Big plays lead Bigfork into semis
Bigfork quarterback Patrick Wallen avoids Townsend defensive back Dawson Sweat as he looks for a receiver in the third quarter of the Vikings 20-15 win at Townsend in the Class B state quarterfinals Saturday. (Jeremy Weber/Daily Inter Lake
Vikings Ethan Rodriguez (66) and Jordan Betts (51) clear the way for runner Levi Taylor in the third quarter of Bigfork's 20-15 win at Townsend in the Class B state quarterfinals Saturday. (Jeremy Weber/Daily Inter Lake)
TOWNSEND — Stand down for Big Play Bigfork.
George Bucklin’s 45-yard scoring run with 11:39 left in the game put Bigfork ahead, and the Vikings held on for a 20-15 State B quarterfinal football win at Townsend Saturday.
The Vikings (8-2) will play at Eureka in the semifinals Saturday at 1 p.m. The Lions won a regular-season matchup with Bigfork 14-13 on Oct. 15.
Bucklin’s TD was one of three Bigfork touchdowns that went long: Joseph Farrier’s 36-yard scoring run put the Vikings up 7-0; Patrick Wallen’s 55-yard scoring strike to Nick Walker cut a 15-7 deficit to 15-13.
Bucklin, who ran for 165 yards on 16 carries, got the go-ahead score moments after Levi Taylor intercepted a tipped, Trey Hoveland pass.
“I’m trying not to get emotional,” Bigfork coach Jim Benn told the Bigfork Eagle. “This group has been through a lot together this year. This was an absolute great team effort. They believed and just found a way to get it done.”
Townsend (8-2) had forged ahead on a pair of touchdown passes from Hoveland to Gavin Vandenacre covering 38 and 6 yards, the last coming at 6:57 of the third quarter.
Bigfork answered right away.
“We just had to score and do our part,” Benn said. “We had some big plays and some big moments, like that sucker route that we ran (to Walker). That was huge. It was something we saw on film. We liked the look and it was there for us.”
Townsend’s next possession ended on that tip-drill interception.
“In these types of games against good teams that are well-coached, like coach (Travis) Rauh has, possessions are pure gold,” Benn said. “That interception that Levi made for us was a monumental shift.”
Bigfork was able to get the ball back on a punt, then held onto it thanks to a) a roughing-the-punter call deep in its own end and b) a fourth-and-2 conversion inside Eureka’s 20 with 1:03 left.
Wallen was 5-for-8 passing for 100 yards. He was intercepted once. Taylor ran 18 times for 52 yards; Farrier had four carries for 42.
Hoveland threw for 240 yards, completing 18 of 32 passes.
Bigfork 0 7 13 0 - 20
Townsend 0 7 8 0 - 15
B — Joseph Farrier 36 run (Tristan Herd kick)
T — Gavin Vandenacre 38 pass from Trey Hoveland (Ferguson kick)
T — Vandenacre 6 pass from Hoevland (B Racht pass from Hoveland)
B — Nick Walker 55 pass from Patrick Wallen (pass failed)
B — George Bucklin 45 run (Herd kick)
Additional reporting by Jeremy Weber.