BILLINGS — Opening night of the Class AA football season closed as a strong one for Billings Senior, which held off Missoula Hellgate 21-12 on Thursday night at Daylis Stadium.
Overcoming a slow first half with a 7-6 lead, the Broncs (1-0), who never trailed, went to work on their opening possession of the third quarter for a 14-6 lead when Ryder Murdock connected with Davyn Lehfeldt on a long catch-and-run touchdown.
Hellgate (0-1) answered midway through the fourth when Cole Zeigler out-leaped a defender to catch a deep ball from Vince Paffhausen inside the 1. A play later Paffhausen ran it in for the score. Hellgate's two-point conversion to tie the game at 14 failed, though, when Paffhausen's pass was broken up at the goal line.
Murdock iced the win on Senior's next possession with a QB keeper around the left side into the end zone.
