Class B football: Bigfork grinds out 7-3 win in Eureka

EUREKA — It was a throwback rematch.

George Bucklin had a 3-yard scoring run with 9:08 left in the game, and Bigfork held on for a 7-3 win over Eureka in the State B football semifinals Saturday.

The Vikings, 9-2, advanced to an all-Western B championship against 11-0 Florence, a 51-7 winner over Boulder in the other semifinal. That game will be in Florence, likely on Saturday.

Bucklin ran 13 times for 77 yards as Bigfork avenged a 14-13 regular-season loss on this same field. The Lions (9-3) led 3-0 on a Danny Dunn 23-yard field goal with seconds left in the first half, in a game that resembled a tilt out of the “Black-and-Blue” NFC North of the 1970s.

“It was a grind it out, beyond what you could imagine-type of game,” Bigfork coach Jim Benn said. “Just two very good defenses and two teams that know each other backwards and forwards.”

Bigfork had one first-half touchdown called back by penalty, and a third-quarter drive reached Eureka’s 15 before two holding calls stymied things.

An interception by the Lions’ Tristan Butts at the 30-yard line ended that march; it was his second pick of the game and the fourth thrown by Patrick Wallen. But the Vikings got the ball back on an interception by Wallen at their own 27.

Bigfork then drove 73 yards for the game-winner. Bucklin had runs of 14 and 21 yards to take the ball past midfield, and a facemask penalty at the end of an 8-yard scramble by Wallen moved the ball to the Eureka 25.

Wallen then found Nick Walker with a 22-yard pass, and Bucklin rumbled in on the next play.

“Pat just kept slinging the ball,” Benn said. “You keep playing. He never lost his composure. He was frustrated and kept playing hard and kept looking for guys. He had some nice runs for us too.

“I think the term for George is, ‘whirling dervish.’ He’s not the smoothest runner in the world but he fights and fights and makes things happen. He’s been absolutely electric for us in the playoffs.”

Eureka gave up the ball at its own 44 and 17 on its next two possessions, leaving 2:21 on the clock. Bigfork gave it back on downs at the 12 with 40 seconds left, and the game ended on an Isak Epperly interception.

Caleb Utter ran 18 times for 83 yards for Eureka, and passed for another 85. Remington Little picked up 59 yards on 20 carries for the Lions.

Wallen passed for 126 yards and ran for 32 for Bigfork. Joey Kindel had two interceptions for Eureka. Caden Pecora and Johnny Fehre combined on 14 tackles, three of them for losses, for the Lions.

Wyatt Johnson led the Bigfork defense with 13 stops. “For a sophomore who’s not a real big kid (160 pounds), he just does a lot of little things right,” Benn said.

Now Bigfork gets another crack at Florence, which beat the Vikings 63-26 in a regular-season game on Oct. 22. It’s the Vikings’ first title-game appearance since they beat Fairfield for the 2010 crown.

“The biggest thing is we have to take care of the ball and at least try to slow them down,” Benn said. “I have the sense that the game isn’t going to be 7-3. I’m going to call that right now. They’re just so talented offensively, and we are too. We’re going to prepare the best we can and do what we do.”

Bigfork 0 0 0 7 - 7

Eureka 0 3 0 0 - 3

E — Danny Dunn 23 FG, :03-2Q

B — George Bucklin 3 run (Tristan Herd kick), 9:08-4Q

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Bigfork (42-159) — Bucklin 13-77, Patrick Wallen 10-32, Joseph Farrier 5-23, Levi Taylor 12-19, Isak Epperly 2-8; Eureka (43-163) — Caleb Utter 18-83, Remington Little 20-59, Dunn 4-20, Joey Kindel 1-1.

PASSING: Bigfork — Wallen 9-22-4 for 126 yards. Eureka — Utter 6-22-2 for 85 yards.

RECEIVING: Bucklin 4-65, Nick Walker 2-23, Epperly 2-15, Taylor 1-23. Eureka — Dunn 3-43, Tristan Butts 2-37, John Grieve 1-5.