(Editor’s note: this article will be updated with scores and highlights as games finish)
Missoula Sentinel 32, Helena Capital 0
MISSOULA — Missoula Sentinel continued to flex its muscles as one of the top teams in Class AA, as the top-ranked Spartans defeated the No. 3 Helena Capital Bruins 32-0 at MCPS Stadium on Friday night in a battle of two of the top teams in the Western AA standings.
Sentinel held Capital to just 77 total yards and five first downs in the game. Meanwhile the Spartans racked up 396 total yards on offense and were led by a big day from running back Adam Jones who scored three of the team's touchdowns.
Zac Crews completed 11 of 14 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown pass to Easton Leadbetter. Crews also ran for 47 yards while Kellen Curtiss racked up 104 yards on the ground for the Spartans and Jones added 47 on the ground as well and led Sentinel with three receptions for 34 yards. Quentin Schraeder added a 29-yard field goal for Sentinel to send the Spartans into halftime up 18-0.
The win is Sentinel's 17th in a row dating back to the 2020 season as the Spartans improved to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the Western AA. They'll take on Butte next week to wrap up the regular season aiming to clinch the No. 1 seed from the conference. The Bulldogs defeated Missoula Hellgate 30-27 on Thursday night to improve to 6-2 on the year and 5-1 in the conference.
Capital falls to 5-3 overall and 4-2 in conference play.
Great Falls High 23, Billings Senior 7
BILLINGS—Reed Harris and Ryan Krahe combined for three touchdowns as Great Falls High ran its winning streak to four with a big Eastern AA road win.
Harris put the Bison up 10-7 at half on a 1-yard rushing touchdown as he dived inside the right pylon with just 14 seconds left in the half. Harris and Krahe then connected on an incredible touchdown in the 3rd quarter, as Harris threw the ball to the back of the endzone and Krahe jumped over two defenders to come down with the catch and a 17-7 lead.
Harris again impressed with his legs late in the fourth, scrambling for a first down on 4th and 12 before Krahe capped off the drive with his second touchdown of the night.
Great Falls is now 4-4 on the season after starting 0-4. They play crosstown rival CMR next Friday. Senior is also 4-4 and will travel to Belgrade next.
Helena High 42, Missoula Big Sky 7
HELENA— The Helena High Bengals continued to dominate on Friday night with a 42-7 win over the Missoula Big Sky Eagles.
The Bengals took an early 7-0 lead on a Cade Holland run from 1-yard out, and were able to stymie the Eagles offense to a fourth and long situation. With the Eagles forced to punt near their 40-yard line, Marcus Evans flew into the backfield to block Louis Sanders' punt to give the Bengals great field position to end the first quarter. Near the top of the of second frame, Holland was able to find the end zone again to give the Bengals a 14-0 lead.
The Bengals continued to run the table at Vigilante Stadium until late in the game when the Eagles were able to find their way into the end zone to erase the shutout. With the win, the Bengals lock up a top-four position in the Western AA to secure at least one home game in the postseason.
Billings West 42, Great Falls CMR 20
GREAT FALLS— Billings West pulled away in the second half for a 42-20 win over Great Falls CMR on Friday night.
The Rustlers scored first when Cole Taylor hit Raif Newbrough for a 25 yard touchdown. That marked the first touchdown allowed by Billings West in four weeks.
West responded in the second quarter with a 49 yard touchdown pass from Isaiah Claunch to Taco Dowler.
After a CMR punt, the Rustlers forced Claunch to fumble deep in West territory, and scored on the very next play when Taylor worked his way from 15 yards out to re-take the lead 14-7.
On the ensuing West possession, Claunch hit Riley Bergeson for a 26 yard touchdown to tie the game at 14 entering halftime.
The Bears came out firing in the second half, with Michael DeLeon scoring on their first possession. The West defense forced a CMR punt, and Claunch hit Dowler again for a 78 yard touchdown pass on the first play of the drive to make it 28-14.
West would add two more scores before CMR got on the board again in the fourth quarter. The Bears move to 7-1 and will close the regular season next week against Bozeman.
CMR falls to 5-3 with a crosstown matchup against Great Falls High (4-4) looming.
Bozeman 38, Gallatin 35
BOZEMAN— In their first-ever crosstown meeting last season, Bozeman dominated Gallatin in a 51-0 shutout, but this year's matchup looked quite different on the field.
With the Hawks graduating 27 seniors while the Raptors retained their entire roster, both programs went point-for-point with Bozeman narrowly edging past 38-35.
The Raptors got on the board first with a two-yard rushing touchdown by Noah Dahlke.
Hawks didn't answer back until the second quarter with Rocky Lencioni's 28-yard field goal to cut Gallatin's lead 7-3. They'd take their first lead of the night on their following drive with a two-yard touchdown pass from Jake Casagranda to Jaxon Cotton.
Gallatin had the final say in the first half with Garrett Dahlke's short pass to Montana State commit Rylan Schlept from two yards out for a 14-10 lead.
However, Bozeman (6-3, 6-1) got the job done in the second half squeaking past Gallatin (3-6, 1-6) by three, 38-35.
Class AA scores
Butte 30, Missoula Hellgate 27 (Thursday)
Bozeman High 38, Bozeman Gallatin 35
Kalispell Glacier 56, Kalispell Flathead 0
