A long time coming: Flathead beats Skyview 27-0
Flathead defensive back Trevor Burke (20) celebrates after causing a fumble recovered by teammate Connor Skalsky in the fourth quarter against Billings Skyview at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Billings Skyview quarterback Grayden Wilkinson (15) pitches to wide receiver Sy Gellner against Flathead at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead defenders Cale Olbert (44) and Trevor Burke (20) bring down Billings Skyview quarterback Grayden Wilkinson (15) at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead wide receiver Ben Bliven (10) runs after a reception in the second quarter against Billings Skyview at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead running back Trevor Burke (20) looks for running room in the third quarter against Billings Skyview at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead wide receiver Bobby Walker (3) runs after catching an option toss from quarterback Jackson Walker in the first quarter against Billings Skyview at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead defenders Zarek Lee (48) and Tanner Heichel (16) bring down Billings Skyview running back Hunter Sherner (9) in the first half at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead kicker Connor Skalsky (12) kicks a field goal in the third quarter against Billings Skyview at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead quarterback Jackson Walker (2) throws in the second quarter against Billings Skyview at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead wide receiver Bobby Walker (3) runs after a reception in the second quarter against Billings Skyview at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead defensive lineman Brandon Lewis (99) sacks Billings Skyview quarterback Hunter Solheim (12) in the first half at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Stephen Riley (7) celebrates with Tanner Heichel (16) after Heichel recovered a fumble in the first half against Billings Skyview at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead head coach Caleb Aland walks the sidelines as the Braves take on Billings Skyview at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead quarterback Jackson Walker (2) runs for a first down in the first quarter against Billings Skyview at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead defensive back Connor Skalsky (12) recovers a fumble caused by fellow defensive back Trevor Burke (20) in the fourth quarter against Billings Skyview at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead celebrates after wide receiver Ben Bliven (10) caught a touchdown reception in the fourth quarter against Billings Skyview at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead wide receiver Brody Thornsberry (88) catches a long reception in the fourth quarter against Billings Skyview at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead running back Gabe Lake (32) looks for running room against Billings Skyview in the second quarter at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead defenders Brandon Lewis (99) and Easton Casper (58) bring down Billings Skyview running back Hunter Sherner (9) in the third quarter at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
The Flathead Braves started strong, finished stronger and put away a football victory Friday that was two-plus years in the making.
Jackson Walker threw two touchdown passes in Flathead’s 27-0 over Billings Skyview, and the Braves pitched a shutout. Then five dozen black-jerseyed players celebrated in front of their fans with the fight song.
It was their first win in 18 games.
“It feels amazing,” said senior Trevor Burke, who was a freshman when Flathead last posted a win, 19-7 over Missoula Big Sky on Oct. 25, 2019. “We all put in the work, in two-a-days. We had 6- to 8-hour days this week, and this makes it all worth it.
“I love being out here, being with my brothers. We have 17 seniors and I love every one of them. I’m just ecstatic right now.”
Burke scored the game’s first touchdown, on a dump-off pass that caught a host of Falcons going the wrong way. He skirted a wall of blockers and scored untouched from 11 yards out, at 7:43 of the first quarter.
It was set up when Tanner Heichel popped the ball loose from Skvyiew’s Kailua Fatupaito, and recovered it at the Falcons’ 23-yard line.
“Got that big play, and then a swing to Trevor,” said Walker. “Great blocking on the outside. That’s been a point of emphasis, wide receiver blocking, and they made the play and Trevor just followed them in.”
“It was Brody (Thornsberry) and Gabe Sims,” Burke said. “They did an amazing job. I was more proud of them than I was happy to get a touchdown.”
Walker threw for 141 yards and ran for 47, including a 31-yard burst in the first quarter that set up the first of Connor Skalsky’s two field goals. He made one mistake, an end-zone interception by the Falcons’ Kaden Chapman that kept the score 10-0 through the second quarter.
But with Skyview finding little that worked besides quarterback Grayden Wilkinson’s option keepers — Wilkinson had a 52-yard burst and ran for 122 total — it figured if Flathead did one good thing in the second half, it was over.
The Braves did several.
Gabe Lake’s 6-yard run on fourth-and-1 set up Skolsky’s second field goal, early in the fourth quarter.
When Wilkinson finally completed a pass, Burke and Skolsky met Fatupaito and popped the ball loose after an 18-yard gain. Skalsky recovered, Walker dropped a 29-yard dime on Thornsberry and then he found a leaping Ben Blevins for an 11-yard TD.
On Skyview’s next possession Skolsky picked off a Wilkinson pass and sped in for a 30-yard pick-6.
There was some attrition: Cade Olbert came out with a shoulder injury; Bobby Wagner, Jackson’s brother who missed last season with a knee injury, came out with an injury to his other knee after his second catch.
“Losing Bobby and losing Cale, that’s going to hurt a lot,” said Caleb Aland, who is 1-0 as Flathead’s head coach. “Hurts me a lot. But I’m proud of those guys. I asked a lot of them early on, to buy into what we were doing. It wasn’t easy. I lost 20-something guys.”
Blevins filled in for Bobby Walker and caught three passes. Lake ran for 30 yards on six carries. Thornsberry had five catches for 52 yards.
“Trevor Burke, man, it was fun seeing him have fun,” Aland, who spent last season as Flathead’s QB coach, said. “I haven’t seen that in a while. He’s a rock of a player and he absolutely balled out. Those guys, they played to win the game. And they did.
“I’m overwhelmed. I’m excited. That’s a big deal for this school and this program. Been a long time coming.”
“Feels unbelievable,” said Walker. “Can’t describe it. We’re just going to celebrate and come back Monday ready to work.”
Skyview 0 0 0 0 - 0
Flathead 10 0 0 17 - 27
F — Connor Skalsky 31 FG, 8:54-1Q
F — Trevor Burke 11 pass from Jackson Walker (Skalsky kick), 7:43-1Q
F — Skalsky 25 FG, 11:42-4Q
F — Ben Bliven 10 pass from Walker (Skalsky kick), 8:16-4Q
F — Skalsky 30 interception return (Skalsky kick), 7:09-4Q
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Skyview (42-170) — Grayden Wilkinson 12-122, Paolo Salminen 11-35, Kailua Fatupaito 3-14, Hunter Shernern 8-11, Dayne Toney 2-1, Hunter Solheim 6-minus 13. Flathead — Jackson Walker 9-47, Gabe Lake 6-30, Joe Jones 7-18, Trevor Burke 2-17, Brayton Fitch 2-12, Bobby Walker 1-7, Stephen Riley 1-2.
PASSING: Skyview — Wilkinson 3-9-1 for 18 yards. Flathead — J Walker 19-29-1 for 141 yards; Nate Skonard 0-1-1 for 0 yards.
RECEIVING: Skyview — Ben Howells 1-11, Fatupaito 1-18, Zakai Owens 1-6. Flathead — Brody Thornsberry 5-52, Blevin 3-24, B. Walker 2-29, Burke 2-20, Jones 2-2, Gabe Sims 1-9, Jaden Williams 1-5.
