GREAT FALLS — Seeking to lock up the third seed in the Eastern AA, the Great Falls Bison took command early and defeated Great Falls CMR 27-7 Friday night at Memorial Stadium.
Great Falls (6-3, 5-2 East) has won seven in a row over CMR (4-5, 3-4), a streak dating back to the 2017 season. It was the regular-season finale for both teams, and the loss settles the Rustlers into the fifth seed from the Eastern division.
The Bison led 21-0 at the break on the strength of touchdown runs by Braedon Rankin (9 yards) and Mason Kralj (2 yards). Broden Molen added the third score for Great Falls after he scooped up a CMR backward pass, which was ruled a fumble, and took the ball into the end zone.
Late in the third quarter, Ben Cunningham caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Taylor to briefly pull the Rustlers within 21-7.
But the Bison answered with two Caleb Litzinger field goals, from 33 and 22 yards, to put the game away.
The Class AA playoffs begin next weekend.
Elsewhere in Class AA …
No. 1 Bozeman Gallatin 56, Billings Skyview 0
No. 2 Helena Capital 42, Butte 0
No. 3 Kalispell Glacier 56, Missoula Sentinel 10 (Thursday)
No. 4 Billings West 34, Belgrade 14
Missoula Big Sky 35, No. 5 Helena 34 (2OT)
Bozeman 34, Billings Senior 27
Missoula Hellgate 21, Kalispell Flathead 14
