Reilly's return sparks Braves
-Returns second-half kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown
The Flathead Braves talked about it at halftime.
Up 10 points on the visiting Missoula Big Sky Eagles, and due to receive the second half kickoff, the Braves knew they still needed to score.
"All week long, we talked about protecting our house," said Flathead head football coach Grady Bennett.
"We talked about it at half, it was imperative we get points on our first drive."
How about an 87-yard kickoff return from all-conference kickoff return specialist Foston Reilly?
Reilly was pretty much untouched when he stepped into the end zone - that touchdown did in any comeback ideas the Eagles may have harbored. The Braves (4-3, 4-2) cruised from there to a 31-7 victory over Big Sky (3-4, 3-4). It was Flathead's first win of the year at Legends Stadium.
"(That kickoff return) set the tone," Reilly said.
"We've been wanting to break one on special teams."
They've come close several times this season, he said.
"It's been one block every time. One block."
Reilly got that block Friday.
"When you go from their 20-yard line to our 20-yard line (without being touched), it's a team effort right there. Richard Boggs, Stetson Spooner, Dan Ogden, that was their return," he added.
"We're putting ourselves in a really good position for a home playoff game," Reilly said.
"That's our goal."
"Football is a three-pronged game," Bennett said.
"All three prongs were just playing," the coach said.
In addition to the kickoff return, the offense rolled up 338 yards and the defense was stingy when it counted.
"Total team effort," Bennett said.
Offensively, it was one of Flathead's better games of the year.
Quarterback Reed Watkins was 8-for-12 for 201 yards and threw two touchdown passes (of 26 and 60 yards).
"I just felt it all week long. I felt so good about our offense just … popping," Bennett said.
"Reed is starting to see things," he added.
"I've been depending mostly on my feet to gain yards," Watkins said.
"Tonight, I really worked on my passing game - stayed in the pocket.
"Everything was clicking," he said.
Defensively, the Braves had the takeaway that counted - a fumble recovery on the first play from scrimmage to set the offense up at Big Sky's 36-yard line.
"We've been putting our defense in bad situations," Bennett said.
"But we got that (fumble) and we converted right away. That was a huge thing for us," he said.
The defense also stopped the Big Sky offense when it recovered a Flathead fumble on the Braves' 16-yard line.
"(The Braves) just came out and said 'no way,'" the coach said of that stop.
Braves 31, Eagles 7
Missoula Big Sky 7 0 0 0 -7
Flathead 10 7 14 0 - 31
First Quarter
F - Cassel 16 run (Cody Haugen kick), 9:54.
F - Haugen 31 field goal, 2:28.
BS - Owens 42 pass from Morris (Morris kick), 0:44.
Second Quarter
F-Hogan 26 pass from Watkins (Haugen kick), 5:30.
Third Quarter
F - Reilly 87 kickoff return (Haugen kick), 11:46.
F -Hooley 60 pass from Watkins (Haugen kick), 1:23.
BS F
First downs 14 10
Total Net Yards 301 338
Rushes-yards 28-53 31-73
Passing 248 265
Comp-Att-Int 20-35-248-0 12-17-265-1
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-1
Penalties-Yards 4-12, 8-75
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Big Sky, Wisby 5-23, Owens 6-8, Donaldson 10-34, Morris 6-minus 13, Talarico 1-1. Flathead, Osweiler 1-minus 4, Watkins 5-minus 6, Komenda 3-4, Cassel 14-52, Ogden 3-13, Moyers 5-16.
PASSING-Big Sky, Morris 20-235-248. Flathead, Watkins 8-12-201-2-0, Osweiler 4-5-64-0-1.
RECEIVING-Big Sky, Maier 3-32, Rabe 6-86, Taylor 1-4, Sullivan 1-8, Owens 6-98, Donaldson 1-11, Wisby 1-4, Kamura1-5 . Flathead Ogden 2-56, Hogan 2-56, Reilly 3-44, Russell 2-24, Moyers 1-8, Hooley 1-60, Haven 1-17.
MISSED FIELD GOALS - Big Sky 28, 33.