After four weeks of the high school football season, there are just a handful of undefeated teams remaining.
Week 4 saw unbeatens Great Falls High, Colstrip, Choteau and Westby-Grenora lose, but not tumble completely from the first MontanaSports.com polls of the season.
Class AA
- Previously unbeaten Great Falls High lost on the road at Billings West over the weekend. Great Falls High scored the first 13 points of the game, but West’s suffocating defense smothered the Bison offense in the second half. West had a 73-yard pick-6 by Lucas Gibb to get on the board in the third quarter followed by a punt that was blocked and recovered in the end zone. Great Falls High proved its quick start to the season wasn’t a facade, while Billings West cemented itself as a top team in Class AA.
- Kalispell Flathead rebounded nicely from its loss to Billings West, traveling to Missoula and knocking off Missoula Sentinel in Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Flathead blocked a game-tying field goal attempt as time expired to seal the victory. The Braves are now one of five teams at 3-1 and will need to separate themselves down the stretch to have a home playoff game.
Class A
- Frenchtown improved to 4-0 after a 30-point drubbing of Browning, winning 56-26. The Broncs have been impressive early in the season, notching double-digit victories in all four contests. Frenchtown hosts 3-1 Corvallis on Friday night. This marks the first conference game in the Southwestern A for both teams.
- Whitefish continues to spoil its opponents’ undefeated records. After the Bulldogs handed Butte Central its first loss of the season on Sept. 7, they handed Corvallis its first loss this season Sept. 14. Hamilton is considered the favorite in the Southwestern A, but Frenchtown and Corvallis are battling to be at the top of the conference with the Broncs.
Class B
- Bigfork made a statement to the rest of Class B last weekend when the Vikings went to Eureka and blew out the two-time defending Class B champion 37-0, ending Eureka’s winning streak at 23 games. Bigfork’s defensed harassed Eureka quarterback Hank Dunn all night and plugged the running lanes, stymieing the Lions’ offense. Vikings senior Randy Stultz showed why he’s one of the top players in the state with his three rushing touchdowns and two interceptions. With the win, Bigfork is 4-0 and the top-ranked team in the MontanaSports.com polls.
- Manhattan picked up its first win of the season last weekend over previously unbeaten Townsend. Manhattan has played a grueling schedule to this point, losing to Bigfork, Huntley Project and Big Timber. The tough non-conference slate should bode well for Manhattan’s development later in the season. With five teams vying for four spots in the Southern B, the importance of Manhattan’s win over Townsend can’t be understated.
- Roundup proved its status as a top team in Class B this season when it went on the road and defeated Colstrip last Friday, 34-18. Panthers standout Brody Grebe had touchdown runs of 40, 55, 1 and 65 yards. Roundup is the only 2-0 team in the Eastern B thus far and will be a legitimate challenger to Huntley Project for the conference title.
8-Man
- Great Falls Central appears to have a stranglehold on the 8-Man North after a 39-12 win at previously unbeaten Choteau last weekend. The Mustangs gave up a touchdown on the opening kick, but put the clamps down on the Bulldogs’ offense from there. Future Montana Grizzly Noah Ambuehl continues to decimate opposing defenses, both through the air and with his legs, as he picked up a pair of touchdown passes and a long touchdown run. It looks as if Choteau is the No. 2 team in the 8-Man North “A” sub-division this season, so the Mustangs’ victory sets them up for a potential No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
- Shelby is still a bit of an unknown in the 8-Man ranks. The Coyotes, who are playing their first season in the classification after dropping down from Class B, have an unbeaten record to this point. However, Shelby’s opponents this season are a combined 2-10 — Chinook being the only team with a win. A nine-point win over 0-4 Fort Benton over the weekend wasn’t quite the result expected from the Coyotes, but they will carry their undefeated record another week in the 8-Man North “B” sub-division.
- Alberton-Superior’s offense is putting up points at a remarkable clip. The Mountain Cats lost their season opener to Drummond-Philipsburg but have since rattled off three consecutive wins, averaging 66 points per contest, including 82 in Week 3 against Darby. Alberton-Superior’s offense has given teams in the 8-Man West fits so far, positioning the Mountain Cats for their first playoff appearance as a co-op.
6-Man
- In what might have been the most surprising outcome of the weekend, Richey-Lambert went on the road and beat defending state champion Westby-Grenora, snapping the Thunder’s 16-game win streak in the process. The Fusion offense has been humming along all season, scoring 50-plus points in all four games, including 103 in the season opener. Richey-Lambert made a grand entrance into the upper tier of 6-Man teams but has several tests left on the schedule. The Fusion, who are No. 3 in the MontanaSports.com polls, still must play Geraldine-Highwood and Wibaux, the Nos. 1 and 2 teams, respectively.
- Geraldine-Highwood is the team to beat in the 6-Man North. The Rivals knocked off Big Sandy, 56-42, on the road in Week 4. The Rivals are 3-1 with their only loss coming in the season opener on the road at Wibaux by two. Big Sandy hung with Westby-Grenora in Week 3 and Geraldine-Highwood in Week 4, so the Pioneers should not be forgotten when considering title contenders in the 6-Man ranks. Geraldine-Highwood gets an opportunity to pad its resume as No. 3 Richey-Lambert comes to town this weekend.
- The 6-Man West may be the deepest conference in the classification. Noxon pushed White Sulphur Springs to the brink in Week 3, but the Red Devils were blasted in Week 4 by Hot Springs. The Savage Heat have just one loss, a two-point defeat at White Sulphur Springs. West Yellowstone and Valley Christian will also contend for the conference title, ultimately leaving one of these five talented teams on the outside of the playoff picture.
