Glacier rides Rendina, quick start past CMR
GREAT FALLS — The big back was back leading the Glacier offense Friday, with Jake Rendina leading the Wolfpack’s 33-21 win over Great Falls CM Russell in AA football.
Rendina ran 31 times for 208 yards, including touchdown runs covering 6 and 27 yards. The latter provided breathing room in the form of a 33-7 lead over the dangerous Rustlers.
Russell quickly drew to 33-14 on an 80-yard touchdown reception by AJ LaFurge, and Cole Taylor threw a second TD pass with 1:44 left.
“Any time you go on the road and get a win at Memorial Stadium, it’s big,” Glacier coach Grady Bennett said. “So we’ll take it. We haven’t beat CMR in a long time. They’ve had our number. To get here and get a win is big.
“I’m proud of our defense shutting them in the first half and letting us get a big lead. And we needed it. Good road win in Class AA.”
Gage Sliter threw for 227 yards, including scoring passes covering 7 yards to Luke Bilau and 50 to Conner Sullivan. Sullivan had seven catches for 105 yards.
Rendina ran his season touchdown total to five, and now has 42 in his career.
“He was obviously awesome again,” Bennett said of the 235-pound senior. “That young O-line keeps growing up and making strides. It’s great to see.”
Glacier 6 20 0 7 - 33
CMR 0 0 7 14 - 21
G — Jake Rendina 6 pass (run failed), 7:56-1Q
G — Luke Bilau 7 pass from Gage Sliter (Patrick Rohrbach kick), 9:12-2Q
G — Jake Turner 17 run (kick failed), 8:55-2Q
G — Conner Sullivan 50 pass from Sliter (Rohrbach kick), 7:07-2Q
CMR — Raef Newbourgh 3 run (Trey Mans kick), 6:19-3Q
G — Rendina 27 run (Rohrbach kick), 11:49-4Q
CMR — AJ LaFurge 80 pass from Cole Taylor (Mans kick), 10:54-4Q
CMR — Tristin Shanks 36 pass from Taylor (Mans kick), 1:44-4Q
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Glacier (42-253) — Rendina 31-208, Turner 2-23, Wyatt Thomason 3-14, Sliter 4-4, Kash Goicoechea 1-0. CMR (27-96) — LaFurge 4-45, Jackson Simonson 7-41, Newbrough 4-9, Gus Nunez 1-3, Taylor 11-minus 2.
PASSING: Glacier — Sliter 19-27-2 for 227 yards. CMR — Taylor 15-35-2 for 257 yards.
RECEIVING: Glacier — Sullivan 7-105, Turner 5-69, Bilau 3-245, Rendina 3-23, Goicoechea 1-5. CMR — LaFurge 4-122, Shanks 2-43, Newbrough 2-27, Tucker Harrison 2-23, Ashton Perman 2-8, Simonson 1-19, Ryan Hartum 1-9, Nunez 1-6.