Glacier trips Hellgate for playoff spot
MISSOULA — Preston Blain scored four touchdowns for the second week in a row as Glacier pulled away from Missoula Hellgate in the second half for a 40-21 Class AA football victory Thursday night.
Glacier, 5-5 overall, needed to win to advance to postseason play.
Hellgate finishes the season 2-8.
Blain had touchdown runs of 4, 4, 2 and 1 yard.
Glacier quarterback Evan Todd ran 6 yards for a touchdown and passed 36 yards to Drew Deck for another.
The playoffs looked like a lost cause for the Wolfpack when it dropped to 1-5 following a 34-28 loss to Missoula Sentinel on Sept. 28 at Legends Stadium. But Glacier closed out with wins over Great Falls High, Helena Capital, Missoula Big Sky and Hellgate to reach the .500 mark.
Glacier could be seeded as high as sixth, or as low as eighth after tonight’s action for the playoffs. The top eight teams qualify.
Glacier missed out last year on the postseason with a 4-6 mark. Prior to that, the Wolfpack was in the playoffs eight straight years.
Glacier 0 12 15 13 — 40
Hellgate 7 0 7 7 — 21
MH: Rollie Worster 3 run (Brandon Coladonato kick)
G: Preston Blain 4 run (PAT blocked)
G: Blain 4 run (run failed)
G: Blain 2 run (Colin Bowder pass from Evan Todd)
MH: Worster 1 run (Coladonato kick)
G: Todd 6 run (Carter Purdy kick)
G: Blain 1 run (kick failed)
MH: Coladonato 81 pass from Worster (Coladonato kick)
G: Drew Deck 36 pass from Todd (kick good)
Standings
Class AA
Overall
W L
Bozeman 10 0
Billings West 8 1
Helena 7 2
Flathead 7 2
Billings Senior 6 3
Glacier 5 5
Missoula Sentinel 4 5
Great Falls High 4 5
Butte 4 5
Helena Capital 4 5
Great Falls CMR 2 7
Missoula Big Sky 2 7
Missoula Hellgate 2 8
Billings Skyview 0 10
Today
7 p.m. — Glacier 40, Missoula Hellgate 21
7 p.m. — Bozeman 69, Billings Skyview 20
Friday
7 p.m. — Helena High at Flathead
7 p.m. — Butte at Missoula Big Sky
7 p.m. — Missoula Sentinel at Helena Capital
7 p.m. — Great Falls at Great Falls CMR
7 p.m. — Billings West at Billings Senior