Postseason football returns to the Hi-Line

Postseason football has finally arrived on the Hi-Line and local football fans have much to pay attention to this weekend and hopefully the weeks to come. In the 8-man football playoffs, Fort Benton and Chinook will compete for a state title while Big Sandy will try to make another big run in the six-man playoffs like it did last year.

Fort Benton enters the postseason as the No. 1 seed from the Northern. The Longhorns finished the regular season with a 6-1 record with their only loss coming to Simms. In their last game in a seeding game, Fort Benton earned the Northern No. 1 seed by getting revenge against Simms with a 35-25 victory.

The Longhorns will begin the playoffs when they host Plentywood in Fort Benton. The Wildcats enter the playoffs as the Eastern No. 2 seed with a 6-2 record. The Plentywood offense averages 36.6 points a season and the defense allows 14.5 points a game.

If Fort Benton is going to win this weekend, it will need its best players to show up. Running back Colter Ball has led the offense with a strong year running the ball. Quarterback Cade Ball has also made timely plays through the air to help lead his team to victory.

The Longhorns kick off the 8-man playoffs against Plentywood at home Saturday at 1 p.m.

Chinook heads on the road

Chinook will also compete in the 8-man football playoffs after finishing the regular season with a record of 7-1. In their last game, the Sugarbeeters defeated Cascade, 44-13, to earn the Northern No. 4 seed. The Sugarbeeters will head on the road to begin the playoffs faceing Fairview Saturday.

Fairview enters the postseason as the Eastern No. 1 seed after finishing the season 6-2. After an 0-2 start to the season, the Warriors have won six games in a row heading to the playoffs. Their offense, led by senior quarterback Kanyon Taylor, has been clicking as it has averaged 51.3 points a game during the six-game winning streak.

If they are going to win on the road in the postseason, the Sugarbeeters will need its offense to play well. Along with quarterback Levi Jensen, playmakers such as Drake Berreth and Toby Niederegger will need to make an impact this Saturday.

The Sugarbeeters will begin the playoffs on the road at Fairview Saturday at 7 p.m.

Pioneers look to make a run

Last season, Big Sandy finished the regular season undefeated and advanced all the way to the semifinals in the playoffs. While the Pioneers have suffered a few losses already this season, they still made the six-man playoffs after finishing the season with a 5-3 record to earn the Northern No. 2 seed.

The Pioneers will begin the postseason this Saturday night as they head on the road to Missoula to play Valley Christian. The Eagles entered the playoffs as the Western No. 2 seed and finished the year with a 6-3 record. However, three of those wins have come from forfeits, making the Pioneers 3-3 in games they have played this fall.

After an 0-2 start to the season, the Pioneers had won five straight games before being shutout in the regular season finale against Power/Dutton/Brady last week. In the five wins, the Big Sandy offense led by Braydon Cline and Kody Strutz averaged 50 points a game. If Big Sandy is going to win on the road, the Pioneers will need to get the offense rolling.

The Pioneers begin the six-man football playoffs in Missoula against Valley Christian Saturday at 6 p.m.