Rendina scores 4 TDs as Glacier runs wild over Butte
BUTTE — Jake Rendina ran 34 times for 191 yards and four touchdowns, and the Glacier defense came up with three turnovers in a 33-17 Western AA football win Friday at Naranche Stadium.
Rendina’s scoring runs covered 3, 6, 8 and 7 yards. He scored twice in the first quarter as Glacier (2-0) quickly built a 20-0 lead.
“It’s always good to get one here,” Glacier coach Grady Bennett said. “It was a perfect storm for us. We jumped on them early - we got three quick turnovers, took advantage of all three and got a big lead.”
Jake Turner’s 15-yard scoring reception made it 20-0 before the game was 10 minutes old; Rendina’s third TD put the Pack up 26-3 at halftime.
“Great job by our defense, two games in a row, creating turnovers and allowing us to get in front,” said Bennett, who noted linebacker AJ Wood had a fumble recovery and an interception in the first quarter. “If we can continue to get the lead in the fourth quarter, and run big Jake Rendina behind our line -- man, I’m telling you it’s going to be tough on anybody.”
JT Allen completed 14 of 25 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown for Glacier; Turner had five catches for 780 yards and Luke Bilau caught five passes for another 65.
Blake Drakos threw for 147 yards for the Bulldogs, who fell to 0-2. Gavin Vetter had a team-high 44 yards rushing.
Tyler Hausmann also picked off a pass. Rocco Beccari made a team-high 11 tackles - 2.5 for losses - and forced a fumble. Ben Stotts had nine stops and a sack.
The Wolfpack are back at Legends Stadium Friday to play Missoula Big Sky in their homecoming game.
Glacier 20 6 0 7 - 33
Butte 0 3 0 14 - 17
First quarter
G - Jake Rendina 3 run (run failed), 7:30
G - Rendina 6 run (Patrick Rohrbach kick), 5:05-
G - Jake Turner 15 pass from Allen (Rohrbach kick), 2:33
Second quarter
B - Casey Kautzman 33 FG, 6:26
G - Rendina 8 run (kick failed), :51
Fourth quarter
B - Aiden Lee 2 run (Kautzman kick), 11:55
G - Rendina 7 run (Rohrbach kick), 6:12
B - Jake Olson 2 pass from Blake Drakos (Kautzman kick), 3:36
Class A
Columbia Falls 35, Libby 33
COLUMBIA FALLS — Mason Peters threw two early touchdown passes to Cade Morgan and Columbia Falls built a 28-6 lead before holding off Northwestern A foe Libby Friday.
Isaiah Roth and Rowdy White added scoring runs covering 6 and 18 yards for the Wildcats (3-1), and Taylor Bryan’s 80-yard kickoff return to open the second half seemed to put Columbia Falls in command.
Libby (3-1) roared back, getting a 58-yard scoring run and a 34-yard touchdown pass from Jay Beagle, who had a hand in four touchdowns. The latter cut the gap to 35-26, and Libby went for the two-point conversion.
The run failed, leaving it a two-score game with under 5:00 left.
The ensuing onside kick went Columbia Falls’ way because of an illegal touching flag, and Libby eventually tacked on another TD - Beagle fired a 15-yard pass to Tucker Masters - in the final minute.
Peters was 11-for-17 passing for 190 yards, including TDs covering 50 and 14 yards to Morgan. Roth ran eight times for 83 yards. Libby ran 21 more plays than Columbia Falls, 75-54, and outgained the Wildcats 420-361.
Ryder Davis had a TD rushing and receiving for Libby.
Libby 0 6 14 13 - 33
Col. Falls 7 14 7 7 - 35
CF - Cade Morgan 50 pass from Mason Peters (Neils Getts kick)
CF - Morgan 14 pass from Peters (Getts kick)
CF - Isaiah Roth 6 run (Getts kick)
L - Jay Beagle 7 run (pass failed)
CF - Taylor Bryan 80 kickoff return (Getts kick)
L - Ryder Davis 6 run (run failed)
L - Beagle 58 run (Dawson Young run)
CF - Rowdy White 18 run (Getts kick)
L - Davis 34 pass from Beagle (run failed)
L - Tucker Masters 15 pass from Beagle (Aidan Williamson kick)
Class B
Florence 33, Bigfork 14
BIGFORK — Florence quarterback Pat Duchien threw for 322 yards and four touchdowns Friday to lead the Falcons over Bigfork in a key Western B game.
Cormac Benn ran 30 times for 217 yards for Bigfork (0-1 league, 2-2 overall), including a 3-yard TD that put the Vikings up 6-0 at 9:21 of the second quarter.
Duchien rallied Florence (2-0, 3-1), which scored the game’s next three touchdowns, on passes covering 33, 9 and 18 yards.
Benn tore off an 89-yard TD run to close the gap 21-14 with 7:30 left in the third quarter, but the Falcons responded with two more scoring drives. Florence outgained Bigfork 474-318, holding the Vikings to just 24 yards passing.
Florence 0 14 13 6 - 33
Bigfork 0 6 8 0 - 14
B - Cormac Benn 3 run (kick failed)
F - Johnny Chamberlin 33 pass from Pat Duchien (Caden Zaluski kick)
F - Levi Posey 9 pass from Duchien (Zaluski kick)
F - Posey 18 pass from Duchien (Zaluski kick)
B - Benn 89 run (Patrick Wallen run)
F - Tristan Pyette 9 run (pass failed)
F - Pyette 13 pass from Duchien (run failed)