The Butte High Bulldogs hosted the Hellgate Knights tonight at Naranche Stadium. It was Silver B’s night and the Bulldogs made sure all those past Bulldog greats were not disappointed.
The Bulldogs marched right down the field on their first possession, imposing their will early on against the 0-6 Knights, the drive was capped off on a 5-yard TD run from senior running back Trey Hansen, 7-0 Dogs with 10:17 in the first quarter.
Hellgate came out on their first possession and scored immediately on a 79-yard rushing TD by Charles Bell for the Knights and the score was tied 7 all with 9:45 left in the first.
On the Bulldogs very next possession the dynamic duo of Bo Demarais and Rueso Battermann connected for a 48-yard strike and score, and 21 combined points were put up in the first 4 minutes of the ball game, 14-7 Butte High.
Butte would stop Hellgate inside the red zone on a 4th and 3 just as it looked like Missoula was going to tie the game, the defense held strong. The Bulldogs would take over possession but a botched snap would lead to a safety and a 14- 9 score.
The Knights couldn’t capitalize after getting a safety and the ball back, as Tocher Lee came up with another timely interception for the Dogs.
10 seconds into the 2nd quarter Demarais found a wide-open Hudson Luedtke for a 32-yard catch and run to pay dirt for 6 more and the lead grew to 21-9 with 11:50 to play in the first half.
The Dogs were just getting started as the defense punished the Hellgate offense all night long, and a Trey Hansen 32-yard dash would set up an eventual Demarais 5-yard touchdown scramble, 27-9 Dogs with 8:37 to play in the 2nd.
A Hellgate punt to the dangerous Tocher Lee would set up and incredible 31-yard bomb and touchdown to Will Taylor who not only smoked his defender but made a diving catch in the end zone for 6 more Bulldog points, 34-9 Bulldogs.
With just under 7 to play in the first half the Bulldog defense kept flustering the Knights, with sacks from Kyler Stenson and Kade Scheelman to set up yet another 3 and out for the Knights.
Hellgate punter Parker Link may have not read the scouting report or perhaps he wanted to test the waters with the ever elusive and dynamic Tocher Lee yet again as he punted it to him one more time, and this time Lee made him pay big as he sliced left and right through the Knights special teams and brought it to the house for another Bulldog touchdown in the first half, but they still were not done.
With a 1:04 left Maverick McEwen gave the Bulldogs a 38-point lead on a 5 yard rushing touchdown heading into the half.
Colton Shea came in for Demarais who had a sizzling night completing 10 of 11 passes for 3 touchdowns through the air and 1 on the ground, he threw for 200 total yards.
Colton came in and did his job in the second half constructing the offense and completing 2 of 5 passes for 61 yards, one of them was to senior Derek Dunmire for 47 yards. Wyatt Gross would run the ball in the second half 6 times for 38 yards and a 3 rd quarter touchdown. The Bulldogs play a near perfect game and sleigh the Knights 55-9 and improve to 6-1, 5-0 on the year.
Bo Demarais was 10-11 for 4 total touchdowns and 200 yards, Colton Shea was 2 of 5 for 61 yards. Trey Hansen ran the ball 10 times for 77 yards and a touchdown, Karson Pumnea ran 11 times for 56 yards, while Wyatt Gross rushed 6 times for 38 yards and a score. Maverick McEwen ran 1 time for 5 yards and a touchdown he also recorded 5 tackles, Burk Mcgruder rushed 1 time for 8 yards. Tocher Lee had 3 tackles, an interception, 2 punt returns for 81 yards and a touchdown. Hudson Luedtke caught 3 balls for 67 yards and a touchdown, Rueso Battermann caught 1 ball for 48 yards and a touchdown, Will Taylor caught 2 balls for 33 yards and a touchdown, Derek Dunmire caught 1 ball for 47 yards.
Casey Nolan led the Dogs with 6 tackles, while Aiden Cuchine, Torre Tempel and Maverick McEwen each had 5 tackles. Will Stepan recorded 4 tackles with Luke Verlanic, Kyler Stenson had 3 tackles one of them a 12-yard sack while Kade Scheelman had two tackles and a 10-yard sack.
The Bulldogs sit atop the Western AA at 5-0 and will travel to Helena next week to take on the Bengals before returning home for their final regular season game of the year against Capital on senior night.
