(Editor’s note: this article will be updated with scores and highlights as games finish)
Lewistown 21, Billings Central 14
BILLINGS - Lewistown's Gage Norslien pounded into the endzone for a game-winning touchdown with :05 seconds left Friday night lifting the Golden Eagles past Billings Central 21-14 in a battle of previously 5-1 teams.
The win keeps Fergus in position for a No. 2 seed and an opening round bye when the Class A playoffs kick off in two weeks. The Golden Eagles face Miles City next week to close the regular season. Miles City's losses were to Billings Central early this season and Laurel. Depending on next week's outcomes we could see a three-way tiebreaker for second place in the conference between the Golden Eagles, Cowboys and Rams. Billings Central closes the regular season at Hardin.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Rams struck first Friday night when Kade Boyd slammed in from short range for a 7-0 lead. Less than a minute later Lewistown answered with a deep touchdown pass from Chance Fields to Luke Clinton for a 7-7 halftime score.
Fields and Clinton hooked up again from near mid-field for a 14-7 lead after three.
With just over 3:30 to play in the game and Central facing 4th down 20 yards from the endzone, Adam Balkenbush lobbed a pass to Boyd who kept his balance at the 10-yard line before stretching over the pylon to tie it 14-14.
The Golden Eagles used a heavy run attack to march down field and burn nearly the entirely remaining 3:30 before Norslien punched in for the game-winner.
Dillon 42, East Helena 0
DILLON—Kee Christiansen threw four quick touchdown passes and the Beavers sparked a running clock less than a minute into the second quarter as Dillon breezed past the winless Vigilantes to extend its win streak to six games.
Eli Nourse intercepted East Helena's first pass of the game to setup Dillon's first touchdown, a 56-yard scoring run from Kale Konen. Christiansen then hit John Kirkley and Nourse for touchdown passes to put the Beavers up 21-0. Christiansen then connected with Treyton Graham for a 10-yard touchdown run to give Dillon a 28-0 lead in the first quarter and then threw a 22-yard scoring pass to Connor Curnow to put the Beavers up 35-0.
With Columbia Falls trouncing Whitefish 35-19, Dillon is currently in line for the West No. 5 seed heading into the Class A playoffs, meaning they would travel to take on the No. 4 East seed in the first round. The Wildcats, holding onto the West No. 4 seed and a first-round home game, would need to lose to Hamilton in the regular season finale and Dillon would need to beat Ronan for the Beavers to snag the No. 4 seed.
Columbia Falls 35, Whitefish 19
WHITEFISH — Columbia Falls handed Whitefish its first loss of the season as the Wildcats beat the Bulldogs 35-19 on Friday night.
Isaiah Roth opened the game up with a touchdown for Columbia Falls, and the Wildcats made it 14-0 not long after that in the second quarter.
Whitefish made it a game thanks to touchdowns from Bodie Smith and Ty Schwaiger as well as a pair of field goals from Ryder Barinowski.
However, with the game just a two-point contest late, Roth scored again with 2:34 left as the Wildcats increased their lead to 28-19, and added a late touchdown to seal the win.
Columbia Falls improves to 5-1 overall with the win while Whitefish falls to 7-1.
Class A scores
Frenchtown 41, Stevensville 16
Havre 57, Livingston 8
Hamilton 48, Libby 14
Laurel 14, Glendive 10
Polson 41, Browning 0
Ronan 43, Corvallis 7
