SHUTOUT: Ponies power past Hardin

If anyone had questions about whether or not Reese Bulkley was ready to be the starting quarterback of the Havre Blue Ponies, the junior took all of one quarter and more specifically one pass to answer them.

That pass was a 46-yard scoring strike to Ethan Roberts that gave Havre an early lead, one it wouldn't look back from in a 24-0 shutout win over Hardin Friday night at Blue Pony Stadium.

"It was pure excitement and joy," Bulkley said of watching Roberts pull down his slightly wobbly pass. "I was happy watching him run down the field and as soon as he caught it, I knew he was gone."

"It was pretty exciting," Roberts added. "I was like 'Oh my, I've got the ball.' Right off the bat to get that start, it felt great. It means so much to get this win. I love all these guys."

As exciting as the first touchdown pass was for Bulkley and Roberts, it wouldn't be their last connection of the first quarter. After a Max Olson field goal from 42-yards out made it 10-0, Havre got the ball back for the third time in the opening stanza and on the final play of the quarter, Bulkley found Roberts for another touchdown, this time from 43 yards out.

"Reese did a great job for first start," Roberts said. "I mess with him when he doesn't throw me the football, but for his first time, he was really great."

Up 17-0 and clearly in control of the football game, Bulkey and the Ponies went for the kill and thanks to the quarterbacks' legs, they were able to add to their lead. A critical 16-yard run on a third-and-15 by Mason Dionne and a completion from Bulkley to Dionne for 16 yards, set up a five-yard touchdown run by Bulkley, which gave Havre a 24-0 advantage with just a few minutes to go in the half.

"I think it was our coaching," Bulkley said of the team's fast start. "They did a great job of preparing us and getting us ready for this game. But we also have been working really hard and I am just really proud of my team and the way we played tonight."

Bulkley, who was previously a wide receiver for the Ponies, switched to quarterback this offseason and was incredibly efficient in his first career start, completing 8-of-11 passes for 140 yards. He also ran 14 times for 47 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns, two in the air and one on the ground. The junior was also sacked just once and didn't turn the ball over as the Ponies racked up 350 yards of total offense.

"Reese has a lot of really positive characteristics," HHS head coach Ryan Gatch said. "He's really athletic and he's really smart. If I mess a call up, he knows how to get it fixed. He has the respect of the teammates and he's just a real pleasure to be around."

Bulkley wasn't the only Pony that had a big night. Roberts, a senior, had a huge night offensively hauling in seven passes for 134 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Havre's running game also stood out, as Dionne finished the game with 118 yards on 20 carries, with a long run of 26 yards. Sophomore Bradyn Winchell also contributed with nine carries for 39 yards, including runs of 18 and 17 yards. In all, Havre finished with 198 yards rushing.

"The thing that was impressive about Mason is that he was able to play so many snaps and still be effective," Gatch said. "We don't rep that many snaps in practice; and he just kept getting stronger throughout the game. The offensive line was a big part of that and so were our receivers. They did an excellent job blocking on the outside."

As impressive as the Ponies were on the offense, the defense was just as dominant. In the first half, Havre forced two turnovers and limited Hardin to just one first down, which came on a penalty. The Bulldogs didn't get a first down that wasn't off a penalty until the final play of the third quarter and completed only three passes. Hardin also managed just 70 yards total and four first downs for the game.

A big part of that effort was sophomore defensive end Kellen Detrick, who finished the game with three sacks and a fumble recovery. He also forced an intentional grounding penalty the one time Hardin pushed the ball into Havre territory. The drive ended in a punt.

"Kellen, he has a motor that just doesn't quit," Gatch said. "He was flying around making plays and really, it was good to see the entire defense, all 11 guys flying around the ball like that. That was fun to see."

The most significant aspect of the Pony victory was that it snapped a 12-game losing streak that dated back to Sept. 30, 2016, when the Ponies beat Livingston. Havre (1-0) will take on Lewistown Friday night, on the road. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

"The overall team effort was a fantastic one," Gatch said. "I thought all around, everyone played good. Our offensive line played well, really darn good actually. I thought everybody played well. They kept their intensity the whole time, they believed in the process and they knew the outcome was going to happen for us. We are 1-0 and that's the only thing that matters. We have 24 hours to enjoy it and then we need to get ready for Lewistown."

Blue Ponies 24, Hardin 0

Hardin 0 0 0 0 - 0

Havre 17 7 0 0 - 24

First quarter

Havre - Ethan Roberts 46 pass from Reese Bulkley (Max Olson kick)

Havre - Olson 42 field goal

Havre - Roberts 43 pass from Bulkley (Olson kick)

Second quarter

Havre - Bulkley 5 run (Olson kick)

Havre Leaders

Passing - Reese Bulkley 8-11 140; Trenton Maloughney 1-1, 12.

Rushing - Mason Dionne 20-118, Reese Bulkley 47, Bradyn Winchell 9-39, Kellen Detrick 1-0.

Receiving - Ethan Roberts 7-132, Bradyn Winchell 1-12, Mason Dionne 1-6.