BOZEMAN — Defending state champion Bozeman, the No. 3-ranked team in Class AA, ran past Butte 42-14 in what was the Hawks’ home opener Friday night at Van Winkle Stadium.
The Hawks jumped out to the early lead when Henry Fick scored on an 8-yard touchdown run. The point-after kick put Bozeman ahead 7-0 in the first quarter.
That lead grew after a Butte turnover set up 5-yard TD run by Brady Casagranda and a 14-0 advantage. That score stood at the end of the first.
Midway through the second quarter, after the Hawks took a 21-0 lead on Kash Embry's 20-yard TD pass to Luke Zundel, Butte got its first points as Colton Shea found Sam Sampson with a 21-yard TD pass to get within 21-7.
But Bozeman got its three-possession lead back with less than a minute left in the half Casagranda’s second TD, a 1-yard scoring run.
The Hawks truly began to put the game on ice in the second half. A 5-yard touchdown pass from Embry to Logan Humphrey added to Bozeman’s advantage, making it 35-7.
Just before the end of the third quarter — following a Butte touchdown pass from Shea to Karson Pumnea — the Hawks made the score 42-14 on a 17-yard scoring run by Will Haught to keep the game out of reach.
Bozeman improved to 2-0 while Butte fell to 0-2.
Elsewhere in Class AA …
No. 1 Kalispell Glacier 49, Billings Senior 6
No. 2 Bozeman Gallatin 35, Missoula Sentinel 13
No. 4 Billings West 26, Helena 19
No. 5 Helena Capital 48, Billings Skyview 8
Belgrade 3, Kalispell Flathead 2
Great Falls 53, Missoula Hellgate 14
Missoula Big Sky 14, Great Falls CMR 0
