Class B Football Playoffs Eureka manhandles Malta

The Daily Inter Lake

EUREKA — Cannan Smith ran for two touchdowns and returned a punt 60 yards for another score as Eureka (8-1) pounded Malta 54-13 in opening-round action of the Class B football playoffs on Saturday afternoon.

Smith, a 5-foot-7, 165-pound senior running back, had scoring runs of 14 and 4 yards in the opening quarter.

His punt return came 21 seconds before halftime as Eureka enjoyed a commanding 41-0 lead at the intermission.

“We got on them early and didn’t look back,” Eureka coach Trevor Utter said.

“Overall, our kids just dominated.”

Smith finished with 89 yards rushing on 12 attempts.

Garrett Graves, a 6-2 senior quarterback, ran 28 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter and passed 27 yards to Hank Dunn for another in the second quarter.

Graves had 96 yards rushing on eight carries. He completed 4 of 9 passes for 58 yards

Matthew Anderson, a senior running back, had touchdown runs of 5 and 16 yards. He also ran for a two-point conversion.

Jake Kindel had Eureka’s other touchdown, a 3-yard run in the third quarter.

Eureka rolled up 402 yards in total offense to 108 for Malta (4-5). The Lions outrushed Malta 310-53.

Malta had five turnovers in the contest — two fumbles and three interceptions.

Eureka tallied 20 first downs to six for Malta.

Malta quarterback Keenan Schipman was 7 of 19 passing for 55 yards.

Trace Simonson rushed for 48 yards on 11 attempts for the Mustangs.

Hank Dunn had two interceptions for Eureka’s defense and James Dunn picked off the other one.

“I was (concerned about nerves) and that was the one thing I told the kids was you have nothing to be nervous about,” Utter said.

“You’re fully prepared, you know the gameplan, you’re well conditioned, you just go make plays, and they really did not play with any jitters whatsoever. It was really a good overall team win.”

Eureka will host Shelby in quarterfinal action on Saturday at 1 p.m. Shelby edged Huntley Project in first-round play at Shelby, 40-37.

Shelby beat Eureka 28-18 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium back on Sept. 9. That was the third weekend of the season.

Eureka has won six straight since then.

“We’re not unhappy to play Shelby again,” Utter said.

“We feel like we should have beaten them the first time and we’re going to be ready to play them again, for sure. This time it’s going to be at home and that will be better for us.”

Malta 0 0 0 13 — 13

Eureka 20 21 13 0 — 54

E — Cannan Smith 14 run (run failed)

E — Smith 4 run (run failed)

E — Garrett Graves 28 run (Jake Kindel pass from Graves)

E — Hank Dunn 27 pass from Graves (Matt Anderson run)

E — Anderson 5 run (Jacob Nowakowski kick)

E — Smith 60 punt return (kick failed)

E — Anderson 16 run (run failed)

E — Kindel 3 run (Nowakowski kick)

M — Konner Kuehn 6 pass from Keenan Schipman (Trey Simanton kick)

M — Trace Simonson 8 run (kick blocked)

At Shelby

Shelby 12 10 6 12 — 40

Huntley Project 14 0 15 8 — 37

HP — Tylan Croy 1 run (Marc Graell Llado kick)

S — Andrew Johnson 10 pass from Aaron White (kick failed)

HP —Lane Sumner 70 pass from Croy (Graell Llado kick)

S — Logan Watson 9 pass from White (pass failed)

S — David Kelleher 5 pass from White (Wyatt Brusven kick)

S — Brusven 28 FG

HP — Sumner 10 run (Sumner run)

S — Zach Torgerson 10 pass from White (kick failed)

HP — Sumner 6 run (Graell Llado kick)

S — Johnson 39 pass from White (pass failed)

HP— Sumner 30 run (Croy pass to Keenan Reynolds)

S — White 1 run (no PAT)

Fairfield 56, Bigfork 12

FAIRFIELD — Luke Batson passed for four touchdowns and ran for two more as defending state champion Fairfield rolled by Bigfork.

Batson was 12 of 14 passing for 227 yards. He also rushed for 98 yards on eight attempts.

Batson and Chandler Allen hooked up on scoring passes of 5 and 90 yards. Cantor Coverdell had a 22-yard TD reception and Dawson Petermen had a 24-yard scoring catch.

