Baker's late TD sinks Bigfork

BIGFORK — Baker quarterback Jordan Walker plowed into the end zone with 56 seconds remaining and the Spartans advanced to the semifinals of the Class B football playoffs with a 34-28 win over Bigfork Saturday.

Baker (10-0) traveled more than 600 miles for the contest, but was far from road weary as its relentless rushing attack totaled 429 yards on 66 carries. Mason Melby led the way with 211 yards and two touchdowns and Joe Fisher and Jonathan Wiseman ran for 96 and 70 yards, respectively.

“They were running the wishbone, which we’ve never seen before,” Bigfork senior linebacker/tailback Boyd Rieke said. “It’s a real hard formation to defend against. They played awesome, they ran hard and they stopped us pretty good on (offense), but I think we held right there. It was a good game.”

Bigfork (9-1) led 28-26 late in the fourth quarter and stopped Baker on fourth-and-goal with three minutes remaining, but the Vikings couldn’t get the first down they needed to kill the clock. Rieke ran for one yard on first down, fullback Vinny Quirk followed with a four-yard carry to bring up third-and-5 and an incomplete pass forced Bigfork to punt. Josh Sandry shanked the punt just seven yards beyond the line of scrimmage and Baker took over at the Bigfork 25-yard line with 1:54 remaining.

Three runs by Melby brought the Spartans to the goal line and Walker punched it in from 1 yard out.

“We’d been moving the ball all day on the ground,” Baker coach Dave Breitbach said. “It was just a matter of could we get field position with enough time to move it down. We were lucky they had a poor punt there and we were able to get it on the ground and push it in.

“It was kind of everything both coaches thought it would be. Two good football teams locking horns. If we’d played another 10 minutes I’m sure the score would’ve been different. Same if we would’ve shut it down five minutes earlier. It was a seesaw back and forth.”

Sandry, who also plays quarterback for the Vikings, tried to run the hurry-up on Bigfork’s ensuing possession, but he was sacked twice and an incomplete pass on fourth down gave the ball back to Baker with 13.3 seconds left.

“I think a lot of things just broke down,” Rieke said. “We didn’t give up, we kept fighting until the end and I’m really proud of the whole team.”

While Baker had a 441-215 advantage in total yards and controlled time of possession with its running game, Bigfork had an answer for every Baker score. The Vikings trailed 20-7 midway through the second quarter when they put together a two-play scoring drive. A 35-yard hook-and-ladder from Sandry to tight end Cameron Nissen to Rieke brought Bigfork to the Baker 22-yard line. Sandry danced into the end zone one play later with a highlight-reel run that left at least two Baker defenders grasping at air.

Bigfork took a 21-20 lead early in the third quarter when Sandry scored from four yards out, but Baker regained the upper hand early in the fourth when Wiseman ran for a 1-yard touchdown. Bigfork answered with a four-play, 60-yard scoring drive that ended when Quirk muscled his way through the middle for a 4-yard touchdown run.

“It was a couple of good football teams going at it,” Bigfork coach Todd Emslie said. “It’s a tough one to lose, but I was proud of the kids. They battled the whole game.”

Quirk led Bigfork with 90 rushing yards on 12 carries. Rieke added 42 yards on nine carries and Sandry completed 7 of 12 passes for 88 yards.

“This was an outstanding season and I’m proud to have been a part of the Bigfork Vikings,” Rieke said. “I wish them well for many more years.”

Baker will host Glasgow in the semifinals. Glasgow advanced with a 19-14 win over Fairfield. The other semifinal pits defending state champion Missoula Loyola against Boulder. Loyola beat Red Lodge 34-33 and Boulder beat Choteau 27-12.

Baker 6 14 0 14 — 34

Bigfork 7 7 7 7 — 28

First Quarter

Big - Isaac Martel 35 pass from Josh Sandry (Jonathan Landon kick), 4:41

Bak - Mason Melby 5 run (kick failed), 0:55

Second Quarter

Bak - Joe Fisher 78 run (conversion failed), 7:47

Bak - Melby 32 run (Melby run), 6:52

Big - Sandry 22 run (Landon kick), 5:54

Third Quarter

Big - Sandry 4 run (Landon kick), 9:15

Fourth Quarter

Bak - Jonathan Wiseman 1 run (conversion failed), 9:50

Big - Vinny Quirk 3 run (Landon kick), 8:56

Bak - Jordan Walker 1 run (Melby run), 0:56

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Saturday’s Other Quarterfinal Games

Fairfield 7 7 0 0 — 14

Glasgow 7 0 6 6 — 19

Fairfield — Tanner Mayer 7 run (Morgan Schenk kick). Austin Datson 47 pass from Mayer (Schenk kick).

Glasgow — Jonathan Koessl 3 run (Valentin Robert), Keil Krummweide 9 pass from Jason Thibault (kick failed), Koessl 3 run (run failed).

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Choteau 0 6 6 0 — 12

Boulder 0 7 7 13 — 27

Second Quarter

B - Cole Woodland 9 pass from Braden Rykal (Jered Padmos kick)

C - Liam Breen1 run (run failed)

Third Quarter

B - David Weinmeister 5 run (Padmos kick)

C - Christopher Moore 26 pass from Derek Durocher (run failed)

Fourth Quarter

B - Alex Brunett 30 pass from Rykal (PAT no good)

B - Weinmeister 56 run (Padmos kick)

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Missoula Loyola 13 13 0 8 — 34

Red Lodge 0 14 6 13 — 33

Missoula Loyola (9-0) — Matt McHugh 1 run (Eric Williams kick), Danner Linhard 48 pass from McHugh (kick blocked), Tony Madsen 3 run (run failed), Forrest Cooper 11 pass from McHugh (Art Pettit kick), Madsen 4 run (Matt Hollenbeck pass from McHugh).

Red Lodge (5-5) — Andy Nordstrom 63 pass from Gunnar Buckstead (Levi Lynde kick), Lynde 74 pass from Buckstead (Lynde kick), Tyler Ewald 12 pass from Buckstead (kick blocked), Tyler Metcalf 14 run (Lynde kick), Lynde 1 run (run failed).