CUSTER — A 75-minute weather delay didn't halt the Blue team's momentum in Friday's 26th annual 6-Man All-Star Game in Custer at Hoffman Field.
After trailing 22-0 late in the first half, Blue rallied for a thrilling 34-28 win on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Bridger's Chance Goltz to Froid-Medicine Lake's Ashdyn Hobbs with just 18 seconds remaining.
"All week coaches talked about fighting adversity," Goltz told MTN Sports. "There’s going to be moments where you’re going to get knocked down and you’re going to make bad passes, but you always have to come back, keep pushing and doing your job. When coach puts you in you just have got to go follow through on what he wants.”
"Honestly, I don't even remember (what happened)," Hobbs said. "I'm still mind-blown from the game."
Red built a 22-0 lead midway through the second quarter after a touchdown on the ground from White Sulphur Springs' Shaw Davis, then touchdown passes from Kellan Doheny to Tyler Ellsworth, showcasing a Power-Dutton-Brady connection, and White Sulphur's Sam Davis to Hot Springs' Kyle Lawson.
Blue found some life at the end of the first half when Valley Christian's Eyan Becker played the tip drill to perfection, catching a Goltz pass in the end zone as time expired to trim the lead to 22-8.
A big run by Shields Valley's Dylan Flatt set up a 4-yard touchdown reception from his teammate Kaden Acosta to make it 22-16. A muffed kickoff resulted in a safety, as Blue gained possession again trailing 22-18. However, with 6:25 to play in the third quarter, play came to a standstill.
"We were just sitting on the bus praying, literally praying, that the rain would stop and the lightning would go away, but it was just awesome to come back out here and finish the game," Hobbs said.
"It's tough. You come back out and your legs are tired, but like (Denton-Geyser-Stanford-Winnett-Grass Range) coach Nuemann's been talking about all week, you've just got to push through whatever comes at you, makes plays when you can and do your job." Goltz said.
Once play resumed, Blue failed a fourth down conversion on its first play from scrimmage. Hot Springs' Jack McAllister then gave Red a 28-18 lead with a monster touchdown run on the very next play.
Blue continued to battle back, as Froid-Medicine Lake's Ashdyn Hobbs made it 28-26 with a 7-yard touchdown run. After forcing a Red punt, Blue began to drive again, but Harlowton-Ryegate's Colter Woldstad picked off Acosta to end the threat. Woldstad intercepted both Acosta and Goltz.
Red, though, would stall again and be forced to punt, setting up Blue with its final possession with under four minutes to play.
After two consecutive Goltz runs, he decided for the final option on the game-winning play.
"We ran the same play three times in a row. The first times, it ended up working where I could take off a run for a couple yards," Goltz said. "That third time, it broke down and our final option, the last-chance heave for the last play was right there for (Hobbs) and he came through and caught it."
The offensive MVPs were Dylan Flatt for Blue and Jack McAllister for Red, while the defensive MVPs were Brett Stentoft of Froid-Medicine Lake for Blue and Spencer Lehnerz of PDB for Red. Bridger's Lucius Payovich hit all four extra-point attempts for the Blue team.
