2017 Class AA Playoffs (Quarterfinals)

[VimSince03]

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

Top-side of Bracket

#8 Bozeman at #1 Billings Senior

Bozeman Key Players – WR Logan Kleinhans (Sr.), MLB Brandon Cooper (Sr.), DL Jory Choate (Sr.), WR/DB Korben Cossins (Sr.), RB/SS Joe Olson (Jr.), RB Jack Tetrault (Sr.), OL/DL Myles Ekstrom (Sr.), QB Kris Brown (Jr.), OL/DL Beckett Patten (Sr.), DB Keegan Mulhill (Sr.), TE Ryan Lonergan (Jr.), WR/DB Ryan Simpson (Jr.), LB McCade O'Reilly (So.), WR/DB Latrell McCutcheon (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.)

Billings Senior enters the playoffs as the #1 seed with an undefeated 10-0 record. Offensively, they are led by dual-threat QB Nolan Askelson and RB/WR Gabe Sulser (he actually had more carries than catches this year) with a strong supporting case that includes WR Ben LaBeau , WR Colton Eliason, RB Adan Trevizo, and WR Carter Garsjo. Senior's offensive line isn't large as they average about 210 across the board with their leader being 6'4", 240 lb. junior left tackle Garrison Poetzl. But they are quick, strong, technically sound kids who are perfect fits for Murdock's up-tempo system. On defense, Senior is led by LB Nolan Askelson, LB Blake Allred, DB Gabe Sulser, FS Micah Ans, DE Gunnar Hegg, and DT Garrison Poetzl. As for Bozeman, they come in as the #8 seed after clinching a spot last week against Billings Skyview. They are paced by WR Logan Kleinhans and RB Joe Olson on offense. Olson took over for a dinged up Jack Tetrault at running back and the junior produced a standout season with 711 rushing yards on 90 carries for 9 touchdowns. Junior QB Kris Brown's favorite target is Kleinhans but he spread the ball around fairly evenly to about five different receivers throughout the year. On defense, the Hawks are led by DE Jory Choate, DT Beckett Patten, and MLB Brandon Cooper. Choate unofficially led AA in sacks this year with 10 while also ranking second in total tackles according to MaxPreps. Bozeman lost to Senior 27-11 on Sep. 22 this fall but held the Broncs to their lowest scoring output of the season. Kris Brown also had his best game of the year in terms of passing yards with 318 against the best defense in AA. Despite all that, Bozeman had no answer for Gabe Sulser who rushed 10 times for 90 yards and 10 catches for 73 yards along with two touchdowns (one rushing/one receiving). Bozeman also couldn't establish any running game which is about the only way to contain Senior as it keeps their offense off the field. The regular season game was close on the scoreboard but Senior was in control the whole game. I expect a few more points to be scored by Senior this time around. Prediction: Senior wins 42-14

#5 Helena Capital at #4 Flathead

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.)

Flathead Key Players – QB Taylor Morton (Sr.), WR Anthony Jones (Jr.), RB Blake Counts (Jr.), LB Tucker Nadeau (Sr.), OL/DL Daniel Long (Sr.), OL/DL Michael Lee (Sr.), DB Trae Vasquez (Sr.), RB Jonathon Baker (Sr.), SS Jaden MacNeil (Jr.), OL/DL Hunter Wellcome (Sr.), DL Patrick Hammond (Jr.), TE Austin Demars (Sr.), LB Kenyon Fretwell (Sr.), OL/DL Andrew Siderius (Jr.)

