Central Montana Sports Round-Up With Karl Koontz

Week One Class C Is In The Books

The 2023 KMON football season got off to a great start in and around the Golden Triangle. The broadcast teams packed up the gear and hit the road for 8-man games a couple hundred miles apart as Robin and Chris headed west last Friday evening to take in a traditional old rivalry between the Badgers of Cascade and the Simms Tigers. Saturday afternoon Chris and Karl went east to Winifred for a marquee matchup between the Belt Huskies and the Fairview Warriors.

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Simms looked dynamic while overwhelming a very young Cascade team.

The Badgers hung tough for the first quarter, but the Tigers got their ground game going in the second and forged big lead by the half. It was 46-14 at the break. The second half was closer; Simms outpaced Cascade 16-14 in the final two periods to secure the season opening win. Gaven Flanagan and Austin Naude led the way for the Tigers as the duo accounted for six touchdowns. Hudson Rohrer threw sparingly but effectively, going 8 of 14 for 182 yards and four scoring strikes.

Saturday was a real treat in the Winifred.

For starters, the facility was stunning. A new gymnasium was the first thing to behold, complete with a running track built on the second floor. The football field was spectacular, with bright red artificial turf and a new all-weather track. The renovations over the last few years have been compliments of Winifred’s generous benefactor, Norman Asbjornson, who has invested millions of dollars back into his home town.

Belt VS Fairview

The game was equally riveting between last year’s state champ Belt and perennial powerhouse Fairview. It was hot, especially on the field, and that factored into the game to be sure. In a defensive battle Belt struck first to take a 6-0 lead. The two defenses took over and Fairview notched the only other first half score. They were able to convert on the extra point and the score stood 7-6 at intermission in favor of Fairview. Both teams managed another score in the 3rd and Belt’s successful try for 2-point tied it up at 14 with 12 minutes to go. Fairview scored early in the 4th and grabbed a 21-14 lead. Belt had one rally left in them and a TD pass from Reese Paulson to Rylan Davison pulled the Huskies to within a point with a scant 20 seconds remaining. Everyone was on their feet for the 2-point try. Fairview’s defense rose to occasion, and snuffed Belt’s running attempt to secure the win. It was a fantastic contest and lots of people left the field thinking it could easily be a preview of a playoff rematch in a few months, maybe even in a championship game.

There was lots of gridiron action in addition to those games.

8-Man Results:

Northern C 8-Man                                                       Central C 8-Man

Fort Benton 50 Park City 14                                       Choteau 34 Sheridan 0

Poplar 64 Harlem-Turner 36                                      Flint Creek 56 Deer Lodge 8

Culbertson 18 Chinook 8                                           Ennis 48 Seeley-Swan 14

Fairview 21 Belt 20                                                   Lone Peak 42 Manhattan Christian 6

Circle 70 Shelby 22                                                  Simms 62 Cascade 28

6-Man Results:

Here’s how some of the 6-man teams fared over the weekend:

Northern C 6-Man                                                       Central C 6-Man

PDB 46 Broadview-Lavina 6                                      Box Elder 80 GFCC 51

Harlo-Ryegate 51 CJI 28                                           DGSG 58 (ot) Bridger 51

Shields Valley 58 North Star 44                        Moore-Hobson 63 Reed Point/Rapelje 59

Centerville 72 Custer-Melstone 39

Coming Up This Week:

This week’s broadcasts for KMON feature a return trip to Cascade and game at a classic venue. The Eagles of Manhattan Christian will take on the Badgers on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. Both teams will be trying to capture their first victory on the season. Saturday night we get to enjoy the friendly old confines of Memorial Stadium in Great Falls for a 6-man showdown between Reed Point-Rapelje and the Mustangs of Great Falls Central Catholic. That game also kicks off at 7:00 p.m. The pregame both nights will commence at about 6:50. The season just got going and we’re already having a blast. Come along for the ride; tune in to 560 KMON AM or check us out on 560 KMON app or on our website.

Author, Karl Koontz