Hi-Line Football Roundup: A Halloween Triple Feature

BOX ELDER — Regardless of the result, the Box Elder football team knew it was going to make history Saturday. But thanks to a big-play offense and a hard-hitting defense, the Bears made sure it was a day no Box Elder football fan would ever forget.

In the Bears' first-ever home playoff game, Box Elder made sure that its magical season continued for at least another week as it doubled up Jordan 64-32 in the opening round of the Class C Six-Man state playoffs.

Box Elder quarterback Brandon The Boy tossed four touchdown passes in the win, while Jerrod Four Colors also put together a magnificent two-way performance that included three touchdown receptions, one interception returned for a touchdown, two sacks and a forced fumble. The victory puts Box Elder into the quarterfinal round this Saturday when they will hit the road to take on Custer-Hysham, which defeated West Yellowstone 54-20 in the opening round.

"It feels really good," The Boy said about the win. "I don't even know how to explain it. I just know that we are alive for another week and that it ended a long drought for Box Elder."

It didn't take long for The Boy and the Bears to assert their dominance, and on their second drive of the game, The Boy connected with Four Colors on a spectacular 47-yard touchdown pass that gave Box Elder an early 8-0 lead. Jordan countered with an eight-yard touchdown run from Kelly Murnion and at the end of the first quarter, the Bears led 8-6.

However, the second quarter was all about the Bears, and in particular, Four Colors.

The senior wide receiver/defensive end scored the game's next three touchdowns as the Bears built a 29-6 advantage. The first touchdown came on a 12-yard pass from The Boy. Then, Four Colors caught a 22-yard touchdown, and to cap off an incredible three-minute stretch, he intercepted a Jordan pass and returned it for a score to put the Bears up 23 with 6:48 to go before halftime.

"I just tried to run my routes and execute the offense," Four Colors said. "Shane (Ketchum) was our scoring leader all year and I think that they keyed on him, so that really opened up some routes for me and that was huge for us. On defense, I just wanted to try to get the ball carrier and do my job."

Jordan did manage a pair of rushing touchdowns late in the second quarter and with just 21 seconds to go before intermission, the Mustangs pulled within striking distance at 37-19. That's when The Boy and Box Elder went for a knockout blow.

With the football resting at their own 24-yard line, many teams would have went into half, content with a 19-point lead, but not Box Elder. And in the end, that faith paid off as The Boy found Ketchum for a 56-yard catch-and-run touchdown as time expired in the half to give Box Elder a commanding 44-18 lead.

"We got great leadership today," Box Elder head coach Neil Rosette Jr. said. "We have a great group of seniors and I thought all of them really stepped up today."

In the third quarter, the Bears added to their lead as a one-yard touchdown run by Bodis Duran made the score 50-18 entering the fourth quarter. Both Ketchum and Duran added touchdown runs in the final stanza.

Four Colors may have led the Bears with four total touchdowns, but Ketchum and Duran each added two for Box Elder as they scored more than 50 points for the eighth time in 10 games.

Box Elder is now 9-1 on the season as they travel to Custer-Hysham next Saturday with a berth in the Six-Man semifinals on the line.

"It hasn't really sunk in about the history," Rosette Jr. said. "I am just proud of these boys. They battle hard. Our senior leadership is bar none. Hats off to Jordan. They are a good football team and they hit hard. But our boys were pumped and they were ready to go. I am really proud of them, this win means a lot to the community and our school as well.

"We need good things to happen in our community," The Boy said. "And I am glad that we could do some good again for our community. We just need to stay healthy and be ready again next week."

Jordan 6 12 0 14 – 32

Box Elder 8 36 6 14 – 64

BE–Jerrod Four Colors 47 pass from Brandon The Boy (Bodis Duran kick)

BE–Four Colors 23 pass from The Boy (B. Duran kick)

JOR–Kelly Murnion 8 run (pass failed)

BE–Four Colors 13 pass from The Boy (Four Colors pass from B. Duran)

JOR–Murnion 65 run (kick failed)

BE–Four Colors 65 interception return (pass failed)

BE–B. Duran 4 run (B. Duran kick)

JOR–Tyrone Hagemann 15 run (pass failed)

BE–Shane Ketchum 54 pass from The Boy (Four Colors pass from The Boy)

BE–B. Duran 2 run (kick failed)

JOR–Saylor 55 pass from Hagemann (Murnion kick)

BE–Ketchum 7 run (kick failed)

BE–B. Duran 1 run (B. Duran kick)

JOR–Murnion 2 run (pass failed)

Chinook 80, Culbertson-Bainville 16

CHINOOK — Hoon Field in Chinook has been a place where the home team has been nearly unstoppable in the Class C 8-man playoffs in recent years. And it was no different Saturday.

In the opening round of the 2015 Class C playoffs, the Northern C champion Chinook Sugarbeeters blasted visiting Culbertson-Bainville, 80-16. The win kept the Beeters unbeaten on the season, and moved them into the quarterfinals, where they’ll be at home again this Saturday.

