Braves down Knights, snap skid

Looking to snap a four-game losing streak, the Flathead Braves did so in dominating fashion, racking up 405 yards of total offense in a 30-17 victory over the Missoula Hellgate Knights on Friday at Legends Stadium.

The Braves (3-5) rushed for 272 yards, including two 100-yard rushing performances from junior running back Josh McCracken and senior quarterback Easton Johnson. Each scored on 18-yard scampers, and McCracken added a 1-yard touchdown plunge.

“(Hellgate) has the biggest defensive line I’ve seen,” McCracken said.

“Our offensive line did a great job. They really held their own given the size comparison. They really worked their butts off, and they did good this week.”

McCracken tallied 147 yards on the ground while Johnson rushed for 107.

Although the rushing attack was firing on all cylinders, the first score of the game was a 30-yard passing strike from Johnson to Keaton Krantz on fourth down during the opening drive.

Johnson threw for 133 yards, while Krantz had 57 receiving yards on two catches.

“As a whole, I thought this was Easton’s best game of the year,” Flathead head coach Kyle Samson said.

“He made some critical third down conversions on some big throws and a huge fourth down conversion in the beginning of the game to hit Keaton. He had some really timely runs, too. As far as taking the gameplan and executing it, I thought this was by far his best game.”

The Knights (0-8) kept things interesting early, answering the Braves’ first two scores with passing strikes of their own. Hellgate quarterback Dylan Botsford hit wideout Connor Schrenk on a fade route for a 20-yard touchdown before answering McCracken’s 1-yard plunge with a 59-yard touchdown brought in by the fingertips of tight end Landon Youbles.

The Flathead defense tightened up at halftime, allowing just a field goal in the second half.

Braves junior linebacker Jacob Ridgeway had two sacks and supplied constant pressure in the Knights backfield throughout the game, limiting Hellgate to just 23 total rushing yards.

“Play hard, read our keys and then we’ll finish it,” Ridgeway said of the gameplan.

“We played hard. It feels pretty good. We needed that one; we definitely did.”

Along with Ridgeway, senior defensive end Aaron Siderius wreaked havoc on the Hellgate offense all night, but his biggest play was an interception to seal the victory for the Braves.

“It’s designed so the quarterback doesn’t know I’m going to drop back into coverage,” Siderius said of the scheme.

“I dropped back in the middle, he didn’t see me dropping and it was an easy turnover for the defense.”

With some momentum on their side, the Braves host Missoula Sentinel next Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Hellgate 7 7 3 0 — 17

Flathead 14 10 0 6 — 30

F — Keaton Krantz 30 yard pass from Easton Johnson (Alex Croymans kick)

H — Connor Schank 20 yard pass from Dylan Botsford (Brayden Frolich kick)

F — Josh McCracken 1 yard run (Croymans kick) 2:26

H — Landon Youbles 59 yard pass from Botsford (Frolich kick) 11:47

F — Croymans 26 yard FG

F — Johnson 18 yard run (Croymans kick)

F — McCracken 18 yard run (kick failed)

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Hellgate Flathead

First downs 6 18

Total Yards 212 405

Rushing yards 23 272

Passing yards 189 133

Turnovers 1 2

Penalties 7 7

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INDIVDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Hellgate: Zach Jaffe 3-22, Bob Schenk 2-12, Zac Martin 3-10, Paul Wilson 7-9, Dylan Botsford 8-(-30). Flathead: Josh McCracken 22-147, Easton Johnson 15-107, Payton Boyce 13-18.

PASSING — Hellgate: Dylan Botsford 8-13-0 — 163, Brayden Frolich 3-6-1 — 26. Flathead — Easton Johnson 7-21-1 — 133.

RECEIVING — Hellgate: Landon Youbles 2-72, Bob Schenk 2-57, Connor Schenk 4-45, Paul Wilson 1-8, Zayne Babbitt 1-5, Zac Martin 1-4. Flathead — Keaton Krantz 2-57, Blake Wilson 2-41, Josh McCracken 3-35.