Wolfpack routs, falls short of playoffs

By JOSEPH TERRY

The Daily Inter Lake

Glacier closed its season on a win.

That win occurred three weeks earlier than planned.

The Wolfpack, which entered the season with state championship aspirations, finished the season 4-5 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008 after a 69-21 victory over Missoula Hellgate in a Class AA football game on Friday at Legends Stadium.

Glacier needed to win the game and get help from one of the two teams in front of it in the standings, with a loss from either Missoula Sentinel or Bozeman. Sentinel beat Helena Capital 41-6 and Bozeman beat Billings Skyview 42-22, leaving Glacier one spot out of the playoff picture.

“Usually you’re ending on a win only in the state championship,” Glacier coach Grady Bennett said. “Normally when you have to go say goodbye to your team and wrap it up it’s after a loss. So, it’s heartbreaking. Such an odd position to be celebrating a win, yet you’re not celebrating, and saying goodbye. We haven’t been in this position ever. It’s hard to believe.”

Wolfpack senior Drew Turner set the tone for the game on the very first play, running up the gut 61 yards for a touchdown. By the start of the fourth quarter, Turner left the game 18 yards short of tying his own school record for most yards in a game, finishing with 257 yards on 17 carries with four touchdowns.

Glacier scored on three of its first four possessions, and would’ve scored on the other if not for a dropped pass in space.

Following Turner’s opening salvo, senior Mark Estes caught touchdown passes of 45 and 64 yards.

Quarterback Evan Todd connected with senior Max Morris on a 13 yard score at the start of the second quarter and Turner scored his second touchdown from 4 yards out to give Glacier a 34-7 lead, but Hellgate didn’t go away.

The Knights scored on a 40-yard bomb from Rollie Worster to Burke McGowan and, following another Turner score, connected on a Hail Mary at the close of the half to make the score a respectable 41-21 at the break.

Glacier kept pressing in the third quarter, Turner scoring again at the start of the frame before Todd connected on his fourth touchdown pass of the night, a 20-yarder to Brec Rademacher wide open on a post route in the end zone.

Glacier pulled its starters a possession into the fourth quarter, finishing Turner’s record night, and on the first snap saw junior Preston Blain run for a 72-yard touchdown. On the ensuing Hellgate drive, junior linebacker Cole Crosby intercepted a wayward pass and returned it 23 yards to cap the scoring.

“Tonight was amazing,” Bennett said.

“It’s unfortunate because we started out so rough, 0-4, that’s a huge hole to climb out of. I’m so proud of this group. Doggone, they came together and kept fighting, kept believing and made a great run.”

Todd finished 10 for 14 passing for 236 yards and Estes finished with 161 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns on four catches.

It was Turner’s night however, his fifth 200-plus yard rushing effort capping a career and eclipsing the single-season and career rushing marks at the school. Turner finished with 1,675 yards in nine games this season, besting the school record set in 12 games by Thomas Trefney in 2015. Turner had 3,292 rushing yards in the last two seasons to top the career record.

“I think there’s a lot of people that are glad we’re out of the tournament,” Bennett said. “I know nobody wants to face us right now. Our offense is playing as good as anybody. Just lights out.

“That’s life. I just can’t say how proud I am of this group of kids. They could’ve easily, in so many different ways, mailed it in. They could’ve turned on each other, turned on the system, the coaches, just kind of everything. They never did. They just made a great run at it. It comes down to a couple of plays here and there, unfortunately there’s a couple that cost us, ultimately.”

Hellgate 7 14 0 0 — 21

Glacier 21 20 14 14 — 69

First Quarter

G — Drew Turner 61 run (Carter Purdy kick), 11:47

G — Mark Estes 45 pass from Evan Todd (Purdy kick), 5:13

G — Estes 64 pass from Todd (Purdy kick), 3:41

H — Rollie Worster 3 run (Brandon Coladonato kick), 3:40

Second Quarter

G — Max Morris 13 pass from Todd (kick blocked), 8:39

G — Turner 4 run (Purdy kick), 4:43

H — Burke McGowan 40 pass from Worster (Coladonato kick), 1:07

G — Turner 4 run (Purdy kick), 0:27

H — McGowan 34 pass from Worster (Coladonato kick), 0:00

Third Quarter

G — Turner 9 run (Purdy kick), 9:48

G — Brec Rademacher 20 pass from Todd (Purdy kick), 4:16

Fourth Quarter

G — Preston Blain 72 run (Purdy kick), 9:48

G — Cole Crosby 23 interception return (Purdy kick), 8:06

Hellgate Glacier

First Downs 24 21

Rushes-Yards 37-144 25-374

Passing Yards 226 239

Comp-Att-Int 16-43-1 11-16-0

Plays-Yards 80-370 41-613

Punts-Avg 7-30.9 2-29.5

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 3-1

Penalties-Yards 11-120 12-122

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Hellgate, Ceaton Oliver 19-69, Rollie Worster 17-62, Thomas Riley 1-13. Glacier, Drew Turner 17-257, Preston Blain 4-81, Evan Todd 3-40, Brady Peiffer 1-(-4).

PASSING — Hellgate, Rollie Worster 16-43-1-226. Glacier, Evan Todd 10-14-0-236, Brady Peiffer 1-2-0-3.

RECEIVING — Hellgate, Jace DeWalt 4-65, Ceaton Oliver 4-40, Burke McGowan 2-74, Thomas Riley 2-26. Glacier, Mark Estes 4-161, Max Morris 3-40, Drew Deck 3-18, Brec Rademacher 1-20.