Whitefish rolls over Bigfork, 35-11
The Daily Inter Lake
BIGFORK - Whitefish stormed out to a 28-0 halftime lead en route to a 35-11 victory over Bigfork Friday night to kickoff play in Northwestern A Conference play.
Tim Lehner scored on runs of 10, 2 and 3 yards for Whitefish, 4-0 overall, while Zach Fennelly threw a pair of touchdown passes to Scott Yogodzinski, 12 yards, and Luke Fennelly, 45 yards.
Bigfork got on the scoreboard with a 34-yard field goal by Erik Torgerson and a 13-yard pass from Brad Bell to John White.
Whitefish rolled up 259 yards rushing on 48 carries.
Lehner and Cody Idol both rushed for over 100 yards for Whitefish while Bigfork's Cody King had close to 200 yards on the ground, according to Viking coach Aaron Stiegeler.
Whitefish hosts Ronan on Friday while Bigfork, 0-4 overall, travels to Polson.
BULLDOGS 35, VIKINGS 11
Whitefish 7 21 7 0 - 35
Bigfork 0 0 3 8 - 11
W - Scott Yogodzinski 12 pass from Zach Fennelly (Daniel Jones kick)
W - Tim Lehner 10 run (Jones kick)
W - Luke Fennelly 45 passs from Zach Fennelly (Jones kick)
W - Lehner 2 run (Jones kick)
W - Lehner 3 run (Jones kick)
B - Erik Torgerson 34 field goal
B - John White 13 pass from Brad Bell (White pass from Bell)
Polson 24, Libby 18
POLSON - Bryce Picard scored two touchdowns and Andy Nelson ran for another to help Polson rally for a victory Friday night over Libby in the Northwestern A Conference football opener for both schools.
Picard's TD runs covered 11 and 20 yards. Nelson bolted into the end zone from a yard out and then ran for the two-point conversion.
Nelson rushed for 104 yards on the night on 26 carries.
Libby led 18-6 before Polson scored the game's final 18 points.
Libby fumbled inside the Polson 20 early in the fourth quarter and Polson's John Rausche intercepted a pass in the end zone to thwart another Logger scoring chance.
Polson, 1-0 in league and 3-1 overall, hosts Bigfork on Friday. Libby, 0-1 and 2-3, plays at Columbia Falls.
PIRATES 24, LOGGERS 18
Libby 6 12 0 0 - 18
Polson 6 10 8 0 - 24
L - Kyle Baker 1 run (kick failed)
P - Bryce Picard 20 run (pass failed)
L - Rusty Naccarato 1 run (run failed)
L - Naccarato 2 run (pass failed)
P - Picard 11 run (Colten Woods kick)
P - Woods 37 field goal
P - Andy Nelson 1 run (Nelson run)
L P
First downs 13 19
Rushes-yards 40-180 40-200
Passing yards 88 186
Passing 5-10-1 15-27-0
Fumbles-lost 3-2 2-1
Individual
Rushing - Libby, Naccarato 12-58. Polson, Nelson 26-104, Picard 14-96.
Passing - Libby, Baker 5-10-1-88. Polson, Craig Bagnell 15-27-0-186.
Receiving - Libby, Steve Bertelsen 1-47. Polson, Woods 5-82, Gabe Caye 5-56.
Columbia Falls 34, Ronan 7
RONAN - Michael Hader completed six of 13 passes for 147 yards and three touchdowns, all to Kevin Boyer, as Columbia Falls rolled to an easy Northwestern A Conference football victory Friday night.
The Hader to Boyer combination worked for TD strikes of 19, 34 and 47 yards.
Scott Palmer had the other two Columbia Falls' touchdowns on runs of 9 and 13 yards.
Josh Wilson, a 155-pound freshman running back, had 27 carries for 159 yards for Columbia Falls.
Boyer finished with five receptions for 121 yards.
Columbia Falls, 1-0 in league and 2-2 overall, hosts Libby on Friday night.
Ronan, 0-1 and 0-4, visits Whitefish.
WILDCATS 34, CHIEFS 7
Columbia Falls 8 6 14 6 - 34
Ronan 7 0 0 0 - 7
CF - Kevin Boyer 19 pass from Michael Hader (Steven McNulty pass from Hader).
R - Tyler Espinoza 3 run (Alan Skogen kick)
CF - Scott Palmer 9 run (Boyer kick)
CF - Boyer 34 pass from Hader (Boyer kick)
CF - Boyer 47 pass from Hader (pass failed)
CF - Palmer 13 run (Boyer kick)
Eureka 21,
St. Ignatius 12
EUREKA - J.D Belstad scored on a 51-yard scamper in the final frame as Eureka downed St. Ignatius 21-12 Friday to open District 8-B football play.
Belstad put Eureka up 14-6 with a 2-yard TD run in the third period.
Brian Larson connected with Isiah Linnell on a 55-yard touchdown pass to put the Lions on the board in the second period.
Eureka rushed for 248 yards on 47 attempts. Belstad had 107 yards on 14 carries. Gatlin Paine had 105 yards rushing on 22 attempts.
"I thought in the second half our offensive line took over," said Eureka coach Ed Newell.
"We controlled the ball for most of the third quarter and most of the fourth. We challenged our kids to step up in the second half and they came through."
Eureka rushed for 170 yards in the final half and did not attempt a pass.
The Lions, 3-1 overall, travel to Thompson Falls on Friday.
LIONS 21, BULLDOGS 12
St. Ignatius 6 0 0 6 - 12
Eureka 0 7 7 7 - 21
SI - Austin Arlint 6 run (kick failed)
E - Isiah Linnell 55 pass from Brian Larson (Linnell kick)
E - J.D. Belstad 2 run (Linnell kick)
SI - Arlint 3 run (run failed)
E - Belstad 51 run (Linnell kick)
SI E
First downs 13 16
Rushes-yards 22-153 47-248
Passing yards 94 77
Passing 8-27-1 3-7-1
Fumbles-lost 1-1 3-1
Penalties-yards 7-45 6-35
Individual
Rushing - St. Ignatius, Gus McDonald 6-101, Arlint 12-44. Eureka, Belstad 14-107, Gatlin Paine 22-105, Michael Mee 9-29.
Passing - St. Ignatius, McDonald 8-27-1-94. Eureka, Larson 3-7-1-77.
Receiving - St. Ignatius, Tyler Trudeau 3-57. Eureka, Linnell 3-77.