The 8-Man football state semifinals are set after three No. 1 seeds recorded quarterfinal wins on Saturday, and second-seeded Shelby won an 87-68 shootout at Park City.
Fort Benton 64, Joliet 14
FORT BENTON -- William Ullery threw three touchdowns and found the end zone twice himself to help Fort Benton to a dominant 64-14 win over Joliet in the quarterfinal round of the 8-Man football state playoffs on Saturday.
Jace Thompson scored two first-quarter touchdowns before Ullery started his onslaught, connecting with Thompson, Hayden Diekhans and Andrew Ballantyne for TDs. Ullery then ran in a 25-yard touchdown late in the second quarter and returned the opening kick off of the second half 65 yards for another score.
The Longhorns also added second-half touchdowns from Hayden Axtman and Dane Byle.
Fort Benton, the undefeated No. 1 seed out of the 8-Man North, will host Drummond-Philipsburg in a semifinal game next week.
Drummond-Philipsburg 48, Fairview 6
PHILIPSBURG -- After a slow start, Drummond-Philipsburg blew the game open against reigning state champion Fairview and rolled to a 48-6 win in Saturday's 8-Man football quarterfinal game.
Preston Metesh and Kade Cutler got going for the Titans, who are aiming for their third state championship in four seasons. Drummond-Philipsburg will travel to Fort Benton for next week's semifinal game.
Shelby 87, Park City 68
PARK CITY -- There were plenty of fireworks in Park City on Saturday, as Shelby eventually pulled away for an 87-68 win over Park City in the 8-Man football state quarterfinal round.
The game was close throughout, with the Coyotes taking a 21-20 lead after the first quarter only to see the Panthers come back for a 34-33 lead at halftime. The third quarter went back in Shelby's favor, as the Coyotes were able to build a double-digit lead early in the frame and ultimately lead 61-48 going to the fourth.
Park City was able to get back within one score on three separate occasions in the fourth quarter, but Shelby seemingly always had an answer. The Coyotes ultimately finished the game off for the 87-68 win and a berth in the 8-Man semifinals. They'll travel to Scobey next week after the Spartans broke free from Thompson Falls for a 40-24 win on Saturday.
