Ponies aim to stampede the Cowboys

The Eastern A has been a battleground in the 2020 season. There have been games where two powerful teams have clashed, bitter struggles have come about and overall, no game has been easy for any team on the Eastern A. That will especially be the case for the Havre High football team once again tonight.

At Blue Pony Stadium, the 0-3 Blue Ponies will be throwing down against the Class A defending state champions, the Miles City Cowboys. Home games often are of better energy and momentum in most cases, but nothing will be as simple as it seems when the Cowboys come to town.

Havre head coach Ryan Gatch is looking forward to the game against the Cowboys.

“Coach Reagan does a great job with the Cowboys down in Miles City,” Gatch said. “They’re well-coached and well-prepared in every facet of the game. They have an explosive offense and a stymieing defense that’s barely given up a lot of points this year, so they’re doing a great job. It doesn’t look like they lost a lot from last year, but at the same time, they’ve had some players step in and do a fantastic job to get ready to go for this year.”

The Ponies will be utilizing every asset they have. Players like lockdown senior corner Brock Nystrom and powerful defensive lineman Kellen Detrick will aim to play a part in slowing down the Miles City offense, while Bradyn Winchell and Joey Byrd will be key pieces on the defense, as well. Offensively, weapons like Crawford Terry, Detrick, Orion Thivierge, Nystrom and Winchell will aim to push through the strong Cowboys defense, led by veteran quarterback Trenton Maloughney.

As for Miles City, its production speaks for itself. Starting off with strong blowout wins over Eastern A opponents and making a case for being a contender for the 2020 Class A State championship title for a second year in a row. With a driving offense and a stifling defense, the Cowboys do not mess around on the field.

Havre has some great talents lined up this week, but Gatch knows that it will be a challenge against a stacked Miles City roster.

“Miles City has a really good quarterback,” Gatch said. “They got a real good wide receiver and multiple threats all around them. As you look out there, No. 11 and No. 13 make a lot of plays for them. Coupled with some good offensive and defensive lineman, it’s clear they’re well-coached. We’re looking forward to matching our players in the right positions and putting forward our strengths out there.”

On top of that, there will be a bit more fans in the stands Friday, as HHS implemented a new guideline that allows more tickets per player and limited student attendance, which is something that Gatch is glad to see being put into place for the upcoming home-game.

“The fans will be real passionate about being there,” Gatch said. “A lot of them will be excited to be there. I think there is going to be a lot of excitement and energy to be at that game. When our guys played at home three weeks ago, they played with a lot of passion and energy, so coupled with quite a few more people in the stands, it should be a fun atmosphere for a football game. It’s as close to normal as we can get right now.”

Tonight, the Havre Blue Ponies (0-3) will prepare to battle the top-ranked and state champion Miles City Cowboys (3-0) on homecoming at 6 p.m. inside Blue Pony Stadium.

Tonight at 7 p.m.

at Blue Pony Stadium

Radio: 610 KOJM AM/Stream: NFHS.com