Blue Ponies aim to chop down the Beavers in Dillon

The Havre Blue Ponies haven't been this deep in the playoffs in four years. But the last time they were, they played the Dillon Beavers.

The Ponies' next opponent now? The always high-powered Beavers.

With last Saturday's thrilling playoff win over Lewistown behind them, the Blue Ponies will take on the Beavers in the Class A quarterfials Saturday at Vigilante Field in Dillon.

Not only is it difficult to face off against a tough team, but so is playing that team on the road. The game itself will be a big one for Havre and to pull off an upset against the Beavers would be big for the Ponies.

With the matchup fast approaching, HHS head coach Ryan Gatch is excited to play against Dillon.

"They're the number one team in the Western region," said Gatch. "We're excited to go down there and play them."

The last time Havre and Dillon met on the field was the 2015 Class A State quarterfinals. Like this year, the Ponies came away with a big win over a good team in the first round. But Havre fell to the Beavers in the game 43-8. For HHS, this game is what could be a revenge story, but the Beavers are relentless in their game plan and will not be so easy to take down. Put simply, Dillon is the best from the West. The only loss the Beavers had in the Southwest A regular season was against Frenchtown in a two-overtime, 27-24 season-opening shootout. From there, the Beavers cruised to an eight-game win-streak.

Dillon has upended many good teams, as well. The Beavers came back to beat highly ranked Hamilton earlier this season 26-24. Behind in the fourth, a drive downfield and a score by senior running back Peter Gibson gave Dillon the lead. Then, the Beaver defense shut down any chance of the Broncs scoring, claiming the win.

Dillon handed Libby its first loss of the season this year, too. The Beavers beat the Loggers 28-12 in a physical battle and quarterback Justus Peterson threw for 164 yards and two touchdowns that night. It is clear that both the Dillon offense and defense come up clutch when it is needed most.

For the Ponies, defense will be key to containing an offense like the Beavers, that has been big in most games. HHS defensive coordinator Jacob Criner knows how tough Dillon's offense can be if left unchecked.

"They're an explosive offense," said Criner. "They come out with a lot of different things. They have a great coach, program, and they do a lot of things well, so we got to be on our best playing Blue Pony defense to get after those guys."

The Havre defense has been a big part of the last two games against Lewistown. In the wins over the Eagles, the Havre defense racked up one safety, four interceptions, six fumbles and a touchdown by junior Kellen Detrick. On top of that, Detrick, senior Quinn Springer, and sophomore Carson Lunak have given offensive lines some trouble throughout the season.

The Blue Pony offense has made some great strides this season, too. As always, senior running back Mason Dionne is no stranger to big games. Dionne has rushed for 848 yards this season and there is no doubt he is not done. With Detrick as his right-hand-man, the two will look to tear up the field against Dillon.

The Havre passing game has shown potency, too. With senior quarterback Reese Bulkley at the helm, the Ponies have found a lot of success in the air in quite a few games.

Against Hardin, Bulkley put up 167 passing yards and a touchdown. But, Bulkley has been a threat in quarterback keeps, too. It is often that Bulkley will find a way to escape the pressure or sneak into the endzone when given the chance.

The Ponies will have to be focused and locked-in in the road-game against Dillon, but Gatch and his team have worked with the Beavers in camps in the offseason. Though it does not sound like much, camps like those help the teams clue-in on the mechanisms of one another, as well as helping each other grow.

"Dillon and their staff run a good camp," said Gatch. "Their team is one of the top teams in the state year in and out. They got good players and fortunately, we've been able to see them a couple of times in the last couple of summers."

It will be an intense matchup between an electric Beavers offense and a no-quit Blue Pony defense. In the end, Gatch is ready for his team to be back out on the field and putting their best effort into it.

"It'll be fun to go down there and see how they are," Gatch said.

The Blue Ponies (5-4) will look to upset the Beavers (8-1) in the Class A quarterfinals Saturday at 1 p.m. in Dillon.

Havre 5-4 at Dillon 8-1

Saturday at 1 p.m.

at Blue Pony Stadium

Radio: 610 KOJM AM