Diekhans, Longhorns continue with unfinished business

Fort Benton's Hayden Diekhans is joining his older brother Garrett at Montana Tech next fall. Only the younger Diekhans chose to play basketball for the Orediggers, while Garrett is a tight end on the Tech football team.

But before Hayden gets to Tech, and before he begins his last year of high school basketball or his first year of college hoops, he's got some unfinished business on the gridiron.

Diekhans and the Fort Benton Longhorns are 7-0 this season and trying to march toward a state championship in the Class C 8-Man football. Fort Benton took that first step last Saturday, and now the Longhorns look to take another one when they host Joilet in the 8-Man quarterfinals Saturday afternoon in Fort Benton.

The matchup with the Hawks (7-1) is a big one. And while Fort Benton throttled Class B St. Ignatius in the opening round of the playoffs last weekend, the game against Hawks is expected to be a different story.

Joilet has been a Top-5 team for much of the season, and though the Hawks finished second in the Southern C, they are a dangerous opponent.

And yet, there hasn't been anyone more dangerous than the Longhorns this season.

Fort Benton exploded for 61 points against St. Ignatius last week, and offensively, the Longhorns can hurt teams in so many different ways. Obviously, Fort Benton's ground game is dangerous with Jase Thompson and Hayden Axtman, but quarterback Billy Ullery will hurt teams with his feet, too, and Ullery has really been adept in the passing game, where he threw three touchdowns last week.

Ullery was really good on the other side of the ball last week, as well. He had four interceptions, and Thompson added another as Fort Benton allowed just six points, and the Horns' defense for the entire season is giving up an average of just nine points per contest.

That defense is also anchored by Diekhans, who can pretty much play all over the field. Defensively, he's a strong tackler, while on offense, he's another threat to go deep as a receiver, or run with the ball, too.

Yes, Diekhans is a threat at pretty much anything he does, whether it's on the football field, or the basketball court, and that's just one of the many reasons why Tech head hoops coach Adam Hiatt is so excited to have him in the fold.

Diekhans, a 6-4 guard, helped lead Fort Benton to the consolation final at the shortened Class C state tournament last year. As a junior, Diekhans averaged 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 52.2 percent from the field. Diekhans was selected all-conference and all-state.

"He possesses a strong work ethic, high character, and competitive spirit. We love his skill level and the potential that he brings to our program. He will be a very successful student and a very successful player for Tech hoops," Hiatt said.

Indeed, Diekhans is really good on the basketball court. But he is on the football field, and before he shows off his hoops skills, the field is where his focus is. And that focus turns to Joilet, which Fort Benton will play at 1 p.m. Saturday in Fort Benton. The winner will advance to the Class C semifinals, and play either Flint Creek or Fairview.