Football: Flathead hoping to get back on win track
If the Flathead Braves want to extend their season into the playoffs they’ll have to prove they’re worthy in the first of several key contests down the final stretch of the season. The Bozeman Hawks are the first to stand in their way.
While the defending state champion Hawks (3-3) may be far from a repeat title, a formidable opponent awaits the Braves to defend its home turf while Flathead makes the 308 mile journey to Van Winkle Stadium for tonight’s kickoff at 7.
Amidst a three-game losing streak, the intensity was high and the cheers were jovial at the Braves’ walk-through practice on Thursday. Despite resting at 2-4, the confidence is still on the Flathead sidelines.
“We take it week by week around here. That’s kind of been our thing,” Flathead coach Kyle Samson said.
“We know we’re on a slide, but we’re going to bring our energy and excitement every night, and the kids love being out here. We know we’re right in the thick of it, but right now we’re focused on going down there and getting a win against Bozeman.”
When trying to get an outlook on the matchup, comparing like-opponents doesn’t do much service. Each team defeated Helena Capital by less than five points while falling to Missoula Big Sky by no more than two points — the Braves lost to the Eagles 25-23 and Bozeman lost 29-28.
Both squads have seen similar results on offense, averaging just under 300 yards a game, but do so in different manners.
Bozeman boasts an air attack Flathead has yet to see this season. After facing the state’s top-two rushing offenses in Great Falls C.M. Russell and Helena High, the Braves will look to stop a Hawks offense that averages just 54 rushing yards a game. Bozeman’s passing average, however, is 202 yards per contest.
Bozeman quarterback DJ Perdaems has thrown for 965 yards and seven touchdowns. His favorite target seems to be wide out Bennett Hostetler, who has a team-high 23 receptions and three touchdowns, but four Hawks receivers have registered 10 or more catches.
“They like to throw a little bit more,” Samson said.
“We’ve got to be solid in the secondary and sound with our coverages, and we’ve got to be able to put some pressure on the quarterback as well.”
Last week against Helena, Braves senior cornerback Levi Brenneman had several pass break ups, and senior defensive end Aaron Siderius added a third down sack for a 16 yards loss to thwart a Bengals drive. These impact plays will need to be plentiful to stop the high-octane pass attack of Bozeman.
The Flathead offense will look to get back on track this week after being held to just 198 yards of total offense against Helena’s top-ranked defense. Looking for a balanced offense, the Braves have run the ball much more successfully than they have passed it — averaging 183 rushing yards a game — but senior quarterback Easton Johnson continues to improve with each week. Against Helena, he eclipsed the 100-yard mark through the air for the third straight week.
“He’s doing a really good job,” Samson said.
“He’s bounced back. He’s had a couple games where he’s been up and down. He’s had some great moments and some moments he wished he had back, but he’s a tough kid. I expect him to have a really good game for us.”
The Hawks defense gives up 136 passing yards a game. Combine that with the 101 rushing yards they allow per contest and the Braves ground and pound attack matches up well with their counterpart.
“We’re pretty similar teams. We’re young, we’re not necessarily the biggest teams, but both sides are scrappy and play hard. It’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be a great challenge for us down there — a great road challenge for our program.”