2017 Class A Playoffs (Semifinals)
Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2017 10:25 am
Playoff Bracket: http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/docu ... cket-A.pdf
Columbia Falls (#1 Northwest) at Sidney (#1 East)
Columbia Falls Key Players - QB/SS Austin Green (Sr.), WR/FS Ben Windauer (Sr.), FB/DL Logan Kolodejchuk (Sr.), RB/LB Colten McPhee (Jr.), OL/DL Gage Karlin (Jr.), LB Tanner Gove (Jr.)
Sidney Key Players – RB/LB Alec Lovegren (Sr.), QB/S Jace Johnson (Sr.), RB/LB Sawyor Thogersen (Sr.), OL/DL Max Peters (Sr.), OL/DL Carter Hughes (Jr.), TE/DL Layne Swigart (Sr.)
Columbia Falls presumably had a tall order last week as they welcomed the hottest team in Class A, the Miles City Cowboys. Columbia Falls had not played a competitive game since a 14-16 loss to Dillon on September 8. After that loss, they had won the remainder of their games 51-6. But Miles City came in with an eight-game winning streak, including an impressive 28-0 shutout win over #1 seeded Sidney. I viewed this game as a close first half with CF wearing down the Cowboys in the 2nd half. Well...my predicted winner turned out to be correct but Columbia Falls completely dominated this game. Columbia Falls held a 28-0 lead at halftime en route to a 48-6 victory. QB Austin Green was the star for the Wildcats, finishing with 154 rushing yards with four rushing touchdowns while also going 10/13 for 122 yards and a passing touchdown through the air. Columbia Falls finished with 465 total yards of offense. Miles City's offense was held scoreless as the Cowboys only score was a punt block scoop-and-score for a touchdown in the 4th quarter.
On the other side of the state, two Class A powerhouses battled as Sidney welcomed Dillon to the East. Both teams came in with powerful running games and Sidney's struck first as RB Alec Lovegren punched in a 9-yard run for a touchdown to open the scoring. Dillon QB Coby King would respond with a 5-yard touchdown run of his own to knot the score at 6-6. After King's touchdown, Dillon forced a Sidney punt but adversity stuck on Dillon's possession as QB Coby King went out with an injury. The very next play, Sidney safety Jace Johnson intercepted King's backup which would set up a Sawyer Thogerson touchdown run to put Sidney up 14-6 at half. Dillon would get no closer as Sidney scored the first 10 points of the third quarter on a Jace Johnson run and field goal to go up 24-6. Dillon would get two more touchdown runs but Sidney countered with two of their own to win 38-22 and snap Dillon's streak of six consecutive Class A title game appearances. Sidney's big three of QB Jace Johnson, RB Alec Lovegren, and RB Sawyer Thogerson were phenomenal as Thogerson and Lovegren each had two touchdowns while Johnson threw for a score, ran one in himself, kicked a field goal, and snared an interception.
Columbia Falls will be making the trip to Sidney with the fastest route being across the Hi-Line for 543 miles. The game will again feature two teams who are very good at running the football and stopping the run. Sidney features several outstanding two-way football players as does Columbia Falls. Both teams have a QB/RB/FB running trio that hammer teams for four quarters. I'm not going to produce a large write-up on this one because both teams are very similar to each other. Because this game is played in Sidney, I think the Eagles have a shot but Columbia Falls is tough to stop once they get rolling.
Prediction: Columbia Falls wins 28-17
Billings Central (#2 East) at Hamilton (#1 Southwest)
Billings Central Key Players – RB/LB Ben Voss (Sr.), ATH Chrishon Dixon (Jr.), OL/DL Marcus Wehr (Jr.), LB Brennen Bruce (Jr.), OL/DL Maverick Roberts (Jr.), RB/DB Duncan Kraft (Jr.)
Hamilton Key Players – WR/DB Ty Chouinard (Sr.), RB Bridger Bauder (Sr.), QB/S Carson Rostad (So.), WR/DB Camron Rothie (Jr.), OL Zach Fussell (Sr.), LB Michael Golden (Jr.)
