Vikes push on to semis
Bigfork's Travis Knoll (24) gets his jersey stretched out by Townsend's Boone Helm (82) as he attempts to gain more yardage on the play during Saturday's Class B Playoff game in Bigfork. Knoll ran for a total of 275 yards on the game, including a 75 yard touchdown run that gave the Vikings their first score of the game.
From left to right, Bigfork's Blake Weimer, Kenji Sagami, and Alex Ruiz (32) come together to bring down Townsend's Zach Spritzer (22).
BIGFORK - Tight end Connor Coleman knew it was just a matter of time before things turned in Bigfork's favor.
"We have a lot of confidence in the offense," he said.
"We have the players to score on every down, every series."
But down 6-0 at halftime and trailing 12-0 with 4:39 left in the third period, the Bigfork fans were growing restless.
That's when running back Travis Knoll and Coleman came to the rescue.
Knoll ripped off a patented 75-yard touchdown run with 23 seconds left in the third period and Coleman hauled in a clutch 4-yard TD pass from quarterback Christian Ker with 3:45 to play as Bigfork rallied for a 15-12 Class B quarterfinal football playoff victory over Townsend on Saturday.
Knoll finished with 275 yards rushing on 30 attempts.
"Travis does that for us, he's done that all year," Bigfork coach Todd Emslie said of his speedy senior standout.
"There were some other runs today where he was just one step away from breaking a big one.
"He popped it (on the touchdown run)," Emslie said.
"Once he gets to the second level, you won't catch him."
Coleman said he was happy to hear his number called in the offensive huddle with the game on the line.
"It's called ‘I Right 122 Tight End Read,'" Coleman said of the pass play that resulted in a touchdown.
"I find the opening. Christian made a great pass to me right between all the defenders."
The pass covered just 4 yards, but it gave Bigfork it's first lead at 13-12. Knoll then ran for the two-point conversion.
It was Coleman's seventh touchdown reception on the season, his fourth on that play alone.
Townsend, however, made it a tense finish.
The Bulldogs, following Coleman's TD reception, moved from their 29-yard line to Bigfork's 20 with 1:32 remaining. After an incomplete pass and a run for no gain by quarterback Dane Zipperian, the Bulldogs faced a crucial 3rd-and-10.
That's when Coleman came through with his second game-changing play of the afternoon.
The 6-0, 205-pound junior sacked Zipperian for a 10-yard loss to set up a 4th-and-20, which resulted in another incompletion and a Bigfork victory.
"I was working with the tackle the whole game," Coleman said.
"I was setting him up. I did a hesitation (move) more to the outside."
Zipperian initially avoided two Bigfork tacklers until Coleman arrived to make the stop.
"I haven't felt like this since we beat Plains last year," Coleman said.
"My butterflies went away right after the first hit."
Bigfork rolled up 304 yards on the ground to just seven passing. Townsend had 227 rushing and 70 passing.
The 10th ranked Vikings (8-2) now advance to semifinal play on Saturday, hosting third-ranked Cut Bank (9-1), a 38-21 winner Saturday over unranked Colstrip.
Townsend (8-2) came in seventh ranked.
"I was relieved, what a game," Emslie said as he watched the final seconds tick off the scoreboard.
"There was a lot of hitting going on.
"Townsend is a very good football team. Defensively, they bring it. Our boys just stepped up and matched their intensity, never gave up."
The loss was the first for Townsend in six road games this season. The Bulldogs were looking to advance to the semifinals for a second-straight season.
"Our kids are resilient," Townsend coach Travis Rauh said.
"We had a chance at the end, unfortunately they made more plays than we did.
"Bigfork is similar to us. We both play very physical.
"He's a talented athlete," Rauh said of Knoll.
"He made a great cutback (on his touchdown run)."
Emslie said the Bigfork defense came through with its best effort of the season.
"Without a doubt," he said.
"To have two goal line stands, kids now understand how important it is to make those.
"Lots of excitement," Emslie said of the locker room atmosphere after the game.
"Lots of banged-up kids."
Townsend 0 6 6 0 - 12
Bigfork 0 0 7 8 - 15
Townsend - Colin Hoeffner 19 run (kick failed)
Townsend - Dane Zipperian 19 run (pass failed)
Bigfork - Travis Knoll 75 run (Dillon Charlebois kick)
Bigfork - Connor Coleman 4 pass from Christian Ker (Knoll run)
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T B
First downs 11 15
Rushes-yards 53-227 38-304
Passing yards 70 7
Passing (com-att-int) 5-11-0 3-9-1
Fumbles 0-0 1-1
Penalties 7-40 5-45
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Individual Statistics
RUSHING - Townsend, Colin Hoeffner 20-117, Dane Zipperian 14-72; Bigfork, Travis Knoll 30-275, Cody Dopps 8-29.
PASSING - Townsend, Hoeffner 5-11-70; Bigfork - Christian Ker 3-9-1 7.
RECEIVING - Townsend, Justin Henderson 2-33, Joel Harvey 1-25; Bigfork Connor Coleman 1-4.
TACKLES - Bigfork, Cody Dopps 9.
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At Colstrip
Cut Bank 38, Colstrip 21
Cut Bank 14 17 7 0 - 38
Colstrip 7 0 14 0 - 21
Cut Bank (9-1) - Evan Anderson 13 pass from Dillon Smith (Nathan Voeller kick), Smith 4 run (Voeller kick), Anderson 1 run (Voeller kick), Voeller 28 FG, Tyler Ollinger 61 interception return (Voeller kick), Scott Broebre 70 pass from Smith (Voeller kick).
Colstrip (7-4) - Tanner Yates 1 run (Karson Mennie kick), Yates 34 pass from Ryley Shipp (kick failed), Yates 65 pass from Shipp (Yates pass from Shipp).