2017 Class AA Playoffs (Semifinals)

[VimSince03]

Playoff Bracket: http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/docu ... ket-AA.pdf

#7 Missoula Sentinel at #1 Billings Senior

Missoula Sentinel Key Players – QB Rylan Ortt (Jr.), WR/LB Brandon Morley (Sr.), RB/KR Elias DeWaters (Jr.), WR Nick Germer (Sr.), RB/LB Caden Messer (Sr.), SS Blaise Meriwether (Jr.), DB Brian Jakubowski (Sr.), WR/DB Brendon Hill (Jr.), DE Brock Field (Jr.), OL Kalob Kneib (Sr.), WR/LB Bridger Deaton (Sr.), WR Jack Coyler (Jr.), RB Caden Ingraham (Sr.), OL/DL Austin Carlson (Sr.)

Billings Senior Key Players – WR/DB Gabe Sulser (Sr.), QB/LB Nolan Askelson (Sr.), OL/DL Garrison Poetzl (Jr.), LB Blake Allred (Sr.), WR/DB Ben LaBeau (Sr.), FS Micah Ans (Sr.), OL/DL Gunner Hegg (Jr.), OL/DL Max Evenson (Jr.), WR Colton Eliason (Sr.), DL Noah Christopherson (Sr.), SS Nate Conger (So.), RB Adan Trevizo (Sr.), WR/DB Carter Garsjo (Sr.), LB Alex Watterson (Sr.)

Missoula Sentinel got revenge over crosstown rival Missoula Big Sky on a cold, snowy night last Friday to advance to the semifinals. The Spartans got 172 yards rushing on 35 carries from junior RB Elias DeWaters and two rushing touchdowns from both QB Rylan Ortt and RB Caden Messer while holding the mighty Big Sky rushing attack to just 97 rushing yards. Star QB Levi Janacaro, who had a banged up shoulder coming into the game, could only muster 87 rushing yards and was held out of the endzone. Hats off to Janacaro who will be in the conversation for Gatorade Player of the Year in 2017 after another spectacular senior season running the football. Meanwhile, Sentinel advances to the AA semifinals for the first time since 1990.

In Billings, Senior had their hands full with an upset-minded Bozeman Hawks squad from the opening kick-off. WR/KR Logan Kleinhans took the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring. Senior would get a safety by the end of the 1st quarter and touchdown run from Gabe Sulser to start the scoring in the 2nd quarter to take an 8-7 lead. But Kleinhans struck again with a 19-yard touchdown reception from Kris Brown to retake the lead. Senior would get tricky on their next touchdown with a reverse pass from Sulser to Askelson for a 25-yard score. But Bozeman again drove the field to boot a 33-yard field goal and take a surprising 18-15 lead into halftime. The upset bid would continue in the second half as QB Kris Brown found WR Ryan Simpson for an 18-yard score to guide the Hawks to a 25-15 lead in the 3rd quarter. But championship teams never lie down for long as Billings Senior's offense got rolling, scoring two touchdowns and taking a 29-25 lead into the 4th period. The Broncs would add one more score from Sulser to seal the win as their defense put the clamps down on Bozeman's offense. As a runner, Sulser finished with 135 yards on 20 carries for three touchdowns while adding six catches for 59 yards and a 25-yard touchdown pass to Nolan Askelson. Bozeman Hawk and MSU commit Logan Kleinhans finished with 91 yards receiving on four catches for one touchdown along with his 95-yard kickoff return. Interesting enough, QB Kris Brown had his best two games of the season against Billings Senior's defense as the junior signal-caller finished with 293 yards passing on 33 attempts for two scores. Bronc QB Nolan Askelson threw for 123 yards and ran for 126 yards. Junior DT Garrison Poetzl was a star on defense for Billings Senior as he recorded 8 solo tackles, 2 TFLs, and 1 sack.

Senior and Sentinel did not play each other during the regular season. Sentinel's best win was a 41-6 drubbing of Helena Capital two weeks ago while Senior has yet to lose since their AA Championship loss to Bozeman in 2015. For the most part, both teams are healthy with no major starter injured. Sentinel has very good speed on the defensive side of the ball while Senior's offense is the toughest to stop in AA. Sentinel's offense has found a good rushing attack as of late but Senior has possibly the best run defense in the state. Senior is more susceptible to big plays through the air so Sentinel QB Rylan Ortt will be the x-factor for the Spartans in this game on offense. The x-factor for Sentinel's defense will be how well their linebackers, specifically Brandon Morley, can contain Askelson and Sulser on the ground. For Senior's offense, Askelson and Sulser have not really been stopped by anyone all year. If you shut down one, you struggle to contain the other. The Bronc defense's x-factor will be their defensive line. If they can force Ortt to throw the football more, I can almost guarantee the junior QB will turn the ball over to a ball-hawking Billings Senior secondary.

