Flathead falls flat
Beau Boroski misses a catch during the first half of Flathead's 49-0 loss to Bozeman Friday in Kalispell. The loss prevented the Braves from advancing to the state playoffs. Chris Jordan/Daily Inter Lake
Braves lose season finale, miss playoffs
As advertised.
The Bozeman Hawks were all they were cracked up to be - and more.
The Hawks racked up 410 rushing yards and literally ran over the Flathead Braves in the Class AA regular season football finale Friday night. The final score was 49-0.
Everything Flathead coach Grady Bennett saw when he looked at Hawks game film proved true against the Braves.
"I don't know how they lost four games. I just don't," Bennett said afterward.
"That tight end and those two running backs, they are special," he said.
"They are a good football team.
"And obviously, we didn't play our best," he added. "As head coach, I've got to take the blame for that.
"But they are as good as advertised and they are peaking right now, too," he added.
The Hawks lost two weeks ago to No. 1 Billings Skyview 35-28, then turned around and blasted Great Falls High (a team Flathead lost to in OT), 42-0.
"I just looked at that and went 'oh, boy,'" Bennett said.
It didn't take Bozeman (5-4, 6-4) long to establish itself - 17 seconds to be exact.
The Hawks started their first drive at their own 25-yard line.
Quarterback Brandon Genthe handed off to senior running back Sean Hanrahan. Hanrahan slipped through on the right side and 75 yards later, the Hawks were setting up for the point after touchdown.
That was just the start.
The Hawks ran up 28 first quarter points - and 260 yards - on a grand total of 10 plays.
Hanrahan churned up 179 yards on nine carries and scored twice. His second touchdown was from 81 yards away. Where he left off, there was Brad Gilchrist - 136 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
"They get a crease and it's over," the coach said. "Boom, they're gone.
"They have a chance at doing something in the playoffs," Bennett said.
If that wasn't enough, quarterback Brandon Genthe was 5-for-6 for 143 yards. He threw one 48-yard touchdown to tight end Dane Fletcher and ran for two other scores.
But for all that happened to the Braves Friday night - the 576 total yards Bozeman finished with, the zero on the Flathead side of the scoreboard, and the fact that the Braves finished their season at 3-6, 3-7, there were some good things.
It took the Braves nearly an hour to find their way from Legends Stadium back to Flathead High School.
"We just spent the most amazing 45 minutes I've ever seen a team spend together," the coach said.
"We talked about how special it is to be on a team like that," he said. "To listen to each of those seniors talking and sharing … it was really special."
HAWKS 49, BRAVES 0
Bozeman 28 14 7 0 - 49
Flathead 0 0 0 0 - 0
First Quarter
B - Sean Hanrahan 75 run (Brock Spain kick), 11:43.
B - Brandon Genthe 10 run (Spain kick), 7:59
B - Dane Fletcher 48 pass from Genthe (Spain kick), 6:10.
B - Hanrahan 81 run (Spain kick), 1:35.
Second Quarter
B - Brad Gilchrist 4 run (Spain kick), 4:54.
B - Genthe 1 run (Spain kick), 2:26.
Third Quarter
B - Gilchrist 71 run (Spain kick), 7:31.
B F
First downs 14 13
Rushes-yards 43-410 32-84
Passing yards 166 165
Passing 7-10-0 9-32-2
Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-0
Penalties 5-42 7-74
Punts 3-99 8-251
Individual
Rushing - Bozeman, Brad Gilchrist 11-136, Sean Hanrahan 9-179, Brandon Genthe 5-25, Adam Palagi 9-56, Stinson 8-10, Kirk Devore1-4. Flathead, Luke Gallagher 12-26, Reece Stahlberg 17-48, Garrett Woodson 3-10.
Passing - Bozeman Brandon Genthe 5-6-0-143. Stinson 2-4-0-23. Flathead Luke Gallagher 9-30-165-1, Jason Russell 0-2-1-0.
Receiving -Bozeman, Andy Barham 1-26, Kellen Marlow 1-29, Dane Fletcher 3-77, Seth Berardinelli 1-27, Adam Palagi 1-7. Flathead, Nick Hergesheimer 2-48, Jareth Wilson 5-106, Beau Borowski 1-11, Foston Riley 1-0.