Flathead felt confident that they were ready to take the next step as a program under Kyle Samson's leadership. After a lackluster 2016 season, the Braves boasted a 7-3 record during the 2017 regular season which earned them the #4 seed in the playoffs. Senior QB Taylor Morton leads the Braves offense along with RB Blake Counts, RB Jonathon Baker, and WR Anthony Jones. In the offseason, Samson bragged about how good his offensive line was going to be in 2017 and that line was key to one of the best offensive attacks in AA in 2017, averaging 6.1 yards per rush and 15 yards per pass. Defensively, Flathead is led by MLB Tucker Nadeau (unofficial leading tackler in AA), DT Michael Lee, DB Trae Vasquez and FS Jaden Macneil. Helena Capital was viewed as a title contender in the preseason as the Bruins returned a core contingent of their 2016 team. The Bruins offensive line is by far the biggest in AA and one of the state's best running backs, Seth Scheider, got to run behind them for one more year. Running the football was not a problem for the 2017 Bruins as they averaged a robust 6.7 yards per carry on the ground. Defensively, Capital returned nearly all of the players from their 2016 group that was one of the best in AA. DL Justin Jenks, NT Conor Quick, DE Alaric Greil, LB Nick Morrison, LB Seth Schneider, and DB Mark Northey pace the Bruins on the defensive side of the ball. Helena Capital started the year with a 4-0 mark entering a rival game with Helena High. The Bengals shutout the Bruins, 9-0, and Capital went 2-3 to finish the regular season including 0-28 and 6-41 losses to Senior and Sentinel, respectively. These two teams met on Sep. 1st with Capital winning 30-24. Down 21-10 at half, the Bruins owned the second half en route to the win. For Capital, Seth Schneider had a monster game with 150 rushing yards, 48 receiving yards, and two touchdowns while DL Justin Jenks had four sacks on defense. For Flathead, WR Anthony Jones was unstoppable with 211 receiving yards on 10 catches with 2 touchdowns while MLB Tucker Nadeau racked up 17 tackles with 4 tackles for a loss. Total yards went in favor of Capital, 406-384. Overall, these two teams are evenly matched on paper with Capital being a little dinged up in a few areas but, regardless, I'm going with the team that has the momentum coming in. Prediction: Flathead wins 33-14


Bottom-side of Bracket

#6 Billings West at #3 Helena High

Billings West Key Players – RB Demarcus Carr (So.), QB Alex Bruns (Jr.), WR Jesse Owens (Jr.), WR/DB Teddy Krogh (Sr.), WR/FS Si Ryan (Sr.), LB Ty Buckingham (Sr.), LB Hulan Edward (Jr.), LB Jacob Resch (Sr.), DB Trevin Gradney (Jr.), OL/DL Brydan Anderson (Sr.), OL/DL Kordell Miller (Jr.), OL/DL Nick Clawson (Sr.), LB JJ Lindsay (Jr.), DB Kade Wilcox (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 High lost a chance to clinch the #2 seed last week by falling to Flathead 21-20. The loss along with Missoula Big Sky's win meant Helena fell to the #3 seed in the AA playoffs. It was still a successful season for the Bengals. They are led by QB Kaleb Winterburn, RB Kyle Tabbert, and WR Zach Huth on offense. Defensively, they are paced by DL Caden Suero, DE/LB Max Mader, MLB Conner Nash, DE Jack Kinta, and FS Emmett Buckley. The Bengals boast one of the better pass rushes in AA as Suero, Mader, and Kinta are consistently a problem for opposing offensive lines. Winterburn is one of the best QB's in the state when he is dialed in while the Bengal running game can punish defenses with backs Kyle Tabbert, Grady Koenig, and Winterburn running behind a solid offensive line. Helena High's opponent is Billings West who locked up the #6 seed, proving they could be just as competitive without the Demings twins and a slew of other graduated seniors who were major contributors on last year's team. Offensively, WR Jesse Owens was a starter on the 2016 Billings West team as a sophomore and led the team in receiving yards and receptions in 2017. But the emerging star of the 2017 Battlin Bear offense was sophomore running back Demarcus Carr who gained 732 yards on 165 carries for 8 rushing touchdowns. Defensively, MLB Ty Montgomery emerged as one of the top linebackers in the state with a fantastic senior season manning the middle of the Billings West defense. These two teams did not play each other this fall and I expect this game to be a slugfest. Both teams are physical outfits with good defenses and offenses that want to run the ball. Prediction: Helena High wins 20-14

#7 Missoula Sentinel at #2 Missoula Big Sky

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.)

Missoula Big Sky Key Players – QB/LB Levi Janacaro (Sr.), FB/LB Tyler Flink (Sr.), RB Kadin Lahti (Sr.), RB/LB Jett Rebish (So.), RB/LB Hunter Dutton (Sr.), WR/DB David Gibson (Sr.), TE/DL Rylan Wilcox (Sr.), DL Tommy Leonard (So.), DB Wyatt Shinn (Jr.), OL/DL Dorian Cilenti (Sr.), OL Logan Pearson (Sr.), OL/DL Christian Unger (Jr.), OL Dylan Allen (Jr.), WR/DB Ben Maehl (So.)

