BOZEMAN — It would be a game to remember at Van Winkle Stadium on Thursday night, as the Bozeman Hawks duked it out against Billings Senior for who would take the third spot in the Eastern AA Conference.
Each team came into the game with a 3-2 record. Bozeman would jump out to a 21-7 lead at halftime, but a 24 point second-half effort by the Broncs would give Billings Senior a 31-28 victory.
Bozeman started out the game in control. They received the ball first and took nearly seven minutes off the clock before they scored a touchdown on a pass by junior quarterback Jake Casagranda to senior receiver Kendall Stromberg to give them an early 7-0 lead.
Near the end of the first quarter the Broncs utilized a style of offense that breaks the huddle quickly, lines up on the ball and instantly snaps it. That was effective, as senior running back Jacob Miller scored on a short rush to tie the game.
In the middle of the second quarter Casagranda threw a touchdown pass to junior tight end Luke Smith.
To make it three passing touchdowns in the first half, with 12 seconds left Casagranda hit his other tight end Jaxon Cotton over the middle for touchdown. Hawks went into the half with a 21-7 lead.
The Broncs would score 17 unanswered points to take a 24-17 lead.
Bozeman put together a drive in the with under three minutes left in the game. At the 2:13 mark of the fourth quarter Casagranda threw his fourth touchdown of the day to junior wide receiver Avery Allen.
However, the Broncs offense would respond. With under 20 seconds left Billings Senior had the ball at the Bozeman 1-yard-line on fourth down and goal. Utilizing the quick snap, they handed the ball off to Miller and he punched it into the end zone to give the Broncs a 31-28 lead after the extra point.
Bozeman had 12 seconds and a timeout to try to score but they couldn't do anything with it. They fall to (3-3) on the season (3-1) in conference.
Billings Senior is now (4-2) on the season and (3-1) in the conference.
