KALISPELL — The Kalispell Glacier Wolfpack solidified their playoff spot with a 55-20 victory over Missoula Hellgate on Thursday night to wrap up the regular season.
Senior running back Jake Rendina ran for 218 yards and four touchdowns for the Wolfpack while Gage Sliter completed 12 of 15 passes for 241 yards and threw a pair of touchdowns, finding Tate Kauffman and Luke Bilau while Wyatt Thomason also scored a rushing touchdown for Glacier. Glacier finished with 504 yards of total offense on the day.
Kauffman caught five passes for 93 yards while Connor Sullivan added four receptions for 135 yards.
The Wolfpack led 35-20 at halftime but used a pair of touchdowns from Rendina in the fourth quarter to put the game away. The Wolfpack defense also came away with three interceptions.
Hellgate quarterback Connor Dick finished the game 15 for 35 for 182 yards and found Ian Finch for a touchdown. Finch caught six passes for 101 yards and the score while Jacob Sweatland carried the ball 15 times for 105 yards and one touchdown for Hellgate. Dick also ran for a score for the Knights.
Glacier improves to 6-3 overall and 4-3 in the Western AA. The Wolfpack entered the week as the No. 5 seed from the Western AA but if Helena High beats Helena Capital on Friday night, the Wolfpack will move up one spot to the fourth seed and will host a playoff game next weekend to open the Class AA football postseason. If Capital beats Helena, the Wolfpack will remain as the fifth seed and will hit the road to open the playoffs.
Hellgate ends the season 2-6 and 1-5 in the Western AA.
Missoula Big Sky 34, Kalispell Flathead 6
Caleb Hren threw four touchdown passes and Missoula Big Sky defeated Kalispell Flathead 34-6 to clinch a spot in the Class AA playoffs.
Hren completed 19 of 28 passes for 263 yards and found Louis Sanders for three touchdowns and connected with Isaac Ayers for another. Sanders finished the day with nine receptions for 163 yards. Kolbe Jensen added a rushing touchdown for Big Sky as well. The Eagles racked up 347 total yards on offense and held Flathead to just 96.
Big Sky also picked off three passes on defense. With the win and Hellgate's loss, the Eagles (3-6, 2-5) clinched the sixth and final playoff spot from the Western AA.
Flathead's lone score came on a 15-yard connection between Nate Skonord and Dylan Zink. Flathead finishes the season 0-9 and 0-7 in the Western AA.
