Braves knock off Bulldogs
Knoll gets a key interception; Ogden runs for three TDs in 21-14 victory
The Daily Inter Lake
BUTTE - Travis Knoll had the football night of his career.
On a rain-soaked Friday at Bulldog Memorial Stadium, before a packed house, the Flathead senior intercepted the first pass of his varsity career and recovered a fourth-quarter fumble.
The interception led to a tie-breaking touchdown for the Flathead Braves (5-1, 5-1). The second ended any hope the Butte Bulldogs (5-1, 5-1) had of forcing overtime.
And the final result was a 21-14 Flathead win over No. 1-ranked Butte.
Dan Ogden scored all three of Flathead's touchdowns (2, 11 and 1 yards) and finished the night with 30 yards on seven carries.
"It was just amazing running behind those guys," he said. "I saw holes everywhere."
"I just asked the kids to compete," said Flathead coach Grady Bennett afterward.
"We knew we were going to be in a hostile atmosphere. I just challenged the guys to go out and compete and compete hard."
The coach had plenty of compliments for Knoll.
"Travis Knoll - since his freshman year, Travis Knoll has worked his tail off. I'll never forget as a freshman, he just showed up for everything - and he has not stopped for four years. He's made himself a football player."
From Knoll's standpoint, he was just in the right place at the right time.
"It was my teammates. I saw the quarterback (Willie Sullivan) backpedaling and I was coming back for (the ball). It popped off (Casey) Dennehy's helmet right into my arms and I ran with it. I was just in the right spot."
Four plays later, the 256-pound Ogden was light on his feet as he scampered in from 11 yards to put the Braves up, 14-7.
The momentum shift was instant - and lasting. Flathead tagged on another Ogden run with less than one second remaining in the third quarter. Butte scored once more, but never completely recovered.
The first half, though, was all it was advertised to be.
Two Flathead drives bogged down - one at the Butte 36, the other at the Bulldog 26.
The Bulldogs actually drew first blood when a punt return set up a 2-yard Dennehy run.
And it looked like things might get ugly for the Braves when they appeared to fumble on their own 48 midway through the second. But the play had been whistled dead.
Flathead responded with four quick Brock Osweiler connections to Brandon Schmaus, Nick Haegele, Reed Watkins and Geoff Hogan.
Osweiler finished the night 23-for-34 for 236 yards.
The Hogan catch put Flathead on the Butte 2-yard line.
Ogden was easy money from there to tie the game at 7-7. That was the score at half.
The second half was about fatigue - Bulldog fatigue.
"We knew it might be a tight ballgame. But they have so many kids going both ways and we don't," Bennett said.
"It felt like it was wearing on them," he said.
Ogden agreed.
"We knew the offensive line was getting tired. They have three guys going both ways. After the first quarter, they were getting beat," he said.
According to Bennett, the only halftime adjustment by the Braves was to try to run the ball away from Butte lineman Trevor Hass.
"We wanted to double him and run opposite him," the coach said.
"Other than that, it was just competing."
And as for No. 2 beating No. 1?
"We may be No. 1, but that shouldn't change anything," Bennett said.
"We'll come back on Monday with desire to get ready. Who cares about ranking?
"We've got the hottest team in the state coming in in Helena High."
Flathead 0 7 14 0 - 21
Butte 0 7 0 7 - 14
Second Quarter
Butte - Casey Dennehy 2 run (Nick Haynes kick), 10:49
F- Dan Ogden 2 run (Clint Manning kick), 3:42
Third Quarter
F - Ogden 11 run (Manning kick), 5:21
F - Ogden 1 run (Manning kick), :00.2
Fourth Quarter
Butte - Willie Sullivan 1 run (Haynes kick), 7:48
---
F BUTTE
First downs 15 9
Rushes-yards 37-145 32-78
Pass yards 236 190
Comp-att-int 23-34-0 8-12-1
Penalties-yds 4-30 3-30
Fumbles-lost 3-2 3-2
---
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING - Flathead, John Goldberg 12-68, Dan Ogden 7-30, Reed Watlins 10-42, Brock Osweiler 8-5. Butte, Dennehy 15-57, Sullivan 10-(-4), Beau Baltezar 4-24, Haynes 2-0, Conor LeProwse 1-1.
PASSING - Flathead, Osweiler 23-34-0-236. Butte, Sullivan 8-12-1-190.
RECEIVING - Flathead, Watkins 8-47, Mike Gallagher 1-22, Nick Haegle 5-43, Mark Clemow 5-61, Geoff Hogan 4-55. Butte, Tony Cunneen 3-72, Brandon Boltz 2-81, Jason Matilla 1-20, Baltezar 1-1, Dennehy 1-16.