Billings Central rode the offensive and defensive efforts of RB/LB Ben Voss and RB/DB Duncan Kraft en route to a 45-10 blowout of Frenchtown last Friday night in Billings. Voss had 16 carries for 148 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown while taking a screen pass 62 yards for a score as well. Kraft had 139 rushing yards on 17 carries for three rushing touchdowns of his own. Voss blocked a Frenchtown field goal in the first half while Kraft snagged two interceptions on defense. As a team, Billings Central ran the ball 50 times for 322 yards and four rushing touchdowns. WR Chrishon Dixon added six receptions for 67 yards and one touchdown. Frenchtown RB Michael Edwards paced the Broncs with 99 yards rushing, 92 of which came in the first half, along with one rushing touchdown. Midway through the 2nd quarter, Frenchtown got back into the game after falling down 21-0 early. After booting a field goal, the Broncs converted an onside kick and RB Michael Edwards scored on the next play from 44 yards out making it 21-10. But Frenchtown would get no closer as they only managed six yards of total offense in the 2nd half against a stingy Central defense.
Meanwhile, another blowout happened in the Bitterroot Valley as Hamilton shutout Glendive 47-0. Not many expected this to be a game as Glendive was the East's #6 seed who upset Laurel in the first round. Glendive's return to the playoffs and first-round victory were good stories but Hamilton is on another level. The Broncs built quarter leads of 13-0, 26-0, 40-0, and the final 47-0. The scoring started with LB Mark Joyner corralling a fumble in Glendive's endzone in the 1st quarter. The next Hamilton score came on the arm of WR Ty Chouinard on a 64-yard pass to WR Tyler Barnes. Hamilton's big three of QB Carson Rostad, RB Bridger Bauder, and WR/DB Ty Chouinard were phenomenal. Rostad was an efficient 22/28 passing for 220 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Rostad also added 23 yards on the ground for two more scores. Bauder ran the ball 18 times for 151 yards along with 45 receiving yards on five catches with one touchdown reception. Chouinard was the MVP of the game as he caught 10 balls for 128 yards for one touchdown along with a 64-yard touchdown pass on offense, a one-handed interception on defense, and a 59-yard punt return on special teams. WR Tyler Barnes also added 103 receiving yards on five catches for two touchdowns. Glendive put up 211 total yards of offense but just couldn't get anything going against a tough Bronc defense.
Hamilton will be in the semifinals for the first time in 17 years and they will play host to Billings Central. In my opinion, Hamilton is the best offense for the four teams remaining in Class A. They are the most balanced offense as QB Carson Rostad leads Class A in passing yards, RB Bridger Bauder is #2 in rushing yards, and WR Ty Chouinard is #1 in receiving yards. However, the #1 rusher in Class A plays for Billings Central, Ben Voss. If Billings Central can't stop Hamilton's passing attack, the Rams are in trouble as they are 100% not built to play from behind. If Billings Central can control the clock with their run game and force Hamilton to play their speed, the game should be competitive. But again, if you take away Hamilton's passing game, you still have to stop their run game which is still one of the best in Class A. They have the biggest offensive line in Class A and an explosive RB in Bridger Bauder who is also very good as a receiver. LB Ben Voss and the rest of the Ram defense will have their hands full. If the Rams do have to play from behind and start throwing the ball, they will be throwing up passes to possibly the best secondary in Class A as DB Ty Chouinard has snared 9 interceptions on the season. Billings Central QB Joe Byorth was decent against Frenchtown going 7-10 for 129 yards and two touchdowns. The most attempts and passing yards in a game for Joe came against Sidney in Week 2 of the regular season. Byorth went 12/23 for 168 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the Rams' lone loss on the season. Those two interceptions were also Joe's only two turnovers on the season so Byorth understands he has to take care of the football for Billings Central's offense to be efficient. But the x-factor in this game is QB Carson Rostad. If Billings Central can't slow him down or force him into turnovers, it's going to be a long day for the Rams. The sophomore phenom was the arguably the MVP of Class A as a sophomore in 2017, dropping a regular season stat line of 145/255 for 2,376 passing yards with 33 passing touchdowns to 4 interceptions. He also played a tough schedule with games against Columbia Falls, Dillon, Butte Central, and Frenchtown who all qualified for the Class A playoffs. I think Billings Central will have to run the ball effectively to have any chance of winning this game.
