Raptors get out quick, cruise past Braves 49-7

Two weeks and two slow starts spelled out an 0-2 record for the Flathead Braves, who fell 49-7 to the talented Gallatin Raptors Friday in Class AA football at Legends Stadium.

Gallatin, in its second year of existence, saw Braden Mikkelson throw for 237 yards and four touchdowns on the Braves, who faced a deficit in size and, soon enough, yardage.

A week after quickly falling behind 21-0 in a 34-7 loss at Billings Skyview, Flathead saw Gallatin (2-0) return the opening kickoff 41 yards, then Mikkelson hook up with 6-foot-5 tight end Rylan Schlepp for a 44-yard touchdown on its first snap.

Schlepp added two more touchdowns as the gap grew to 28-0 late in the second quarter. In between Mikkelson dumped a short pass to 6-5 Tyler Nansel for 7 yards and another score.

A 3-yard touchdown run by Bryce Mikkelson put the Raptors up 35-0 at halftime.

“We’ve got to start better,” said first-year Flathead coach Alex Cummings, whose club managed 142 yards of offense — 67 on a fourth-quarter TD pass from Jackson Walker to Brody Thornsberry. “We have to.

“I’ll say this: I think our kids played very hard, and they play as a unit. We’re just a young football team right now, and we have to get healthy… and we just have to start faster.”

Flathead came in without lead running back Kaden Henshaw (hamstring, though Cummings feels he’ll be back next week) and receivers Robert Walker (leg injury) and Dylan Kratofil (hurt in practice this week).

That left the carries to Joe Jones and Anders Thompson. Then Thompson was injured at the end of a 7-yard burst in the second quarter, and didn’t return.

Through three quarters Flathead had three first downs. The Raptors had little go wrong, besides a Braeden Mikkelson fumble that Matthew Melby forced and recovered in the first half.

Gallatin got the ball back three snaps later on an interception by Ben Vetter.

A sack by Easton Capser forced a Raptors punt and Flathead put together a couple first downs only to see Jake Vigen force and recover a fumble for Gallatin.

A rough game got rougher when the Braves forced a third-quarter punt — and then muffed into the end zone. Austin Cooper jumped on it for Gallatin’s seventh TD.

“They’re a big team, and they’re physical and well-coached, man,” Cummings said of the Raptors. “I don’t see a second-year program. They are very solid.”

Jones ran 16 times, netting 30 yards.

Cummings, ever positive, shouldered the blame.

“It’s not anybody’s fault except mine,” he said. “The players play their butts off, the coaches coach them hard and do the right things.As a head coach it’s on me. I didn’t have them ready to go tonight. All we can do is watch film and get them ready for Helena.”

The Braves play at Capital next Friday.

Gallatin 20 15 14 0 - 49

Flathead 0 0 0 7 - 7

G — Rylan Schlepp 44 pass from Braeden Mikkelson (Casey Garrigan kick), 11:37-1Q

G — Schlepp 29 pass from Bra. Mikkelson (kick failed), 5:42-1Q

G — Tyler Nansel 7 pass from Bra. Mikkelson (Garrigan kick), :58-1Q

G — Schlepp 3 pass from Bra. Mikkelson (Michael Armstrong pass from Bra. Mikkelson), 4:19-2Q

G — Bryce Mikkelson 3 run (Garrigan kick), :35-2Q

G — Landry Cooley 28 run (Garrigan kick), 8:51-3Q

G — Austin Cooper recovers fumble in end zone (Garrigan kick), 2:44-3Q

F — Brody Thornsberry 67 pass from Jackson Walker (Connor Skalsky kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Gallatin (32-121) — Cooley 8-46, Bry. Mikkelson 10-43, Bra. Mikkelson 8-24, Armstrong 1-12, Sy Hilliard 2-4, Tillman Bartholomew 2-minus 8, Team 1-0. Flathead (29-47) — Joe Jones 16-30, Anders Thompson 3-10, Walker 8-7, Stephen Riley 1-0, Team 1-0.

PASSING: Gallatin — Bra. Mikkelson 16-21-0 for 237 yards. Flathead — Walker 3-11-1 for 95 yards.

RECEIVING: Gallatin — Schlepp 5-78, Garrett Dahlke 3-45, Noah Dahlke 2-33, Nansel 2-21, Evan Cherry 1-31, Cash Jones 1-14, Cooley 1-14, Quinn Clark 1-1. Flathead — Caleb Riley 2-28, Thornsberry 1-67.