Prediction: Billings Senior wins 43-14

#5 Helena Capital at at #3 Helena High

Helena Capital Key Players - RB/LB Seth Schneider (Sr.), OL/DL Conor Quick (Sr.), OL Carson Shuman (Sr.), OL Marcus Welnel (Sr.), OL/DL Justin Jenks (Sr.), TE/DL Alaric Greil (Jr.), DB Mark Northey (Sr.), QB/DB Matt McGinley (Sr.), WR Conor McCarvel (Sr.), LB Nick Morrison (Sr.), TE Matt Culpon (Sr.), SS Ryan Kimball (Sr.), DB Riley Chisholm (Sr.), LB Daniel Ernst (Jr.)

Helena High Key Players – QB Kaleb Winterburn (Sr.), RB Kyle Tabbert (Sr.), DL Caden Suero (Sr.), DE/LB Max Mader (Sr.), LB Conner Nash (Sr.), DE Jack Kinta (Jr.), WR Zach Huth (Sr.), WR/FS Emmett Buckley (Sr.), SS Alex Johnson (Jr.), RB Grady Koenig (Jr.), DL Taylor Adams (Sr.), TE/DL Jacob Howell (Sr.), OL Brady Grigsby (Jr.), OL Holden Sampson (Jr.)

Helena Capital grinded out a 24-10 victory over Kalispell Flathead to advance to the semifinals in back-to-back years. The scoring started with dinged up RB Seth Schneider running in a 16-yard touchdown. But Flathead would get an 80-yard touchdown run from stud junior RB Blake Counts and a 35-yard field goal from Alex Coulter to take a 10-7 lead into halftime. Capital would add a Brian Buschini field goal for the only score in the 3rd period to make it 10-10 going into the final stanza, which is where Capital's ground game took over. QB Matt McGinley and RB Alex McVey-Touchette scored two rushing touchdowns and the Bruin defense shutout the Flathead offense for the entire second half to advance to the next round. RB/LB Seth Schneider produced a gusty performance with 125 rushing yards on 18 carries with a touchdown and 10 solo tackles with a sack on defense. McGinley and McVey-Touchette ran for 103 and 87 yards, respectively. CB Mark Northey was the star for the Bruin defense, snagging two interceptions with the final one sealing the victory. Flathead's offense ran the ball 38 times for 302 yards with RB Blake Counts accounting for 230 of those yards on 24 carries but the Braves only produced one touchdown. Flathead also could not stop the Capital running game as the Bruins amassed 340 yards on 37 carries while producing three touchdowns.

The #3 seeded Helena High Bengals had the largest margin of victory of any quarterfinal game, defeating Billings West 42-7. Behind QB Kaleb Winterburns four touchdowns (3 rushing/1 passing) and a defense that forced six turnovers, the Bengals were in control by halftime by building a 26-0 lead. Winterburn opened the scoring with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Ray Trudeau and completed the scoring with his final touchdown run in the 4th quarter. Winterburn was the star on offense for the Bengals while SS Alex Johnson had a big game in the secondary for the Bengals. Billings West QB Alex Bruns had a tough day going 13/30 for 160 yards and two picks.

With both Helena teams winning, it means everyone gets to have a rematch of one of the fiercest rivalries in AA. The past two years, Helena Capital won 3-0 in 2016 while Helena won earlier this year 9-0. These games are defensive battles between kids and coaches who know each other very well. It is hard to get the upper hand and it a win usually comes down to which team executes the best in big moments. In the September 23, 2017 matchup, Helena High completely stymied Helena Capital vaunted rushing attack, holding the Bruins to a season low 49 yards on 31 carries (a 1.6 ypc average). For the game, the Bruins could only muster 65 yards of offense. The Bengals offense also struggled but got a field goal in the 3rd quarter along with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Winterburn to WR Zach Huth in the 4th to seal the win and the shutout. This game will be a battle in the trenches but based off the past two years, simply scoring gives either of these teams the upper hand because of the way they both play defense.

Prediction: Helena High wins 20-8

[PapaG]

Looking at the AA bracket, it's so strange not seeing a Great Falls school, Glacier, or Butte in the bracket.

CMR and Great Falls High both didn't make it? Crazy. That never happened when I was in HS in the late 80s.