AA Football: Special teams help Glacier blast Butte, improve to 6-2
BUTTE — Glacier got support from an unlikely source in its 46-6 Class AA football win over Butte (1-7) at Naranche Stadium on Thursday, scoring a pair of touchdowns on special teams to spur the blowout victory.
The Wolfpack (6-2), maligned on special teams all season, blocked a punt for a touchdown to take a 14-0 lead and returned a punt for a touchdown one possession later to run away with the contest.
Two weeks ago in its win over Missoula Sentinel, Glacier had a pair of its own punts blocked, one for a score and the other to the 1-yard line.
“Our guys just worked hard, did a great job all week,” Glacier coach Grady Bennett said.
Following Butte’s second three-and-out of the game, Glacier’s return team broke free for a punt block and Kellen Bemis returned the ball 23 yards for a touchdown. When the defense forced a punt on the Bulldogs’ next possession, Caleb Jones, who has had his struggles on the punt return this season, made one cut on the return and broke two tackles for an 80-yard touchdown.
“The punt return was huge,” Bennett said.
“We’ve been encouraging (Jones) to catch the ball. That’s something we’ve been working on, getting him to have more confidence. He let an early (punt) bounce. The next one he went and caught and took it the distance. He got some blocks along the way, but it was a highlight-reel type run. It was a terrific play.”
Early in the second quarter, Glacier’s special teams would help again, taking advantage of a botched long snap on a Butte punt to start a possession deep in the Bulldogs’ zone. On a fourth-and-one, Wolfpack back Thomas Trefney stormed 30 yards for a touchdown, his state-leading 14th of the season, to take a 26-0 lead.
Glacier was also succeeding against the Butte pass rush, which limited the Wolfpack’s total offense but surrendered a number of big plays. Glacier opened the scoring by beating a blitz for a 52-yard touchdown pass from Leif Ericksen to Scout Willcut. It would connect again by beating the blitz in the third quarter on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Ericksen to Jones.
“It’s tough,” Bennett said. “Butte is in a situation where they had nothing to lose. We knew we had to prepare for everything: fake punts, a lot of trick plays and loading the box and blitzing.
“It makes it a little bit tougher to get in a rhythm offensively. A couple times, when they’re bringing that much pressure, they get you. But, boy, if you do get something off and execute it, it can be a big play.”
Trefney finished with 18 rushes for 112 yards and Ericksen was 9 of 21 passing for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Cameron Anderson hit a pair of field goals, one from 27 yards and another from 23. Turner Drew added to the tally in the fourth quarter with a 9-yard touchdown run. Drew finished with 53 yards rushing.
The win keeps Glacier in the mix for a home playoff game after Helena High won by forfeit over Missoula Hellgate this week to also advance to 6-2. Flathead (5-2), which the Wolfpack will play next week in a monumental crosstown match, plays Helena Capital (5-2) tonight at Legends Stadium to determine which other team will join the Wolfpack and Bengals in a tie for third place.
Of other teams at the top of the class, Bozeman (6-1) plays at Great Falls High (2-5) today and Billings Senior (6-1) hosts Great Falls C.M. Russell (4-3).
Glacier 20 9 10 7 — 46
Butte 0 0 0 6 — 6
First Quarter
G—Scout Willcut 52 pass from Leif Ericksen (Cam Anderson kick)
G—Kellen Bemis 23 blocked punt return (kick failed)
G—Caleb Jones 80 punt return (Anderson kick)
Second quarter
G—Thomas Trefney 30 run (pass failed)
G—Anderson 27 FG
Third Quarter
G—Jones 32 pass from Ericksen (Anderson kick)
G—Anderson 23 FG
Fourth Quarter
G—Turner Drew 9 run (Anderson kick)
B—Jake Salmonsen 11 pass from Ty Peterson (PAT not attempted)
INDIVIDUAL STATS
RUSHING—Glacier, Thomas Trefney 18-112, Turner Drew 8-53. Butte, Bo Mortensen 11-32, Mason Ruppel 13-28.
PASSING—Glacier, Leif Ericksen 9-21-0-156. Butte, Ty Peterson 20-36-0-196.
RECEIVING—Glacier, Scout Willcut 2-54, Caleb Jones 3-45. Butte, Matt Merzlak 10-89, Will O’Connor 3-48.