FORT BENTON — In a matchup of ranked squads, Truman Giese, David Olson and Fort Benton had enough to fend off 8-Man North rival Choteau on Friday.
Led by Giese and Olson, No. 5 Fort Benton handed No. 9 Choteau its first loss, 38-26.
Giese accounted for three first-half touchdowns to help Fort Benton build a halftime lead.
Giese first threw a 47-yard TD pass to Olson as the Longhorns took an 8-6 advantage late in the first quarter. He followed that with a 3-yard touchdown run that helped make the score 14-6 early in the second.
Giese and Olson hooked up on a 22-yard touchdown connection with just eight seconds left before halftime to put Fort Benton up 20-14.
Choteau had the game’s initial touchdown, a 47-yard run by Nathan Gunderson, to take a 6-0 lead early in the opening quarter.
The Bulldogs tied the game in the second quarter when a botched Fort Benton snap was recovered by Carson Thomas for a TD, making it 14-14 with 4:03 before intermission.
Choteau made the biggest early play of the second half to tie the game 20-20, as Justyce Yeager took an interception back 57 yards for a TD. But Giese and Olson connected for a third time later in the third quarter, and Fort Benton jumped back up 28-20.
The Bulldogs pulled back within two points as Cole Wood found Karson Thomas on a 49-yard scoring pass. The point-after conversion failed, and the Longhorns led 28-26 at the end of the third.
Then, after a long completion to Olson, Giese plunged into the end zone from 3 yards out to put Fort Benton ahead 38-26 early in the fourth.
Elsewhere in 8-Man …
No. 1 Fairview 52, Plentywood 12
No. 3 Circle 64, Poplar 14 (Thursday)
No. 4 Valley Christian 84, Victor 6
No. 6 Drummond-Philipsburg 48, Sheridan 13
No. 7 Manhattan Christian 54, Lone Peak 0
No. 10 Ennis 40, Twin Bridges 6
Arlee 16, Troy 14
Chinook 44, Shelby 12
Culbertson 50, Ekalaka 16
Scobey 52, Forsyth 6
Simms 45, Harlem 0
St. Ignatius 44, Charlo 14
