LAUREL — Laurel found itself in a two-possession hole on two separate occasions Saturday but fought back for a 35-28 playoff semifinal victory to earn a berth in next week's state championship game.
Curtis Fox scored three touchdowns, including two rushing TDs in the second half, as the Locomotives advanced to the title game for the first time since 2021. Laurel (9-2) will face longtime rival Billings Central (11-0) for the championship.
Fox's 19-yard touchdown run, coupled with a Luke Maack point-after kick, served as the winning points in the fourth quarter for the Locomotives. Fox helped tie the game late in the third quarter with a 2-yard TD rush, also. His first score was a 43-yard pass from Krew Hunter.
Havre took a 12-0 lead early on a pair of Griffin Terry touchdown passes. Corey Polkowske got Laurel with in 12-7 with a 7-yard TD run, but a Tate Nelson 4-yard touchdown run and subsequent two-point conversion by Pierce Caplette put the Blue Ponies ahead 20-7.
The teams jostled back and forth until Terry scored on a 1-yard run to help put Havre aheade 28-21. But that set the stage for Laurel's rally, which was capped by Fox's two second-half TD runs.
