night, including Fort Benton and Power-Dutton-Brady.

The two teams squared off in Fort Benton and like it has been all season, the game was a struggle for the Longhorns as they were outscored 38-6 in the first half en route to a 40-12 defeat. The Longhorns are now 1-6 on the season and will wrap up the 2015 campaign this Friday in Cascade.

PDB 6 26 8 0 - 40

Fort Benton 6 0 6 0 - 12

PDB- Kalanick pass from Kitchin (Pass Failed)

Fort Benton- Miller run (Run Failed)

PDB- Lehnerz run (Run Failed)

PDB- Rossmiller pass from Kitchin (Pass failed)

PDB- Fritz pass from Kitchin (Pass good)

PDB- Rossmiller pass from Kitchin (Pass failed)

Fort Benton- Miller run (Pass failed)

PDB- Rosmiller pass from Kitchin (Pass good)

Malta 72, Harlem 6

The Harlem Wildcats were the only 11-man team from along the Hi-Line playing last Wednesday and, unfortunately, they ran into a buzz saw in the form of the Malta Mustangs.

The Mustangs, who are in the thick of the Class B playoff chase, poured in 39 first-quarter points to deliver a knockout blow to the Wildcats. At the half, the score was 52-0 in favor of Malta. Yet, despite the mounting deficit, the Wildcats never gave up and got a touchdown late in the game by way of a two-yard run by Corbin Brockie.

The Wildcats, who are 1-6 on the season, will close out the year at home Friday night against Conrad.

Harlem 0 0 0 6 - 6

Malta 39 13 14 6 - 72

MAL-Allen Williamson 12 yd run (kick failed)

MAL-Ostin Welch 15 yd pass from Jase Galt (Galt kick)

MAL-Tyson Carney 2 yd pass from Galt (Galt kick)

MAL-Williamson 47 yd punt return (Galt kick)

MAL-Trace Simonson 55 yd interception return (kick failed)

MAL-Williamson 35 yd run (kick failed)

MAL-Nate Costin 56 yd pass from Galt (kick failed)

MAL-Cru Darrah 9 yd run (Galt kick)

MAL-Trey Simanton 12 yd run (Galt kick)

MAL-Simanton 3 yd run (Galt kick)

MAL-Simanton 44 yd run (kick failed)

HAR-Corbin Brockie 2 yd run (pass failed)

Circle 70, Hays-Lodge Pole 8

The Hays-Lodge Pole Thunderbirds will finish another season winless after they lost their final game of the season at home against Circle by the score of 70-8. The T-Birds will once again finish 0-7 in Eastern C play and will look to end their long win streak next season.