Missoula Big Sky had a playoff-caliber team coming into 2017 but no one expected them to be the #2 seed in the AA playoffs. Even more impressive was that every defensive coordinator who was going to be running the ball on offense for Big Sky and they still couldn't stop the Eagles offense. QB Levi Janacaro followed up a 2nd-Team All-State 2016 performance with a dominant 2017 campaign where Levi averaged over 200 yards rushing per game. His teammate in the backfield,
senior RB Kadin Lahti, averaged about 95 yards rushing per game so the Eagles were a two-head monster running the football. Defensively, Big Sky is led by LB Tyler Flink, DE Ryan Wilcox, DB Kadin Lahti, and LB Jett Rebish. Big Sky's opponent will be crosstown rival Missoula Sentinel, who earned the #7 seed in the AA playoffs. Sentinel lost star quarterback Mitch Roberts to graduation after the 2016 season but junior Rylan Ortt improved week-to-week in his first season under center.
Rylan also adds a dual-threat element that Dane Oliver covets from his starting quarterbacks. Ortt finished second on the team in rushing behind senior RB Elias DeWaters and his favorite receiver was Griz commit Nick Germer. Defensively, the Spartans are led by LB Brandon Morley, LB/DB Caden Messer, SS Blaise Meriwether, and DE Brock Field. Sentinel's most impressive win was a 41-6 drubbing of Helena Capital in the final week of the 2017 regular season. The win guaranteed the Spartans a playoff spot and a chance to get avenge a 44-40 loss to Big Sky during the regular season. In that game, Big Sky ran the ball 47 times for 354 yards with Janacaro going for 161 and Lahit for 226 total yards (150 rushing/76 receiving). Janacaro also threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns in one of his best dual-threat games of the season. For Sentinel, Nick Germer was dominant with 118 receiving yards on 11 catches for one touchdown and Elias Dewaters racked up 110 yards on 22 touches producing three touchdowns. The game ended on a heroic touchdown run by Janacaro in the final seconds of a game where both defenses struggled to contain either offense. Big Sky has improved defensively throughout the year while Sentinel is coming off an impressive win over Capital. I'm going to be selfish with this pick because I want to see Janacaro play more football after this Friday. Prediction: Big Sky wins 35-21

[VimSince03]

Updated with predictions.

[Triple C]

According to a quote in the Helena IR yesterday, Quick and Schneider "... are a game day decision and probably will not play". I haven't heard any updates today but if they are out it will be tough for the Bruins to overcome.

[HowardRoss280]

According to a quote in the Helena IR yesterday, Quick and Schneider "... are a game day decision and probably will not play". I haven't heard any updates today but if they are out it will be tough for the Bruins to overcome.

Schneider will be key tonight if he does or doesn’t play. Plus Flathead is a hot team right now, Capital will have to actually score this game to win, and not pull their usual 0 points until 5 minutes left in the game crap.

[grizband]

AA final scores (all games Friday night)

Billings Senior 35
Bozeman 25

Helena Capital 24
Flathead 10

Missoula Sentinel 26
Missoula Big Sky 6

Helena High 42
Billings West 7

2nd round pairings (next weekend)
Billings Senior vs Missoula Sentinel
Helena Capital vs Helena High

[HowardRoss280]

AA final scores (all games Friday night)

Billings Senior 35
Bozeman 25

Helena Capital 24
Flathead 10

Missoula Sentinel 26
Missoula Big Sky 6

Helena High 42
Billings West 7

2nd round pairings (next weekend)
Billings Senior vs Missoula Sentinel
Helena Capital vs Helena High

Billings Senior is a monster but I would not want to play Sentinel right now. They are on a roll as of lately

[VimSince03]

AA final scores (all games Friday night)

Billings Senior 35
Bozeman 25

Helena Capital 24
Flathead 10

Missoula Sentinel 26
Missoula Big Sky 6

Helena High 42
Billings West 7

2nd round pairings (next weekend)
Billings Senior vs Missoula Sentinel
Helena Capital vs Helena High

Billings Senior is a monster but I would not want to play Sentinel right now. They are on a roll as of lately

Sentinel QB Rylan Ortt took his lumps early in his junior season but has definitely "figured it out" down the stretch, specifically the last two games. Dismantled Helena Capital and Missoula Big Sky.