Braves run by Sentinel

Time after time, the Flathead defense found itself backed into its own territory against a Missoula Sentinel team threatening to score.

But the Braves found ways to push back in key moments and edged the Spartans 28-21 Friday in a Class AA matchup at Legends Stadium.

Flathead defensive back Gage Palmer dealt the decisive rebuff to Sentinel's offense with just under five minutes left in the game and the Braves clinging to a 28-21 lead.

Sentinel quarterback Tres Cunningham launched a fourth-down pass toward the corner of Flathead's end zone, but Palmer swatted the ball out of the air sending a raucous homecoming crowd into a frenzy.

"I thought I could intercept it but I decided to just swat it and get the ball back for the offense so we could go score and win the game," said Palmer, who also intercepted a pass in the end zone earlier in the game. "It was a big play for us."

The Braves (3-2) didn't score again. They didn't need to.

Flathead simply did what it had done throughout a game in which the team accumulated an eye-popping 350 rushing yards.

The Braves handed it off to their stable of running backs, let the offensive line do its job and ran out the clock.

Running back John Collins rushed for 149 yards on 17 carries and got the majority of the touches on the final drive.

After the game, he credited the offensive line.

"Our o-line was pushing hard," Collins said, noting the offense needed a spark with the still-limited play of injured all-state receiver George Sherwood. "We really needed our running game to step up and our o-line really gave us a good push to get that done."

Collins wasn't the only benefactor of Flathead's boys up front.

Quarterback Matt Tokarz had 101 yards on 20 carries, Michael Managhan carried the ball five times for 62 yards and Austin Root scored two touchdowns on 38 yards rushing.

"We have a great group," said senior offensive tackle Randy Holmquist. "We've got Nick (Riley), we've got Travis Oakason, Tanner Thiel, Gage Marcum and me. We're a big group and everytime we go out there we just try and get a great push."

The linemen weren't the only ones paving the way for Flathead's rushing attack.

Flathead coach Russell McCarvel put Michael Managhan at fullback Friday after starter Garrett Yarde went down with an injury.

"It's a lot more fun sometimes to carry the ball, but he was a team guy and got in there and blocked," McCarvel said. "We just kind of put him in right before the game. He knows all the plays, he's a smart kid and he just did a great job."

The Braves never trailed the Spartans.

Root put the finishing touches on a seven-play, 63-yard drive with a four yard touchdown run with 3:45 left to go in the first quarter. It was an exclamation point to an offensive drive that included no passes and set the tone for what would become a spectacular day for the Braves' rushing attack.

Sentinel responded by pushing the ball down to Flathead's 18-yard line where it elected to go for it on fourth down with three yards to go.

Braves' defensive back Connor Eaton broke up a pass by Cunningham to end the threat.

Eaton came up big once again after the Flathead offense was forced to punt, intercepting a pass at the 43-yard-line to give Flathead the ball with 10:18 left in the half.

"The defense was great for us today, absolutely," McCarvel said. "You have to have those (plays)."

Flathead receiver Matt McLean hauled in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Tokarz four plays later to give the Braves a 14-0 advantage.

Sentinel again responded by driving the ball deep into Flathead territory. Palmer responded by picking off a Cunningham pass in the end zone with 8:26 left in the quarter.

"I almost dropped it... I felt it bobble I put it against my hip when I hit the ground and I caught it," he said.

Spartans' running back Jaydn Wilson rumbled for a score with 1:34 to play in the half to make it 14-7.

Root scored his second touchdown on a four-yard run to end Flathead's opening drive of the second half and make it 21-7.

Sentinel struck back immediately as Jake Messerly returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown.

Flathead came back with a 12-play drive that ended when Matt McLean dived with outstretched arms into the end zone after a 26-yard pass from Tokarz.

"I didn't know if I was going to make it in or not but I made one move on the safety and I kind of slowed down and one of their guys got me from the back," he said. "But luckily I dove and got it in."

Sentinel receiver Alec Bray, returning from an injury, scored on a 17-yard run with 10:18 left in the game to cut Flathead's lead to seven, but the Spartans were unable to score again.

"We knew they would come out with a good game plan and be ready to go at us, which they did," McCarvel said.

"It's good momentum heading into Glacier. So I know our kids will be ready to go, no question, and so will their kids."

Flathead squares off with crosstown rival Glacier (4-1) Friday at 7 p.m. at Legends Stadium.

Sentinel 0 7 7 7 - 21

Flathead 7 7 14 0 - 28

First Quarter

F - Austin Root 4 run (Dillon Torgerson kick), 3:45.

Second Quarter

F - Matt McLean 20 pass from Matt Tokarz (Torgerson kick), 9:00.

S -Jaydn Wilson 13 run (John Ray kick), 1:34.

Third Quarter

F - Root 5 run (Torgerson kick), 7:46.

S - Jake Messerly 94 KO return (Ray kick), 7:36.

F - McLean 26 pass from Tokarz (Torgerson kick), 3:41.

Fourth Quarter

S - Alec Bray 17 run (Ray kick), 10:18.

Sen Fla

First downs 14 22

Rushes-yards 21-116 50-350

Passing yards 243 97

Total yards 359 447

Comp-Att-Int 21-32-2 8-16-0

Punt returns-yards 2-12 1-3

Kickoff return-yards 4-179 4-64

Punts-avg 1-36.0 4-42.5

Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0

Penalties-yards 9-80 9-90

Individual statistics

Rushing - Sentinel, Tres Cunningham 4-16, Jaydn Wilson 16-85, Alec Bray 2-15 . Flathead, Matt Tokarz 20-101, Michael Managhan 5-62, John Collins 17-149, Austin Root 8-38.

Passing - Sentinel, Tres Cunningham 21-32-2-243. Flathead, Matt Tokarz 8-16-2-97.

Recieving - Sentinel, Jaydn Wilson 2-1, Alec Bray 7-74, Greg Pfister2-16, Jake Messerly 7-86, PJ Anderson 2-59, Tyler Richtmyer 1-7. Flathead, Matt McLean 4-61, John Collins 1-18, Austin Jones 1-3, Kevin Grosweiler 1-8, Austin Root 1-7.

Class AA Standings

W L

Helena 5 0

Helena Capital 5 0

Glacier 4 1

Billings West 4 1

Billings Senior 3 2

Flathead 3 2

Butte 3 2

Great Falls 2 3

CMR 2 3

Missoula Hellgate 1 4

Missoula Sentinel 1 4

Missoula Big Sky 1 4

Billings Skyview 0 5

Bozeman 0 5

Friday's scores

West 52, Hellgate 7

Helena Capital 41, Great Falls 0

Glacier 24, Bozeman

Butte 21, Billings Senior 12

Flathead 28, Missoula Sentinel 21

Helena 21, Billings Skyview 14

CMR 45, Big Sky 6