Prediction: Hamilton wins 36-14
Columbia Falls (#1 Northwest) at Sidney (#1 East)
Columbia Falls Key Players - QB/SS Austin Green (Sr.), WR/FS Ben Windauer (Sr.), FB/DL Logan Kolodejchuk (Sr.), RB/LB Colten McPhee (Jr.), OL/DL Gage Karlin (Jr.), LB Tanner Gove (Jr.)
Sidney Key Players – RB/LB Alec Lovegren (Sr.), QB/S Jace Johnson (Sr.), RB/LB Sawyor Thogersen (Sr.), OL/DL Max Peters (Sr.), OL/DL Carter Hughes (Jr.), TE/DL Layne Swigart (Sr.)
Columbia Falls presumably had a tall order last week as they welcomed the hottest team in Class A, the Miles City Cowboys. Columbia Falls had not played a competitive game since a 14-16 loss to Dillon on September 8. After that loss, they had won the remainder of their games 51-6. But Miles City came in with an eight-game winning streak, including an impressive 28-0 shutout win over #1 seeded Sidney. I viewed this game as a close first half with CF wearing down the Cowboys in the 2nd half. Well...my predicted winner turned out to be correct but Columbia Falls completely dominated this game. Columbia Falls held a 28-0 lead at halftime en route to a 48-6 victory. QB Austin Green was the star for the Wildcats, finishing with 154 rushing yards with four rushing touchdowns while also going 10/13 for 122 yards and a passing touchdown through the air. Columbia Falls finished with 465 total yards of offense. Miles City's offense was held scoreless as the Cowboys only score was a punt block scoop-and-score for a touchdown in the 4th quarter.
On the other side of the state, two Class A powerhouses battled as Sidney welcomed Dillon to the East. Both teams came in with powerful running games and Sidney's struck first as RB Alec Lovegren punched in a 9-yard run for a touchdown to open the scoring. Dillon QB Coby King would respond with a 5-yard touchdown run of his own to knot the score at 6-6. After King's touchdown, Dillon forced a Sidney punt but adversity stuck on Dillon's possession as QB Coby King went out with an injury. The very next play, Sidney safety Jace Johnson intercepted King's backup which would set up a Sawyer Thogerson touchdown run to put Sidney up 14-6 at half. Dillon would get no closer as Sidney scored the first 10 points of the third quarter on a Jace Johnson run and field goal to go up 24-6. Dillon would get two more touchdown runs but Sidney countered with two of their own to win 38-22 and snap Dillon's streak of six consecutive Class A title game appearances. Sidney's big three of QB Jace Johnson, RB Alec Lovegren, and RB Sawyer Thogerson were phenomenal as Thogerson and Lovegren each had two touchdowns while Johnson threw for a score, ran one in himself, kicked a field goal, and snared an interception.
Columbia Falls will be making the trip to Sidney with the fastest route being across the Hi-Line for 543 miles. The game will again feature two teams who are very good at running the football and stopping the run. Sidney features several outstanding two-way football players as does Columbia Falls. Both teams have a QB/RB/FB running trio that hammer teams for four quarters. I'm not going to produce a large write-up on this one because both teams are very similar to each other. Because this game is played in Sidney, I think the Eagles have a shot but Columbia Falls is tough to stop once they get rolling.
Prediction: Columbia Falls wins 28-17
Billings Central (#2 East) at Hamilton (#1 Southwest)
Billings Central Key Players – RB/LB Ben Voss (Sr.), ATH Chrishon Dixon (Jr.), OL/DL Marcus Wehr (Jr.), LB Brennen Bruce (Jr.), OL/DL Maverick Roberts (Jr.), RB/DB Duncan Kraft (Jr.)
Hamilton Key Players – WR/DB Ty Chouinard (Sr.), RB Bridger Bauder (Sr.), QB/S Carson Rostad (So.), WR/DB Camron Rothie (Jr.), OL Zach Fussell (Sr.), LB Michael Golden (Jr.)
