BILLINGS — Saturday afternoon was a historic day in 6-Man football.
Herb Klindt Field at Rocky Mountain College played host to a doubleheader that’s been years in the making, as Highwood played Milford, Texas, followed by Custer-Hysham-Melstone against Strawn, Texas.
Milford and Highwood kicked off the festivities at 11 a.m., and through the first half it looked like the Bulldogs and Mountaineers were in for a classic. Just moments before halftime, a pick-6 by Milford’s Easton Evans gave the Bulldogs a 20-13 lead.
That quickly ballooned in the second half, as Milford, led by a bevy of ballcarriers, scored the game’s final 38 points en route to a 50-13 win over Highwood.
“It was great. We ain’t drive down here for nothing. We knew we had to come down and handle business,” Milford junior quarterback Swish Washington told MTN Sports.
It was more Texas dominance in the second game of the day. Custer-Hysham-Melstone scored a wild touchdown on the game’s opening kickoff when Nolan Kammeman, the Rebels Kicker, scooped up a fumble and raced in for a touchdown.
But Strawn’s Michael Barcenas gave the fans in Billings quite a show. After the Rebels' opening touchdown, Barcenas struck paydirt on the first Greyhound play from scrimmage. Strawn then recovered an onside kick, and Barcenas scored again.
The two teams combined for 61 first-quarter points, as Strawn built a 40-21 lead in the opening 10 minutes. Barcenas wound up with a total of seven touchdowns on the day, as Strawn boat-raced Custer-Hysham-Melstone 71-21, though the Rebels lost quarterback Layne Duncan in the second quarter.
The result was a pair of wins for Texas as they’ll head back south with memories from more than just the gridiron.
“They got texts, numbers, Snapchats. … They’ve made new friends through social media. They’ve met new people. They’ve told me, ‘Hey, I added this guy and I added this guy.’ We’re going to know what’s going on in Montana because of that. They’ll probably tell us that Highwood got the win next week or whatever, so we’re excited,” Milford head coach Jose Cervantes said.
“We went to Custer and they fed us. They were tremendous. The hospitality, they did a great job. We went to (Little Bighorn) Battlefield and had a really good time there. We’ve been all over, pretty much,” Strawn head coach Dewaine Lee said.
Strawn also brought its volleyball teams up to play in Broadview on Thursday evening, and both the Greyhounds and Bulldogs brought their cheerleaders along.
For those that made the trip, it’s been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“Ninety-five percent of our kids have not been out of Texas. Not even probably out of Palo Pinto County,” Lee said. “I knew the time was coming. We’re going to have fun all week, and now it’s over and we’ve got to travel back (Sunday). That’s the worst part, because we want it to last. We want to enjoy it. And we have. It’s been tremendous.”
As for the football, Lee is hoping Saturday’s doubleheader wasn’t just a one-off.
“It could be a trend. I think some other schools might want to do it, especially 6-Man. The experience is great. It just takes a lot of planning and a lot of chaperons, because kids are kids. Our kids were great. We didn’t have any problems. But I think it could be a trend. I really do,” Lee said.
The trip up took each team more than 20 hours, as they both opted for continuous driving and extending their stops. It could take longer on the way back, as Milford plans to visit Mount Rushmore before returning the kids to school.
