Bozeman blows by Braves
<p>Flathead senior running back Austin Root is stopped by a pack of Bozeman Hawks during Friday’s Class AA football game at Legends Stadium.</p>
The Bozeman Hawks bounced back from a three-game losing streak by trampling the winless Flathead Braves 49-7 Friday at Legends Stadium.
Aided by two Flathead turnovers, the Hawks took a 21-0 lead in the second quarter. Flathead responded with a 52-yard touchdown run by quarterback Matt Tokarz, then Bozeman scored four unanswered touchdowns to finish the game.
“They’re good, but they’re always beatable,” Flathead offensive/defensive lineman Gage Marcum said of Bozeman. “We just made too many mistakes. Things just didn’t go our way today.”
Bozeman (5-3) lost its starting quarterback to a broken collarbone two weeks ago, but didn’t need to throw to move the ball on the Braves. Led by running back Hunter Gappmayer, who ran for 175 yards on 18 carries, the Hawks totaled 331 rushing yards.
Flathead (0-8) also had success on the ground as Tokarz ran for 124 yards on 16 carries and running back Austin Root ran 16 times for 95 yards, but the Braves had five turnovers against a Bozeman team that entered the game second in Class AA in total defense.
“They’re really solid up front,” Flathead coach Russell McCarvel said.
“They’ve got a solid running game and they’re great defensively. I know they lost their quarterback, but they didn’t lose anyone on defense.”
Despite allowing 49 points, McCarvel said his defense played a solid game.
“I thought we played one of our better defensive games of the year,” he said.
“We swarmed well and we did some good things defensively, we just have to find a way to protect the ball better.”
Gappmayer opened the scoring with a 41-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The Hawks added another on their second possession of the second quarter, then went ahead 21-0 after Riley Martello returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown.
A 45-yard kickoff return by Jerum AuClaire gave the Braves good field position and Tokarz capitalized, scampering 52 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the drive.
With 1:53 left in the half, Tokarz and Root fumbled a handoff and Bozeman recovered at the Flathead 21-yard line. Two plays later, Bozeman quarterback Connor Linebarger ran 11 yards for a touchdown.
Bozeman added three touchdowns in the second half while shutting out the Braves.
Garrett Anderson finished the game at quarterback for Flathead after Tokarz went down with a leg cramp in the third quarter.
Flathead travels to Great Falls to face No. 1 C.M. Russell on Friday.
The Braves have two games remaining — Oct. 19 at Great Falls C.M. Russell and Oct. 26 at home with Missoula Hellgate.
Bozeman 7 21 14 7 — 49
Flathead 0 7 0 0 — 7
First quarter
BOZ - Hunter Gappmayer 41 run (Howard Wendell kick), 5:25
Second quarter
BOZ - Keavon Buckley 5 pass from Connor Linebarger (Wendell kick), 4:40
BOZ - Riley Martello 20 interception return (Wendell kick), 4:04
FLA - Matt Tokarz 52 run (Dylan Torgerson kick), 3:45
BOZ - Linebarger 11 run (Wendell kick), 1:16
Third quarter
BOZ - Gappmayer 42 run (Wendell kick), 10:11
BOZ - Martello 46 punt return (Wendell kick), 8:03
Fourth quarter
BOZ - Balue Chapman 39 run (Wendell kick), 5:26
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Boz Flat
First downs 13 13
Total yards 403 338
Rushes-yards 42-331 43-252
Passing yards 72 86
Comp-Att-Int 7-10-0 9-21-3
Penalties-yards 6-40 3-20
Fumbles-lost 4-2 4-2
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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING - Bozeman: Hunter Gappmayer 18-175, Connor Linebarger 16-55, Balue Chapman 3-51, Riley Martello 2-37, Andre Stubbs 2-13, Baker Hilsendeger 1-0. Flathead: Matt Tokarz 16-124, Austin Root 16-95, Anthony Holm 9-31, Jerum AuClaire 1-2, Garrett Anderson 1-0.
PASSING - Bozeman: Connor Linebarger 7-10-72-0. Flathead: Matt Tokarz 5-16-55-2, Garrett Anderson 4-5-31-1.
RECEIVING - Bozeman: Andre Stubbs 2-36, Will Dissly 2-23, Hunter Gappmayer 2-8, Keavon Buckley 1-5. Flathead: Kevin Grosswiler 5-52, Dillon Thomas 1-12, Austin Root 2-11, Trampus Barton 1-11.