Hi-Line Football: Pioneers, Longhorns roll to easy wins

After a week off, the Fort Benton Longhorns got back to work. And work they did.

Friday night, the Longhorns blasted the Choteau Bulldogs 66-6 to improve to 5-0 own the season, and keep their hold atop the Northern C standings.

After putting up just eight points in the first stanza, Fort Benton exploded for 30 unanswered points in the second period. Billy Ullery started the barrage by throwing a pair of touchdown passes, while Hayden Diekhans returned a punt 35 yards for a score. Ullery added a 15-yard TD run to send the Horns into the break leading 38-0. Diekhans would score twice more on passes from Ullery in the third quarter, as the Longhorns ran up 408 yards of offense.

Ullery threw for four scores and ran for another, accounting for 218 yards of offense. Dane Byle also rushed for 83 yards, while Diekhans had four catches for 72 yards. The Fort Benton defense also held Choteau to just 147 yards of offense and six first downs.

The top-ranked Longhorns will host Simms for senior night Friday.

Fort Benton 8 30 16 12 - 66

Choteau 0 0 6 0 - 6

First quarter

FB-Andrew Ballantyne 70 pass from Billy Ullery (Jace Thompson run), 5:00

Second quarter

FB-Hayden Axtman 17 pass from Ullery (Ballantyne pass from Ullery), 9:47

FB-Hayden Diekhans 14 pass from Ullery (Ullery run), 7:32

FB-Diekhan 35 punt return (pass failed), 5:27

FB-Ullery 15 run (Thompson pass from Ullery), 1:21

Third quarter

FB-Diekhans 2 pass from Ullery (Thompson run), 8:23

FB-Diekhans 40 pass from Ullery (H. Axtman run), 3:50

CHO-Carter Morgan 39 run (run failed), 1:30

Fourth quarter

FB-Dane Byle 51 run (pass failed), 9:40

FB-Cade Ball 3 run (run failed), 2:00

Big Sandy 74, Sunburst 34

The Big Sandy Pioneers were supposed to get a test from Sunburst Friday night. But it didn't happen.

In a Six-Man North battle, the Pioneers throttled the Refiners 74-34 to keep their unbeaten streak going.

Kade Strutz had a huge night for the Pioneers, scoring on runs of 41, 9, 1, 52 and 72 yards, while Parker Proulx also scored five times on the night. Big Sandy did only lead 26-19 at halftime, but the Pioneers ripped off 40 points in the third stanza. Strutz rushed for 237 yards on 13 carries, while accounting for six total TDs. Proulx also rushed for 132 yards on the night.

The Pioneers moved to 4-0 with the win and will host unbeaten Power-Dutton-Brady with the North title on the line Friday night.

Big Sandy 18 8 40 8 - 74

Sunburst 0 19 15 0 - 34

BS - Kade Strutz 41 run

BS - Kade Strutz 9 run

BS - Parker Proulx 8 pass from Strutz

BS - Proulx 55 run

BS - Strutz 1 run

BS - Kody Strutz 16 pass from Proulx

SB - Jarvis 79 Kickoff return

BS - Strutz 52 run

BS - Strutz 72 run

SB - Johnson 1 pass from Hanson

BS - Lance Rutledge 24 pass from Kody Strutz

SB - Jarvis 41 pass from Hanson

SB - Jarvis 1 pass from Hanson

BS - Proulx 6 run

BS - Proulx 26 run

BS - Prouxl 6 run

Simms 80, Chinook 42

You don't normally see Class C 8-Man games go so high-scoring, but that wasn't the case Friday night in Chinook. In a Northern C battle the Chinook Sugarbeeters were buried by the Simms Tigers 80-42 in a wild conference battle.

In the first 24 points, Chinook kept pace with the Tigers as the teams combined for 74 points. But the Simms offense went berserk in the second half, outscoring Chinook 42-6 to pull away with the win.

Benton Elliot did throw for three touchdowns and 279 yards, while Hunter Molyneaux rushed for 82 and returned a kickoff for a score.

The Beeters (3-2), are back home Friday night to host Choteau.

Shelby 69, CJI 21

In search of their secondt win of 2020, the Chester-Joplin-Inverness Hawks went to Shelby Friday night, but the Coyotes were too much for the Hawks.

In a Northern C rivalry game, Shelby blasted CJI 69-21. The Coyotes opened the game by scoring 42 points, and the Hawks trailed 49-7 as Shelby racked up over 600 yards of total offense.

The loss dropped CJI to 1-4 on the season. The Hawks host Rocky Boy Friday night. The Stars (1-3) fell to Belt last Friday night.

A trio of games last weekend were canceled due to COVID-19. Harlem's game with Conrad was called off, as both schools are dealing with COVID issues. Conrad had already paused sports and went to remote learning only before Harlem did so last week as well. Hays-Lodge Pole has also paused athletics after a rise in cases on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in the last week. Box Elder also had its game with Valier postponed.