“Our kids were really determined to get in the end zone” Chinook head coach Scott Friede said. “The bottom line is that our kids just really executed well both offensively and defensively. I was really pleased with our intensity and just the way we played on both sides of the ball. Our kids are determined to get back (to the state championship game). They are motivated. They love football and I think that just shows every week. ”

And while Chinook has always been tough at home in the playoffs, Saturday, the Beeters were monstrous. Chinook scored 22 points in just over two minutes of game time in the first quarter, and the Cowboys hopes of an upset were already gone.

In that stretch, Kenny Pruttis caught a touchdown pass from Ian McIntosh, then McIntosh grabbed an interception on defense. One play later, McIntosh hit Jake Norby for a 45-yard score, and less than a minute later, Tate Niederegger busted off a 15-yard run. Chinook put the cap on a dominating first quarter when Pruttis made a diving catch in the back of the endzone for his second TD of the period.

And the onslaught continued. Travis Hamilton recovered a fumble, and on the next play, Derek Bell punched it in to put the Beeters up 36-0. From there, the Beeters took to the ground the rest of the way, as both Bell and Niederegger rushed for more than 100 yards in the first half alone. The blood bath that was the first 30 minutes saw Chinook leading 66-0, as Bell scored two more times, Niederegger added a 34-yard run, Owen Powell scored from 10 yards out and McIntosh returned his second pick of the day 73 yards for a score. Powell would add two more touchdowns in the second half, giving him three on the day, and the Beeters over 300 yards rushing for the contest.

Chinook (9-0) will now remain at home to host Ennis (8-1) in the quarterfinals Saturday. The winner will travel to either Fairview or Charlo for the semifinals Nov. 14.

“I don’t think our kids are going to be satisfied with this win in the first-round” Friede said. “Ennis is a good football team. They tackle well and they are a physical team. Every round you are going to play tougher competition and we are going to need to execute even better than we did this last week.”

Culbertson-Bainville 0 0 0 16 – 16

Chinook 30 36 14 0 – 80

CHI: Kenny Pruttis 9 pass from Ian McIntosh (pass failed)

CHI: Jake Norby 45 pass from McIntosh (Norby pass from McIntosh)

CHI: Tate Niederegger 15 run (Derek Bell run)

CHI: Pruttis 20 pass from McIntosh (Niederegger run)

CHI: Bell 2 run (run failed)

CHI: Niederegger 34 run (Niederegger run)

CHI: Bell 30 run (pass failed)

CHI: Owen Powell 10 run (Powell run)

CHI: McIntosh 73 interception return (Norby pass from McIntosh)

CHI: Powell 36 run (run failed)

CHI: Powell 11 run (Powell run)

CB: Ethan Hendrickson pass from Eric Hendrickson (Shay Bridges run)

CB: Juston Holcomb 9 run (Bridges run)

Chester/J-I 62, Broadus 6

After missing out on the postseason a year ago, the Chester/J-I Hawks were back in the playoffs Saturday and thanks to a second-place finish in the Northern C, they got to enjoy some home cooking.

The stadium at Chester might be a great place to play a football game, but the scene quickly turned into a nightmare for Broadus, as the Hawks steamrolled their Eastern C opponent by the score of 62-6 Saturday in front of their hometown fans.

“The kids were really hungry to be back in the playoffs,” C/J-I head coach Jim Vinson said. “It was good for us to get back out there and get a win under our belt.”

Thanks to three rushing touchdowns in the first quarter, two by quarterback Brandon Richter and another by All-State running back Justin May, the Hawks built a 21-0 lead at the end of the opening stanza.

Then, in the second quarter, May found the end zone again before Brandon Richter threw two touchdown passes, one to Cory Richter from 17 yards out and another to Troy Harmon from 25 yards out, which gave C/J-I a 42-0 halftime edge.

In the third quarter, May tacked on his third rushing touchdown of the day and Harmon caught his second touchdown pass from Richter, this time from 19 yards out and after three, it was C/J-I in front 56-6. Jackson Diemert added to the scoring in the fourth quarter for the Hawks, with a one-yard touchdown plunge and that sealed a 56-point rout.

“It was very important for us to get the running game going,” Vinson said. “That really opened things up for us and we were able to establish that early which was big.”

When it was over, May finished the game with 129 rushing yards to go along with three receptions for 81 yards. He also finished with seven tackles and an interception on the defensive side of the ball. Brandon Richter was also stellar, completing 11-of-12 passes and throwing for three touchdown passes to go along with two touchdowns on the ground in the win.

The Hawks (8-1) will now travel to Twin Bridges this Saturday for a Class C 8-Man quarterfinal game.

Broadus 0 0 6 0 – 6

C/J-I 21 21 14 6 – 62

C/J-I: Brandon Richter 1 run (Troy Harmon kick)

C/J-I: Justin May 26 run (Harmon kick)

C/J-I: Richter 7 run (Harmon kick)

C/J-I: May 10 run (Harmon kick)

C/J-I: Cory Richter 17 pass from Brandon Richter (Harmon kick)

C/J-I: Harmon 25 pass from Brandon Richter (Harmon kick)

C/J-I: May 37 run (Harmon kick)

C/J-I: Harmon 19 pass form Brandon Richter (Harmon kick)

Broadus: Houston Brown 61 run (pass failed)

C/J-I: Jackson Diemert 1 run (pass failed).

Note: Havre Daily News sports editor George Ferguson contrubuted to this story.