Cut Bank air attack will test Bigfork defense

This is familiar territory for Fairfield.

The Eagles have advanced to the Class B state football championship game the last three seasons and four times in the last five years.

Fairfield, however, has finished second all four times.

For Bigfork, it's unchartered waters. The 10th-ranked Vikings are one game away from a shot at a state championship when it hosts No. 3 Cut Bank (9-1) today. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

The seventh-ranked Eagles (8-2) will also get another shot at a trip to the title game today when it travels to play at No. 2 Manhattan/Manhattan Christian (10-0). That game starts at 1 p.m.

This is Manhattan's first trip to the semifinals.

"For a lot of them, they had never been to a playoff game before," Bigfork coach Todd Emslie said of his Vikings.

"They have responded well - two huge wins (over Loyola, 41-31, and Townsend, 15-12). The confidence is there. We just need to take care of the football and we will be OK."

Bigfork last played for a state championship in 1995, losing to Frenchtown 12-0. Emslie was an assistant coach for the Vikings that season.

"I'm just happy for these kids," Emslie said.

"They have worked really hard. They are ready to play. They are deserving of this game."

Emslie said his defense will face a different look this week than the previous one. Townsend challenged the Vikings with a bruising ground game, while Cut Bank prefers to air it out.

Wolves quarterback Dylan Smith had TD passes of 13 and 70 yards last week in a 38-21 win over Colstrip. He also ran for a touchdown.

The Wolves have scored 30 or more points in six outings.

"A very good football team," Emslie said.

"They throw it more than any team we've seen this year."

Cut Bank and Bigfork have played two common foes - Townsend and Fairfield.

Cut Bank, winners of eight-straight games, lost at Townsend 27-14 on Sept. 10, but beat Fairfield 30-27 in a home game Oct. 15.

Bigfork, sporting a four-game winning streak, lost at Fairfield 26-7 on Oct. 8.

Cut Bank and Bigfork were both 4-4 a year ago.

"We stuck with the gameplan right to the end," Emslie said of last week's thrilling come-from-behind win over Townsend.

"The kids never panicked. We had a couple of mistakes in that game, obviously. We turned the ball over, did some silly things, but that's part of football," Emslie said.

"Our confidence is pretty good right now, just like it is for Fairfield, Cut Bank and Manhattan."

Bigfork, which has scored 30 or more points in eight games, will again relay on the strong running of senior Travis Knoll (6-0, 175) and junior Cody Dopps (5-11, 180) and the accurate arm and heady play of quarterback Christian Ker (6-4, 180).

Knoll last week ran for 275 on 30 carries. He started the rally with a 75-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.

Knoll had 224 yards in the playoff contest with Loyola on 27 carries. He had three touchdown runs in that game and also returned a kickoff for a score.

For the season, Knoll has 1,781 yards rushing on 199 attempts.