Fairfield scored three times in the first and second quarters to take a 42-6 lead at the half.

Bigfork scored on a 2-yard run by Matt Farrier and a 69-yard pass from quarterback Augie Emslie to Logan Taylor.

Fairfield (9-0) had 458 yards of total offense to 238 for Bigfork (7-2).

Emslie was 15 of 22 passing for 184 yards.

Farrier finished with 46 yards rushing on 18 carries.

Anders Epperly had seven receptions for Bigfork and 86 yards. Taylor caught two passes for 81 yards.

Fairfield travels to Manhattan on Saturday for a quarterfinal contest.

Bigfork 0 6 6 0 — 12

Fairfield 21 21 7 7 — 56

F — Cantor Coverdell 22 pass from Luke Batson (kick failed)

F — Batson 1 run (Batson run)

F — Batson 30 run (Coverdell kick)

F — Chandler Allen 5 pass from Batson (pass failed)

B — Matt Farrier 2 run (kick blocked)

F — Allen 90 pass from Batson (Ryder Meyer run)

F — Dawson Petermen 24 pass from Batson (Coverdell kick)

B — Logan Taylor 69 pass from Augie Emslie (pass failed)

F — Allen 5 run (Coverdell kick)

F — Meyer 4 run (Coverdell kick)

Ronan 43, Columbus 29

COLUMBUS — Kasey Mack scored three touchown to help Ronan upend Columbus.

Mack hauled in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Ezekiel Misa and had a pair of 2-yard scoring runs. Misa also returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown.

Ronan will host Whitehall in a quarterfinal game on Saturday.

Ronan 7 15 6 15 — 43

Columbus 7 7 12 3 — 29

R — Kasey Mack 30 pass to Ezekiel Misa (Brandon Blood kick)

C — Eddie Foos 20 pass Dylan Raihl (Mario Sabo kick)

R — Misa 55 interception return (Blood kick)

R— Blood 20 pass Aaron Misa (Mack run)

C — Foos 22 pass to Chuck Miller (Sabo kick)

C — Miller 1 run (conversion failed)

R — Collin McGuyre 20 run (conversion failed)

C — Raihl 1 run (conversion failed)

C — Sabo 35 field goal

R — Mack 2 run (McGuyre run)

R — Mack 2 run (Blood kick)

Other Playoff Games Saturday

Roundup 0 0 8 8 — 16

Manhattan 0 7 6 21 — 34

M — Cole McCloud 12 pass from Kobe Grossman (Alpacan Oeztas kick)

R — Brayden Crowley 4 run (Tristen Salthe run

M — Grossman 1 run (pass failed)

M — Michael Nehring 3 run (Oeztas kick)

R — MaKale Kembel 23 pass from Brody Grebe (Salthe run)

M — Cal Holgate 28 pass from Grossman (Oeztas kick)

M — Holgate 35 pass from Grossman (Oeztas kick)

Baker 6 0 0 0 — 6

Loyola 14 14 14 7 — 49

L — David Koppang 15 pass from Kellen Round (Jacob Byrne kick)

L — Byrne 12 run (Byrne kick)

B — Cleet Wrzesinski 84 pass from Luke Gonsioroski (Run failed)

L — Caden Sant 24 pass from Round (Byrne kick)

L — Sant 15 pass from Round (Byrne kick)

L — Finn McCue 1 fumble recovery (Austin Ogilvie kick)

L — Round 45 run (Ogilvie kick)

L — Luke Ward 1 run (Ogilvie kick)

Colstrip 6 6 28 6 — 46

Glasgow 0 14 13 13 — 40

C —Naillon 15 run (kick failed)

G — Herbert 16 reception (Younkin kick)

C — Naillon 41 run (kick failed)

G — Breigenzer 17 reception (Younkin kick)

C — Hanson 14 reception (conversion failed)

C — Naillon 23 run (Galloway run)

G — Phillips 1 run (Younkin kick)

C — Galloway 8 run (conversion failed)

G — Breigenzer 13 reception (conversion failed)

C — Siegle 62 fumble return (conversion good)

C — Naillon 32 run (conversion failed)

Whitehall 17

Cut Bank 14

Quarter scores, scoring not available