Hi-Line Football: Pioneers, Sugarbeeters keep rolling; Knights win

As the regular season winds down, football teams on the Hi-Line will be looking to end the year strong. Those with postseason aspirations will be looking to find momentum at the right time while fledgling programs will be looking to find something to carry into next year.

The Chester-Joplin-Inverness six-man football team has had a strong season and was looking for another win against Roy-Winifred at home Saturday. However, the Hawks lost a shoot-out as Roy-Winifred won 35-28.

In the first quarter, the CJI Hawks took an 8-0 lead with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Braden Mattson to Adam Grammar. Roy-Winifred responded with a 50-yard touchdown run from Gunner Knox to cut the Hawks’ lead to 8-7.

After a scoreless second quarter, both teams got back to work on offense in the third quarter. Mattson opened the second half with a 29-yard touchdown pass to extend the Hawks’ lead to 14-7. But Roy-Winifred responded with a touchdown of its own to tie the game 14-14 heading to the fourth.

The Hawks opened the fourth quarter with Mattson throwing another touchdown, this one a 25-yard toss to Patrick Dahlin, to give the Hawks a 21-14 lead. Shad Boyce then responded with a 52-yard touchdown pass to keep up with the Hawks.

Later in the quarter, Mattson threw a four-yard touchdown to Blake Harmon as the Hawks tried to pull ahead. But the Roy-Winifred offense ended the game strong with another pair of touchdowns to steal the 35-28 victory from the Hawks.

While the Hawks lost the game, they had another strong day on offense. As a unit, the offense finished the game with 348 total yards and only punted once. Mattson had a strong day for the Hawks as he went 12-for-18 through the air for 165 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Dahlin led the Hawks with 68 receiving yards on five catches.

The Hawks also ran the ball well against Roy-Winifred. As a team, they finished the game with 183 rushing yards on 34 attempts. Nate Nelson had another strong day on the ground for the Hawks as he had 109 rushing yards on 20 carries.

The loss dropped the Hawks to 5-2 on the season with their two losses coming by a combined 11 points. The CJI six-man football team will wrap up the regular season with a home game this Friday against Harlowton-Ryegate.

RW - 7 0 7 21 - 35

CJI - 8 0 6 14 - 28

CJI - Adam Grammar 13 pass from Braden Mattson (kick)

RW - Gunner Knox 50 run (CNV good)

CJI - Mattson 29 pass (CNV no good)

CJI - Patrick Dahlin 25 pass from Mattson (kick failed)

RW - Shad Boyce 52 pass (CNV good)

CJI - Blake Harmon 4 pass from Mattson (kick)

RW - Bodie Donsbach 7 run (CNV good)

RW - 2 run (CNV good)

Big Sandy 78, Heart Butte 6

The Big Sandy six-man football team has rolled through the competition this season and Saturday’s game on the road against Heart Butte was no different. Looking to remain undefeated on the season, the Big Sandy Pioneers defeated Heart Butte 78-6.

Like many of their games this season, the Pioneers jumped out of the gates for a 40-0 lead in just the first quarter. Even with the big lead, the Pioneers continued to roll as they stretched their lead to 64-0 heading to the fourth quarter. Even then, they scored another pair of touchdowns in the final frame of the game. It was not until late in the fourth quarter that Heart Butte finally scored against the Big Sandy defense.

With the win, the Pioneers remain perfect on the season with a 7-0 record. The Big Sandy six-man football team will return to the Hi-Line for a home game this Friday against Great Falls Central.

North Star 81, Box Elder 39

In a matchup between Hi-Line six-man football teams, North Star got the better of Box Elder as the Knights defeated the Bears, 81-39, in Box Elder this past Saturday. It was the second win in a row for the Knights as they are now 3-3 on the season. The North Star six-man football team will next play at home this Saturday against Heart Butte. With the loss, the Bears fell to 0-5 on the season. The Box Elder six-man football will next look for a win this Saturday on the road against Valier.

Chinook 46, Rocky Boy 14

The Chinook 8-man football team has had a strong season and that continued with a 46-14 win over Rocky Boy this past Friday in Rocky Boy. Tyler Schoen had touchdown runs of 20 and 24 yards in the first quarter. With the win, the Sugarbeeters remain undefeated with a 7-0 record. The Sugarbeeters will look to end the regular season undefeated as they host Belt this Friday. With the loss, Rocky Boy fell to 0-5 on the season and will next play Oct. 19 on the road against Lodge Grass.

Belt 57, Harlem 12

In its final game of the regular season, the Harlem 8-man football team suffered a 57-12 loss to Belt on the road this past Friday. With the loss, the Wildcats finished the regular season with a record of 3-5.