After four weeks of action in Montana Class AA football, the dust is beginning to settle on the overall league standings.
Top-ranked Bozeman remained undefeated with a hard-earned 21-14 win over Missoula Big Sky, arguably the best 2-2 team in the Class AA ranks. The Hawks got two TDs from Hunter Gappmeyer, the second of which was a 59-yard fourth quarter tiebreaker. Big Sky’s two losses have come at the hands of the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked teams. The loss to Helena Capital in the season’s opening weekend was a 32-25 overtime decision.
The Capital Bruins improved to 3-1 with a 41-21 win over Missoula Sentinel (1-3), as Gunnar Brekke ran for three touchdowns and 188 yards. Alex De La Hunt also punched the ball in twice for Catpial. The Bruins’ lone loss this season was a 28-27 overtme
Third-ranked Great Falls Russell (3-1) put up 23 third-quarter points to overcome a big effort by Billings Senior (2-2) running back Nolan Saraceni. The Bronc recorded 265 rushing yards and touchdown jaunts from 8, 15, 65 and 33 yards out. CMR standout Hunter Thomsen ran for 252 yards and two scores, while Rustler quarterback Josh Horner accounted for three TDs.
No. 4 Helena High (3-1) outlasted winless Kalispell Flathead, as Zach Winifred ran for three Bengal touchdowns. The Braves, who have also sufered losses to Senior, Big Sky and Great Falls, actually led twice in the first half before Helena put the game away in the second. Helena’s lone loss of the season was a 31-28 squeaker at Billings West.
Fifth-ranked West (2-2) suffered its first loss to Butte High since 1991, as the Bulldogs flexed considerable offensive muscle in throttling the Bears 45-13. Butte High improved to 3-1 on the season, and the Bulldogs won their seventh game in eight tries at Naranche Stadium.
Elsewhere in Class AA action, Billings Skyview (2-2) won its homecoming with a 49-0 drubbing of Great Falls High (1-3). Drake Schafer and Alex Picicci paced the Falcons to 458 yards rushing, while Chandler Arbizzani had two interceptions for Skyview, including a pick-six.
The Missoula Hellgate-Kalispell Glacier matchup slated for Friday in Missoula was postponed about an hour before kickoff due to unhealthy smoke conditions. The game was played Saturday, when Glacier (3-1) ran roughshod over the winless Knights 64-6.
This Friday’s Class AA schedule has Butte on the road against Senior, while Bozeman travels to Kalispell to play Glacier. Helena High hosts Billings Skyview, West entertains Hellgate and Flathead is at Sentinel. Helena Capital will play at Great Falls High. The lone Thursday game has Big Sky playing at Great Falls Russell.
