LAUREL – The Billings Central Rams are champions of the Eastern A once again.
Central beat Laurel 35-6 behind its usual staunch defense on Thursday, finishing the regular season 9-0 and claiming the No. 1 seed from the East in the upcoming Class A playoffs. Laurel will be the East’s No. 2 seed, with both teams receiving byes in the first round.
Joe Byorth opened the scoring on a 3-yard quarterback run midway through the first quarter. Jack Studer doubled the lead in the second quarter with a 32-yard touchdown run, taking a 14-0 lead into halftime as Central’s defense pitched a first-half shutout.
Laurel finally found some offense on the opening drive of the third, capped by a one-handed TD catch by Logan Kennedy to pull the Locomotives within 14-6. But Central responded on its ensuing drive, as Studer ran 50 yards for his second touchdown to re-establish a 21-6 lead. Studer’s third TD was even more impressive – a 75-yard run to put the Rams up 28-6. Byorth capped the scoring with another short TD run in the fourth.
Central has now beaten Laurel 18 straight times. The Locos’ last victory came in 2002.
Thursday Class A football scores
Billings Central 35, Laurel 6
Frenchtown 49, Stevensville 10