Billings Central rode the offensive and defensive efforts of RB/LB Ben Voss and RB/DB Duncan Kraft en route to a 45-10 blowout of Frenchtown last Friday night in Billings. Voss had 16 carries for 148 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown while taking a screen pass 62 yards for a score as well. Kraft had 139 rushing yards on 17 carries for three rushing touchdowns of his own. Voss blocked a Frenchtown field goal in the first half while Kraft snagged two interceptions on defense. As a team, Billings Central ran the ball 50 times for 322 yards and four rushing touchdowns. WR Chrishon Dixon added six receptions for 67 yards and one touchdown. Frenchtown RB Michael Edwards paced the Broncs with 99 yards rushing, 92 of which came in the first half, along with one rushing touchdown. Midway through the 2nd quarter, Frenchtown got back into the game after falling down 21-0 early. After booting a field goal, the Broncs converted an onside kick and RB Michael Edwards scored on the next play from 44 yards out making it 21-10. But Frenchtown would get no closer as they only managed six yards of total offense in the 2nd half against a stingy Central defense.
Meanwhile, another blowout happened in the Bitterroot Valley as Hamilton shutout Glendive 47-0. Not many expected this to be a game as Glendive was the East's #6 seed who upset Laurel in the first round. Glendive's return to the playoffs and first-round victory were good stories but Hamilton is on another level. The Broncs built quarter leads of 13-0, 26-0, 40-0, and the final 47-0. The scoring started with LB Mark Joyner corralling a fumble in Glendive's endzone in the 1st quarter. The next Hamilton score came on the arm of WR Ty Chouinard on a 64-yard pass to WR Tyler Barnes. Hamilton's big three of QB Carson Rostad, RB Bridger Bauder, and WR/DB Ty Chouinard were phenomenal. Rostad was an efficient 22/28 passing for 220 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Rostad also added 23 yards on the ground for two more scores. Bauder ran the ball 18 times for 151 yards along with 45 receiving yards on five catches with one touchdown reception. Chouinard was the MVP of the game as he caught 10 balls for 128 yards for one touchdown along with a 64-yard touchdown pass on offense, a one-handed interception on defense, and a 59-yard punt return on special teams. WR Tyler Barnes also added 103 receiving yards on five catches for two touchdowns. Glendive put up 211 total yards of offense but just couldn't get anything going against a tough Bronc defense.
Hamilton will be in the semifinals for the first time in 17 years and they will play host to Billings Central. In my opinion, Hamilton is the best offense for the four teams remaining in Class A. They are the most balanced offense as QB Carson Rostad leads Class A in passing yards, RB Bridger Bauder is #2 in rushing yards, and WR Ty Chouinard is #1 in receiving yards. However, the #1 rusher in Class A plays for Billings Central, Ben Voss. If Billings Central can't stop Hamilton's passing attack, the Rams are in trouble as they are 100% not built to play from behind. If Billings Central can control the clock with their run game and force Hamilton to play their speed, the game should be competitive. But again, if you take away Hamilton's passing game, you still have to stop their run game which is still one of the best in Class A. They have the biggest offensive line in Class A and an explosive RB in Bridger Bauder who is also very good as a receiver. LB Ben Voss and the rest of the Ram defense will have their hands full. If the Rams do have to play from behind and start throwing the ball, they will be throwing up passes to possibly the best secondary in Class A as DB Ty Chouinard has snared 9 interceptions on the season. Billings Central QB Joe Byorth was decent against Frenchtown going 7-10 for 129 yards and two touchdowns. The most attempts and passing yards in a game for Joe came against Sidney in Week 2 of the regular season. Byorth went 12/23 for 168 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the Rams' lone loss on the season. Those two interceptions were also Joe's only two turnovers on the season so Byorth understands he has to take care of the football for Billings Central's offense to be efficient. But the x-factor in this game is QB Carson Rostad. If Billings Central can't slow him down or force him into turnovers, it's going to be a long day for the Rams. The sophomore phenom was the arguably the MVP of Class A as a sophomore in 2017, dropping a regular season stat line of 145/255 for 2,376 passing yards with 33 passing touchdowns to 4 interceptions. He also played a tough schedule with games against Columbia Falls, Dillon, Butte Central, and Frenchtown who all qualified for the Class A playoffs. I think Billings Central will have to run the ball effectively to have any chance of winning this game.
Prediction: Hamilton wins 36-14