Bigfork, Eureka chase title in wild Western B

“I’ll say it loud from the rooftops,” Eureka coach Trevor Utter said. “The West is by far the toughest conference.”

Utter is talking about the Western B, which had both sides of the State B football championship game last November, and made plenty of playoff hay besides.

Florence beat Bigfork 42-0 for the title. Bigfork advanced to the chipper by edging Eureka 7-0 in the semifinals, putting the West’s record in the 2021 playoffs at 9-2.

“Our conference is far and away the best in the state,” echoed Bigfork coach Jim Benn. “If you’re fortunate enough to get in the playoffs, you can probably make a deep playoff run.”

The stage is set, then, for a competitive 2022.

Whitehall, which picked up the fourth and final playoff berth (and beat Malta for its third win), is back in the Southern B. Replacing the Trojans are the Thompson Falls Bluehawks, back in 11-man after three successful seasons of 8-man ball, including the 2021 state title.

Deer Lodge moved to 8-man football, leaving the league at six solid teams. Anaconda is young but dangerous, and everyone else is capable. That includes Florence, which lost six All-State picks, two to Division I programs, but returns quarterback Patrick Duchien and two-way lineman Colten Rice.

Bigfork has been a running team the last few seasons thanks to a gigantic front line, but three of the big fellas were seniors.

“We look a little different up front than we have,” Benn said. “ ‘Stonehenge’ is no more. Those guys were just massive.”

Ethan Rodriguez is back, giving Bigfork an All-State anchor at either tackle spot.

“We flop our line,” Benn noted. “He has to do some of the toughest jobs, and he’s taking over for Braden Guse, who was one of the most talented offensive linemen I’ve ever coached. I think Ethan is up to the task.”

Abe Ochs, Manny Baldi and Andrew Wallen move into the line, and the other tackle spot is undecided. Tristan Herd steps in at quarterback, and Benn envisions more passing on a team that returns targets like All-State tight end Bryce Gilliard, Isak Epperly and Nick Walker.

The Vikings probably won’t put up Florence numbers — Duchien threw for 2,612 yards and 35 touchdowns last fall — but should surpass the 104 yards passing they averaged in 2021.

“I think we’re going to be a pleasant surprise for people,” Benn said. “We have a lot of experience back at the skill positions. The O-line, what we lose in size we gain in speed.

“We’ve worked hard on the passing game. I think we’re in a spot where we can do both, and I think that will be hard on people. Defensively, our D-line and linebackers should be a tough out for anybody.”

Eureka returns a talented squad, but things could be less thorny.

“Honestly, we’ve got a lot going on up here,” said Utter, who noted first that his son, All-State safety and QB Caleb, tore an ACL during a summer scrimmage and is out for the year; and second that a torn meniscus will sideline running back Remington Little for a month.

“We’re still a super-solid team,” Coach Utter said. “We’re still going to compete for the title. We just need to figure out who goes where and who fills what position.”

Having three starting two-way linemen — Trent Truman, Hank Willams and Riley Hume — back helps. The Lions began camp with four running backs, and now 185-pound sophomore Haiden Johnson leads a trio of capable carriers, including Caden Pecora and Tyson Brouillette.

Johnson, Utter said, “Is a very good running back with very good vision. He’s going to start this week. We’re had a great summer and we’re excited to see what he can do.”

That leaves quarterback, where Tristan Butts will start this Friday at Bonners Ferry. Fellow junior AJ Truman is in the mix to take snaps as well. The Lions aren’t going anywhere.

“We’re still optimistic,” Utter said. “We just have to do things in different ways.”

Thompson Falls’ coach Jared Koskela has one regret: That his Bluehawks don’t get to defend their 8-man title.

“It feels like the title is stripped,” Koskela said this week. “We win a championship and all we get is upgraded opponents. Other than that, we feel fine.”

Thompson Falls went 0-9 playing in Class B in 2018, and its move to 8-man coincided with an influx of talent that carried the Bluehawks to a 30-3 record in three seasons on the 80-yard gridiron.

Now they’re back playing on a 100-yard grid, and they are not without talent: Senior Elijah Ratliff and junior Hayden Hanks were All-State in 2021.

Koskela is moving Ratliff from QB, where he formed a 1-2 option punch with the graduated Trae Thilmony, to running back/slotback. Sophomore Bryson Lecoure will play quarterback and have targets like tight end Breck Ferris to throw to.

The expectation is that with Hanks, a 235-pound junior Koskela calls “probably the strongest kid in the state,” and center Beano Fisher at center things will be solid up front and overall.

“We ran the ball maybe 95 percent of the time last year,” Koskela said, noting that Ferris will be much more of a pass-catcher this season. “He’s probably the most improved player I’ve ever seen. That’s one of the bright spots this year.”

Junior Max Hannum will take over the middle linebacker spot vacated by Thilmony; he’ll be a standout on a squad of 30 players, down from 35 in 2021.

Missoula Loyola, a perennial power in the last decade, is dangerous with a guy named Talen Reynolds (son of Chase) at running back. Everyone has a chance, and that includes the prodigal Bluehawks.

“I know our first few games will be rough,” said Koskala, whose club opens with Townsend, Conrad and Shepherd. “They’ve got to get warmed up to it. It’s a process.”

Prediction

Florence

Bigfork

Eureka

Thompson Falls

Loyola

Anaconda

Players to watch:

Tristan Butts, WR/FS, Eureka; Zach Dixon, DL/RB, Florence; Patrick Duchien, QB/DB, Florence; Isak Epperly, WR/CB, Bigfork; Joe Farrier, RB/LB, Bigfork; Breck Ferris, TE/LB, Thompson Falls; Beano Fisher, C/DL, Thompson Falls; Cory Galle, QB, Anaconda; Gabe Galle, WR/LB, Anaconda; Bryce Gilliard, TE/LB, Bigfork; Max Hannum, LB/ Thompson Falls; Hayden Hanks, OL/DL, Thompson Falls; Tristan Herd, QB/DB, Bigfork; Riley Hume, OL/DL, Eureka; Haiden Johnson, RB, Eureka; Bryson LeCoure, QB, Thompson Falls; Remington Little, RB, Eureka; Elijah Ratliff, SB, Thompson Falls; Talen Reynolds, RB, Loyola; Colten Rice, DE/OL, Florence; Ethan Rodriguez, OL/DL, Bigfork; Aiden Round, QB/DB, Loyola; Tom Sawyer, RB/DB, Anaconda; AJ Truman, WR/SS, Eureka; Trent Truman, OL/DL, Eureka; Nick Walker, WR/DE, Bigfork; Hank Williams, OL/DL, Eureka.