Glacier stops Sentinel in OT

MISSOULA - Glacier found a way to get it done - again.

Caleb Harris intercepted a Riley King pass and Kyle Griffith kicked an 18-yard field goal as the No. 3 Wolfpack (6-1) defeated Missoula Sentinel 27-24 in overtime on Friday night.

The win puts the Wolfpack into the Class AA playoffs, according to Glacier coach Grady Bennett.

"Another cardiac arrest. Unbelievable," Bennett said.

The Wolfpack won the toss going to overtime - and chose to defend. Sentinel (1-6) tried a throwback screen on the second play - and Harris "played it beautifully and stayed home," Bennett said.

Bennett admitted that he thought of kicking the field goal immediately, but decided instead to run a couple of plays.

The Wolfpack got as close as the one-foot line, then brought Griffith out to boot it.

"It was a fantastic high school football game. The Glacier Wolfpack is fun to watch. I was so proud of them - just finding a way. That's such a credit to them. But the coaching staff and most of their parents wouldn't mind getting up big and keeping the lead," he laughed.

The game looked like it was going to be a Glacier runaway as the Wolfpack broke out to a 17-0 lead.

"We have to find a way to get a little more hungry," the coach said.

"Got to give Sentinel a lot of credit. They have really been ravaged by injuries. But tonight they had some of their better athletes back," he said.

Sentinel quarterback Riley King "was fantastic. He played great. He was back in rhythm, better than he was last week," Bennett said.

King was 19-for-34 for 274 yards.

And Spartan defensive player Nate Jewett "made a big difference," he added.

"At full strength, they were legitimate. They fought back in it," he added.

"They threw the book at us. They ran every trick play in the book, a fake punt (for a touchdown), two onside kicks (one that the Spartans recovered)."

Aaron Mitchell had a fantastic game for Glacier - 19 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown.

Griffith also had a terrific game with six catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns.

The coach also complimented the defensive efforts of Harris and Luke Halliburton.

"They were all over the place," he said.

Glacier 14 3 7 0 3 - 27

Sentinel 0 21 3 0 0 - 24

G - Aaron Mitchell 3 run (Kyle Griffith kick)

G - Griffith 66 run (Griffith kick)

G - Griffith 37 field goal

S - Jake Messerly 29 pass from Riley King (Nathan Jewett kick)

S - Alec Bray 57 run (Jewett kick)

S - Bray 11 pass from King (Jewett kick)

S - Jewett 33 field goal

G - Kellyn Faraone 52 pass from Taylor Hulslander (Griffith kick)

G - Griffith 21 field goal

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

RUSHING - Glacier (38-232): Mitchell 19-104, Griffith 5-87, Faraone 5-20, Noah James 5-16, Hulslander 4-5. Sentinel (38-55): Bray 3-72, Jaydn Wilson 9-6, Tyler Richtmyer 1-1, Joey Hiatt 4-1, King 21-0.

PASSING - Glacier: Hulslander 11-22-1 150. Sentinel: King 19-34-1 274, Bray 1-1-0 8.

RECEIVING - Glacier: Griffith 6-52, Faraone 1-52, Nic Cramer 1-18, Anthony Gugliuzza 2-22, Mitchell 1-6. Sentinel: Messerly 9-182, Bray 7-47, PJ Anderson 2-35, Greg Pfister 1-10, Wilson 1-8.